Free Illustrator Alternatives for Mac

Alternatives list

1. 

   

   Inkscape

    2400 likes

   Unlike Illustrator, Inkscape is completely free and open source, and it uses Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) as its native format. This lightweight app is usually recommended if you don't have a powerful computer, as it also has many of the useful features from illustrator, including layers, grouping objects, drawing, shape, calligraphy, pencil tools, path simplification with variable threshold, bitmaps, and boolean operations. Plus, you can open or import a wide range of file formats including SVG, PDF, EPS, CDR, or even AI (Adobe Illustrator).

   137 Inkscape alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (GPL-2.0)

   Application typeApplication types

   • Vector Graphic
   • Digital Painting

   Origin

   • United States

   Since

   • Since 2009

   Platforms

   • Windows
   • Mac
   • Linux
   • BSD
   • PortableApps.com
   • Haiku
   • Flathub
   • Snapcraft

   • United States

   

   

   

   +8

   

   More about Inkscape  

   

   Good alternative?Is Inkscape a good alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

    

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   38comments

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   Inkscape vs Adobe Illustrator Comments

   Negative comment by Guest · Aug 21, 2025

   I love how fast it operates and some of the cool color palettes (Munsell) but the functionality made it almost useless. Too many steps to change and quick copy objects. Like changing font or color and weird tool names/keyboard shortcuts.

   Positive comment by Guest · Aug 17, 2025

   I like it because it is almost as powerful, and it's overall comparable/excellent.

   Positive comment by qlowf · Apr 1, 2025

   1. Free.
   2. Extremely capable.
   3. Runs great on all kinds of hardware, even those with lower specs.
   4. Cross-platform.
   5. Did I mention it's free?
   6. Some things it actually does better. However, there are also a few missing features for very specific cases.

   Biggest hurdle is orienting yourself when coming from Illustrator, but it's more than worth the adjustment.

   Logos by Nick is a great resource, he has tons of tutorials.

   https://www.youtube.com/@LogosByNick

   3 of 38 comments

   

   

   • Inkscape is Free and Open SourceAdobe Illustrator is Paid and Proprietary
   • Inkscape is Customizable, Privacy focused and LightweightAdobe Illustrator is not according to our users
2. 

   

   Affinity

    96 likes

   Unified design solution merging advanced photo, vector, and layout tools for seamless workflow, non-destructive editing, RAW support, batch processing, AI enhancements, GPU acceleration, file compatibility, cloud asset integration, and tailored workspace options.

   118 Affinity alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Freemium
   • Proprietary

   Application typeApplication types

   • Image Editor
   • Vector Graphic

   Origin

   • Australia

   Since

   • Since 2025

   Platforms

   • Windows
   • Mac
   • iPad

   • Australia

   

   

   

   +7

   

   More about Affinity  

   

   Good alternative?Is Affinity a good alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

    
4. 

   

   Figma

    279 likes

   Figma has a bigger focus on UI design, wireframing and collaborative work. Like Sketch, its interface is cleaner and easier to understand than Illustrator. It's can also be used throught web browsers and collabore with more members of your team in real time. It features automatic cloud synchronization so you can use your files on the platform you want, in addition to unique features such as arc tools and vector networks, which allow non-designers to format their templates easily. Animated prototypes are definitely a great advantage to interact with your design before coding.

   144 Figma alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Freemium
   • Proprietary

   Application typeApplication types

   • UI Design
   • Prototyping

   Origin

   • United States

   Since

   • Since 2016

   Platforms

   • Windows
   • Mac
   • Chrome OS
   • Online
   • Software as a Service (SaaS)
   • Android
   • iPhone
   • iPad
   • Android Tablet

   • United States

   

   

   

   +4

   

   More about Figma  

   

   Good alternative?Is Figma a good alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

    

   |

   2comments

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   Figma vs Adobe Illustrator Comments

   Negative comment by RCLeahcar · Aug 16, 2020

   Figma places a heavier focus on user interface design, while Illustrator is a general vector graphics editor.

   Positive comment by Guest · Oct 22, 2020

   With a focus on UI, it is a much better tool to use for UI design and prototyping

   2 of 2 comments

   

   

   • Figma is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Illustrator is Paid and Proprietary
   • Figma is a UI Design Adobe Illustrator is a Vector Graphic App
5. 

