• Best Vector Graphic Program For Mac
• Vector Graphics Software Mac

Inkscape is one of the best professional vector graphic editors for Windows, Mac and Linux. It’s free and open source. It is a full-fledged desktop vector editor and which is used by illustrators, designers, web designers or anyone who needs to create vector images. Nova Development is a major software producer that has several art programs for PC and Mac. Art Explosion brings you 800,000 images without downloading a single thing. Everything you need is included on 5 DVDs that don’t require a membership or any additional costs.

Best Mac Photo Editing Software 2019 - Photo Editor Reviews

Recently, we spent over 50 hours testing 10 Mac photo editing programs. We compared the programs' editing capabilities by importing the same group of photos into each one and applying the same edits. We also took into account how easy each program is to use, preferring those that are powerful as well as easy to learn. We further evaluated each software’s photo organizing features, including how many categorization and search options it offers. After all our testing was said and done, CyberLink PhotoDirector Ultra 10 stood out as the best Mac photo editing software. We think it is a good fit for users of any skill level, but it has features that make it especially good for beginners. To find out if this software is a good option for you, check out CyberLink’s 30-day free trial.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Ultra 10

PhotoDirector not only offers some of the easiest-to-use editing tools, it also offers one of the best photo organizing systems we've seen.

Pixelmator 3.3

Pixelmator 3.3 is easy to learn and costs less than many other programs. It is compatible with a wide range of file types and offers editing tools to enhance your images like a pro.

Affinity Photo

This software's tools are comparable to Adobe Photoshop. One of the biggest differences between the two programs is Affinity's lower-cost.

Best Overall

CyberLink PhotoDirector Ultra 10

CyberLink PhotoDirector Ultra is one of the easiest programs to use, which makes it ideal for beginners.

Experienced users will also find that it offers the tools needed to edit and organize their work. You can arrange your photos using a star rating system, color labels, keyword tags and even by tagging specific people's faces. There is a wide range of editing tools and we found that they work super well when making changes. The object removal tool was especially impressive, removing unwanted elements and replacing the space believably. We also found an easy HDR feature and lens distortion correction tools. Unfortunately, there were no vector graphics tools.
The interface is built differently than many other photo editing programs. Instead of displaying toolbar icons, the program is split into category tabs, which contain various editing tools. Instead of simply clicking on the cloning brush icon in the toolbar, you'll need to click on the 'People Beautifier' tab in the 'Edit' section to access this feature. PhotoDirector works with the most common image file types including PSD, JPG, TIFF and RAW files. This software also makes it easy to post your favorite images directly to Facebook or send your photos to loved ones using email from within the program. You'll find tutorials and a FAQs page on the website. While emailing the company is free, you have to pay for a phone support plan if you want to get technical help.

Best Budget

Pixelmator 3.3

Pixelmator 3.3 is a less-expensive photo editor with advanced editing capabilities. Considering all included tools, this is a very good value.

You get all the basic tools such as red-eye removal, selection tools, and color management, along with more advanced tools like background removal, creative filters and automatic editing options. Unfortunately, while the program works in layers, you cannot apply layer masks to your images. You also cannot easily fix lens distortion, create HDR images or stitch together panoramas with this software. There is no organizing system, so you will have to purchase a dedicated program if you want that capability. You can, however, view your photos' EXIF information.
Pixelmator works with the most common image files, including RAW, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, PSD and PDF. It can also help you optimize your photos for online usage. You can post photos directly onto social media sites such as Facebook, or email photos from within the program, but there is no online photo gallery. Also, you cannot make animated GIFs with this software.
If you want help with Pixelmator, there are various video tutorials, FAQs and even a user forum to help you learn and find answers. If you want to contact a representative, you can do so via email.

Best Alternative to Photoshop

Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo is one of the most powerful photo editing programs we tested. It didn't score as high as other program since it lacks a photo organizing feature.

