Honest comparison · 2026-10
A free Illustrator alternative in your browser
For logos, icons, cut files and illustrations, Kiln Vector covers the core Illustrator workflow, free and in your browser. Its developers estimate that about 70% of Illustrator's features exist today.
Try Kiln Vector free Runs in your browser. No account.
At a glance
| Kiln Vector | Illustrator | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, open source | Subscription |
| Install | None | Desktop app |
| Pen, shapes, Pathfinder | Yes | Yes |
| Image Trace | Yes | Yes |
| AI files | PDF-compatible .ai | Native |
| SVG, PDF, EPS, DXF | Yes | Yes |
| 3D and Materials | Not yet | Yes |
| Variables and scripting | Not yet | Yes |
Where Kiln Vector is a good fit
- Logos, icons and flat illustration.
- Editing SVGs and opening AI or EPS files you've been sent.
- Cricut, Silhouette and laser-cutter files.
Where you may still want Illustrator
- 3D effects and Materials.
- Photoshop-style raster effects (Effect Gallery).
- Variables, data merge and scripting.
Guides
Edit an SVGOpen and edit SVG files in a real vector editor: change colours, move points, edit text an…Convert SVG to PNGTurn an SVG into a crisp PNG at exactly the size you need, with a transparent background. …Vectorize an imageTrace a low-resolution logo or drawing into clean vector paths with Image Trace, then edit…Design a logoCreate a scalable logo with shapes, the Pen tool, Pathfinder and type, then export SVG, PN…Open an AI fileView and edit PDF-compatible Illustrator .ai files in your browser, then export SVG, PDF, …Open an EPS fileView and edit EPS vector files in your browser and convert them to SVG, PDF or PNG. Free E…