Best for:Īdvanced designers who need a custom tool to create illustrations and graphics Platform:īoxySVG runs as an extension in Google Chrome, so it’s easy to store vector graphics including icons, charts, and illustrations on the web. If this sounds technically advanced, GIMP offers tutorials for newcomers to the tool so you get the most out of it. GIMP is free and open source, so there is a market of third party plugins to enhance your productivity and design capabilities. Better still, GIMP provides options for customization and third party plug-ins, so if your image editing needs are somewhat unique, you might want to check this tool out. GIMP, which stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, has limited vector functions but has similar tools to Photoshop, making it an impressive image editor with powerful image manipulation options. Pro and semi-pro illustrators and web designers Platform:

It also offers an open source vector graphics package, so if you have the technical skills, you can incorporate Inkscape into your other software programs. Inkscape is a quality product for pro- or semi-pro web designers working within SVG file format. Unlike some free tools, this tool allows layering, grouping, and locking objects so you can completely customize the look and feel of a project while maintaining a streamlined workflow. You can create complex textures and gradients in Inkscape, too. One of the most comparable substitutes to Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape has plenty of similar sketching, illustrating, and editing tools, including keys to move and rotate by screen pixels, bitmap tracing, color painting over objects, and edit gradients with handles.

If you’re shopping for a program that offers features comparable in quality to Adobe’s product, check out our list of the top free alternatives to Illustrator. To do this, simply go to the Adobe Illustrator product page and click “Start your free trial”. If you’re interested in using Adobe Illustrator but hesitant to purchase the full version, you can try a free seven-day trial of the product first.

Turn sketch into vector inkscape