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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Adobe Illustrator

    Score8.9 out of 10
    N/AAdobe Illustrator CC is a vector-based graphic design software.

    $20.99

    per month

    Adobe PhotoShop

    Score9.1 out of 10
    N/AAdobe Photoshop is the best known graphics product on the market.

    $20

    per month

    Pricing
    Adobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoShop
    Editions & Modules
    Yearly - Billed Monthly
    $20.99
    per month
    Monthly
    $31.49
    per month
    Yearly - Billed Upfront
    $239.88
    per year
    Single App
    $20.00
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Adobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoShop
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Adobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoShop
    Considered Both Products
    Adobe
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    I use both of those programs together at times.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    Adobe Illustrator CC is the best program to use for creating vector illustrations and graphics, whereas Photoshop is best for pixel-based digital pieces. Indesign is best for printed pieces and Adobe Illustrator CC is a great collaborator tool to use for Indesign projects. The …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    The integration with Creative Cloud Libraries and Adobe Fonts, combined with the powerful array of tools offered in Adobe Illustrator makes up for the high price compared with other tools that are often free. You even get an outstanding 3D renderer built in with excellent …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    Adobe Illustrator gives you much more control over every aspect of the design process. Canva has several limitations like being unable to customize gradients or creating clipping masks. Inkscape only works in RGB space and has a less intuitive user interface. They benefit from …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    GIMP does not have a lot of reference information, so it takes time to solve problems. Illustrator takes less time because there is a lot of reference information on the Internet and in books. Also, GIMP does not allow batch processing, so the work must be repeated. Illustrator …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    Illustrator is far ahead of Xara with features and manage images better than Corel Draw
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    Both are powerful design/vector art tools. And they do the same things - just in a little different way. Tools and interface are a little different. Illustrator thinks like a designer, Corel thinks like an architect. I picked Illustrator mostly due to integration with …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    I know a lot of designers that like to work in Photoshop, when text is involved I prefer Adobe Illustrator CC. You can outline your text and kern and correct there, it is crisp and easy. I would rather push vector points than pixels. I also really appreciate the multiple boards …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    Illustrator has never let me down recently. There have been times where the program didn't do things I wanted it, but over the years the updates gradually modified how I used the program to the point where everything we need to do can be done.Whatever the situation is, Adobe …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    Simply stated, Adobe Illustrator CC just offers more. Not all projects require 'more', but when you need it, it is nice that you don't have to jump programs and start over on a project. Inkscape is simple to use, but so is Canva. Point being, just because a program has a great …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    I chose Rhinoceros 3D because it is accurate to make drawings in it and it is better to make drawings in Rhinoceros 3D and then put them in Adobe Illustrator. But while printing or scaling it is much easier to put it in Adobe Illustrator. This makes the whole printing aspect of …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    Illustrator has a wide capability for editing ability and can be used in combination with any of the other programs I've listed and used. This makes it incredibly versatile and one of my favorites. Each of the other products have specific purposes, making them less likely for …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    They complement each other, each with its own specific characteristics, but within a marketing sector, an experienced designer knows that the use of these tools in sets makes all the difference. It is possible to combine their uses and create really relevant materials that will …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    All these software integrate and each one has a purpose, I, particularly, always work with almost all of them together and I don't see competition between them, [but rather] an integration [with] different purposes and uses. I use them all and they all serve me in the best way …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    Adode Illustrator is better for the design work in the company, sice it works with vectors and easy shortcuts, the other adobe software is not so useful because we do not work with video editing or rendering. Adobe Illustrator CC meets all our needs and expectations and that is …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    I have not used any other graphic design software but I have used Photoshop and InDesign. If you're looking to create graphics, especially scalable vectors, Adobe Illustrator CC is, hands down, the best tool out there. Photoshop is much better for photo editing and …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    Comparing with Affinity, Adobe Illustrator CC has a powerful core and very high compatibility with other Adobe products which is a huge advantage. The ease of use of various tools are also very familiar among different graphic designers within the corporation, making training …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    Overall, my impression is that Illustrator is better suited to providing the features and end result I am looking for when creating employee documents and/or marketing materials that can be rich and engaging for the end user/recipient. The ability to create multi-page documents …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    I like to use Illustrator concurrently with PhotoShop and InDesign. Illustrator is better for working with vectors, whereas PhotoShop is better for using pixels, editing and creating raster-based art. When it comes to Illustrator in comparison to InDesign, the latter is better …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    Macromedia Fireworks
    Fireworks probably isn't available anymore as the parent company was bought out by Adobe, it's main selling point was it's seamless integration into FLASH animations which browsers no longer support. It wasn't a bad program but it's extremely dated at this …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    I have only used Illustrator and to a lesser extent the basics of CAD. Illustrator is more efficient for the artistic end of my use, but CAD is more precise and expansive in scale.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    When compared to other vector-based artwork programs, Adobe Illustrator CC is far more robust, feature-rich, and user-friendly. Other programs fail to deliver adequate exports of varied file types. With Adobe Illustrator CC, there are many workflow options, user tools, and …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    I have used Microsoft Paint, CorelDRAW. Neither compare to Adobe Illustrator at all. Not even a close comparison. Adobe has the accompanying Creative Cloud apps so it's a no brainer.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Illustrator
    Adobe Illustrator is generally preferred to use over the use of InDesign and Photoshop mostly due to the nature of our work. It's usually the most efficient in getting what needs to be done, done. It's easier to use than Photoshop for a lot of things. InDesign also has a pen …
    Incentivized
    Adobe
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Canva is a great tool for creating infographics and it's free with limited options. Adobe Illustrator CC and Adobe InDesign are much more suited for creating infographics, however, I still selected Adobe PhotoShop primarily because of my familiarity with all of the tools and …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    When it comes to anything photo, Photoshop is the best tool that I have used. While Adobe Illustrator is great for graphics and vectors and does allow you to bring in photos, I do not recommend trying to create or do any advanced editing in Illustrator. If you must use …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Canva is the most user friendly for sure but not as many capabilities.

