VectorCraft 0.8.0

VectorCraft is a free, open-source vector illustration app built as an alternative to Adobe Illustrator.

It draws logos, icons, posters and diagrams as sharp, scalable shapes, with no subscription, no account and no ads.

It is new and labelled alpha by its own developers, so it suits trying out and personal projects more than client work today.

What VectorCraft Actually Does - in Plain Terms

A vector drawing is made of shapes and curves rather than pixels, so it stays perfectly sharp at any size, from a favicon to a billboard. That is why logos and print graphics are usually drawn in vector apps.

VectorCraft follows the Illustrator way of working, so its tools and panels will feel familiar if you have used Illustrator before.

• Drawing. Pen and Direct Selection tools with Bezier curves, plus Pathfinder and Shape Builder for combining shapes.
• Pages and layout. Multiple artboards, layers, swatches and an Appearance panel, with unlimited undo.
• Effects. Live blends, gradient mesh, envelope distort, radial repeat, a perspective grid, clipping masks and transparency.
• Type. Text with styles, right-to-left Hebrew and Arabic layout, and vertical type.

Files It Opens and Saves

VectorCraft opens and saves SVG, PDF and PDF-compatible AI files, and also works with EPS, DXF and EMF drawings. It can also open Affinity Designer files, and Photoshop PSD files as a single flattened image.

For the web and social media it exports PNG, JPEG and WebP. Its own .vectorcraft format is a documented text file, so your work is never locked away.

Which File to Download

The VectorCraft download page has an installer and a portable zip for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows, plus macOS and Linux builds. Most PCs want the 64-bit MSI installer, and the portable zip runs without installing.

Who Should Look Elsewhere

The tell is who you share files with. If clients or a print shop send and expect native Illustrator files, VectorCraft is not ready to be your only tool yet.

• Affinity by Canva is the polished, mature option for professional vector and layout work.
• Canva and Adobe Express are quicker for social posts and flyers built from templates.
• For photos and pixel painting rather than shapes, use GIMP or PhotoCraft.
• For 3D models instead of flat artwork, Blender is the free standard.

Part of the Craft Family

VectorCraft comes from the ArtCraft team, which builds free, open-source versions of the big creative apps. They share the same style of interface and the same command-line and automation tools.

• LightCraft for RAW photo editing, in place of Lightroom.
• EffectCraft for motion graphics, in place of After Effects.
• FilmCraft for video editing, and SoundCraft for recording and mixing audio.

Tools That Pair Well With It

If Windows shows blank icons for SVG files, SVG See adds thumbnails in File Explorer. For exported WebP images that will not preview, the WebP Codec adds support.

To resize or convert a batch of exports at once, Converseen handles whole folders. The Graphics category has the rest.

Quick questions

Download VectorCraft 0.8.0 and try it on your next logo or icon, or be the first to tell us how you got on.