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Inkscape

Inkscape

Overview

What is Inkscape?

Inkscape is a free and open source vector drawing app for Windows, MacOS & Linux, available for download free under the GPLv3+ license. The tools aims to support illustrators, designers, web designers or anyone wanting to create vector graphics.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Users have found Inkscape to be a valuable tool for a variety of design needs. It is commonly used in web design and marketing materials, …
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Pricing

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What is Inkscape?

Inkscape is a free and open source vector drawing app for Windows, MacOS & Linux, available for download free under the GPLv3+ license. The tools aims to support illustrators, designers, web designers or anyone wanting to create vector graphics.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Product Demos

Inkscape demo

YouTube

Inkscape FREE open-source vector graphics editor - Install and Demo

YouTube

iNkscApe - Demo Reel (HD)

YouTube

Inkscape's Calligraphy Tool

YouTube

Inkscape 3 - práca s tvarmi a farbou

YouTube

Making Scroll Saw Patterns with Inkscape - Lesson 3 Bonus Demo

YouTube
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Product Details

What is Inkscape?

Inkscape Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows, Linux, Mac
Mobile ApplicationNo
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(17)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Users have found Inkscape to be a valuable tool for a variety of design needs. It is commonly used in web design and marketing materials, allowing users to create vector graphics with ease. The software's extensive functionality and ability to add on features have been praised by users. Inkscape's native support for SVG files makes it ideal for creating graphics with small file sizes and perfect quality, especially on Retina displays. Users have utilized Inkscape for tasks such as creating DXF and SVG files for laser engraving and cutting. Additionally, the software has been helpful for converting rastered images into vector images, providing easy-to-use tools that work well on GNU/Linux systems. Moreover, Inkscape has enabled users to solve design problems, recreate lost graphics, quickly sketch floor plans, and maintain a consistent look across various projects. The software has proven to be a cost-effective alternative to Adobe Illustrator, saving users money while still providing the necessary vector graphics editing capabilities. Overall, Inkscape is highly regarded for its user-friendly nature, versatility in creating different types of designs such as logos, flyers, posters, and illustrations, and its reliability in various professional and educational settings.

Cost-effective alternative to expensive software: Users appreciate that Inkscape is a free and open-source software, allowing them to use it without any financial investment. Some users mention that Inkscape offers similar capabilities to expensive software like Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw but at no cost, making it a cost-effective alternative. Users also find Inkscape accessible and appealing to small companies and freelance designers.

Simple and easy-to-use interface: Users find Inkscape to be a simple and easy-to-use vector graphics program, especially for beginners in graphic design. They appreciate its user-friendly interface, which is intuitive and easy to navigate. Some users compare it to Windows Paint, finding it familiar and easy to learn. Many users mention that Inkscape's simplicity and ease of learning make it worth the time and effort, especially considering it is a free software.

Ability to create vector graphics: Users praise Inkscape's ability to create vector graphics easily. They mention using it for various design tasks such as designing flat icons for websites and desktop applications, creating logos, catalogs, business cards, and other graphics. Some users also appreciate Inkscape's ability to convert pixel-based images into scalable graphics seamlessly. Features like node editing and object grouping allow users to easily edit vectors and make changes to existing shapes efficiently.

Confusing and Unattractive User Interface: Users have frequently expressed their dissatisfaction with the user interface of Inkscape, describing it as confusing and not very attractive. They have found this aspect of the software to be a hindrance, making tasks more difficult to accomplish.

Steep Learning Curve: Many users have reported that there is a steep learning curve associated with Inkscape. This means that it requires time and effort to become proficient in using the software effectively. Some users have mentioned that patience is necessary to overcome this initial hurdle.

Limited Documentation and Tutorials: The lack of comprehensive documentation and tutorials has been repeatedly mentioned by users as a drawback of Inkscape. Beginners, in particular, find it challenging to learn the software without proper guidance or resources available.

Users recommend watching tutorials on YouTube and looking for an easy guide online to learn how to use Inkscape effectively, especially for those not familiar with vector applications. They also suggest giving yourself some time to get used to Inkscape as it is not intuitive at first, but once you figure it out, it's easy to use. Additionally, users recommend Inkscape for creating high-quality figures and easily changing the format of images without losing quality. Overall, users find Inkscape to be a reliable and easy-to-use software for creating and designing professional materials.

