Unleash Your Creativity: The Best Artboard Alternatives for Vector Drawing
Artboard, with its simple, powerful, and fun approach to vector drawing, has been a go-to for many designers looking to get started quickly. However, as creative needs evolve or specific functionalities become critical, users often find themselves searching for a robust Artboard alternative. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your design journey, there are numerous powerful vector drawing software options available that can enhance your workflow and unlock new creative possibilities.
Top Artboard Alternatives
If you're ready to explore new horizons beyond Artboard, you're in the right place. We've compiled a list of the top alternatives, each offering unique strengths to cater to diverse design requirements, from open-source freedom to professional-grade powerhouses.
Inkscape
Inkscape is a professional, free, and open-source vector graphics editor available for Linux, Windows, and macOS. It's an excellent Artboard alternative for those seeking a comprehensive tool without the cost, offering features like support for layers, SVG editing, vector drawing, live path effects, and the ability to vectorize raster images.
Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer stands out as a commercial Artboard alternative praised for its speed, smoothness, and precision in vector graphic design. Available for Mac, Windows, and iPad, it boasts features such as no subscription fees, the ability to open PSD files, vector strokes, and a clear and fast workflow, including a unique 'Pixel Persona' for integrated raster editing.
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is a commercial industry-standard vector drawing software for Mac and Windows, making it a powerful Artboard alternative for professionals. It offers sophisticated tools for drawing, typography, advanced color controls, and creative effects, alongside features like export to PDF, vector strokes, and robust layer manipulation.
Sketch
Sketch is a commercial design toolkit built specifically for macOS users, making it a strong Artboard alternative for UI/UX designers. It excels in helping users create from early ideas to final artwork with features like UI design tools, live preview, bitmap editing, cloud sync, and seamless integration with InVision.
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is a comprehensive commercial solution for Mac, Windows, and Web, serving as a robust Artboard alternative for professional and occasional designers. It combines vector illustration, page layout, photo-editing, and tracing software, featuring pixel accuracy and extensive customization options.
Vectr
Vectr is a free graphics editor that works as a web browser tool and a native desktop app for Windows, Linux, and Chrome OS. It's a fantastic Artboard alternative for collaborative projects, offering an intuitive interface, image editing, image sharing, and vector drawing capabilities.
Dotgrid
Dotgrid is a simple, free, and open-source vector drawing application available for Mac, Windows, and Linux. It offers a clean design and basic vector drawing functionality, making it a straightforward Artboard alternative for users who prefer a minimalist approach to creating vector graphics.
Akira
Akira is a native Linux Design application built in Vala and GTK, serving as a free and open-source Artboard alternative for UI/UX design. It focuses on offering a modern and fast approach to interface and user experience design, particularly targeting web applications, with features like drag-and-drop design and intuitive interfaces.
Bloom
Bloom is a commercial, fast, lightweight, and cross-platform procedural graphics editor available for Mac, Windows, and Linux. It makes a compelling Artboard alternative with its layer-based workflow, allowing users to tweak every action performed, and offering robust image editing, image processing, UI design, and vector drawing capabilities.
Alva
Alva is a free and open-source Artboard alternative for Mac, Windows, and Linux that works with production frontend components to create up-to-date, responsive, and interactive designs. It's ideal for designers looking to build living style guides and focuses primarily on UI design.
With such a diverse range of Artboard alternatives available, you're sure to find a vector drawing software that aligns perfectly with your specific design needs, workflow, and budget. Explore these options, try out their features, and discover the tool that empowers your creativity the most.