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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Adobe Illustrator

    Score9.3 out of 10
    N/AAdobe Illustrator CC is a vector-based graphic design software.

    $20.99

    per month

    Adobe PhotoShop

    Score9.2 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 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 …
    Incentivized
    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
    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
    Adobe Photoshop works pretty seamlessly within the Adobe Creative Suite.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    There is no comparison needed. Each of these apps has a place in one's production tasks. You don't compare a donut to a glass of orange juice. They both taste pretty good. One is for fun (and fat). The other is for thirst-quenching and health benefits. Adobe Photoshop is for …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    A lot of the newer, younger staff, have worked extensively in Express and/or Canva. Some things in those platforms, like one-button background removal, have made it very easy for them to quickly do mock ups. But if they have to do something a bit more complex, Adobe PhotoShop …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe PhotoShop
    I used all of these for different reasons. For a quick job that is a duplicate of previous efforts, Canva can get the job done. For actual illustration, Clip Studio Paint is a better choice for drawing. Adobe PhotoShop is the all-arounder, though, that can accomplish any of the …
    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
    Every software has its kind of users, and Photoshop is ranked as one of the most competitive softwares and is used mainly by professionals. Figma is great for working in collaboration and designing Ui/Ux interface. Illustrator is great for vector-based work, such as logos and …
    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
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    99%
    Would buy again
    66 Answers
    98%
    Would buy again
    152 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    59 Answers
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    140 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    67 Answers
    99%
    Happy with the feature set
    154 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    58 Answers
    98%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    130 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    97%
    Implementation went as expected
    62 Answers
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    132 Answers
    Best Alternatives
    Adobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoShop
    Small Businesses
    GIMP
    Score8 out of 10
    GIMP
    Score8 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Adobe PhotoShop
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Adobe Illustrator
    Score9.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Adobe PhotoShop
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Adobe Illustrator
    Score9.3 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Adobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoShop
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.3
    (110 ratings)
    9.2
    (211 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    9.0
    (31 ratings)
    Usability
    9.4
    (7 ratings)
    8.2
    (36 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
    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.
    Read full review
    Adobe
    Photoshop is a useful tool for everything from creating social media graphics to editing and sizing photos. There is a bit of a learning curve, so you need to have a bit of experience to master it and use it for a variety of tasks. You also need to have a good sense of file organization so you can find files quickly without losing track of them.
    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
    • The effect applying time could be faster.
    • There could be a smarter way to make mockups using smart objects, maybe by directly selecting an area, and generative AI can automate a few steps.
    • If Photoshop can suggest the right stock imagery in case the generative AI doesn't get the right answer.
    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
    Adobe PhotoShop is a professional-grade tool that requires months/years to get a grasp of how to use it well. Even then, after over a decade of using Adobe PhotoShop both casually and professionally, I feel like I'm still unfamiliar with a large percentage of the available tools. Without a dedicated training program, it can be extremely overwhelming and/or you may not get good use out of it. That being said, once you do get comfortable with it, the layout and workspace are excellent with myriad shortcuts that speed up your workflow exponentially. Put in the time to learn it, and you'll love it.
    Incentivized
    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.
    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
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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
    [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 photoshop make it even better to make a canvas of creativity.
    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
    • Adobe PhotoShop in general is a great time saver.
    • It does take a long time for the program to start up, however
    • The most difficult task is onboarding new employees into Adobe PhotoShop who don't have experience with it. It's an investment for their future so we see value in it.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots