TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Adobe PhotoShop

    Score9.2 out of 10
    N/AAdobe Photoshop is the best known graphics product on the market.

    $20

    per month

    Clip Studio Paint

    Score9.8 out of 10
    N/ACelsys headquartered in Shinjuku City, Tokyo supports creators to create artistic content with digital technology. They provide solutions for content creation, distribution, and browsing, including support of creative activities through our illustration, manga and animation production app “Clip Studio Paint” and web service “Clip Studio”, as well as our e-book solution, “Clip Studio Reader”.

    $49.99

    one-time fee

    Pricing
    Adobe PhotoShopClip Studio Paint
    Editions & Modules
    Single App
    $20.00
    per month
    Clip Studio Paint Pro
    $49.99
    one-time fee
    Clip Studio Paint Ex
    $219.99
    one-time fee
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Adobe PhotoShopClip Studio Paint
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    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 PhotoShopClip Studio Paint
    Considered Both Products
    Adobe
    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
    Celsys, Inc
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    98%
    Would buy again
    152 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    140 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    99%
    Happy with the feature set
    154 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    98%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    130 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    132 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Best Alternatives
    Adobe PhotoShopClip Studio Paint
    Small Businesses
    GIMP
    Score8 out of 10
    GIMP
    Score8 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Adobe Illustrator
    Score9.4 out of 10
    Adobe Illustrator
    Score9.4 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Adobe Illustrator
    Score9.4 out of 10
    Adobe PhotoShop
    Score9.2 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Adobe PhotoShopClip Studio Paint
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.2
    (211 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.0
    (31 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    8.2
    (36 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Availability
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    10.0
    (54 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.0
    (6 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    4.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Adobe PhotoShopClip Studio Paint
    Likelihood to Recommend
    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
    Celsys, Inc
    I cannot really imagine a situation other than creating custom 3D models in which Clip Studio Paint would ever be inappropriate; it offers tools for art such as: 2D, pixel/voxel work, vectors, painting/drawing, comics, animations and more. The only place that Clip Studio Paint does not shine is in the creation of 3D models, but I think that that is fair given that it's competitor, Photoshop, also cannot do this; this was never a tool meant for 3D model design or creation, but the fact that you can import models and that there is a library of free and paid posable models native to the app is rather impressive.
    Read full review
    Pros
    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
    Celsys, Inc
    • Handles huge files with grace, and auto-saves back-ups while you draw.
    • Can export into any other image file format, making for easy program transfers.
    • Offers animation abilities, posable 3D models as references, mange/comic tools, and so many other options.
    Read full review
    Cons
    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
    Celsys, Inc
    • The UI is absolutely not user friendly out of the box, and there are an overwhelming number of keybinds and options.
    • Some huge files, while saveable, take about 3 minutes.
    • Limited cloud space even though you pay for a license.
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    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
    Celsys, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    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
    Celsys, Inc
    I think that once one gets the hang of how to navigate and use Clip Studio Paint, they will find that it has so much more to offer than one might expect when looking at it for the first time. There are hidden gems all throughout this program, and they are all there to make your creative experience all the more streamlined and natural.
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    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
    Celsys, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    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
    Celsys, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    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
    Celsys, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    In-Person Training
    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
    Celsys, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    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
    Read full review
    Celsys, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    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
    Read full review
    Celsys, Inc
    I have used a handful of other free art programs, including MediBang Paint, and while they are all good, and I'm sure perfect in the hands of the right artist, I feel as though they simply do not offer the number of options necessary for my needs. They feel very limited and stale; customization is limited and their UI's are outdated. Clip Studio Paint is modern and sleek, highly customizable, and offers far more tools than the other options around it.
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Adobe
    It seems expensive compared to the free/cheap programs now available
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Celsys, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    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
    Read full review
    Celsys, Inc
    • I think that the initial price was incredibly steep, but I managed to get it on discount. As a starting artist, this was a hard blow to take at the start, especially before these subscription options existed.
    • After years of use I have more than paid off the cost I sunk into Clip Studio Paint EX.
    • I see myself making marked profits by continuing to use the program, even with the new subscription service rather than a perpetual lisence.
    Read full review
    ScreenShots