Adobe Creative Cloud runs $660/year and Illustrator alone is $263/year. Inkscape is a serious open-source vector editor that draws and exports clean SVG, and for most logo and icon work it’s enough.
Performance lags on files with thousands of objects. CMYK and print prep workflows are weaker; for press-ready work most agencies still want Illustrator. Type handling is more basic. Some pen-tool nuances feel different even after years on Illustrator.
Inkscape is free. Illustrator alone is $263/year, the full Adobe CC suite is $660/year. For a freelancer doing five logos a year that’s a meaningful saving.
Hobbyists, web designers working in SVG, and freelancers who don’t deliver to print regularly. If you produce CMYK packaging or share .ai files with a print shop weekly, stay with Illustrator.