# Adobe Illustrator Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra

> With the help of Capterra, learn about Adobe Illustrator Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Graphic Design products and more.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator

---

# 

 Adobe Illustrator Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons

Last updated on March 13, 2026

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team.

[Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Users](#users)[Pros and Cons](#pros-cons)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews)

Adobe Illustrator

## What is Adobe Illustrator?

Graphic design software used for logos, illustrations, graphics, and icons. It helps designers with creating designs, collaborating with team members, and sharing their designs in any format. Features of the platform include global edits, repeat for patterns, vector designs, recolor, customizable effects, and 3D design.

## What is Adobe Illustrator used for?

[Graphic Design](https://www.capterra.com/graphic-design-software/)[Vector Graphics](https://www.capterra.com/vector-graphics-software/)[Fashion Design](https://www.capterra.com/fashion-design-and-production-software/)

Overall rating

Based on 8,641 user reviews

Reviews sentiment

Positive

98%

Neutral

2%

Negative

0%

Pros & cons

Versatile professional logo design

Unlimited creative possibilities

Expensive subscription model

Frequent crashes and glitches

Starting price

$22.99

Flat Rate, Per Month

Free trial  
not available

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## Compare with a popular alternative

Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status.

### Adobe Illustrator

4.8 (8,641)

VS.

[4.6 (1,228)](https://www.capterra.com/p/174232/adobe-express/reviews/)

Starting Price

$22.99

Flat Rate, Per Month

Starting Price

Contact vendor

Free Trial

Free Version

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

Ease Of Use

4.0 (8,563)

Ease Of Use

4.5 (13,224)

Value For Money

4.3 (6,703)

Value For Money

4.4 (10,014)

Customer Service

4.3 (5,783)

Customer Service

4.4 (8,207)

## Adobe Illustrator alternatives

[Canva](https://www.capterra.com/p/168956/Canva/)

[4.7 (13,236)](https://www.capterra.com/p/168956/Canva/reviews/)

Starting price

$15.00

Per User, Per Month

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/168956/Canva/)

Highest Rated

[Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/)

[4.8 (2,433)](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/reviews/)

Starting price

$22.99

Per User, Per Month

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/)

[GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)](https://www.capterra.com/p/168960/GIMP/)

[4.4 (3,492)](https://www.capterra.com/p/168960/GIMP/reviews/)

Starting price

Contact vendor for pricing

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/168960/GIMP/)

[Inkscape](https://www.capterra.com/p/178240/Inkscape/)

[4.4 (513)](https://www.capterra.com/p/178240/Inkscape/reviews/)

Starting price

Contact vendor for pricing

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/178240/Inkscape/)

[View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/alternatives/)

## Who uses Adobe Illustrator?

Based on Capterra reviews from the past year

## Pros and Cons

Versatile professional logo design

99% positive reviews out of 1181

Most reviewers describe logo creation as flexible, offering extensive vector tools for scalable, high-quality branding.

Kareem M

student, 201 - 500 employees.

"Adobe Illustrator is one of the most excellent designing tools, I use it to create high-quality Logos and some web designs."

Expensive subscription model

64% negative reviews out of 1281

Most users report pricing is a major drawback, citing high recurring costs and limited affordability for casual or small business use.

Ibrahim I

Manager, 1 employee.

"There is no affordable option to use this software. While competitors like Affinity Designer offer a much lower price, Adobe keeps their price up so high it is barely affordable."

Unlimited creative possibilities

97% positive reviews out of 455

Most reviewers find creativity thrives with Illustrator’s diverse features, enabling imaginative, original, and visually striking designs.

Alarna C

Free lancer, 1 employee.

"This product is very diverse and allows me to bring out my creativity as an artist."

Frequent crashes and glitches

70% negative reviews out of 602

Most users report bugs and issues cause unexpected crashes, lost work, and workflow interruptions, requiring constant saving.

Sagar S

Graphic designer, 11 - 50 employees.

"One aspect that i find frustrating is the occasional lagging of Adobe Illustrator.i've encountered situations where my file suddenly turns black, leaving me unable to save it a nightmare scenario.it would be beneficial if the program didn't demand such high system resources to operate smoothly."

Comprehensive diGital creation toolkit

96% positive reviews out of 273

Most reviewers indicate creation is seamless, with robust tools allowing customization and production of nearly any graphic project.

Resource-intensive and slow performance

66% negative reviews out of 532

Most users comment performance and speed suffer on older hardware, with lag, slow loading, and high memory consumption.

Ontiretse M

Managing Director, 1 employee.

"i have always had problem with the fact that to use this app you need to have a very good computer , with good memory and processing power, if you have a cheaper machine, the program will not run as smoothly as expected"

## Features

Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically.

Image Editing

4.0 (661)

49.77% of 661 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

With Illustrator’s image editing tools, you can tweak, trace, and integrate raster images into vector projects. Some users say basic editing is helpful, but many note that advanced photo manipulation is limited and prefer Photoshop for more complex image edits.

