Adobe Illustrator vs Canva

Adobe Illustrator

Illustrator is helpful for many scenarios... If you have a lot of projects involving graphics; if you like to repurpose or otherwise tweak your logos for various settings; if you are fairly ambitious with your social media posts; if you have an interest in creating infographics. Basically, if you are a graphical go-getter, and you find yourself using these types of programs all the time, then you might as well have Illustrator which is probably the most robust such program.If you aren't quite so ambitious with graphics projects, then Illustrator can be overkill. This is mainly because it can be overwhelming for newbies. You will be rewarded for you patience in learning the ropes if you have the time/inclination to do so.

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Anthony Burke

Public Information Officer

Betty Hardwick CenterMental Health Care, 201-500 employees

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Canva

Good for:

Light jobs when you want to create quick social media posts.
Book or report covers
I've created full small ebooks with it (up to 20 pages)
C.V.s and resumes are also some of my favorite things to create on Canva

If you do a lot of simple design work and change stations, Canva is the perfect platform for you. I did pay for some of Canva's premium images and designs to add spice and to make sure I stand out from some of my competitors, some of whom I realized are stealing/copying my social media post designs.

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Verified User

Manager in Marketing

Marketing and Advertising Company, 1001-5000 employees

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Pros

Lots of image customizations and options
Most formal designers will want vector files which you can create.
More advanced options that photoshop or indesign.

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Emily Hammell

Marketing and Social Media Coordinator

Becovic Management GroupReal Estate, 11-50 employees

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Design professional-looking postcards and flyers using a wide selection of adaptable templates.
Create print-ready brochures, flyers, and presentations with high quality graphics with little or no graphic design experience.
On-screen tips guide you through the design process, so literally anyone can log onto the system and initiate or complete a design.

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Verified User

C-Level Executive in Other

Performing Arts Company, 11-50 employees

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Cons

Can be difficult to learn
Could use more helpful tips and guides
More interactive guides

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Emily Hammell

Marketing and Social Media Coordinator

Becovic Management GroupReal Estate, 11-50 employees

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Every so often there's a glitch on the interface that doesn't allow you to download and save the image. The only option is to go back to the homepage and start over. It doesn't happen frequently but it is quite frustrating when it does happen. I'd say I've had it happen once every 2-3 months or so.
You can add pictures to folders if you'd like but all images remain in the normal dashboard view. I'd prefer if it looked like folders and images do on a computer where you can only see the folders and then any photos that are not in a folder would remain visible.
I'd love if transparency were an option in the free version but hey, they have to make money!

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Kayleigh Hannon

Owner

Let's Talk Lady BizMarketing and Advertising, 1-10 employees

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Likelihood to Renew

Adobe Illustrator9.5

Based on 2 answers

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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Jon Ackerman

Creative Director

Ada Bible ChurchReligious Institutions, 51-200 employees

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Canva10.0

Based on 1 answer

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Usability

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Canva9.4

Based on 5 answers

You can get around to using it in under 2 minutes. Everything is accessible from a single place, single point.

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Ankur Sharma

Content Marketer

WingifyInformation Technology and Services, 51-200 employees

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Support

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Canva10.0

Based on 1 answer

Canva deeply cares about its customers -- regardless of whether they're paid or free trials. This is the commitment and spirit inculcated across the organization. Absolutely commendable!

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Ankur Sharma

Content Marketer

WingifyInformation Technology and Services, 51-200 employees

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Implementation

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Canva10.0

Based on 1 answer

This question shouldn't be asked for a tool which only requires a sign-up via email/Social.

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Ankur Sharma

Content Marketer

WingifyInformation Technology and Services, 51-200 employees

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Alternatives Considered

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 more in-depth designers, I could see how Illustrator could be a preference with more features.

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Emily Hammell

Marketing and Social Media Coordinator

Becovic Management GroupReal Estate, 11-50 employees

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Canva certainly doesn't have all the features of Photoshop, but for basic needs (read: social media posts) it is a no-brainer. It's intuitive, requires little training, and you can adapt it to your needs pretty well. I don't think it will ever replace Photoshop, but it is a nice complement that makes design a little less time-intensive

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Ben Rubenstein

Marketing Manager, HMX

Harvard Medical SchoolHigher Education, 501-1000 employees

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Return on Investment

Saved us money for art design from signage and promo item companies
Takes a long time for our staff to learn
Allowed us more control of our branding standards.

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Emily Hammell

Marketing and Social Media Coordinator

Becovic Management GroupReal Estate, 11-50 employees

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It's a great free option for designing graphics and the templates save on having to hire a graphic designer.
I'm able to easily collaborate with clients on their graphics which is a huge benefit that you can't do on any other platform without sending the graphics back and forth.

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Kayleigh Hannon

Owner

Let's Talk Lady BizMarketing and Advertising, 1-10 employees

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