You'll find that many of the tools you use in Photoshop are also in this program. In fact, it uses many of the same hotkeys. We were quickly able to remove unwanted objects from our photos with the content-aware fill tool. We counted 42 preset filters in the program that you can quickly add to your images.
We also found it easy to work with and manipulate the various layers as we worked. The program will help you create HDR photos and panoramas using simple step by step windows. There is no lens distortion tool per se, however, you can use the perspective tools to fix any warping caused by your camera. This program can be bought for a one-time purchase of roughly $50, which is much cheaper than Adobe's monthly or yearly subscription plans.
Affinity does offer a free demo of the software, but you'll need to use it quickly as it only lasts for 10 days. There is no photo organizing system built-in to this software so if you're specifically wanting a program that can sort your images, this might not be the best choice for you. We didn't find any printing project resources within the program. It will only allow you to make basic print requests.

Best for Learning Adobe

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2018

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2018 is one of the best Mac photo editors on the market. You navigate through the interface by choosing between the Guided, Quick and Expert modes. As expected, Guided mode helps you become acquainted with the various tools. It even offers tutorials and written instructions to fully explain everything.

Quick mode allows you to automatically make common adjustments to your photos, which can save time when you know your enhancements won't take long. You can adjust contrast, brightness and color. The Expert Mode gives you access to all of Photoshop Elements' tools.
There are more than 90 filters that can quickly add artistic effects to your favorite images. It also features advanced tools like content-aware fill, which gets rid of objects in an image and fills the space believably.
Photoshop Elements comes with Elements Organizer 2018, a separate program dedicated to organizing your photos. You can tag photos by time, date, name and rating. While Elements Organizer 2018 allows you to organize and catalogue your photos in a variety of ways, it can get tiresome jumping between the two programs. You can use Elements Organizer 2018 to store your photos directly in the cloud so you can access them anytime, anywhere.
This program is compatible with all the common image file types, including RAW, PDF, PSD, PNG, GIF and TIFF. You can also choose to share your photos directly onto Flickr, Facebook and Twitter. Should you need help, there are dozens of video tutorials online along with user forums and a FAQs page.

Best for Making HDR Images

Acorn 6

Use the tools to alter the hue, brightness and contrast of your images to make them look the way you want them to.

This software also works in layers to quickly view and select various elements when making changes. You can create both HDR and panoramic images using this software. The HDR guide steps you through the process making it easier to combine two or more images into one for a vibrant and lively finished product. Since it works with HDR images, it's not surprising that the software is compatible with RAW images, in addition to the most common file types. There is no photo organizer, so you'll have to purchase another one separately if you're wanting to manage your images. Fortunately, it does include a batch processor to make changes to multiple images at once and save you time. The cloning tool can help you eliminate unwanted objects from your images whether that be acne from a portrait or phone wires from a landscape. It also happens to be one of the least expensive programs in our comparison, selling for roughly $30.

Why Trust Us?

We have been testing Mac photo editing software for the past seven years. Whenever we evaluate products, we use the same testing methodology on each product to get fair and honest results. Our testers are often a mixture of experienced and inexperienced users, so we can gauge how different audiences react to a piece of software. With photo editing software, we look at every feature, tool and capability to determine how useful and intuitive each program is overall. Our testing helps us determine whether or not a program is best for beginners, advanced users or a mixture of both. We prefer to recommend programs that help you grow from a novice to an experienced artist while offering all of the best editing tools and sharing capabilities.

We contacted Brooklyn Parks - a graphic designer of 6 years – and Lisa Dixon – a professional photographer of 4 years to get more insights about photo editing programs. We also reached out to John Yoo, Head of Sales at CyberLink to learn more about PhotoDirector Ultra.

How Much Does Mac Photo Editing Software Cost?

You'll find that the best Mac photo editing software ranges between $30 and $100. Usually, programs costing $50 and up will give you more creative freedom and control over your work. The excessively expensive programs that cost more than $100 aren't always worth the cost, since you can usually find a program that fits your needs for less. Determine the tools and features you want most and then choose a program that offers them.

