Adobe Illustrator CC vs. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Adobe Illustrator
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Adobe Illustrator CC is a vector-based graphic design software.
$20.99
per month
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.7 out of 10
N/A
Corel Corporation, headquartered in Ottawa, offers the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, a graphic design studio and library of tools.
$249
per year
Pricing
Adobe Illustrator CCCorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Editions & Modules
Yearly - Billed Monthly
$20.99
per month
Monthly
$31.49
per month
Yearly - Billed Upfront
$239.88
per year
Subscription
$249.00
per year
Download
$499.00
One Time Fee
Physical Edition
$499.00
One Time Fee
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Adobe IllustratorCorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Free Trial
NoYes
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 Illustrator CCCorelDRAW Graphics Suite
User Ratings
Adobe Illustrator CCCorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(0 ratings)
9.8
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.2
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
5.0
(0 ratings)
8.4
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Adobe Illustrator CCCorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Likelihood to Recommend
Indicated and suitable for companies and agencies that work with the creation of materials for social media, digital graphics and printed materials. Suitable for any scenario and for those who want to produce high quality material without image pixelation. A scenario not very suitable would be the use without proper knowledge of the tool, it would be interesting to see the tutorials and guides available by Adobe
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It is a perfect suite of applications to finish presentations and create beautiful layouts for design. It is very useful both for graphic design and for architecture design when you want to draw a realistic idea of a project without being a rendering or when you need to present both images and vectorial drawings.
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Pros
  • 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
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  • Ease of use is a major factor in our choice for the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. With intuitive interface terminologies, users are able to jump right into the applications with ease and confidence.
  • The ability to customize the Suite to fit your particular needs is a major strength of the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. CorelDRAW customization abilities are endless and can turn the default Graphics Suite into a fully customized powerhouse application catered to a designer's specific wants and needs.
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Cons
  • Illustrator Files can get large/cumbersome when you begin to incorporate high resolution photography, especially if you 'place' the photo instead of linking to it's source file
  • Typography can sometimes be a challenge, especially if you working on different machines that may not always have the font you need installed or sending the file to a commercial printer
  • OLDER versions of Illustrator can be a bit temperamental about being backward compatible though this issue has been greatly reduced with Adobe's move the Cloud Based subscription model
  • Not great for large print layouts (books, magazine etc) you're better off to move the project to Adobe InDesign in that case.
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  • The bitmap edit feature to edit images. The pop out is clunky and with it was a bit more integrated.
  • Trace - Would love to see this strengthened. We love to scan in hand drawn things to turn to vector and would love to see the accuracy increased.
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Likelihood to Renew
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.
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No answers on this topic
Usability
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.
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Just like any design program or suite, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't do graphic design professionally. If you're not adept at learning a program or experience, it isn't a program you can just pick up and start using easily. Outside of the learning curve, it's a nice program with a decent user interface.
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Support Rating
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.
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Overall, CorelDRAW meets all my needs as a researcher and allows me to create beautiful and clear graphics to illustrate the main ideas for publications. It does not lack any functionality for my needs; however, it has some bugs that impact productivity, such as the color drag and drop that sometimes stops working and needs restarting, and crashes, especially when working with large bitmaps.
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Implementation Rating
It was very easy to purchase and download.
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
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 it much easier.
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I feel Corel is just as powerful as the Adobe suite. I started using Corel back when I worked for a government organization that was PC based (and at the time, you couldn't get the Adobe suite on PC). I found that Corel was just as powerful. Over time, you can now get the Adobe Suite for PC but Corel is a better price - which for a non-profit is very important. Of course, I am more comfortable with Corel because I have used it for so many years as well.
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Return on Investment
  • Improved engagement in employee programs that are now represented in documents created using Illustrator.
  • Improved customer outcomes/interest as a result of materials created using Illustrator.
  • Better ROI on the programs we have developed or introduced due to the higher engagement and involvement.
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  • Ease of use reflects on less time to train new users, a positive impact in investment and productivity.
  • The practicality to make new designs results in less time needed to do them, again a positive impact.
  • The integration with other graphic programs could be better if needed to finish a rendering using the design made in Corel Draw it's needed to export in formats that don't carry all information and the process is not that simple.
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ScreenShots

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Screenshots

Screenshot of A complete suite of applications:
CorelDRAW® - Vector illustration and page layout
Corel PHOTO-PAINT™ - Image editing and pixel-based design program
Corel® Font Manager - Font exploration and management tool
PowerTRACE™ - AI-powered bitmap-to-vector tracing (included as part of the CorelDRAW application)
CorelDRAW.app™ - Online vector illustration and graphic design via web browser
CorelDRAW.app™ for iPad – Vector illustration and graphic design iPad app
CAPTURE™ - Screen capture tool
AfterShot™ 3 HDR - RAW photo editorScreenshot of From creative professionals working in advertising and publishing, to small businesses producing in-house marketing materials, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite has the tools to create everything from stand-out brand identity assets to alluring sales tools.Screenshot of Professionals in the sign and print, and fashion industry rely on CorelDRAW® to create artwork for a variety of print outputs, thanks to a powerful color management engine and superior prepress tools.Screenshot of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite has commerce professionals covered with dedicated tools for web and print, whether you’re designing point-of-sale promotions or creating assets to enhance an online store.Screenshot of Illustrators and artists alike can combine their classic art practices with CorelDRAW’s state-of-the-art vector-illustration technology to create beautiful, sophisticated works of art.Screenshot of Get more for less! Discover the affordable, flexible way to stay up-to-date, while enjoying exclusive features, content, enhancements, and support for the latest technologies.