Adobe Illustrator CC vs. Adobe InDesign

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Adobe Illustrator
Score 9.3 out of 10
N/A
Adobe Illustrator CC is a vector-based graphic design software.
$20.99
per month
Adobe InDesign
Score 9.2 out of 10
N/A
Adobe InDesign supports creating digital and print documents such as flyers, stationary, posters, and other types of media, with rich graphics, images, and more. Adobe InDesign is available standalone or as part of the Adobe Creative Suite collection of media management and creation products.
$31.49
per month
Pricing
Adobe Illustrator CCAdobe InDesign
Editions & Modules
Yearly - Billed Monthly
$20.99
per month
Monthly
$31.49
per month
Yearly - Billed Upfront
$239.88
per year
Monthly Plan
$31.49
per month
Annual Plan, Prepaid
$239.88 ($19.99)
per year (per month)
Annual Plan, Paid Monthly
$251.88 ($20.99)
per year (per month)
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Adobe IllustratorAdobe InDesign
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 Illustrator CCAdobe InDesign
Considered Both Products
Adobe Illustrator
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
I have been using all of these tools for years. Illustrator is usually my go to tool. Once you learn Illustrator, it makes using all of the other programs easier to learn and it integrates with them beautifully. For the most part, each tool has it's own strengths - InDesign …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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.
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
There are so many things you can create in Adobe Illustrator CC. It's easy to use and the options for saving and exporting are fantastic. Fortunately, this is the only software of its kind that I have used. I know other people that have used lesser quality products and turned …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
Integration with other Adobe software is really amazing and makes the work easier. I recommend the software to anyone working in digital illustration, branding, graphic design and layout.
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
The only other application I've tried that compares is Inkscape. It is a free and open-source application inspired by the same goals and roles that Illustrator fills. It can be a good place to try out the vector creation process and mindset but just isn't there if you need to …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
Adobe Illustrator CC has so much more options and tools to create the perfect vector graphics when compared to other programs. Illustrator is often the program that I use to create graphics, and then insert those files directly into the other programs listed. The other programs …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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.
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
I own several versions of the CorelDraw Suite, which is decent, but not the industry standard. Adobe Illustrator CC just feels like a quality, top-shelf application. Though expensive, it works well and has the features that we use to get things done. If you are weighing …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
I used a previous version of Xara, but it just wasn't as intuitive, so I relied on my previous program bias and stuck with Illustrator.
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
Adobe Illustrator CC stays ahead of the competition with their constant tweaks and updates. This is made possible by their subscription option, which allow users instant updates once they are available. Affinity Designer is a one-time purchase so users would have to wait until …
Adobe InDesign
Chose Adobe InDesign
The two big guns in page layout software are InDesign and Quark Express. At one time, Quark was the go-to software. A majority of Pre Press shops employed Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Quark Express. Over the years, though, InDesign has surpassed Quark.
Chose Adobe InDesign
These mentioned softwares are great but also limiting. I like working on Adobe Illustrator but it's not meant to create page layouts while working on multiple pages.
Chose Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign has so many more features and capabilities when compared to Canva.
Chose Adobe InDesign
Quark used to be the go-to product for print layout design but I feel they really fell behind in the race against Adobe. The clunky user interface and what I felt were often limited options for adjusting fonts, tracking, kerning, leading etc really made it cumbersome, and …
Chose Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign is a more cohesive program with stronger features and control. It is best used for more indepth presentations and publications. I use it primarily because it allows for more creative and personalized layouts which is useful for showcasing the work I present to …
Chose Adobe InDesign
We use both in our company. Adobe InDesign for those more carefully considered, important design jobs. Canva for throwaway design jobs like flyers, newsletters, etc.
Chose Adobe InDesign
While Quark stalled out, InDesign continued to improve its product features year after year. Also, the integration with other industry standard software (Photoshop and Illustrator) is a no-brainer.