How We Tested

This year alone, we spent 50 hours testing 10 products. Our testers are graphic designers and photographers with a range of photo editing software skills. To determine which programs have the best editing capabilities, we uploaded the same images to each piece of software and applied the same edits. We paid attention to the intuitiveness of each product and compared the edited images side by side.

When the programs allowed, we also shared images to social media sites to see how well the sharing process worked. Programs with more editing features scored higher, while programs with fewer features scored lower. Our ease-of-use score was determined by the number of tools each program offered combined with the effectiveness of applied edits and the intuitiveness of each program's interface. Programs that were well organized and offered plenty of help tools scored higher.

We looked at file compatibility and awarded programs with more points when they worked with a wider range of common image file types. This also included the ability to optimize images for use on the web. The best software also comes with extensive resources, especially online video tutorials. Programs that offered a larger quantity of quality video instructions, a FAQs page and a user forum scored higher in our review.

What to Look For

Editing Tools

When we spoke to Parks, she told us that the best programs are the ones with intuitive tools. 'The name makes it obvious for what [the tool] does and it's easier to find what you are looking for,' she said. We score programs higher that were easier to use, this included making it easier to find the specific tools you need. What you need from a photo editor depends on what you intend to do with your images. Any true photo editor should offer basic editing tools like red-eye removal, cropping, color management, shape tools and the ability to add text to images. More comprehensive programs also have background removal software and a variety of brushes. Advanced tools help you make fine tweaks to your photos like touching up skin blemishes with touch-up or cloning tools.

It's also nice having a program that can fix lens distortion and create panoramas and HDR images. Batch processing is a super-convenient feature that allows you to make the same edits to several images at once. If you plan on taking dozens of photos at a time on a frequent basis, it's worth finding a program that offers it.

Yoo told us that if you can take the time to correctly adjust your camera before taking your photo, you will save yourself some hassle. 'The biggest lesson I learned that saved me time in post-processing was to take the extra time to compose the photo and light in the beginning when shooting. A well-composed photo will save you a lot of time later.' So, it's worth taking the time to prepare your scene.

Pricing
As far as Mac photo editing software goes, you should be able to find a basic editing program for under $100, typically starting for as little as $30. Paying more than $100 will often land you a professional editing program with additional editing tools and presets compared to the basic versions. It's good to note that you don't always have to pay the more expensive prices to get the specific tools you need. Before making your purchase consider what you think are the most important tools and find a software that offers them. If content-aware and cosmetic brush tools are most important to you, you can get a relatively cheap program that still includes those options like Affinity Photo. Programs generally have a trial period as well, so use this to try out the software and see which ones work best for you.

Organizing
Not all photo editing programs come with built-in photo organizing systems. While this isn't a critical feature, it can be incredibly convenient and save you time. The most common systems organize by location, faces, dates, times, titles, ratings and color labels. Categorization options vary from program to program.

File Compatibility
Since file compatibility is an important factor of a program's usability, we gave more points to programs that covered the most common image files such as RAW, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, PSD and PDF. Make sure you choose a program that works with the file types you use most. Yoo told us, 'I always shoot in RAW since it keeps the most light information in case I need to edit.' RAW images give you the most control over the editing process when they are imported into editing programs, which is why many photographers prefer to work with them.

Sharing Capabilities
Being able to post photos to Facebook or email them to family and friends directly within a photo editing program is a nice feature. Many companies offer online photo gallery accounts for you to use for free, but some cost extra. This can be a good place to back up your photos in case of computer failure.

If you plan on printing your photos or designs, Dixon told us it's best to work with 300 dpi, which is short for “dots per inch”. 'You can print pretty much anything,' she said. Many photo editing programs allow you to determine the resolution and size of new files or adjust the resolution and size of current images. This high resolution allows you to print images the size of movie posters and larger without getting blurry or pixelated imagery.

