Adobe Illustrator CC vs. Adobe PhotoShop

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Adobe Illustrator
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Adobe Illustrator CC is a vector-based graphic design software.
$20.99
per month
Adobe PhotoShop
Score 9.2 out of 10
N/A
Adobe Photoshop is the best known graphics product on the market.
$20
per month
Pricing
Adobe Illustrator CCAdobe 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 Illustrator CCAdobe PhotoShop
Considered Both Products
Adobe Illustrator
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
Illustrator is far ahead of Xara with features and manage images better than Corel Draw
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 …
Chose Adobe Illustrator CC
Photoshop is much easier to learn and utilize, but Adobe Illustrator definitely has more features and customizations. For basic day-to-day designing, I'd choose Photoshop any day, just because of its ease of use and how simple it is to find tutorials and assistance online. For …
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
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 …
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
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 …
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
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 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.
Adobe PhotoShop
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.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
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. …
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 …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
PS is a well-known tool for many years and I have been a user since before they used the CS part.
For the flexibility the tool has and all the functions, I never really "completely" switched to other tools, I use other tools for other things. There are ALOT of assets for …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Chose Adobe PhotoShop
Photoshop is a quality with a number of solid features. For graphic design, Photoshop works incredibly well. As for ease of use, for many Photoshop seems easier to pick up than Illustrator. The bonus of Illustrator is that it works with vectors rather than rasterized images. Can…
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.
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 …
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 …
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 …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
Adobe Illustrator CCAdobe PhotoShop
Small Businesses
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.5 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Adobe PhotoShop
Adobe PhotoShop
Score 9.2 out of 10
Canva
Canva
Score 9.2 out of 10
Enterprises
Adobe PhotoShop
Adobe PhotoShop
Score 9.2 out of 10
GIMP
GIMP
Score 9.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Adobe Illustrator CCAdobe PhotoShop
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(103 ratings)
8.7
(189 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.5
(2 ratings)
8.4
(30 ratings)
Usability
7.2
(4 ratings)
9.8
(14 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Support Rating
8.4
(24 ratings)
10.0
(54 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 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 Illustrator CCAdobe 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 use Adobe PhotoShop to do practically all of my business from my home in Turkey. Many customers find the cost of Adobe PhotoShop to be prohibitive, thus they turn to substitute alternatives and illegally downloaded pirated software. Regulations like torrents, sales, and price increases lead to a number of financial issues. Change can be advantageous.
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
Read full review
Adobe
  • Brush customization. There are many available brushes for illustration, and each can be customized to fit the needs of your specific style.
  • Integration with other Adobe products. It is essential that the images I create be accessible in Adobe Indesign and Illustrator, and [Adobe] Photoshop can be placed and edited easily within those programs.
  • Advanced editing. The possibilities for editing photos [are] endless, with new features being added constantly.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Read full review
Usability
Adobe
Illustrator has become easier in recent years to use with more intuitive tools and controls for them. Illustration software has improved but Adobe Illustrator has kept up and keeps the edge with its extensive toolset. Newly added collaboration tools with Adobe make it even better and the expectation is that is to continue.
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.
Read full review
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.
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).
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
No answers on this topic
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
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.
Read full review
Scalability
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
It seems expensive compared to the free/cheap programs now available
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.
Read full review
Adobe
  • Saved our company thousands of dollars by editing in house.
  • Has given us the ability to do things on the fly and get projects done faster.
  • Having the original .psd files saved has given us the ability to go back and reuse and update photos and graphics instead of starting all over again.
Read full review
ScreenShots