Chose Adobe InDesign
Until the development of InDesign, I was a faithful user of QuarkXPress. I knew Quark like the back of my hand. Once I decided to make the change, I realized how robust InDesign was compared to "old faithful." It took a little time to learn the nuances. Now, I can't imagine …
Chose Adobe InDesign
Quark used to be used much more. Adobe InDesign is now the preferred layout software for publishers. Canva is not as robust and does not have the same functionality.
Chose Adobe InDesign
I have previously used Quark Xpress, but as Adobe InDesign became the leader for professional designers, I transitioned to [Adobe] InDesign. I find Adobe InDesign a lot easier to work with. I have tried Affinity Publisher, but I have not [gotten] very far with trying it out. I …
Chose Adobe InDesign
I'm biased because Adobe InDesign is my favorite, I think that might be somewhat related to the ease of working with text, which I enjoy. I also just enjoy the ease of use of the software compared to other Adobe Creative Suite softwares. Adobe InDesign seems to be the easiest …
Chose Adobe InDesign
We can use AI to make catalog or sellsheets too, but it can not compete with [Adobe] InDesign, AI is useful for single page stuff, but it's a bit heavy while carries more pages and more links. While we are doing some artworks, we prefer to use AI, but once it has few more …
Chose Adobe InDesign
The other software I listed are not specifically made for layout. Maybe the closest option is Photoshop. I personally find Photoshop more intended for image editing than layout creating. In the architectural field, it is not unheard of for students or practitioners to use …
Chose Adobe InDesign
There aren't even any worthy of mentioning. There is an open-source Scribus, or Microsoft solutions like Word and Publisher. But those shouldn't be used in the same breadth as InDesign. Are you sending a document to a professional press? You use InDesign. I really do wish …
Chose Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign is much more intuitive to use, and is set up better for beautiful design presentations.
Chose Adobe InDesign
All Adobe products are great for their specific use cases. InDesign is great for us at Legal Books Distributing because we create annual editions of books and InDesign is an AMAZING book creating tool. Once you get the hang of using these tools, your life can become much easier!
Chose Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign allows for quicker, simpler, and more powerful manipulation of images and text. Photoshop, granted is not for text editing, has weak text tools. Illustrator, granted is not for pixel-based image editing, can be weak for combining text and images in one file. …
Chose Adobe InDesign
Publisher and Quark both work, but they don't play well with Adobe products, which makes you waste a lot of time converting Illustrator and Photoshop files into bitmaps for use in them. This can lead to issues with image quality, on top of wasting time and energy. The …
Chose Adobe InDesign
InDesign is much more user friendly and is compatible with other Adobe products. InDesign is more versatile and more widely used. Compatibility with other designers, agencies, and promo companies makes work and collaboration easier.
Chose Adobe InDesign
When I first starting designing for the purpose of creating fliers and brochures I would use Photoshop and it would take me a while. Then after learning about InDesign I switched to that and the process became much faster and I enjoyed it a lot more. It took a little bit to get …
Chose Adobe InDesign
The main product I compared it against was Microsoft Publisher. It is not included on the list, but it is like a lite version of InDesign. If you really want to step it up a notch, then InDesign is for you. I included Photoshop because it can be similar in some cases of 1-2 …
Chose Adobe InDesign
InDesign had more features and flexibility many years ago when I learned how to use it, and compared to Quark, I found it to be a better product and haven't gone back since.
Chose Adobe InDesign
InDesign is more for "standard" copy and professional layouts, Illustrator is geared towards "design" copy and more robust options towards projects that have those goals in mind. It's apples to oranges.