   

   MyPaint

    397 likes

   The biggest difference with Illustrator is that MyPaint works with bitmaps instead of vector graphics. It's open source software designed mainly to illustrate and draw with a digitizer tablet. It has a simple interface, where almost all the basic drawing functions are assigned to keyboard shortcuts, which improves workflow speed. In addition, you can hide the entire graphical interface and focus all attention on the drawing without being distracted by unnecessary or complex buttons or palettes. It's a good option if you are interested in digital illustration without too many overwhelming features.

   147 MyPaint alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (GPL-2.0)

   Application type

   • Digital Painting

   Origin

   • Switzerland

   Since

   • Since 2009

   Platforms

   • Windows
   • Mac
   • Linux
   • PortableApps.com

   • Switzerland

   

   

   

   +2

   

   More about MyPaint  

   

   Good alternative?Is MyPaint a good alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

    

   |

   7comments

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   MyPaint vs Adobe Illustrator Comments

   Top Negative Comment by lauraess · Apr 3, 2024

   Illustrator is a vector image editing app. I can import bitmaps but those are more likely to be traced as vectors. This is a drawing program and is bitmap based.

   Negative comment by Guest · Oct 9, 2026

   it’s a bitmap editing program, not a vector program—really bad entry.

   Negative comment by thniels · Jan 30, 2026

   Vector and bitmap illustration are two completely different usecases.

   3 of 7 comments

   

   

   • MyPaint is Free and Open SourceAdobe Illustrator is Paid and Proprietary
   • MyPaint is a Digital Painting Adobe Illustrator is a Vector Graphic App
   • MyPaint is LightweightAdobe Illustrator is not according to our users
6. 

   

   VectorCraft

    20 likes

   An open-source, clean-room reimplementation of Adobe Illustrator, built in pure Rust.

   45 VectorCraft alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (Apache-2.0)

   Application type

   • Vector Graphic

   Origin

   • United States

   Since

   • New

   Platforms

   • Windows
   • Mac
   • Linux
   • Flatpak
   • AppImage

   • United States

   

   

   

   +1

   

   More about VectorCraft  

   

   Good alternative?Is VectorCraft a good alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

    

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   1comment

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   VectorCraft vs Adobe Illustrator Comments

   Positive comment by Zach G · Oct 15, 2026

   It's real. I've been using adobe illustrator for work for over a decade now. This is a straight up copy of adobe illustrator. It runs without fuss on linux, it's free and open source. I'm sure it has some rough edges, but in terms of being an alternative to illustrator, it's miles ahead of any of the other open source projects.

   On the one hand I'm sad that the years of hard work put in by indie developers on projects like inkscape has been so thoroughly surpassed by an AI project, but on the other hand, I'm overjoyed that adobe's chokehold over the market is finally going to slip, especially after they spent so long hiking prices and using artists work to train their ai models on.

   1 of 1 comments

   

   

   • VectorCraft is Free and Open SourceAdobe Illustrator is Paid and Proprietary
   • VectorCraft is Lightweight and Privacy focusedAdobe Illustrator is not according to our users
8. 

   

   GodSVG

    39 likes

   Interactive vector editor built with Godot for creating or editing SVG files, featuring UI-based element manipulation, live code updates, direct markup access, no added metadata, minimal abstraction, clean output, and intended use on desktop plus mobile devices.

   16 GodSVG alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (MIT)

   Application type

   • Vector Graphic

   Since

   • Since 2024

   Platforms

   • Windows
   • Mac
   • Linux
   • Online
   • Android

   

   More about GodSVG  

   

   Good alternative?Is GodSVG a good alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

    

   |

   1comment

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   GodSVG vs Adobe Illustrator Comments

   Negative comment by Zach G · Aug 27, 2025

   Illustrator is a fully functional graphics program. You can insert images, you have lots of options for text editing etc. You can make posters and flyers, full illustrations etc. There are a lot of import and export options, colour handling, image trace, brush tools and more.

   GodSVG is only useful for editing and refining simple svg files, you could use it for creating a set of simple icons perhaps, but not a whole poster design or any typography. It's just not the same kind of program.

   1 of 1 comments

   

   

   • GodSVG is Free and Open SourceAdobe Illustrator is Paid and Proprietary
9. 

