Inkscape vs Illustrator

Images have become an integral part of our lives as these are not just pictures which are transferred from one platform to another but it contains different emotions which tell a lot about a person’s personality. It has been found that around 3.2 billion images are uploaded on the internet daily. Special software is required to create specific images like images for advertisements, promotions, logos, vector images, illustrations etc. Two of the most famous software are Inkscape and Illustrator which are capable of creating different types of images for different purposes. So let’s compare these two softwares to find out the best one.

What is Inkscape?

Inkscape is free and open-source computer software which is mainly used to create vector images. Its format is SVG which means Scalable Vector Graphic means the image’s pixels will not rupture on the zooming. It is available for different operating systems like FreeBSD, Linux, Mac, Windows etc. It was first released on 2 November 2003, and the stable release was in 2021 on 27 September. It is written in C++ and Python language. It has an easy interface with different manipulation tools for images like moving, rotating, scaling and skewing.

Advantages of Inkscape

• It is free and open-source software.
• It comes with CAD and vector illustration tools which help in creating precise vector images.
• It is a small software of around 90 MB and is very easy to set up.
• It comes with node editing and object creation functionality.
• High-quality images can be produced as it has a large number of colour and gradients features.

Limitations of Inkscape

• Saving files in jpeg or png format is not allowed in this software.
• It is a complex software which is difficult to learn.
• It is unable to edit .eps files.

What is Illustrator?

Illustrator also known as Adobe Illustrator is a computer application for creating and editing vector graphics. Originally it was developed for Macintosh. Initially, it was released in 1987 and its stable version was launched in 2022. Adobe Incorporation is credited for the development of this software. It contains all the tools to create vector as well as non-vector images. It is written using C++ and ActionScript.

Advantages of Illustrator

• It supports nearly all types of file formats.
• It has a simple interface which allows beginners to work easily.
• It uses a direct selection tool to create objects rather than node editing.
• It is an industry-standard software which produces quality images.
• It has large community support for its customers.

Disadvantages of Illustrator

• It requires high RAM to function smoothly.
• It is not available for lifetime purchase only monthly or yearly subscription plans are available.

Following is a table of differences between Inkscape and Illustrator:

	Inkscape	Illustrator
1.	Inkscape can be understood as a vector image creating software which produces SVG images.	It is computer software for creating, editing and manipulating free form, raster and vector images.
2.	It was developed by Bryce Harrington, Ted Gould, Nathan Hurst and MenTaLguY who are the founder members of Inkscape.	It was developed by Adobe Incorporation.
3.	It does not allow automatic tracing of images.	It allows automatic tracing of images.
4.	It is completely free for everybody.	It is a paid software which comes with a trial version.
5.	It is built using C++ and Python programming languages.	It is built using C++ and ActionScript programming languages.
6.	It produces a smaller size image file.	The size of the images is comparatively bigger.
7.	It is open-source software.	It is not open-source software.
8.	It does not support EPS file formats.	It allows editing of EPS files.