    I personally prefer Adobe Illustrator to Photoshop as I think it is more intuitive and can do many of the same things, but it is probably because it is the first one I learned. They are best used together.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Sometimes PhotoShop just gives that extra edge when it comes to functionality when you have to edit a very detailed picture. PhotoShop has a lot more tools and is thus great for creating visuals that you can later use in print settings, for example; we want this tablecloth to …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Adobe photoshop is flexible with simple tool. The user interface is not clumpy but very clean. You can customize the canvas to what you like and set your own shortcuts key to keep the software accustom to yourself. Photoshop is unmatched when it comes to images manipulate and …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    I'd say there are different use cases for each tool. PhotoShop is a beast at image editing, I haven't used anything else for this purpose. But with the other tools, they serve different purpose - Canva is good for templated stuff, illustrator is good for anything …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    every software work is different ... indesign is good for making multiple pages like magazine booklet and illustrator is good in picking colors and directly fill them in object just clicking ... Adobe Photoshop can do everything but every software has its own speciality.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    PS is a notable device for a long time and I have been a client since before they utilized the CS part.For the adaptability the device has and every one of the capabilities, I never "totally" changed to different apparatuses, I utilize different devices for different things. …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Adobe Photoshop is really best if we compare this software with other graphic designing software. There are several reasons, but the most important reason is the difference in tools and features because Adobe Photoshop offers a number of incredibly professional tools that allow …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    I was able to make infographics of any scale once I mastered Adobe PhotoShop. I also performed pixel-level photo editing. For a long time, it was my "go-to" piece of software. Although I tried other programmes, nothing compared to Adobe PhotoShop. I've always been able to put …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Illustrator is another software under Adobe's design suite banner. I've used Illustrator for logo creation and other design work, but I usually go to PhotoShop because it is the most user-friendly and intuitive platform for easy design work. All of Adobe's programs are great …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Adobe PhotoShop has existed for so long. So it has most experience and kept optimising it over decades. And that’s the nices about the Cloud. You keep getting the newest software and tools. Other apps have specialised in Tablet performance but if you work on your computer Adobe …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    GIMP is one of the free alternatives for Photoshop. Although it has got many features that photoshop offers, it still has a lot of catching up to do. Also GIMP's UI is quite clunky and not as polished as Photoshop's UI making it a bit harder to navigate. Canva on the other hand …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    [Adobe] Photoshop offers the best photo editing as well as content creation. The layer-by-layer approach of [Adobe] Photoshop helps to work between two apps or even two PCs of entirely different Creative Cloud apps seamlessly. The stability and the speed of the tools in …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Canva is a graphic editing program, but on a basic level. Adobe Photoshop provides a better alternative than Canva for clients who require complex graphic design because of the software's reach and the tools provided available for customizing the graphic design. Even the user …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    [Adobe] Photoshop has much more features and abilities compared to its competitors, and often is the first to create a new feature. There is a large learning curve for Photoshop, but for folks that spend years learning Adobe products, it ends up being the most intuitive …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Adobe Photoshop is a professional software for design [and] it is an essential software for designer and professional artist. The best feature among this software are working with each layer separately, combine or merge layers, we can group layers, mask layer, and more with …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Other software may work well, and possibly better for some people. But as Photo shop has become the standard, there is no beating the interface and functionality. The ability to work cross-application with native file formats is an immeasurable time and headache saver on a day …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Adobe has more quality, more options and has for sure a better outcome than almost all the other products we have used to create graphics. You can see the difference between Adobe and GIMP in a heartbeat. Not saying the other ones are bad, but it is a quality difference based …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    There are many options for image editing, but PhotoShop serves a very specific purpose. Using PhotoShop is an easy decision because it is also a part of the full Adobe Creative Cloud Suite. The Creative Cloud gives you access to all Adobe products, which is very valuable in the …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    I have also used other Adobe products in the CC like Lightroom, InDesign, Illustrator. I have also used Canva, which is a great tool for people who are not skilled with Photoshop, since that program does take some training to understand how to use.