Linearity vs Adobe Illustrator: The European Vector Design Alternative

Why Switch from Adobe Illustrator to Linearity?

Adobe has dominated vector design for decades, but its Creative Cloud subscription model locks designers into expensive monthly payments — €23.79/month for Illustrator alone, or €59.99/month for the full Creative Cloud suite. Cancel your subscription and you lose access to your tools entirely. Adobe is a US corporation that processes your data under US jurisdiction, and its recent controversies around terms of service changes regarding AI training have eroded trust among creative professionals.

Linearity (formerly Vectornator), developed by Linearity GmbH in Berlin, Germany, offers a fresh approach to vector design. The application is built for modern workflows — fast, intuitive, and designed from the ground up for Apple platforms. With a free starter tier and Pro pricing starting at €6.99/month, it eliminates the cost burden that Adobe imposes. Linearity also includes animation capabilities through Linearity Move, something that requires a separate Adobe subscription (After Effects) in the Adobe ecosystem.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Linearity	Adobe Illustrator
Price	Free / from €6.99/mo	From €23.79/mo
Vector drawing	✅ Full toolkit	✅ Industry standard
Pen tool	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Auto Trace	✅ Built-in	✅ Image Trace
Animation	✅ Linearity Move (built-in)	❌ Requires After Effects
Typography	⚠️ Good	✅ Advanced
Print production	⚠️ Basic	✅ Full CMYK workflow
Plugins/extensions	⚠️ Limited	✅ Extensive
Platform	macOS, iPad	Windows, macOS, iPad
Cloud storage	✅ EU-hosted	⚠️ US-hosted (Adobe Cloud)
Data location	Germany/EU 🇪🇺	United States 🇺🇸
GDPR compliant	✅ Yes	⚠️ Partial (US entity)

Pricing

Linearity’s pricing is dramatically simpler and cheaper than Adobe’s:

Linearity Starter: Free — core vector design tools, limited exports
Linearity Pro: €6.99/month — full feature set, unlimited exports, Linearity Move animation
Linearity Organization: Custom pricing for teams
Adobe Illustrator: €23.79/month (single app)
Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps: €59.99/month
Adobe Illustrator + After Effects: €47.58/month (for vector + animation)

For a team of 10 designers, Linearity Pro costs €69.90/month versus Adobe Illustrator at €237.90/month — savings of over €2,000 per year. Add animation needs and the gap widens further.

Privacy & Data Sovereignty

Linearity offers meaningful privacy advantages as a European-headquartered company:

Linearity GmbH is based in Berlin, Germany, fully under EU jurisdiction and GDPR
Design files stored in the cloud are hosted on EU infrastructure
No data mining of your creative work for AI model training
Clear, GDPR-compliant data processing policies
No dependence on a US corporation for your design tools
Transparent privacy practices as required by German data protection law
Your creative work remains your property — no ambiguous terms of service

Migration Guide

Transitioning from Adobe Illustrator to Linearity can be done project by project:

Download Linearity Curve — Install from the Mac App Store or iPad App Store. Create a free account to get started with the Starter plan. (10 minutes)
Import existing files — Open your AI or SVG files in Linearity. Review imported artwork for any elements that need adjustment, particularly complex effects or advanced typography. (10-30 minutes per file)
Learn the interface — Linearity’s interface is more modern and streamlined than Illustrator’s. Spend time with the built-in tutorials and explore the toolset. The pen tool, shape tools, and boolean operations will feel familiar. (1-2 hours)
Set up your workflow — Configure your workspace, create custom templates, and organize your projects in Linearity’s cloud storage. Set up team libraries for shared assets if working with a team. (1-2 hours)
Explore Linearity Move — If you need animation, explore Linearity Move for creating motion graphics directly from your vector designs — no After Effects required. (1-2 hours)
Run parallel workflows — Keep Illustrator available for complex print production jobs while transitioning day-to-day design work to Linearity. Over time, identify which projects can be fully handled in Linearity. (Ongoing)

Estimated time: 1-2 days for initial setup and familiarization Difficulty: Easy for designers familiar with vector tools

Company Background

Linearity GmbH was founded in 2017 in Vienna, Austria, originally under the name Vectornator. The company was co-founded by Vladimir Danila while he was still a teenager, making it one of the youngest-founded design tool companies in Europe. The app quickly gained traction on the App Store, earning Apple Design Awards recognition and attracting millions of downloads.