   

   Linearity Curve

    355 likes

   Vectonator is a very complete free vector editing app, known mainly for its iPad apps, focusing on simplicity and ease of use. You can export to JPG, PNG, SVG and PDF. Also, unlike Illustrator, you can render a time-lapse video of your project to share on social media (with some limitations). Cloud syncing allows you to continue work started on iPad and finish it directly on macOS.

   44 Linearity Curve alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Freemium
   • Proprietary

   Application typeApplication types

   • Vector Graphic
   • Digital Painting

   Origin

   • Germany
   • EU

   Since

   • Since 2017

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • iPhone
   • iPad

   • Germany
   • EU

   

   

   

   +8

   

   More about Linearity Curve  

   

   Good alternative?Is Linearity Curve a good alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

    

   |

   1comment

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   Linearity Curve vs Adobe Illustrator Comments

   Negative comment by FearedFusionX · Oct 9, 2024

   This used to be a great app for both Mac and iOS, but ever since the subscription update, the app has been reaching it's breaking point.

   1 of 1 comments

   

   

   • Linearity Curve is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Illustrator is Paid and Proprietary
   • Linearity Curve is Lightweight and Privacy focusedAdobe Illustrator is not according to our users
10. 

    

    LazPaint

     46 likes

    Raster & vector graphic editor with many tools and filters, written in Lazarus. Portable, 32bit & 64bit versions, ORA format & 16384x16384 image support. In app 3D import & rendering.

    57 LazPaint alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (GPL-3.0)

    Application typeApplication types

    • Digital Painting
    • Image Editor

    Origin

    • France
    • EU

    Since

    • Since 2014

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak

    • France
    • EU

    

    

    

    +2

    

    More about LazPaint  

    

    Good alternative?Is LazPaint a good alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

     
11. 

    

    Apache OpenOffice Draw

     124 likes

    Draw, part of the Apache OpenOffice suite, is a graphics editor that gives you the tools to communicate with visuals and diagrams. With a maximum page size of 300cm by 300cm, Draw is powerful tool for posters, graphs, charts, and more.

    93 Apache OpenOffice Draw alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    • Vector Graphic

    Origin

    • United States

    Since

    • Since 2009

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux

    • United States

    

    

    

    More about Apache OpenOffice Draw  

    

    Good alternative?Is this a good alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

     

    |

    1comment

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    Apache OpenOffice Draw vs Adobe Illustrator Comments

    Negative comment by Guest · Mar 15, 2018

    More of a flowchart designer than a vector illustrator

    1 of 1 comments

    

    

    • Apache OpenOffice Draw is Free and Open SourceAdobe Illustrator is Paid and Proprietary
12. 

    

    Repath Studio

     5 likes

    A cross platform vector graphics editor, that combines procedural tooling with traditional design workflows. It includes an interactive shell, which allows evaluating code to generate shapes, or even extend the editor on the fly.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (AGPL-3.0)

    Application type

    • Vector Graphic

    Since

    • Since 2024

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux

    

    More about Repath Studio  

    

    Good alternative?Is Repath Studio a good alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

     

    |

    1comment

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    Repath Studio vs Adobe Illustrator Comments

    Positive comment by erayzesen · Sep 24, 2024

    It have a good potential. But it's under the development.

    1 of 1 comments

    

    

    • Repath Studio is Free and Open SourceAdobe Illustrator is Paid and Proprietary
    • Repath Studio is Privacy focusedAdobe Illustrator is not according to our users
13. 

    

    Omber

     6 likes

    Omber is a new type of vector design program that lets you use color in new ways in your vector drawings. With Omber's advanced soft shading tools, you can easily make dramatic color blends or subtle color gradients in your art.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    • Vector Graphic

    Origin

    • United States

    Since

    • Since 2017

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Chrome OS
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad

    • United States

    

    

    

    +4

    

    More about Omber  

    

    Good alternative?Is Omber a good alternative to Adobe Illustrator?

     
14. 

    

    iVinci

     8 likes

    iVinci is a new starting point in vector design industry. It's just incredibly easy, and incredibly fast, for both beginners and experts.

    Notable features: -Use SVG as native file format. You can use files created by iVinci directly in may other Apps. -Powerful Bezier path e.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application typeApplication types

    • Vector Graphic
    • Graphic Design

    Origin

    • China

    Since

    • Since 2013

    Platforms

    • Mac

    • China

    

    

    

    +2

    

    More about iVinci  

    

    Good alternative?Is iVinci a good alternative to Adobe Illustrator?