Parks told us that a super simple thing to help you when using photo editing software is to know the size of your project before you start. 'It will save you headaches later on,' she explained, 'otherwise when you transfer your files it can look like garbage.' Pulling a small image onto a larger file can make the small image pixelated and blurry so it's best to know the size of your end goal project when you start.

Help & Support
Advanced photo editors have so many features that you will likely need help learning how to use them. Video tutorials, FAQs pages and user forums can go a long way in helping you become an editing expert. Look for companies that also offer customer service in the method that you most prefer, whether through email, live chat or phone.

Parks told us that 'the biggest resource for learning is YouTube.' She further explained that she loves using it to find multiple ways to solve the same problem. If you ever get stumped jump on the web and see what other users have figured out.

Tips from the Pros

• If you're wanting to add vectors and symbols to your work, Parks suggests you use The Noun Project, a royalty-free icon library. 'You pay for vectors or PNG objects and symbols. It saves you a lot of time.'
• 'There are a billion artists and YouTube tutorials out there. There are things out there that already exist, there are pictures for you to use. Don't steal things outright, but use things to help you make something.' Many professional artists and graphic designers use imagery that already exists but combine it in a new way to make something unique. As long as you aren't stealing someone else's work, this can be a good method for enhancing your own photography.
• As parting thoughts, Parks explained, 'When looking for a job, it might not be something you imagined, but you can get something using [photo editing] skills.' We couldn't agree more. Being able to use this kind of software opens doors to many different job opportunities, from freelance work to positions within a company.

More Photo Editing Guides:

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Why You Should Trust Me

Hi, my name is Thomas Boldt, and I’ve been a practicing graphic designer for over a decade. I’ve used a variety of different vector graphics programs both for work and for pleasure, with varying degrees of success. I’ve used industry-standard programs and experimented with open source initiatives, and I’m here to bring that experience to your screen so you won’t have to wade through the rough for a glimpse of a diamond.

Disclaimer: None of the developers listed in this review provided me compensation or other consideration for the writing of these reviews, and they have had no editorial input or review of the content. It should also be noted that I am a subscriber to the Adobe Creative Cloud, but Adobe hasn’t given me any special consideration as a result of this review.

What’s the Difference Between Vector and Raster Graphics?

One of the most common questions asked by newcomers to the computer graphics world is just what a vector graphic actually is. It’s not the quickest question to answer properly, but it boils down to how the computer creates the graphic image you see on the monitor. There are two basic types: raster images and vector images.

Almost all of the images you see online are raster images, which consist of a grid of pixels just like your monitor or television screen. The color and brightness of each pixel are defined by 3 numbers ranging from 0 to 255 which each represent the amount of red, green and blue in each pixel. Together, they can combine to create almost any color the human eye can see.

The most common type of raster image used on a computer is the JPEG format: you take your Instagram snaps in JPEG, you save memes in JPEG, and you email JPEGs your friends and coworkers. But if you’ve ever tried to print out a picture you found online, you’ve noticed that it usually either prints out tiny, pixelated or extremely blurry. This is because increasing the size of a raster image doesn’t add any new information to the file, but rather just stretches out what’s there, and your eye sees that as blurring or pixelation.

Imagine the grid of pixels as a household window screen. If you could somehow stretch the screen to twice its normal size, you wouldn’t expect the distance between the wires to stay the same. Instead, you’d wind up with something more like chicken wire – all the gaps in the screen would just get larger. Each of the pixels would get bigger, but there wouldn’t be any new ones.

On the other hand, a vector image doesn’t use a grid of pixels. Instead, all the curves, lines and colors you see are stored in the image file as mathematical expressions. I didn’t do well enough in math class to understand exactly how it is done, but it’s enough to know that you can proportionally increase the scale of the image to any size you want and the result will still display with the same quality. In other words, you could turn a tiny image from your computer screen into a skyscraper-sized mural and it would still be sharp and crisp.