Best Alternatives
Adobe Illustrator CCAdobe InDesign
Small Businesses
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 7.3 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 7.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
GIMP
GIMP
Score 8.1 out of 10
Canva
Canva
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 7.3 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 7.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Adobe Illustrator CCAdobe InDesign
Likelihood to Recommend
9.4
(109 ratings)
9.0
(101 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(3 ratings)
10.0
(3 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(6 ratings)
7.5
(11 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
5.0
(25 ratings)
5.0
(64 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(2 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Adobe Illustrator CCAdobe InDesign
Likelihood to Recommend
Adobe
It is the only tool that I use to create logos. It gives me the flexibility to create sharp text and marks and they can then be resized at will, color changes in a second and perfect way to export. I know that some people use Illustrator for document layout, it is not ideal. While I can easily create documents here, it really is InDesign that is the perfect tool.
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Adobe
Adobe InDesign is very well-suited to creating professional-looking page designs. If you want a newspaper or magazine to have attractive pages that go beyond simple templates, InDesign is the best option out there, to my knowledge. It's less suited to scenarios where people without page design skills are responsible for creating pages, as it requires some training and skills to use effectively.
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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
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Adobe
  • Customization - With Adobe InDesign, as well as many other applications in the Adobe Creative Suite, I can fully customize my workspaces and save different workspaces. This makes it easy to navigate through my project and have the panels and tools I need easily accessible and configured based on my project needs.
  • Styles - Adobe InDesign has character styles, object styles, and tables styles. This speeds up my workflows and allows me to easily apply the same format across multiple elements. This is super helpful, especially when working with length documents.
  • File compatibility - I can easily export my files into so many different file types.
  • The Book feature - This feature is really helpful when creating books or very long documents with multiple sections.
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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.
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Adobe
  • Not naturally a WYSIWYG display (this is an option, and doesn't always work as intended)
  • Moving images and photos around while holding an additional key
  • Layers or objects are not easily clickable behind other objects.
  • Adobe InDesign does require some fair system resources to work smoothly
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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.
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Adobe
I've had great experiences with the product and plan to continue to use it. It has been my go-to product for designing and creating materials. I have had great luck with it and have been able to create all of the needed marketing materials that have been requested for our company.
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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.
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Adobe
If you know what you are doing it is an amazingly granular and powerful application. You can control pretty much any aspect of the design and layout of your documents and make changes globally and rapidly. But, if you don't know what you are doing...you will be staring at your screen in bewilderment for a long time. You can learn it, but be ready for a hefty time investment.
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Reliability and Availability
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
I've needed Adobe InDesign team very little which is a bonus in and of itself.
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Performance
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
One of the advantages of Adobe InDesign is it is faster and less glitchy than Microsoft Word.
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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.
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Adobe
Adobe support is ok but not great. Chat support often doesn't initially understand the question at-hand and it takes awhile to get to the right agent. Phone support has long wait times, and though I've had more luck there, it does take quite a time investment if you are looking for help. However, Adobe does have some online learning solutions available as well as a knowledgebase for frequently asked questions. If you're looking to learn how to use the platform, there are lots of resources which can typically be found in a few Google searches. If you have a technical issue with the system, that's going to be a bit more of a time investment as far as getting a tech's assistance to resolve the problem.
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In-Person Training
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
Attending Adobe MAX each year is extremely valuable.
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Online Training
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
The online training works well and is not wholly necessary as it is user-friendly and you can learn by doing.
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Implementation Rating
Adobe
It was very easy to purchase and download.
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Adobe
Implementation was smooth and easy.
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Alternatives Considered
Adobe
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.
Read full review
Adobe
Microsoft products do not match the aesthetic tools that [Adobe] InDesign offers, cannot support the customizable options available for export, and do not produce documents with as high a degree of accessibility. That said, they do have their place in collaboration in a team- I'd consider Office to be the first step and [Adobe] InDesign to be the final product.
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Scalability
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
Working in a cloud environment makes it easy to scale and share resources.
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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.
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Adobe
  • A great ROI for time in my small architectural practice, [especially] when a design has been updated and a report needs to be submitted. We can be submitting many reports that all look similar, clean and beautiful. We just save as the file and replace the images with more updated images. This way the client finds it easy to navigate updated reports, as many as they can be.
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ScreenShots