Linearity Curve is a free vector design app for Mac, iPad and iPhone, with AI tools for tracing and background work built in. What decides whether it suits you is the bundle: every paid plan buys Curve alongside Linearity Move, an animation app, and Linearity AI, a browser-based generative design tool, rather than Curve on its own.
What is Linearity Curve?
Curve is made by Linearity GmbH, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Solingen, Germany. It is a native app for Mac, iPad and iPhone, free to download outright, alongside its sibling app Move. Paid plans add Linearity AI, a separate design tool that runs in the browser at cloud.linearity.io rather than installing.
Drawing and editing vectors in Linearity Curve
Auto Trace converts an image, logo or sketch into editable vector paths in one click, with separate modes for photos, sketches, illustrations and basic shapes. Shaping tools cover boolean operations alongside masking and a Shape Builder tool, and documents support multiple artboards. Gradients cover linear and radial types; there is no mesh or freeform gradient type. Curve can send a document straight to desktop Adobe Illustrator as a continuity feature. Neither a CMYK colour mode nor Pantone spot colour libraries are offered.
AI-assisted editing is built into Curve itself: Background Removal erases backgrounds, AI Grab detects and isolates a subject or object, and Magic Eraser cleans up unwanted elements. Curve does not generate a standalone image from a prompt on its own; that runs through Linearity AI, the browser tool bundled into every paid plan, which composes a complete, editable design from a typed description using Linearity's own Linearity Vector 1.0 model.
Working with other people
Curve has no real-time co-editing: simultaneous edits by more than one person on a shared file can conflict, and the system creates a duplicate rather than merging changes. There is no comments or review workflow. An API is available on the Enterprise plan, and Curve integrates with Figma through its own plugin, with Unsplash for stock imagery, and with desktop Adobe Illustrator through the send-to feature above.
Linearity Curve pricing: what each plan gives
The Free plan costs nothing, needs no card, and gives 250 lifetime credits, one basic brand kit and 5GB of cloud storage; Curve and Move are also downloadable free on their own outside any plan. Paid plans are billed per editor: Pro is $10 a month billed monthly or $8 a month billed annually, with 800 credits a month; Studio is $30 a month billed monthly or $25 a month billed annually; Business is $80 a month billed monthly or $65 a month billed annually. Enterprise pricing is available on request. Every paid plan covers Curve, Move and Linearity AI together; there is no cheaper plan for Curve alone, and no one-time purchase option.
Privacy and support
Linearity does not use your prompts, content or generated output to train its own models unless you separately opt in; that consent is not on by default. Its privacy policy is written around GDPR and names an EU controller in Solingen, Germany, and single sign-on is supported for logging in. Support runs through a ticketed contact form, a Discord community, and the Academy help centre.
Who Linearity Curve suits
Curve suits anyone on Mac, iPad or iPhone who wants a free, capable vector app with one-click tracing, boolean shape tools and AI-assisted background removal and object isolation, and who is open to Linearity AI's prompt-based design generation as part of a paid plan. It also suits anyone happy to buy Move and Linearity AI alongside Curve as one subscription.
It suits less well anyone doing CMYK or Pantone print production, since neither exists, or any team that needs real-time co-editing on a shared file, since simultaneous edits create duplicates instead of merging. It also suits less well anyone who wants to pay for Curve alone, since every paid tier bundles it with Move and Linearity AI.
How Linearity Curve compares
Linearity Curve scores 6.7 out of 10 among the vector editors we rate. These three do the same job and are the closest to it, compared on what each vendor publishes.
Adobe Illustrator
Linearity Curve is free for individuals, with paid plans from $10 a month bundling Curve, Move and Linearity AI; Illustrator has no free plan and costs $22.99 a month after a 7 day trial. Both generate artwork from a prompt and trace raster images into vector paths, but Illustrator also works in CMYK and spot colour for print and supports comments and approval workflows, none of which Curve does. Illustrator also opens native .ai and .eps files, which Curve does not.
Pick Adobe Illustrator if you need CMYK, spot colour and comment based approval workflows.
Pick Linearity Curve if you want a free plan and a lower monthly price.
Inkscape
Inkscape is free forever with no paid tier, and has no AI features at all; Linearity Curve is free for individuals but its paid plans start at $10 a month for Curve, Move and Linearity AI together. Curve generates artwork from a prompt and edits images with AI, both of which Inkscape lacks, though Inkscape also traces raster images into vector paths and lets you install third-party plugins. Curve also runs on iPad and iPhone, while Inkscape is a desktop app only.
Pick Inkscape if you want a completely free app with raster tracing and plugins.
Pick Linearity Curve if you want AI artwork generation and a free plan for individuals.
CorelDRAW
CorelDRAW is a licence you keep outright, $22.42 a month if paid yearly; Curve is free for individuals, with paid plans from $10 a month for Curve, Move and Linearity AI. CorelDRAW also opens native .ai and .eps files and works in spot colour and CMYK for print, none of which Curve does. Curve still generates artwork from a prompt and traces raster images, and CorelDRAW does both too.
Pick CorelDRAW if you want a licence you own and native Illustrator file support.
Pick Linearity Curve if you want a free plan for individuals and a lower price.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Linearity Curve cost?
Curve itself is free to download. The Free plan account adds 250 lifetime credits, a basic brand kit and 5GB of storage at no cost. Paid plans start at $10 a month billed monthly, or $8 a month billed annually, and bundle Curve with Linearity Move and Linearity AI.
Can Curve open files from other design tools?
Curve can send a document to desktop Adobe Illustrator as a continuity feature, and exports to PNG, JPG, SVG and PDF.
Does Curve generate vector art from a text prompt?
Not inside Curve itself. That capability sits in Linearity AI, a browser-based tool bundled into every paid plan, which turns a typed description into a complete, editable design using Linearity's own Linearity Vector 1.0 model.
Does Linearity train AI on my designs?
No, not by default. Linearity does not use your prompts, content or generated output to train its models unless you give separate, explicit consent.