The flip side to this is that vector graphics aren’t very well supported by image viewing programs such as web browsers or operating systems’ built-in image previews. Depending on what vector format and web browser you use, you might be able to view a vector graphic on a website, but even if it loads at all it still might not display properly. Raster images in the JPEG format are supported by just about every electronic device created in the last 20 years, so it’s usually necessary to turn your vector graphics into raster graphics before you share them with the rest of the world.

Do You Need a Dedicated Vector Graphics Program?

If you’re reading this article, the answer is probably yes – that’s what you’re here for, after all. But if you already have access to an image editing program, it’s entirely possible that you’ve already got some vector graphics tools available to you. The most common example of this is Adobe Photoshop: it’s primarily an image editing tool, but Adobe keeps adding more functionality to it, including the ability to work with basic vector graphics. It’s nowhere near as capable as a dedicated vector program like Illustrator or CorelDRAW, but it can at least open most vector files and allow you to make minor adjustments. You probably wouldn’t want to use it for an illustrative masterpiece, but it can technically work with vectors.

Both print designers and web designers absolutely need to have a good vector graphics program for their work, as vectors are perfect for rapid prototyping and refining your designs. They also allow for complete control over typography, freeing you from the constraints of desktop publishing layouts and other design monstrosities.

When it comes to illustration, vectors are often a perfect match for certain graphical styles. They’re not the only option for digital illustration, however, as Photoshop, Painter and PaintShop Pro also work very well with drawing tablets. These all create tend to use visual styles that recreate traditional offline media such as watercolors or airbrushing, and are not designed to create vectors of your work as you draw. Instead, you’ll wind up with a raster image that will not upscale well beyond the initial size of your creation.

How We Chose the Winners

There are many programs available that can create and edit vector graphics, but a surprising number of them are dedicated to extremely specific uses such as SketchUP for 3D drawing or AutoCAD for computer-aided engineering design. I only considered the more general programs for these reviews, as they offer the most flexibility in how they are used.

While it’s impossible to ignore the matter of personal preference when it comes to choosing your favorite vector graphics program, I tried to standardize the review process by using the following criteria:

Does it work well with graphics tablets?

Many graphic artists first learned their skills using more traditional media such as pen and ink. If you’ve spent years honing your skills in the offline world, being able to transfer those skills into a digital drawing tablet and a vector graphics program is a huge benefit. Some programs are more geared towards this purpose than others, but any good vector program should be able to work smoothly with graphics tablets.

Can it simplify complex drawing tasks?

Of course, not everyone who wants to work with vector graphics is a skilled freehand artist (including yours truly), but that doesn’t mean that the world of vector graphics is closed to us. Even if you can’t draw anything resembling a perfect circle by hand, almost any vector program will allow you to create one simply and easily. But what about more complex drawing tasks? Is it easy to adjust the shape and flow of each point, curve and line segment? Does it quickly allow you to rearrange, align and tessellate? Can it easily trace outlines of imported raster images? A good vector graphics program will check all of these boxes.

Does it handle typography effectively?

Vector graphics are great for a number of purposes, but one of the most common is creating logos that can scale to any size while still looking great. Even if you’re not a professional designer you may still want to work with text, and a good vector graphics program will provide a complete degree of typographic control without forcing you into the hideous realm of WordArt. After all, every digital typeface is already just a series of vector graphics, so it should be no problem to work with them.

Does it support a wide range of vector formats?

As I mentioned in the explanation of vector vs. raster images, raster images are most commonly displayed as JPEGs. Unfortunately, vector graphics don’t have a similarly popular standard, and you often find vector files in Illustrator format, PDF, EPS, SVG, PostScript and many other formats. Sometimes each format even has a range of different versions depending on how old the files are, and some programs don’t handle them very well. A good program will be able to read and write a wide range of formats to meet any situation.

Is it easy to use?

