Inkscape vs CorelDraw, Which is Better?

Supporting design software is a primary necessity for a graphic designer. Without design software, the works created by a graphic designer cannot truly be called “graphic.” Thanks to the rapid growth of the digital era, there are now many types of supporting design software available — from free to paid options, and from those with limited features to fully equipped ones.

One of the most widely used software programs among graphic designers is CorelDRAW and Inkscape. When viewed from the available features, each of these programs has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, in terms of price, Inkscape is certainly superior to CorelDRAW.

So, what are the other differences between Inkscape and CorelDRAW? Below, we’ve summarized the key differences between Inkscape and CorelDRAW that you can use as a reference when choosing your graphic design software.

Inkscape

Inkscape is an open-source or free graphic design software. Licensed under the GNU GPL (GNU General Public License), this software aims to be a vector graphic editing tool that adheres to XML, SVG, and CSS standards.

The file format used by Inkscape is SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), which now complies with the W3C XML standard. Inkscape also offers quite a comprehensive set of features. With all these advantages, Inkscape has attracted a lot of attention from graphic designers — it is even often considered an alternative replacement for CorelDRAW.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Inkscape

Every software application has its own strengths and weaknesses. The same goes for Inkscape. Below are the advantages and disadvantages of Inkscape:

Advantages of Inkscape:

• Free of charge
• Quite complete set of tools
• Comprehensive color palette
• Lightweight files
• Files can be viewed in a web browser
• High-quality document output
• Automatic backup in case of “not responding” errors
• Complete settings panel
• Available in a portable version

Disadvantages of Inkscape:

• File size can become larger if you use too many elements such as gradients, masking, blurring, or include large JPG files.
• Cannot edit document files from other software such as (.cdr) or (.ai).
• Does not support bitmap editing.
• Limited file export options.
• Can only export to one file extension (.PNG).

CorelDRAW

CorelDRAW is a vector-based graphic design software developed by a company called Corel Corporation. CorelDRAW is a paid software. To use this software, you need to purchase it at a price of around 2 million rupiah (≈ USD 120).

Advantages of CorelDRAW:

• Produces high-quality images
• Easy-to-use tools
• Excellent integration of images and text, similar to Photoshop
• Plenty of tutorials available, as many communities use CorelDRAW

Disadvantages of CorelDRAW:

• Requires relatively large storage space
• The resulting file size can become quite large
• Printed colors may sometimes differ from what appears on screen (depending on the printer type)
• Many compatibility issues occur when sharing files between different CorelDRAW versions.

Comparison Between Inkscape and CorelDRAW

Although Inkscape is often considered an alternative to CorelDRAW, the differences between the two software programs are quite significant. From the start, they have been very different, especially in terms of price. Moreover, CorelDRAW was developed and released long before Inkscape appeared. Below is a more detailed comparison between Inkscape and CorelDRAW.

Price

In terms of price, there is a significant difference between Inkscape and CorelDRAW. Inkscape is a free software, while CorelDRAW is developed by a large company, making it a paid product whose high price is justified by the quality it offers.

Version

The second difference lies in their versions. CorelDRAW has been developed since 1988 and has undergone many updates and improvements, with the latest version being CorelDRAW 2018. In contrast, Inkscape has only reached version 0.92.

Capability

When viewed from their capabilities, CorelDRAW is designed for professional use and is widely used by professionals, equipped with advanced and powerful features. Inkscape, on the other hand, has not yet reached that level. Currently, Inkscape serves more as an alternative, and only a few professionals use it.

Popularity

Lastly, in terms of popularity, the difference between the two is very clear. CorelDRAW has been known for a long time and is extremely popular, especially in Indonesia. Inkscape, however, is still relatively unknown and is mostly used by designers looking for a free alternative to paid graphic software.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are quite noticeable differences between the two. Inkscape still lags far behind CorelDRAW in popularity, but for a free application, Inkscape is already very capable of creating vector graphics that are nearly as good as those made with CorelDRAW. If you’re learning vector design and are willing to pay, you can download CorelDRAW. However, if you want to learn vector design easily and for free, it’s recommended to download Inkscape.

It’s worth noting that the interface, tools, and basic techniques in Inkscape are quite similar to those in CorelDRAW. So, if you’ve mastered Inkscape, you’ll easily be able to use CorelDRAW and even other vector editing applications like Adobe Illustrator.