Design Management

4.6 (501)

53.09% of 501 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

With this capability, you can organize projects using artboards, layers, and Creative Cloud Libraries for efficient workflows. Reviewers appreciate the streamlined organization, version control, and easy access to assets, though some mention complexity for beginners and occasional file management frustrations.

Design Templates

4.4 (461)

52.93% of 461 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Adobe Illustrator offers a variety of templates to jumpstart your creative process. Reviewers highlight the time-saving aspect, customization options, and usefulness for beginners, but some feel the templates are basic or outdated and wish for a broader selection.

Drag & Drop

4.5 (392)

53.83% of 392 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

It gives you a quick way to import and arrange assets from your computer or other Adobe apps. Users think drag-and-drop saves time, is intuitive, and works well for images and files, though a few mention occasional crashes or placement issues with large files.

Collaboration Tools

4.2 (374)

46.79% of 374 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

This aspect helps you work with others by sharing files, inviting edits, and tracking changes. Some reviewers find real-time feedback and cloud integration valuable, though others mention occasional syncing issues and wish for smoother simultaneous editing like in Figma or Adobe XD.

For Vector Illustrations

4.9 (361)

67.31% of 361 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

To be used for vector designs

Adobe Illustrator 21 features

Track and document all activities across devices, networks, and other systems

Track, manage and store the applications of potential future members, customers or candidates

Computer aided design to create precision drawings or technical illustrations

This aspect helps you work with others by sharing files, inviting edits, and tracking changes. Some reviewers find real-time feedback and cloud integration valuable, though others mention occasional syncing issues and wish for smoother simultaneous editing like in Figma or Adobe XD.

Centralized repository to store content and assets

Handles digital content throughout its lifecycle, from creation and storage to distribution and archiving

Import and export data to and from software applications

With this capability, you can organize projects using artboards, layers, and Creative Cloud Libraries for efficient workflows. Reviewers appreciate the streamlined organization, version control, and easy access to assets, though some mention complexity for beginners and occasional file management frustrations.

Adobe Illustrator offers a variety of templates to jumpstart your creative process. Reviewers highlight the time-saving aspect, customization options, and usefulness for beginners, but some feel the templates are basic or outdated and wish for a broader selection.

Convert paper files into digital images

It gives you a quick way to import and arrange assets from your computer or other Adobe apps. Users think drag-and-drop saves time, is intuitive, and works well for images and files, though a few mention occasional crashes or placement issues with large files.

Artistic digital, representations of designs

Create, save, and store files

To be used for vector designs

With Illustrator’s image editing tools, you can tweak, trace, and integrate raster images into vector projects. Some users say basic editing is helpful, but many note that advanced photo manipulation is limited and prefer Photoshop for more complex image edits.

Store and manage images

Preview materials before finalizing projects

Plan and coordinate all the resources, costs and time needed to execute assignments

Search and filter data across systems to locate required information by entering keywords or certain criteria

Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes

Options for publishing a website/landing page online, whether through a publishing site plugin, the user's site, or a subdomain

Features

4.7 (8,561)

4.7

Based on 8,561 reviews

## Pricing

Value for money

4.3 (6703)

[View pricing plan details](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/pricing/)

Illustrator for Individuals

$22.99

Flat Rate,Per Month

It includes:

-   100gb of Cloud Storage
-   Illustrator on Desktop and Ipad
-   20,000+ fonts
-   1 million+ free photos, drawings, video clips, audio clips, and templates
-   Tutorials

Illustrator for Teams

$37.99

Flat Rate,Per Month

It includes:

-   Create Precise Designs
-   Illustrations and Vector Graphics on Desktop and Ipad
-   Generative credits
-   1000s of free templates on web and mobile
-   Company-owned libraries
-   Admin Console to easily manage licenses and billing
-   Unlimited job posts through Adobe Talent on Behance

Value for money

4.3 (6,703)

4.3

Based on 6,703 reviews

## Integrations

[

Adobe Creative Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/48969/Adobe-Creative-Cloud/)[

Adobe Photoshop](https://www.capterra.com/p/229092/Adobe-Photoshop/)[

Adobe Premiere Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/233456/Adobe-Premiere-Pro/)[

Adobe After Effects](https://www.capterra.com/p/233259/Adobe-After-Effects/)[

Adobe InDesign](https://www.capterra.com/p/233314/Adobe-InDesign/)

## Support, customer service and training options

Customer Service

4.3 (5783)

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

Deployment

-   Web
-   Android
-   iPhone/iPad

Typical users

-   Freelancers
-   Small businesses
-   Mid size businesses
-   Enterprises

Customer Service

4.3 (5,783)

4.3

Based on 5,783 reviews

## User reviews

Overall rating

4.8

Based on 8,641 reviews

Filter by rating

5(6812)

4(1665)

3(150)

2(10)

1(4)

Mentioned topic

Sorted by most recent

AU

Anonymous User

Designer

Design

### "Industry standard and pofessional"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

7/10

March 25, 2026

Pros

As an industry standard tool there are no shortage of tutorials available for Illustrator including a vast library from Adobe. Perfect for illustrations, logo design, pattern design or even animation - there is a lot you can do with Illustrator.