This is one of the biggest issues for any program, but it’s especially important when it comes to vector graphics programs. If you’re putting off work, wasting time-fighting the program – or pulling your hair out – when you need to create a vector graphic, you’re better off with a more user-friendly program that has a carefully designed interface.

Does it have good tutorial support?

Vector graphics programs tend to have an incredible number of features, and each developer has their own user experience design philosophies. This can make learning a new program difficult, even when you already have vector graphics experience. A good program will have a helpful introductory experience and plenty of training materials available to help you learn to use it.

Is it affordable?

Graphics software has a history of being extremely expensive, but that reality has changed quite a bit over the past decade. Software subscription models have become a popular method of overcoming the initial purchase price barriers, although many users find this approach frustrating. There are still some expensive non-subscription programs, but there are also some newer, more affordable challengers that are changing the landscape.

The Winner’s Circle

Note: Remember, both of these programs have time-limited free trials, so you might want to experiment with both before you make your final decision.

Best Vector Graphics Program for Design

Adobe Illustrator CC (Windows and Mac)

If you need the best all-around vector graphics program, you don’t need to look any further than Adobe Illustrator CC. After nearly 35 years in development, Illustrator has become an incredibly powerful tool for a wide range of uses. Since the initial release of the Creative Cloud version, Illustrator is only available as part of a Creative Cloud subscription and is not available for a one-time purchase price they way it used to be. You can subscribe to just Illustrator for $19.99 USD per month, or you can subscribe to the entire Creative Cloud software suite for $49.99 USD per month.

Illustrator has a wide range of tools for creating and manipulating vector objects which can create complex graphics with precision and ease. While Illustrator used to be a bit clumsy when it came to working with complex curved shapes, the new Curvature tool is a much-welcomed addition that offers additional curve and anchor drawing options. Fortunately, because Illustrator is widely considered the industry standard, there is a huge amount of introductory tutorial material to help you get up to speed.

Illustrator’s biggest strength may be its customizable interface system known as workspaces. Every single element of the interface can be moved, docked or hidden, and you can create multiple custom workspaces that are perfectly configured for different tasks. If you want to do some freehand illustration, you’ll want different tools ready at hand than you would if you were typesetting a logo. Even if your project requires both of those tasks, you can quickly switch back and forth between your custom workspaces and several presets that Adobe has configured.

It also handles typography flawlessly, allowing you a professional level of control over every detail of typesetting. If it turns out that a letter needs to be customized, you can simply convert the letters into editable forms and adjust them to fit your project. You can do everything from letterform design to page layouts, although it’s not designed for multi-page documents.

One of these is a traced image that Illustrator automatically converted into vectors using the Live Trace tool. Can you guess which?

When it comes to simplifying complex drawing tasks, Illustrator excels in many cases – but not all. The suite of tools known as Live Trace and Live Paint allows you to take almost any raster image and quickly convert it into a vector format. Whether you want to convert a scanned sketch into a vector or you need to recreate a client’s logo in scalable vector from a JPEG, these tools can save a huge amount of time and effort.

While it’s a great illustration tool, the biggest area where Illustrator could use some improvement is how it handles pen/stylus-based input. It’s sort of amusing to me that a program named Illustrator didn’t win in the ‘best program for art’ category, but that’s largely because it excels at so many different functions that its tablet-based tools don’t seem to receive any specific focus from the developers. It responds to pressure sensitivity with no problems and you can use it to create some stunning illustrations, but if vector sketching is your primary goal then you may want to look at the winner of the other category before you make your final decision. If you want to read a more in-depth review of Adobe Illustrator, you can find it here.

Best Vector Graphics Program for Art

CorelDRAW Suite 2018 (Windows only)

Best Vector Graphic Program For Mac

Deliberately marketing itself to Adobe users frustrated with the subscription-only model, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite has taken the wiser path and offers both a subscription option and a one-time purchase option. The one-time purchase price is quite steep at $615 and you won’t receive any feature updates, but your license will never expire. In order to stay current it may be cheaper to opt for the subscription, which is priced competitively with Illustrator at $18.25 per month (billed annually at a cost of $219). Included in the purchase price are a number of additional tools including Photo-Paint, Font Manager, Website Creator and more.

