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Inkscape vs Adobe Illustrator: catalog facts
Inkscape	Adobe Illustrator
Free Free software; no paid version.	Paid Sold through Adobe subscription plans, with business and education options.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS
Uses standard SVG as its main format, which many other applications support Node editing, layers, complex path operations, text on a path and live SVG XML editing	Widely used for logos, icons and illustration Generative AI creates editable vector graphics from text
Complex documents can slow the canvas down The macOS build needs care and has historically been the weakest platform	Subscription only No Linux version
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-3.0-or-later	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.