Adobe Illustrator CC vs. Affinity Publisher

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
Affinity Publisher
Score 9.2 out of 10
N/A
Affinity Publisher replaces the former PagePlus desktop publishing application, from Serif Europe headquartered in Nottingham.
$24.99
Pricing
Adobe Illustrator CCAffinity Publisher
Editions & Modules
Yearly - Billed Monthly
$20.99
per month
Monthly
$31.49
per month
Yearly - Billed Upfront
$239.88
per year
Affinity Publisher
$24.99
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Adobe IllustratorAffinity Publisher
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 CCAffinity Publisher
Considered Both Products
Adobe Illustrator
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
Affinity Designer is a very reasonably priced "dupe" (substitute) for [Adobe Illustrator CC], as it is a one-time price of $99 rather than a repeated cost. Affinity offers photo editing and publishing software that compete with other Adobe products as well, so it is something I …
Affinity Publisher
Chose Affinity Publisher
The features in Affinity Publisher easily stack up against the much more expensive Adobe suite of products. With the ability to open all file types it is a bit of a workhorse for all things. We have been using it for social media template designs as well as client booklets and …
Chose Affinity Publisher
Affinity Publisher has a comparable feature set to Adobe InDesign, but for a fraction of the cost. You can technically create print graphics in Illustrator and Sketch (and some of our people still do), but you have to worry about converting pixels to inches pretty regularly to …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
Adobe Illustrator CCAffinity Publisher
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
Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign
Score 9.2 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Adobe Illustrator CCAffinity Publisher
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(103 ratings)
9.0
(7 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.5
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.2
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.4
(24 ratings)
8.6
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
Adobe Illustrator CCAffinity Publisher
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.
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Serif Europe
If you are looking to get started using a publishing / creation application, Affinity Publisher is the one to go for. With a quick learning curve on all the basic functions, you'll be flying in no time. And then there is a whole heap of great features to get into as you become more comfortable with the software. The only down side is if clients are using Adobe programs, there are sometimes problems working with imported layers, but this is minor compared to the ease of use and features.
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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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Serif Europe
  • Supports just about any format you'll need for your project.
  • The variety of templates makes startign projects simple.
  • The program is just really powerful and fairly priced.
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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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Serif Europe
  • Menu differences can be an impediment to new users from other softwares
  • Some functions are not in places I would expect
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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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Serif Europe
No answers on this topic
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.
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Serif Europe
No answers on this topic
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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Serif Europe
Our team typically uses other online resources instead of contacting developers/manufacturers for support. That being said, there is a forum and a growing, vibrant community of users available to answer questions and "make the switch." A simple "whatever function we used to use in Adobe InDesign," followed by "Affinity," usually gets us on the right track to an answer. YouTube and their forums are our team's go-to sources for help.
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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
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Serif Europe
Affinity Publisher is a more cost effective way to achieve the same goals as InDesign and Quark. I'm sure there are various differences that Affinity may lack, however we have yet to run into one that our business has needed, or even recognized. It has completely replaced any desktop publishing for our organization without issue.
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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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Serif Europe
  • I wish we could push it out to all staff but we can't quite afford the cost.
  • Amount of features can be overwhelming for first time users and take more time.
  • This program will save time once employees figure it out.
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ScreenShots