Sick of overpaying on Adobe? This free program works just as well

Adobe Illustrator is one of the best photo editing and graphic design programs money can buy. Depending on your plan, you may have to spend $20.99/mo on Illustrator. Luckily, we found the best free alternative to Adobe Illustrator in Inkscape.

You can use Inkscape to edit pictures, convert photos into vector images and even create your own artwork for NFTs. Tap or click here for everything you need to know about NFTs.

It’s an open-source graphics software that comes with a ton of drawing tools. Plus, its interface is even more accessible than Illustrator. Here’s all you need to know about this free program that works like Adobe Illustrator.

Kim’s a big fan of Inkscape

If you’re paying for Adobe Illustrator, you can cancel your subscription. You can get pretty much the same tools for free with Inkscape. Illustrator is the gold standard, but we recommend making the switch if you want more dollars in your pocket.

It’s been around for a long time, so there are tons of YouTube tutorials on how to use it. Here’s a quick one.

You can create logos, infographics, posters and flyers. It’s mainly used by people who want to create artwork, but photographers, marketers and graphic designers will also find it helpful.

If you aren’t focused on illustration and are more into photo editing, you might want to check out GIMP or Pixlr. They’re both great for serious photo editing. Tap or click here for our guide on powerful, free, easy-to-use photo editing software.

When researching the best free alternative to Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape is one of many programs. Here’s a quick comparison of Inkscape vs. Canva, another popular editing program that’s 100% free.

How Inkscape stacks up against other free design programs

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💸 Use YouTube Premium? You might be paying more than you have to. Buy through an iPhone or iPad to block all those YouTube ads, and it’s $18.99 per month. On the YouTube website, it’s only $13.99. Yeah, cancel through your phone and buy it again.

One email cost this man $167K

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Pat Lawlor was happy to buy his first home — until he received a fake email from someone he thought was his escrow officer. Plus, closing apps doesn’t save iPhone battery, a flame-throwing robot dog, and Amazon’s new grocery delivery.

😤 Dangerous oversight: A heartbreaking 15 folks have died after ingesting sodium nitrate, listed on Amazon as a food preservative. It’s safe at low concentrations, but it was sold at 99% purity. Now, the victims’ families are suing, saying Amazon ignored warnings, deleted bad reviews and nudged customers to buy. Amazon’s defense? It says it’s not liable for how customers use its products.

Trivia

In 2004, an escaped convict nicknamed the “Rooftop Robber,” or simply “Roofman,” hid for six months in which shuttered tech superstore: A.) CompUSA, B.) RadioShack, C.) Circuit City or D.) Fry’s Electronics?

Find the answer here

20% of produce contains unsafe levels of pesticides

For produce in U.S. grocery stores. Takeaways from Consumer Reports’ analysis: Bell peppers, blueberries (even frozen) and potatoes must be organic to be safe. Celery, collard greens and strawberries must be U.S.-grown or organic to be safe. And green beans must be U.S.-grown and organic to be safe. tl;dr: Buy organic when you can.

$1 for a house

If you’re willing to buy on a boarded-up block. Baltimore is selling close to 1,000 abandoned homes for pennies. They’ll even throw in $50,000 for repairs. One caveat: Most homes are far from liveable, so you’ll need at least $90,000 in assets for renovations to qualify. Oh, and the block you buy a house on might look like this.

📻 Over and (creeped) out: A mom discovered her son’s walkie-talkie was hacked by creeps. She overheard an adult voice asking, “Are you there? Hello, Mommy.” She tossed it, terrified. Don’t buy cheap walkie-talkies and baby monitors; stick with brand names you recognize.

You don't own your streaming purchases

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Something to think about before you hit “buy” on a movie or series.

Trivia

You know how when you buy a bag of potato chips, the bag is half empty? So annoying. Which gas do the chip manufacturers pump into the bag? Is it … A.) Nitrogen, B.) Oxygen, C.) Carbon dioxide or D.) Argon?

Find the answer here

1 question to ask before you buy that new car

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Are you getting the proper protection? Here’s how to find out, and get what you want. 

Apple's Vision Pro — to buy or not

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Is it worth the investment or should you wait it out? Get my advice here. 

Don't trust weight loss ads

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Seeing your favorite celeb promoting a supplement? Here’s why you need to check if it’s real or not before you buy.

The downside of buy now, pay later

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What’s the cost to paying for stuff you can’t quite afford? Here’s the scoop. 

Buy OLED or buy nothing at all

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On the market for a new TV? Here’s the scoop on what to buy. 

The first Black Friday sales begin

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Should you buy now or wait for later? Here’s a preview of the early stuff that’s waiting for you. 

Biofire gun

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After years of false starts, the first smart gun is here. The question is, will anyone buy it? I have the lowdown in this one-minute podcast. 

Before you buy your next plane ticket...

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There’s a new scam that’s ripping off thousands of travelers. Here’s how you can stay safe, in one minute. 

Apple stuff not to buy right now

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Itching to buy a shiny new iPhone? I reveal why you might want to put your wallet away right now, in 60 seconds. 

Don't buy a MacBook now

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Planning to buy the latest Apple product? In one minute, I’ll tell you why you should hold off.