Compare Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Designer

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At a Glance
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator
Star Rating
(5,857)4.6 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (63.9% of reviews)
Information
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about Adobe Illustrator
Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer
Star Rating
(228)4.6 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (79.8% of reviews)
Information
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about Affinity Designer
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
  • Users report that Adobe Illustrator excels in its extensive vector editing capabilities, particularly with features like the "Pencil Tool" and "Pathfinder," which allow for intricate designs. In contrast, Affinity Designer is praised for its "Artboard" feature, which enables users to manage multiple designs within a single document seamlessly.
  • Reviewers mention that Adobe Illustrator's integration with other Adobe products, such as Photoshop and InDesign, provides a significant advantage for users who rely on a comprehensive suite of design tools. However, users on G2 highlight that Affinity Designer offers a more affordable one-time purchase model, making it a budget-friendly option for small businesses.
  • G2 users indicate that the learning curve for Adobe Illustrator can be steep, with an ease of use rating of 7.9, while Affinity Designer's user-friendly interface and higher ease of use rating of 8.9 make it more accessible for beginners and those transitioning from other design software.
  • Reviewers say that Adobe Illustrator's support quality is solid, with a rating of 8.3, but users report that Affinity Designer's support is even better, achieving a rating of 8.7, which reflects a more responsive and helpful customer service experience.
  • Users on G2 highlight that Adobe Illustrator's "Live Trace" feature is a standout for converting raster images to vectors, but they also mention that Affinity Designer's "Pixel Persona" allows for detailed pixel editing, which is a unique advantage for those who need to work with both vector and raster graphics.
  • Reviewers mention that while Adobe Illustrator has a larger user base and more extensive resources available, Affinity Designer's growing community and positive product direction rating of 9.3 suggest a promising future with ongoing updates and feature enhancements.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Adobe Illustrator
No pricing available
Affinity Designer
No pricing available
Free Trial
Adobe Illustrator
No trial information available
Affinity Designer
No trial information available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
9.3
5,096
9.1
184
Ease of Use
7.9
5,125
8.9
185
Ease of Setup
8.6
638
9.5
25
Ease of Admin
8.6
510
9.1
23
Quality of Support
8.3
4,127
8.7
144
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.7
499
9.6
20
Product Direction (% positive)
8.7
5,030
9.3
177
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator
Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer
Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Designer are categorized as Vector Graphics
Unique Categories
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator has no unique categories
Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer has no unique categories
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
63.9%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
23.2%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
12.9%
Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
79.8%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
10.3%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
9.9%
Reviewers' Industry
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator
Design
13.5%
Graphic Design
13.5%
Marketing and Advertising
10.4%
Higher Education
4.2%
Information Technology and Services
3.9%
Other
54.5%
Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer
Graphic Design
16.2%
Design
15.8%
Marketing and Advertising
7.7%
Computer Software
6.3%
Information Technology and Services
4.5%
Other
49.5%
Most Helpful Reviews
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator
Most Helpful Favorable Review
RC
Radhika C.
Verified User in Consumer Goods

Some of the format of this tool are very useful for additions and perfections of colors. I can make design much more interesting and beautiful and attractive for my clients. Adobe Illustrator has capacity to work on a large or different files at once...

Most Helpful Critical Review
Verified User
G
Verified User in Graphic Design

I don't dislike anything as such but if I have to write something is the cost of the adobe software. It is pretty expensive

Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer
Most Helpful Favorable Review
BL
Brittani Leilani L.
Verified User in Computer Networking

I love the ease of creating vector drawings and editing what I've drawn without distorting the quality of the image. Converting files to different formats such as.JPG, PDF, .PNG, etc, while also maintaining or changing the DPI of the image. Affinity...

Most Helpful Critical Review
LW
L W.
Verified User in Computer Software

mandatory font scan on each startup. The fact that it doesn't start at all with their latest update (1.9), and their poor support (no response to 1.9 no longer starting but giving coredumps.

Alternatives
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator Alternatives
Sketch
Sketch
Add Sketch
CorelDRAW
CorelDRAW
Add CorelDRAW
Inkscape
Inkscape
Add Inkscape
Vector Magic
Vector Magic
Add Vector Magic
Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer Alternatives
Sketch
Sketch
Add Sketch
CorelDRAW
CorelDRAW
Add CorelDRAW
Inkscape
Inkscape
Add Inkscape
Gravit Designer
Gravit Designer
Add Gravit Designer
Discussions
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator Discussions
What are the best resources for learning how to use Adobe Illustrator?
11 comments
JJ
I got a lot of useful videos off of Lynda.com. You can get a free trial for 30 days. It will also, after the basics, let you detail down to how you want to...Read more
What is the use of Illustrator software?
8 comments
AV
Create designs, layouts, icons, logos, illustration, packaging designs. the main characteristic is that it works with vectorial graphics so there is no...Read more
Do you use Adobe Illustrator for web page designs?
7 comments
ES
No, as the adobe illustrator is not pixel precise. Photoshop CC is much more precise in terms of pixel perfection. But Adobe illustrator does have a good...Read more
Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer Discussions
Is Affinity designer good for beginners?
8 comments
HG
yes, perfect!Read more
How can I add text around circle in Affinity Designer?
6 comments
SR
Draw a circle, choose Artistic Text tool, put a cursor above circle outline/edge - cursor will change and just left click to put your text around your shape....Read more
Where can I find a complete tutorial set for beginners?
5 comments
SI
Several places: YouTube has a growing just of affinity users giving tutorials (Affinity's own channel is spectacular for this, there also ArtistsWright,...Read more