Effective graphic design for social media helps build brand recognition and establishes a connection between your company’s products and target market. Using visual content on social media helps boost brand recognition and, more importantly, grow follower engagement. And as we know illustrations add personality to words.

Illustrations can contribute to determining the personality of a design depending on the context of the information that needs to be visually represented. They can communicate any moods or feelings present in the text or throughout the brand. Additionally, graphics improve user interaction and website accessibility as part of your SEO efforts.

The way graphic design conveys your message to potential clients is a key component of effective advertising. Inspiring graphics may make your ideas come to life and clearly communicate to your audience the details of your business and the goods and services you offer.

The finest free illustration software lets you make and modify vector images without spending a single penny. If you’re new to developing graphic design software, we will show you some of the excellent options.

Although Adobe Illustrator is the industry-standard program for designing and manipulating vector drawings, using it requires you to sign up for a costly Creative Cloud subscription. 

Even a single Adobe app subscription can get pricey. For many people, it’s not always the most economical option. Thankfully, there are other options. There are numerous free alternatives to Adobe Illustrator available.

5 Best Free Illustration Software in 2022

Our testers used each tool extensively, evaluating it for usability, power, features, compatibility, use of resources, and value before selecting the best graphic design software overall and the best free graphic design services software. 

To assist you in selecting the finest graphic design software for you, we’ve taken into account the pros and cons of each tool in each situation.

1. Gravit

Gravit has a wide variety of your standard vector editing tools, such as the pen, line, knife, slice, bezigon, and gradient editor. Additionally, it contains more sophisticated capabilities, including boolean operations, symbols, support for international text, and more.

A user-friendly interface and video training are also included. Gravit works directly within your browser, so you can edit and export files from anywhere you have a wifi connection. It also supports CMYK rendering, so you can print high-quality photographs without downloading anything.

This choice is more versatile than Illustrator because you can import and export files in various formats like pdf, png, jpg, SVG, and sketch.

So, is Gravit genuinely open source and free?

There are two variations of Gravit. There are no restrictions on how you can use the free version at all. A three-month free trial is available for the Pro version of Gravit, which is not open source or free to use (while the offer lasts).

Suitable for freelance designers and illustrators who require a powerful design tool. It can be operated on platforms such as Chrome, AnyBrowser, Linux, Mac, and Windows.

Pros:

• Supports the export and import of files in multiple formats.
• Provides seamless dashboard navigation.
• Provides efficient and practical keyboard shortcuts.

Cons:

• No real-time collaboration
• Moves slowly when working on intricate designs
• The free edition lacks several necessary functions.

2. Vectornator

Vectornator is one of the top-rated illustrators on the App Store, with millions of downloads. It has auto-trace technology that makes it possible to track photos quickly. Thanks to the innovative gesture controls, you may switch the node type with just one tap.

Millions of designers now choose Vectornator as their go-to tool since it offers unlimited artboards and sophisticated text editing tools. The illustrator also has tools like Kerning, Tracking, Line Height, Custom Tool, Path Guides, and others. It works with iPadOS 13, iOS 13, and later, macOS Big Sur and later (Native M1 support).

Cost: Free

Pros:

• Use is free.
• Designing is simple and quick because of the contextual quick action menus and quick action tab.
• Designs from Figma can be imported into the program.
• Files may be exported as individual layers or in the AI*, PDF*, SVG, PNG, or JPG formats.

Cons:

• Tooltips are absent from its quick action buttons.
• In comparison to its competitors, it operates slowly.

3. Inkscape

Optimum value Alternatives to Adobe Illustrator for beginners A free illustrator that supports embedded bitmaps and clones in its text, shape, and pencil tools to help you create beautiful designs. 

Inkscape assists you with node editing, boolean operations, path operations and grids, object manipulation tools, and fill and stroke tools.

Cost: Free

Pros:

• The PNG, OpenDocument Drawing, DXF, sk1, PDF, EPS, and PostScript formats are all supported for file export.
• SVG files are editable.
• Free of charge.

Cons: 

• EPS and AI files are incompatible.
• Lacks possibilities for high-end vector graphics.

4. GIMP

GNU Image Manipulation Program is known as GIMP. Using several tools and graphic design components, you may make high-quality photographs with it. 

It is free software. It works with Windows, OS X, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. Additionally, its customization tools enable you to add third-party plugins to increase efficiency.

Cost: Free

Pros:

• Despite having a large toolset, GIMP only requires a brief period of learning.
• It can be applied to the production of GIF files with several layers.
• Accepts files in a variety of formats.

Cons:

• Tools like Crop and Selection are challenging to utilize.
• GIMP is an open-source program, hence customer support is lacking.
• When compared to its paid equivalents, it has fewer features.

5. Pixlr

Pixlr is an excellent option for designers that use web browser operating systems and is a cloud-based storage program. As long as your system is reasonably good, you need not worry too much about the operating system or specifications.

The program is accessible to all users and runs on PCs and mobile devices. Additionally, SVG, PNG, JPG, PSD, PXD, and WebP are file types that work with Pixlr. You can produce the format that best matches your creative asset if you are working on a wide range of designs.

In addition, because of how comparable its functions are to those of Adobe Photoshop, it makes a good substitute. Using the online collage maker, you may create collages with Pixlr’s free built-in pre-made collage templates.

So Pixlr is one of the top Adobe Illustrator alternatives to employ for users seeking a multi-platform software choice.

Cost: Free

Pros:

• Free and simple to use
• A range of resources for picture editing
• A convenient array of pre-made filters

Cons:

• It doesn’t support the Tiff and BMP file formats
• Glitches occasionally

Wrap Up!

Producing expert various vector graphics doesn’t always have to be expensive. One of these free software options will undoubtedly serve your needs if you’re a beginner in the graphic design industry or an experienced designer looking for affordable tools.