Linearity Curve

Overview

Linearity Curve is an Apple-device design app for people who want illustration, image editing, and PDF work in one place. It is a particularly good fit for individual designers moving between iPad, Mac, and iPhone. Its mix of vector and raster tools is broad, but the free tier’s small quotas and lack of live collaboration make it a less natural choice for growing teams.

Key features

Curve brings vector and raster editing together with illustration tools, AI background removal, AI Grab, and Magic Eraser. That range is useful when a project combines drawn artwork with image cleanup, rather than requiring separate apps for each task. Templates and a brand kit help with recurring visual work, though the single basic kit on Free is modest support for anyone managing multiple brands.

PDFs can be opened as native Curve files, edited, transformed, annotated, and signed. The app exports PDF, SVG, EPS, and other print and digital formats, giving designers a practical path from editing to delivery. Integrations with Brandfetch, Unsplash, SF Symbols, Icons8, Figma, Illustrator, and Sketch can help bring in assets or continue work across design tools.

Personal, team, and client workspaces let users switch contexts and share files across devices. Core design tools, local files, and exports work offline; cloud features may be limited without a connection. That is a useful distinction for work on the go, but it does not make Curve a fully offline cloud workflow. Files are not used for AI training unless a user opts in within the app.

Pricing

Free costs nothing, requires no credit card, and includes 250 lifetime credits, one basic brand kit, and 5GB of cloud storage. It is a sensible way to start or handle occasional projects, but the lifetime credit allotment and limited storage make it a constrained long-term plan.

Starter costs $8 a month, billed annually, and includes 800 credits per month and 10GB of storage. It suits a light individual workflow that needs recurring credits, but offers much less monthly capacity and storage than Pro. Pro also costs $8 a month when billed annually and is aimed at individuals; it includes 3,250 credits per month and 100GB of storage. Monthly billing is shown at $10 per editor/month. The substantially higher quotas make Pro the stronger individual option for regular, storage-heavy work.

Business costs $65 a month, billed annually, for teams needing advanced controls and governance; monthly billing is shown at $80 per editor/month. It includes 6,500 credits per month and 500GB of storage. Studio costs $25 per editor/month billed annually, or $30 per editor/month with monthly billing, and is aimed at teams creating together in real time. That plan description sits alongside Curve’s lack of real-time collaboration as a feature, so teams should distinguish Studio’s stated positioning from the app’s stated feature set before choosing it.

Enterprise has custom pricing based on company size and a custom billing and contract arrangement. It includes organization-shared credits, export permissions, team onboarding, an account manager, and SSO, making it the tier for organizations that need administrative controls rather than a standard individual or team subscription. Students, teachers, schools, and institutions save 58% on the yearly Pro Plan. Online payment accepts major credit cards; Org plan invoicing is available.

Platforms

Curve has native iPad, Mac, and iPhone apps and runs on iPadOS 14 or macOS Big Sur and later. Its Apple-only reach makes it a focused choice for people already working across those devices, but not for a Windows or Android workflow.

Who it's for

Curve is best suited to Apple-based illustrators and designers who value vector and raster tools, PDF editing, and exports in one app. Pro is the clearest fit for an individual doing regular work; Free works for exploration or lighter projects. Teams can use shared workspaces and higher business tiers, but organizations that require dependable live co-editing should consider a different workflow.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Combines vector, raster, illustration, and PDF editing, reducing the need to switch tools for those tasks.
• Pros: Offline support for core design, local files, and exports helps keep work moving without a connection.
• Pros: The free plan needs no credit card and includes storage and a basic brand kit for trying the workflow.
• Cons: Free credits are capped at 250 for the lifetime of the plan, limiting sustained use.
• Cons: Real-time collaboration is not available as a feature, a drawback for teams that need simultaneous editing.
• Cons: Curve is limited to Apple platforms, excluding mixed-device teams using Windows or Android.

Alternatives

Canva is a reasonable alternative for readers who want a freemium design tool with a free plan and macOS and Windows support. PosterMyWall is another freemium option, with Android, iOS, and web access plus a free tier that includes downloads, templates, and publishing to one social account.

Visme may suit readers looking for a freemium option across web, Windows, macOS, and iOS; its Basic plan includes 500MB of storage and 50 slides or pages per project. Desygner is worth considering for cross-platform use, with web, iOS, and Android apps and a free plan that allows three users, 100 projects, and 5GB of storage.

Microsoft Designer offers a free tier with a Microsoft account and access on web, iOS, and Android, making it an option for readers who want those platforms. Adobe Express Video has a free plan with 25 generative credits per month, more than 155,000 templates, and 5GB of storage, and supports web, iOS, and Android.

Kittl is a web-based alternative with a free plan limited to five projects and 100 one-time AI tokens. Piktochart is also web-based; its free plan allows one to four team members and includes two downloads, 1GB of storage, and 60 AI credits.

Verdict

Choose Linearity Curve if you use Apple devices and want illustration, raster and vector editing, and PDF work under one roof. Pro is the most compelling fit for an individual who needs regular credits and substantial cloud storage. Look elsewhere if live co-editing is central to your team’s work, or if your devices include Windows or Android.