Vector Graphics Software Mac

Since CorelDRAW is a perfect choice for the tablet-equipped digital artist, let’s first take a look at the new LiveSketch tool. While the name sort of feels like a copycat of Illustrators similarly-named tools, the way it functions is completely different. When drawing with a tablet in most vector programs, you can create vector shapes based on your pen strokes, but LiveSketch actually maps out your sketches and creates the idealized line segments from your repeated strokes. It’s actually fairly difficult to explain, so apologies if that wasn’t quite clear, but Corel has created a quick introductory video that shows off how it works better than words can.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so a video at 24 frames per second must be worth a novel, at the very least.

Strangely enough, there isn’t very much tutorial content available for CorelDRAW 2017, only for previous versions. This may be due to the fact that the core tools haven’t changed, but it still seems a bit odd to me. Fortunately, Corel has a fairly decent instructional guide with some tutorial content available on its website, although it would still be easier to learn if there were more sources.

Despite what you might think from the name, CorelDRAW isn’t just designed as a drawing tool for digital freehand artists. It can also work with more common vector shape tools, and uses the same standard point and path system to create and adjust any object.

It can also be used for typography and page layout tasks, but it doesn’t handle these quite as well as Illustrator does. The developers have made the inexplicable choice to set the default typographic settings such as line spacing and tracking to use percentages instead of points, which are the typographic standard unit. On the other hand, it is actually capable of creating multi-page documents, but if you’re really serious about typesetting for brochures and books you will be much better off using a program specifically designed for those tasks.

Corel has incorporated a number of additional features into the software that aren’t found in Illustrator, such as simple integration with the WhatTheFont service, which is a huge help whenever you’re trying to figure out what typeface was used in an image or logo. On the less helpful side, there is also a built-in store that offers a number of additional options for sale. I don’t mind a company trying to increase their profit margins by selling additional software packs, but Corel also sells new tools for the program at incredible prices under the guise of calling them ‘Extensions’. ‘Fit Objects to Path’ and ‘Convert All to Curves’ are useful tools, but charging $20 each for them seems a bit greedy when they really should just be included. You can read a more in-depth review of CorelDRAW here on SoftwareHow.

The Competition

Aside from the winners reviewed above, there are a number of other vector graphics tools on the market vying for the top spot. Some are more successful than others, although there are a couple of free options in the list for those of you on a tight budget. They’re generally not as polished as any of the paid options, but you certainly can’t argue on the price.

Serif Affinity Designer (Windows and Mac)

Affinity has been making a name for itself with a series of affordable programs designed to challenge the industry leaders in both mobile and desktop photo editing as well as vector graphics. Priced at just $69 USD for a perpetual license, this is the most affordable paid program I reviewed, and you can give a test run for 10 days using the free trial.

There are great point drawing tools, and I find their large friendly anchor points much easier to use than the Illustrator defaults. There are pressure-sensitive stylus drawing tools available as well, although there are no specialized tools such as Live Trace or LiveSketch.

All vector programs allow you to combine and merge multiple shapes into new shapes in a variety of ways, but Affinity Designer is unique in that it allows you to do this non-destructively. This flexibility allows for entirely new prototyping possibilities as you experiment your way through the creative process.

In order to help it break into the professional market, Affinity Designer supports a wide range of file formats, from vector standards like PDF and SVG to proprietary formats created by Photoshop and Illustrator. Even with these advantages, it’s not quite ready to earn its way into the Winner’s Circle – but if Serif keeps aggressively pushing development, it probably won’t be long before Affinity Designer is ready for the spotlight.

Xara Designer Pro X (Windows only)

Xara is nearly as old as Adobe and Corel, but it hasn’t fared quite as well against the overwhelming market power of Adobe. Designer Pro X costs $299, but it also incorporates a number of other features above and beyond vector graphics creation, including photo editing, page layout and website creation tools (with no programming required).

