If I need to design a vector graphic from scratch, beyond grabbing a pad of paper and pencil to draw my idea first, I’ll always gravitate directly to Adobe Illustrator. Illustrator is a native vector design tool, allowing you to seamlessly create vectors in an environment suited for it, rather than trying to design vectors in a raster-based environment like Photoshop.

There are a handful of popular vector design tools, but I’ll always choose Illustrator over alternatives, including Inkscape or Affinity Designer. Inkscape is the best open-source vector design tool , so I’d use it if I had no access to Illustrator. But Illustrator is my go-to for vector design and digital illustration, and I don’t think I’m alone in this thought process.

It’s a common opinion that open-source software is ugly . It’s not strictly true, and Inkscape actually does a good job of being visually appealing once you’re past the splash page. But compared to Illustrator’s smooth, sleek, and well-labeled UX/UI, I think Inkscape looks amateurish and clunky.

By default, Inkscape’s interface takes up too much real estate, leaving less of your artboard to focus on the design at hand. With toolbars on all four sides of the artboard, it can feel restricting and claustrophobic to create vector art in Inkscape. You can customize Inkscape’s interface and change colors and slight layouts, but it still feels overwhelming to me.