Illustrator is one of the best vector illustration tools, but with its hefty Adobe price tag, you might want an alternative. Most Adobe alternatives focus on raster graphics rather than vector graphics, with less opportunity for free or open-source vector design tools. Vectorpea comes from the same place as Photopea — a favorite of Photoshop alternative users — but it’s not open-source but rather ad-based and free to use from anywhere. With promising development in the tool, Vectorpea might be the next best thing for vector designs and artwork.

7 Known independent developer

Ivan Kutskir develops solo

Although Vectorpea is not an open-source tool, it has a GitHub repository for users to flag issues for the developer to resolve. Ivan Kutskir is the sole developer of Vectorpea and Photopea. The services are entirely down to him to develop, resolve, and take credit for.

Users can easily interact with Ivan directly; he’s a daily contributor to the r/photopea Subreddit, in which you’ll find information about both Photopea and Vectorpea. Ivan will troubleshoot users’ problems and announce resolutions there, too.

Ivan is also responsible for running the Photopea GitHub, which Vectorpea has a project in. Although it doesn’t allow other contributors to develop Vectorpea, the GitHub repository allows real users to share issues for Ivan to resolve or to request new features.

6 Photopea integration

Build a browser-based creative suite

Having two Adobe alternatives that are from the same brand is helpful. Photopea has already been a longtime free option for Photoshop users wanting to move away from Adobe’s subscription model, but there was never a similar vector version to choose from.

Vectorpea was announced in October 2023 after the success of Photopea, which has been around since 2012. Much of the information you’ll find for Vectorpea will be redirected to Photopea information — it’s largely the same.

5 It’s free to use

Thanks to ad-based revenue

Vectorpea is 100% free to use. You don’t need an account or to install any software to use it. If you have access to a browser, you can use Vectorpea.

It isn’t open-source, but you’d think it was, as it runs similarly. Vectorpea and Photopea make money from ad-based revenue. Despite the ads funding Vectorpea, the adverts are not invasive or have a negative impact on your experience of using Vectorpea.

Free users have access to all Vectorpea features and 0.5GB of PeaDrive cloud storage.

Although anyone can use Vectorpea for free, there is a Premium option for $5 per month. This includes the same features and storage as the free version, so you don’t gain anything extra by paying. Vectorpea Premium offers an ad-free experience, 3,000 AI credits, and a 2-step version history for the undo tool. These are minor features, but for plenty of users, it’s worth $5 monthly for them.

4 Focus on vector design

No raster? No problem

There are few alternatives to Adobe Illustrator that allow you to focus on vector design. GIMP is one of the most popular open-source alternatives to Illustrator, but there aren’t many other choices.

Vectorpea is focused intently on vector design. Nothing in Vectorpea uses raster imagery unless you upload a raster image yourself.

3 Accessible from anywhere

Including offline

Anyone can access Vectorpea through the browser at vectorpea.com. You can also use it offline if you load the website first before disconnecting your internet. You’ll be able to continue using the tool to create vector-based designs with zero online connection. Your files are stored locally, so you don’t rely on the cloud to load or save anything.

Due to Vectorpea being available in a browser rather than a specific app, you can also use it from many devices including your phone or even using it.

The browser-based tool is the same regardless of where or how you access it. This is a plus compared to Adobe tools, which severely limit themselves to tablet or phone apps versus their desktop counterparts.

2 CSS code generation

Select elements to see the CSS

If you’re designing in Vectorpea with a web or app design in mind, then you’ll benefit from the CSS code generator built into the tool. It’s an easy-to-use tool that can save time when developing websites or other UX/UI tools.

All you have to do is select any element and then choose the CSS icon button. This shares the CSS code you’d need to recreate the selected element in code as a web developer. Although this feature is limited to only coding one element selection at a time, it’s still a helpful tool if you’re in the interim between designing and developing.

1 Many similar features to Illustrator

The basic and good ones

I’m not going to be ignorant about Vectorpea. I know it’s not the same as Illustrator. Not only is it new in the grand scheme of creative software, but it simply doesn’t have the developmental power behind it. But for a free alternative, especially one less than two years old, Vectorpea and its features are impressive.

You’ll find layers panels, clipping masks, gradients, shapes, text tools, selection tools, and even access to AI features all in Vectorpea. These tools are certainly similar to those available from Adobe Illustrator. Vectorpea still has a long way to go to truly compete with Illustrator, though.

If you use Illustrator for basic illustrative tasks, like shapes, pathfinder, and text tools, you’ll have everything you need from Vectorpea’s browser-based tool. You’ll save a lot of time and storage on your computer by choosing Vectorpea over Illustrator.

The file formats alone for Vectorpea are similar enough to Illustrator that it doesn’t feel limiting. You can upload and fully edit .ai files, .pdf, .svg, and so many other file types.

Vectorpea is a great free option

A fully accessible creative tool with no price tag seems like it would be hard to find. Since Vectorpea was announced in 2023, it’s been a slow burn before users take notice of this tool in comparison to its popular creative sunlit tool, Photopea. While Vectorpea isn’t the most powerful or complex tool right now, there’s hope more development will improve the tool, but we must remember that its development team is a one-band.