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Other tools are really just trying to clone the success that Adobe Photoshop has held. I've tried others in search of cost savings or unique features, but I always come back to Photoshop. It just feels more solid and works with me so much smoother. And the gimmicky features …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    I have used some competitor apps a little bit, including Pixelmator, Affinity Photo, and GraphicConverter. These apps are fast, have some cool features, and in some cases do things that Photoshop cannot do, or maybe even do them better or faster. But compared to the full …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Photoshop is an easier-to-use product with more functionality than GIMP, however, the former is a fairly costly software from Adobe, while the latter is an open-source and free-to-use photo editor, so direct comparisons may not make much sense. I'm not aware of many paid …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    Adobe PhotoShop is the mac daddy! These others (Canva, Pixlr, etc.) don't have much on Adobe PhotoShop--the functionalities could take a lifetime or longer to understand every little thing. However I will say that online software like Canva and Pixlr are good for a layperson …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    98%
    Would buy again
    64 Answers
    98%
    Would buy again
    132 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    57 Answers
    98%
    Delivers good value for the price
    123 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    65 Answers
    99%
    Happy with the feature set
    134 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    56 Answers
    99%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    118 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    97%
    Implementation went as expected
    60 Answers
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    117 Answers
    Best Alternatives
    Adobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoShop
    Small Businesses
    CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
    Score9.8 out of 10
    CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Adobe PhotoShop
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Canva
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Adobe PhotoShop
    Score9.1 out of 10
    CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
    Score9.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Adobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoShop
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.1
    (107 ratings)
    9.7
    (190 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    8.4
    (30 ratings)
    Usability
    7.2
    (4 ratings)
    7.3
    (15 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    Support Rating
    5.0
    (25 ratings)
    10.0
    (54 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    9.0
    (6 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    4.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Adobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoShop
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Adobe
    Adobe Illustrator is used to help make drawings look good but not make them. It is easy to add color or texture but it is hard to actually make the drawings in it. I would recommend using other software to make the lines for plans and sections and using Adobe Illustrator to make it look good.
    Read full review
    Adobe
    I started my design journey by just learning one software, Photoshop. The possibilities of what one can do with this softwares are infinite. I have mainly used Photoshop for image editing, making mockups, and producing quick GIFs. Photoshop has better effects than most softwares and plugins, which helps if one is after a particular style or image treatment. I always struggle with it being slightly not beginner-friendly, as one might find the interface too overwhelming. The other thing is that it is an image-based and not a vector-based software, so one has to move back and forth if someone has to access a file in another software like Illustrator.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Adobe
    • Vector graphics for scaling to large sizes
    • Filling an object with a texture
    • Easily adjusting and expanding an artboard to fit the size of the content (especially for infographics)
    • Compatibility with other Adobe CC programs, but also exporting for PPT graphics
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    • The fact is that you may quickly pick things up on your own by spending time without using any other resources.
    • It is the program that brings the phrase "to make PhotoShop" to almost all languages. It's not just a photo editing program.
    • Practical and beautiful results are filtered by filtering the desired work without drowning in details.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Adobe
    • It's tough to master. If you haven't used Adobe products like Photoshop or Illustrator before, there is a lot to take in.
    • It would be great to have some better options to preview the final product if you're creating a multiple page document.
    • Better integration and pricing points with Adobe Stock for the useful stock images to complete your projects.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    • Expensive - It is too expensive to buy Photoshop alone, and hence leading the user to purchase the entire Creative Cloud Package though he/she is not even aware of half of those apps.