Unfortunately, this means that Xara hasn’t spent particular effort on refining its vector drawing tools. They include basic line and shape tools for creating and modifying vector shapes, but there are none of the time-saving extras you would expect in a more developed program. There also doesn’t appear to be any special features for working with drawing tablets, although you can still use one as a pen-shaped mouse.

Xara does a fairly good job of providing a lot of functionality without cluttering the interface, but the emphasis on keeping everything ready to turn into a website can be a bit limiting. Sometimes, this intent to avoid clutter can also make this more confusing rather than less, as in the case of the typographic tools. While the basic control options are decent, each setting is unlabelled and relies on popup tooltips to indicate what it’s supposed to control.

To their credit, Xara has done a good job of creating a large amount of tutorial content for Designer Pro X, but almost nobody else is making any. If you want a program that wears multiple hats, this might be for you, but the serious vector graphics artist will look elsewhere.

Inkscape (Windows, Mac, Linux)

The interface could definitely use some polish, but that’s mostly just a cosmetic issue.

If the high price tags found on the some of the other programs put them out of your reach, the open source software movement may provide an answer in the form of Inkscape. It’s available for the extremely low price of free, and it offers an impressive level of functionality compared to what you might expect from free software.

It includes all the standard vector drawing options, but also has the ability to respond to pressure information from a graphics tablet. It doesn’t offer any fancy drawing features like our winners, but it does include a full set of filters that can perform some useful functions. Additionally, the program supports extensions written in the Python scripting language, which allows you to add features not found in the default version of the program.

The interface layout is a bit different from what you get in other programs, as the open source community often has an unfortunate habit of ignoring user experience. For example, when you want to work with text, you have to dig through several tabs just to view all the different options, even though there is space to display them all in one place.

Of course, Inkscape is still technically in beta (release version 0.9.2), but it’s also been in beta for the last 15 years. Hopefully, if it ever leaves beta, the developers will get a user experience designer on board who can help smooth out some of those interface wrinkles.

Gravit Designer (Windows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS)

Gravit has a clean, clear and uncluttered interface that is quite easy to use.

Gravit is another free vector graphics program, but unlike Inkscape it’s not open source. Curiously, this seems to have spared it from the user experience issues that plague some free programs. It also has the unique distinction of being available for the widest set of operating systems, and it can even run in a web browser.

I ran into a minor issue when launching Gravit for the first time, as the Windows version requires installation from the Microsoft store, which I never use. It installed fine, but when I tried to run it, it told me that I didn’t have sufficient permissions to access it. I’m not sure if this is just because it’s the first Trusted App I have installed, but your mileage may vary.

While it’s vector drawing tools are fairly standard, they do offer an excellent degree of control and ease of use. The interface is clearly designed and responds automatically to the particular tool you’re using, which is a nice touch. It can’t respond to pressure information from a graphics tablet, and its typographic options don’t use standard units, but these are minor issues.

Gravit can open a few standard vector formats such as PDF, EPS and SVG, but it doesn’t support any of the proprietary Adobe formats, which may be deal breaker if you’re trying to work with any of those file types. Even with that issue I’m still quite impressed with how polished the program is overall, considering that it’s free. If you’re just interested in experimenting casually with vector graphics, Gravit may be a good fit for you.

A Final Word

The world of vector graphics can be an exciting place full of creative promise, as long as you have the right tools. In this case, the tools are software programs (and maybe a good graphics tablet), but like artistic tools in the real world, personal preference can play a huge role in what works for you. Illustrator may be the industry standard, and CorelDRAW may be great for some freehand artists, but that doesn’t mean that they’re going to fit with your personal style. Creative processes are unique to each creator, so be sure to choose one that makes you happy!

Did I leave out your favorite vector graphics program? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll be sure to check it out!