5 Best Free Alternatives to Adobe Illustrator (2026)

Last checked October 2026 · 7 alternatives to Adobe Illustrator in our catalog

People look for a free alternative to Adobe Illustrator to cut cost or avoid lock-in. Below are 5 options with a free plan or no price at all - 2 are completely free, 2 are open source, 2 run on Linux and 3 work in the browser.

Quick picks

No paid tier at all

Affinity Designer

Open source

Inkscape

Works in the browser

Gravit Designer

Picked from listing data (price model, license, platforms, community votes), not hands-on testing.

Adobe Illustrator alternatives compared

Alternative	Price	Open source	Platforms	What it is
Affinity Designer	Free	No	Windows, Mac	Professional vector design tools, now part of Canva's free unified Affinity app.
Inkscape	Free	Yes	Windows, Mac, Linux	Free and open-source vector graphics editor
Gravit Designer	Freemium	No	Web, Windows, Mac, Linux	Powerful vector design for web and desktop, free to start.
Penpot	Paid (Subscription)	Yes	Web	Open-source design and prototyping platform for UI/UX teams
Vectr	Freemium	No	Web	Browser-based vector graphics editor with AI logo generation and background removal.

Affinity Designer

FreeWindowsMac

Professional vector design tools, now part of Canva's free unified Affinity app.

Core professional design toolset is now free to use
Combines vector, photo, and layout tools in one app
No more per-seat licensing for the base application

Standalone perpetual-license Designer no longer exists for those who preferred the old model
Advanced AI features require a paid Canva subscription

Full details Adobe Illustrator vs Affinity Designer

Inkscape

FreeOpen sourceWindowsMacLinux

Free and open-source vector graphics editor

Free and open source
Cross-platform compatibility
Wide range of features and tools

Steep learning curve
Not as polished as commercial alternatives

Full details Adobe Illustrator vs Inkscape

Gravit Designer

FreemiumWebWindowsMacLinux

Powerful vector design for web and desktop, free to start.

Free plan includes: Unlimited design projects · Basic vector tools · Export to PNG, JPG, SVG · Limited cloud storage

Free tier offers a full set of core vector tools.
Runs in any modern browser and as native desktop apps.
Extensive export options including SVG and PDF.

Advanced features require a paid Pro subscription.
Limited collaboration tools compared to dedicated team platforms.

Full details Adobe Illustrator vs Gravit Designer

Penpot

Paid (Subscription)Open sourceWeb

Open-source design and prototyping platform for UI/UX teams

Free plan includes: No file limits · Unlimited teams · Community plugins · Open source, no vendor lock‑in

Fully open‑source with self‑hosting option
Free cloud tier for small teams
Real‑time collaborative editing

Limited native integrations compared to commercial rivals
Performance can lag with very large files

Full details

Vectr

FreemiumWeb

Browser-based vector graphics editor with AI logo generation and background removal.

Free plan includes: Vector editing tools · Cloud project sync · Basic export formats · Real-time collaboration

Generous free tier with no watermarks on exports
Works entirely in the browser across any device
AI tools like background removal are built in, not a separate add-on

Interface and toolset are less advanced than dedicated vector apps like Illustrator or Affinity Designer
AI credit limits on premium tiers can run out during heavy use

Full details

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

Affinity Designer is the first free alternative we list for Adobe Illustrator and has no paid tier. Others worth a look: Inkscape, Gravit Designer and Penpot. Which one fits depends on what you use Adobe Illustrator for, so check the platform and free-plan details for each.

Is there a completely free alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

Yes. Affinity Designer and Inkscape have no paid tier. The rest of the list are freemium: a free plan with paid upgrades.

Is there an open-source alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

Yes: Inkscape and Penpot. Open-source options can usually be inspected, modified and self-hosted.

Does Adobe Illustrator have a free plan?

We don't have confirmed free-plan details for Adobe Illustrator. Check its pricing page directly.

How this list is built: alternatives come from our catalog's curated alternative relationships; price model, license and platforms come from each product's listing; order is fully-free first, then community votes.