    • High System Spec - Requires high system specifications to run the application smoothly, and to use it at its best.
    • Process lag - When it comes to large-sized files, the application becomes laggy taking much time even to render a single layer.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Adobe
    While Adobe Illustrator CC is one of the only true design software out there, it really stands heads above the other products. It's clean UI and menu structure is easy to navigate.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    We get a lot of use out of this software. It's vital for work with production in our industry and has a lot of cross-functionality - creating social media images, retouching photos, editing photos, creating gradients, and more. It's pretty fuss-free in that we haven't had to reach out to support and the program hasn't crashed on us. We are trained on the software (so again, this isn't for beginners), but for detail-oriented designers and creatives like ourselves - it's a no-brainer.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Adobe
    There's a bit of a learning curve to this software vs other similar tools that can take some time to learn and get familiar with but the amount of functionality that Adobe Illustrator CC offers is quite large compared to simpler tools.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    I've used it for a long time and would consider myself a Pro user at this point. I know where everything I need is, have custom actions set up to make common actions faster, and have my workflows automated so much that everything is easy. Occasionally, a new version of Photoshop will change a common usability feature which will slow things down for a short time before I'm able to adjust, but generally I really like my setup. However, if you're new to Photoshop, it is likely going to take you a while to figure out how you can best use the features.
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Adobe
    No answers on this topic
    Adobe
    Adobe Photoshop is very reliable, but is never 100%. There have been times when Adobe Photoshop has had trouble opening, but nothing a little computer restart couldn't fix. I use Adobe Photoshop on a Mac for both work and at home on a daily basis, and I would be lost without it.
    Read full review
    Performance
    Adobe
    No answers on this topic
    Adobe
    Speed can be an issue when you are dealing with large files for large format printing or billboards. When working on web images, speed is not an issue.
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Adobe
    I normally already know how to do whatever I'm trying out, but the documentation (as well as a simple Google search) makes any question quick to resolve. The Adobe boards themselves are a fantastic resource, especially for resolving questions between new programs and iterative releases.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    While I never contacted Adobe directly, there is so much content out there in the form of YouTube videos, Lynda/LinkedIn learning that almost any issue, including bugs, can be worked around (and this method is generally faster as there's no turnaround time involved).
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Adobe
    No answers on this topic
    Adobe
    So, I received the training at the HQ and it was train the trainer training. A good time, I spent a week at their campus
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Adobe
    It was very easy to purchase and download.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    I took a course so it really helped. I didn’t take the course until much later after beginning to use it, so I wish work would have sent me right off the bat. It would have alleviated a lot of frustratinon
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Adobe
    They complement each other, each with its own specific characteristics, but within a marketing sector, an experienced designer knows that the use of these tools in sets makes all the difference. It is possible to combine their uses and create really relevant materials that will bring a great return to the company and in the dissemination of arts with superior quality to the competitors
    Read full review
    Adobe
    Canva is a great tool for creating infographics and it's free with limited options. Adobe Illustrator CC and Adobe InDesign are much more suited for creating infographics, however, I still selected Adobe PhotoShop primarily because of my familiarity with all of the tools and hotkeys. There are always workarounds from with Adobe PhotoShop, and I just haven't taken the time to learn how to use Adobe Illustrator CC as effectively.
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    Adobe
    No answers on this topic
    Adobe
    It seems expensive compared to the free/cheap programs now available
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Adobe
    • Helps us quickly and easily create and manage numerous logos
    • Cloud libraries allow us to access commonly used colors, fonts, logos and other design elements quickly
    • We are able to provide high-quality, scalable college logos for print and digital which give us a more professional, credible look.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    • Time saving. Many features can be automated, which drastically saves time on projects that need a quick turnaround.
    • High-quality. The images that can be created in Adobe Photoshop are the best quality and often requested when we send things to print.
    • Streamlines our process. The ability to batch-edit or batch-export allows us to work on other things while Photoshop processes in the background, which is wonderful.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots