The Best Free
Vector Graphics Editor

I think many digital artists share my opinion about free vector graphic software, perceiving them as handy tools for creating projects when you’re an amateur. They are capable of making diverse visual elements such as basic page layouts, watermarks, logos, sharp-edged artistic illustrations, block diagrams, and charts.

Adobe Illustrator free is available for 7 days, providing access to all its features. It's packed with tools perfect for designers, illustrators, and creative users. Whether you're sketching with pens and pencils or creating shapes and paths, it has everything you need to turn your ideas into stunning designs, so no wonder many people believe it is the best free software for vector graphics out there. You can use it to make catchy logos, illustrations, text styles, or intricate artworks.

In my opinion, the main highlight of this program is its wide range of tools and features. Thus, users can create detailed vector artworks. Adobe Illustrator supports various file formats like SVG, PDF, EPS, and AI, which is very convenient if you need to produce vector graphics. Once done, you can export your works to different platforms and software.

Inkscape is a free vector graphics software that provides advanced tools for working with shapes. It has four tools that can change the control nodes and the numerical parameters of the shapes.

You can also try cloning objects if you need to expedite your workflow. When working in this software, you can analytically set curves with the Python language, and use files in PNG, TIFF, JPEG, XPM, GIF, SVG, etc. To protect your project from theft, use free watermark software. When comparing this program with Illustrator, I don’t like its limited collaboration features. This can become an issue when working in a team.

If you need intuitive free graphic design software, pay attention to Linearity (formerly Vectornator). The unique features of this program are advanced layers and the possibility to use an unlimited number of them to create the most complex illustrations.

Some people may be put off by object duplicating issues, but in general, Linearity provides professional shape and contour tools, CMYK color profiles, custom fonts, actual layer blending modes, masks, the function of duplicating objects for convenient work. You can also organize teamwork on one project and make edits and changes simultaneously.

SVGator was created to offer users a simple method for animating their SVG files. The key features of this free vector graphic design software are a timeline and keyframe tracks that allow you to place all vector assets in a project and then transform them into an embedded playable file. SVGator lets you upload your illustrations (made in software like Illustrator and Inkscape) or create new ones straight in the app.

The process of creating animations in SVGator is pleasantly intuitive: draw the desired shapes, choose keyframes for them, and repeat the same process for each subsequent keyframe while making the necessary shape adjustments along the way.

Once you launch the animation, all parts will move smoothly from one predefined position to another. The only drawback of this app for me is the limited functionality of the free and lower plans that can significantly restrict your creativity.

IRA Design offers impressive gradients and hand-drawn sketch tools to create both personal and commercial projects. Here you will find everything for creating amazing backgrounds, characters, or objects, but in my opinion, customization options are limited especially compared to analogs.

With five available color gradients and an array of hand-drawn assets, it is possible to create awesome illustrations for mobile applications and website kits. Moreover, the quality of the final image in IRA Design doesn’t degrade when scaling. No matter what image extension you choose, the page will load almost instantly.

Vectr is easy-to-use software that suits people of all skill levels. It has a simple interface and efficient features. Since it is an online drawing app, you can access it from different different devices and operating systems. Whether you're using a desktop, laptop, or tablet, Vectr offers a consistent and flexible design experience.

With Vectr, you can get the most out of teamwork. Colleagues can work on the project together in real-time, leveraging such features as data sharing and commenting, etc. Such an approach is beneficial for team efficiency and productivity. But there's a downside. Vectr doesn't handle as many different file types as Illustrator or Inkscape do. However, if you mostly use popular formats like SVG, AI, or EPS, you'll be just fine.

If you need simple, easy and absolutely free vector graphics software for Mac and Windows, then Boxy SVG is the best option for you. Using it, you can create banners, icons, buttons, graphics, interface sketches, etc. without much effort. It offers an intuitive interface and a set of the most necessary tools for amateur work.

In Boxy SVG, you can use ready-made vector drawings that will help you when creating your own illustrations. You can also work with layers, shapes, and import bitmap images to create more complex sketches. I believe this is a nice program for novices, but not for professional work.

If you need online drawing software that is free and very easy to use, Vecteezy can perfectly suit you. It has an extensive library of ready-made illustrations that you can edit and use for your works. You can also use the pen to create your own illustrations from scratch.

If you need to create a text design, check out a selection of 75 fonts available in this free online software. You can also import and edit files in SVG format (but get ready for delays and freezes), use a simple color palette, create complex illustrations and more within an intuitive interface.

Krita is a robust Adobe Illustrator alternative, especially for artists, illustrators, and graphic designers. To my mind, one of its most attractive features is that it's completely free to download and use. Since it's open-source, it also gets regular updates and improvements from a dedicated community of developers and contributors.

Krita boasts a fantastic brush engine that gives artists a ton of options and settings to play with. You can even make your own brushes and get all sorts of cool painting effects easily. Plus, it is possible to modify layers, thus, arrange and tweak different parts of your artwork separately. However, the program isn’t very convenient, which can become a problem if you're working on banners or logos.

SVG-Edit is one of the best free vector graphics software for Windows when it comes to simple tasks with vector graphics. This software has the minimum necessary tools using which you can draw simple shapes. You can also use layers and gradients to create your illustrations and edit the SVG source.

The software has a large history of actions with more than 1000 steps, which is very convenient. You can also export your finished works to PNG, JPEG, BMP and WEBP formats. Also, you can make changes to the source code by yourself to add or remove your own tools and functions. Similar to BoxySVG, this is a nice variant for personal use, but not for professional team projects.

When looking for a suitable program, it is advisable to consider such factors as ease of use, update availability, toolset, compatibility, user-friendliness, support, and customization features. I concentrated on these aspects when testing different tools for this article.