In 2023, the company rebranded from Vectornator to Linearity to reflect its expanded vision beyond vector design, introducing Linearity Move for animation alongside Linearity Curve for vector illustration. The company relocated its headquarters to Berlin, Germany, and has grown to a team of over 60 employees across Europe.

Linearity has raised venture capital from European and international investors to fund product development. The company serves over 7 million users worldwide, ranging from individual illustrators and students to design teams at major brands. Linearity represents a new generation of European design tools — built for modern platforms, priced fairly, and developed without the legacy baggage that constrains Adobe’s decades-old products.

Security & Compliance

Linearity implements security practices appropriate for a design tool handling creative assets:

GDPR compliant as a German company with headquarters in Berlin, subject to strict German data protection regulations
EU-hosted cloud storage — design files synced through Linearity’s cloud are stored on European infrastructure
Encryption in transit using TLS for all data communication between clients and servers
Account security with secure authentication and password policies
No AI training on user content — your designs are not used to train machine learning models
Regular security updates through App Store distribution, ensuring users run patched versions
Data export — you can export all your work in standard formats (SVG, PDF, PNG) at any time, preventing lock-in

Integration Ecosystem

Linearity’s integration ecosystem focuses on design workflow essentials:

File format support — import AI, SVG, and PDF files; export to SVG, PDF, PNG, JPG, and other standard formats
Linearity Move — built-in animation tool that converts static vector designs into motion graphics, eliminating the need for separate animation software
Auto Trace — AI-powered bitmap-to-vector conversion for turning raster images into editable vector artwork
iCloud integration — seamless file synchronization across Mac and iPad devices through Apple’s ecosystem
Template library — pre-built templates for social media, presentations, marketing materials, and common design formats
Font support — access to system fonts and custom font libraries for typography work
Figma and Sketch compatibility — import designs from other tools via SVG and PDF interchange
Team collaboration — shared workspaces and libraries for design teams with real-time sync

Who Should Switch?

Linearity is ideal for:

Illustrators and graphic designers who want a modern, fast vector tool without Adobe’s subscription cost
Students looking for professional design software at zero or minimal cost
Marketing teams that create social media graphics, presentations, and brand assets
Motion designers who want vector design and animation in one tool
European creatives who prefer supporting EU-headquartered software companies

The Bottom Line

Linearity is not a feature-for-feature replacement for Adobe Illustrator — Illustrator’s decades of development have produced an unmatched depth of professional features, particularly for print production. However, Linearity handles the majority of common vector design tasks with a faster, more intuitive interface at a fraction of the cost.

For designers who primarily work on digital assets, illustrations, UI elements, and marketing materials, Linearity is an excellent European alternative that saves money, respects privacy, and keeps your creative data under EU jurisdiction. The main limitation is its Apple-platform focus — Windows and Linux users will need to look elsewhere until the web version launches.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Linearity and how does it relate to Vectornator?

Linearity is the company formerly known as Vectornator. The rebranding took place in 2023 as the product expanded beyond vector design to include animation (Linearity Move). The core vector design tool is now called Linearity Curve, and it retains all the functionality of Vectornator while adding new capabilities.

Can Linearity replace Adobe Illustrator for professional work?

For many use cases, yes. Linearity Curve handles logo design, illustration, UI design, icon creation, and marketing materials effectively. However, for complex print production workflows, advanced typography control, or deeply integrated Adobe Creative Cloud pipelines, Illustrator remains more capable. Linearity is best suited for designers who want a modern, fast alternative without the Adobe subscription cost.

Does Linearity support Adobe Illustrator file formats?

Yes. Linearity can import AI and SVG files, and export to SVG, PDF, PNG, and other common formats. While complex Illustrator files with advanced effects may not transfer perfectly, standard vector artwork imports cleanly.

Is Linearity available on Windows?

Currently, Linearity is primarily available on macOS, iPad, and iOS. A web-based version is in development. Windows and Linux users would need to consider other alternatives. This is a significant limitation for cross-platform teams.

How does Linearity's pricing compare to Adobe Illustrator?

Linearity offers a free starter plan and a Pro plan from €6.99/month. Adobe Illustrator costs €23.79/month as a single app or €59.99/month as part of Creative Cloud All Apps. Linearity is roughly 70-90% cheaper than Adobe, with the free tier covering basic design needs.