Reviews

(1-3 of 3)
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Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Drawing prototype devices and illustrations for products.
  • runs fast on my old workstation
  • donation based
  • very easy setup guide on startup
  • nice set of useful templates
  • startup screen could use close/minimize buttons
It runs fast, has enough features to get any illustration accomplished at a high level, and is free. Inkscape can import from almost all illustration formats, and export to many, including DXF.
  • enough templates to get a start on illustrations
  • sufficient import/export formats to achieve virtually any use.
  • nice manual along with tutorials for beginners through novices.
  • fast, efficient illustrations
  • inexpensive (donation based) enough for a tiny business
  • now can make custom labels for test products using our in-house printer
Inkscape is easier to use and learn, and results are outstanding.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Inkscape is used in my organisation within the IT services department and external relations department. Specifically I use Inkscape to create vector / SVG logos for our corporate and scientific systems. Inkscape addresses the need to be able to create vector based graphics for branding, allowing corporate and scientific systems (including externally accessible ones) to display SVG logos and branding so that they look professional due to perfect rendering.
  • Creates excellent vector based graphics
  • Quite easy to use
  • Free
  • Open-source
  • Limitless potential with what you can create
  • Available on all major operating systems
  • Can be tricky to get the hang of at first
  • UI is not always naturally intuitive but generally it is good
  • May require reading documentation and watching tutorials to skill up before using it efficiently
Inkscape is an excellent free product and its main focus is the creation of vector based graphics - it does this exceptionally well. You can produce high quality SVG graphics for branding (or any other use really) but you will have to put in some effort and research the product a bit to be able to get use it efficiently and get the most out of it. If you are looking to work on raster based graphics, GIMP is a better option.
  • Quite easy to use
  • Good documentation
  • Tutorials exist on social media
  • Produces excellent vector graphics
  • Free
  • It is free, so the return of investment is the cost of a commercial product plus whatever the value or what you create
  • Allows us to create branding SVG graphics without a cost
  • Helps us promote a brand that promotes confidence and quality
Inkscape is the standard if you want a free product that can produce high quality vector based graphics, there may be other products that can do it better but they are very very expensive. The experience you will get from expensive commercial products will be better but if you are needing to produce vector graphics now and again, or the cost of a product to use is a big factor - Inkscape is the best choice.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Inkscape is used most of the time by our Social Media department to create social media posts and also to create mock-ups for our products.
Inkscape has helped us solve a budget issue, considering that Inkscape is totally free and open-source, this is a great service for small companies like ours and also for freelancers.
We always try to use Inkscape instead of other paid software to reduce our budget, also considering the fact that Inkscape offers many features and tools that can keep up with paid software also.
  • Many features, and easily accessible tools.
  • The keyboard shortcuts are very simple and efficient to use.
  • Open-source, so there are features to change the theme of the interface and make your workspace look cooler.
  • A few tools and features that can be found in other software are not available in Inkscape.
  • Inkscape cannot edit .eps files, which are a widely known file format that is used by all designers.
  • Inkscape doesn't support multiple artboard exports
I would 100% recommend Inkscape to anyone starting out with graphic design or illustration, as it isn't that difficult to get the hang of on the first day of using it. I am not recommending Inkscape for beginners alone, even experts in the field can use Inkscape professionally as it cuts of the expense of needing to buy a paid graphic design software which provides almost the same features.
Inkscape is also great for beginners because it can be treated like a stepping stone to move onto a paid graphic designing software like Adobe Illustrator, so Inkscape can be used to test the waters before making the leap.
Inkscape and Illustrator are almost the same so there wont be any difficulty in switching later on.
  • The fact that it is open-source and completely free.
  • It has almost the same features and tools as a paid software
  • Doesn't need a huge amount of RAM to run Inkscape, it can be used in almost any computer.
  • Inkscape has eliminated our expense on graphic design software, which is great.
  • We can perform all necessary jobs in Inkscape, thus not needing for a better paid software
  • Although Inkscape is a great software, it is not recognized for professional use like Adobe Illustrator for example
Adobe Illustrator is also used in our company sometimes however, Inkscape is used most considering the fact that it is completely free while Adobe Illustrator has to be bought through monthly/annual subscriptions that are expensive. For that reason we always opt for Inkscape. Not only is it a free software, but it includes almost all the features and tools that Adobe Illustrator offers, even though there might be some tools missing here and there, for businesses whose main focus isn't graphic design, Inkscape is the way to go. However if Graphic design or illustration is the only or the main factor of your business, I would suggest going for the investment and getting Adobe Illustrator.
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