Linearity
Vector illustration and animation app for Mac and iPad — a Swiss alternative to Adobe Illustrator.
Overview
Linearity is a Zurich, Switzerland-based European company building design tools and saas software since 2017. As an EU-headquartered provider, Linearity operates under GDPR and is outside the reach of the US CLOUD Act, making it a privacy-friendly alternative to Figma and Adobe XD for European teams.
Why European teams pick Linearity
Teams in Europe pick Linearity when they want a design tools provider that bills in EUR, supports their local data-protection officer requirements, and keeps customer data under Switzerland law, operating since 2017. Compared with Figma and Adobe XD, Linearity avoids cross-border data transfers under Schrems II and the US CLOUD Act, which is often the deciding factor for European procurement and legal teams.
See more EU design tools tools or browse other startups from Switzerland.
About
Linearity is a German design software company offering two products: Linearity Curve (formerly Vectornator), a professional vector design app for macOS and iOS, and Linearity Move, a motion design tool for creating animations and video content. Linearity Curve is widely regarded as the best vector design app on the App Store and a strong alternative to Adobe Illustrator for macOS users. It is used by over 3 million designers globally. Linearity processes all user data in Germany under GDPR and offers a DPA for business plans. As a German company, Linearity is a fully EU-compliant design tool for teams that cannot use Adobe Creative Cloud or Figma due to US data residency requirements.
Details
- Founded
- 2017
- Headquarters
- Zurich, Switzerland
Categories
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Frequently asked questions
What is Linearity?
Linearity is a German design software company offering two products: Linearity Curve (formerly Vectornator), a professional vector design app for macOS and iOS, and Linearity Move, a motion design tool for creating animations and video content. Linearity Curve is widely regarded as the best vector design app on the App Store and a strong alternative to Adobe Illustrator for macOS users. It is used by over 3 million designers globally. Linearity processes all user data in Germany under GDPR and offers a DPA for business plans. As a German company, Linearity is a fully EU-compliant design tool for teams that cannot use Adobe Creative Cloud or Figma due to US data residency requirements.
What does Linearity do?
Linearity is vector illustration and animation app for mac and ipad — a swiss alternative to adobe illustrator. It is listed under design tools and saas on EU Alts because its core functionality serves teams looking for a European design tools tool with EU data residency, typically as a switch away from Figma and Adobe XD.
Is Linearity a good European design tools alternative?
Linearity is a fit for European businesses evaluating design tools options where data residency and GDPR alignment matter — typical buyers include EU-based SaaS teams, public-sector projects, regulated industries (healthcare, finance, legal), and any organisation that needs to demonstrate that customer data does not leave the EU. It also overlaps with saas use cases.
Is Linearity GDPR compliant?
Linearity is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland and falls under EU jurisdiction, so it processes user data under the GDPR by default. Customer data processing is supervised by Switzerland's data protection authority, the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC). Because the company is not US-incorporated, it is not subject to the US CLOUD Act — meaning US authorities cannot compel Linearity to disclose customer data the way they can with Figma and Adobe XD. For European buyers, that often simplifies DPIA paperwork and standard contractual clauses.
How do teams switch from Figma to Linearity?
Most teams move to Linearity from Figma and Adobe XD because they want EU data residency without giving up the core design tools workflow. Linearity's Switzerland base means a single jurisdiction for both the company and (typically) its hosting infrastructure, so you can drop Schrems II transfer impact assessments for this part of your stack. Plan the migration in stages: export your data from the US incumbent, pilot Linearity with a small team, then move the rest once the integration coverage you need is confirmed.
Where is Linearity based?
Linearity is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. The company was founded in 2017. Its main website is https://www.linearity.io.