Cons

Can be somewhat resource intensive, so you'll need to ensure that your system can handle it. Also the new interfaces can have something of a steep learning curve.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Essence W.

University Researcher

Education Management

### "Adobe, You Better Keep it"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

March 23, 2026

Pros

Adboe Illistrator needs to stay. It is one of the most feasible art-based platforms in learning and conducting Vector designs

Cons

I honestly have few complaints. I am more made mad at Adobe for attempting to remove platforms like this

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Craig T.

Director of Marketing

Information Technology and Services

### "Love to mess around in Illustrator."

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

3.0

3.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

March 13, 2026

Pros

Its a necessary product for any designer / creative professional to provide top\[ quality files for printing and web

Cons

I don't like that the shortcuts are different from other Adobe products I use way more often, but i need to use the software more.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Hallye N.

Operations Manager

Mechanical or Industrial Engineering

### "Adobe is the way to go"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

9/10

March 5, 2026

Adobe has helped me in many ways for my multiple businesses and in my career. Its a great document and design tool.

Pros

Adobe Illustrator is a great software that can allow you to complete just about anything with a document that you need, image editing, animation and the customer support is great.

Cons

Sometimes when I open the program it does have a lot of features and is a large platform software that it can be a little slow when starting up but once I am in a session it works great for me.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Hayden R.

Graphic Desgner

Information Technology and Services

### "Good software for the day to day illustrate designer "

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

9/10

February 26, 2026

Positive experience with easy to use tools and friendly, understanding interface making it a useful software to use for daily usage.

Pros

The layout of the software makes it easy and rememberable where each tool / effect can be found. The quick speed of the software also makes completing tasks a breeze.

Cons

the problem i tend to run into is performing a difficult task and the software can't support it, in the past i've had the file not automatically save and have lost a couple hours work because of this.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

ES

Esther S.

Graphic Designer

Design

### "Adobe illustrator review"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

February 19, 2026

Pros

Illustrator uses vector graphics and has quality graphical tools like the pen tool that creates great curves and help in branding and print work.

Cons

Adobe Illustrator is available through monthly subscription which can be pricey for students compared to a onetime purchase and also it\`s tools might be quite intimidating for beginners

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

OR

Oliver R.

Senior Designer

Design

### "Unique Branding"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

3.0

3.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

January 6, 2026

Really great, been using illustrator for over 10 years and it’s still one of the best pieces of software for creating brands.

Pros

The ability to create any custom logo / brand that is needed. Having the ability to illustrate custom graphics for any sort of client.

Cons

Not too much I don’t like, that it doesn’t always integrate well with Figma is annoying and also sometimes it glitches when outputting assets for web use.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Roger A.

Owner

Marketing and Advertising

### "Powerful tool for professional design. Way better than Canva for certain things"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

3.0

3.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

3.0

3.0

Likelihood to Recommend

7/10

January 3, 2026

Overall, my experience has been very good. It is an industry standard tool for professional design, but it takes time and practice to master.

Pros

I like how powerful Illustrator is for vector design and illustration. It gives a lot of control and precision for creating logos, icons, and graphics.

Cons

The learning curve is high and it can be overwhelming at the beginning. Also, it requires a good computer to run smoothly.

Alternatives considered

[Canva](https://www.capterra.com/p/168956/Canva/)

Reasons for choosing Adobe Illustrator

For editing and creating has many options for no extra cost.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

RR

Rafia R.

Graphic Designer Visual Branding

Information Technology and Services

### "Perfect for Vector and Branding Design"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

9/10

December 22, 2025

Illustrator is essential for logo creation and vector-based branding projects. It delivers precise and scalable results.

Pros

Vector tools are extremely accurate, and designs stay sharp at any size. It’s ideal for professional branding and print-ready assets.

Cons

Illustrator can feel overwhelming at first. Subscription pricing may be a concern for very small teams.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

JO

Joshua O.

Instructional Designer

Facilities Services

### "Robust and flexible tool for illustrative and image creation with a steep learning curve"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

3.0

3.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

December 4, 2025

Really enjoy working with illustrator to build complex illustrations that are customizable for all my learning creation needs.

Pros

Very robust tools for creating custom icons, logos and images. It’s easy to modify images and scale them and to personalize them as needed.

Cons

It has a steep learning curve for new users and it’s hard to find accessible documentation that covers the different features and tools

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

[View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/reviews/)

Popular comparisons

[Canva vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/168956-227125/Canva-vs-Adobe-Illustrator)[Adobe Photoshop vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/227125-229092/Adobe-Illustrator-vs-Adobe-Photoshop)[GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/168960-227125/GIMP-vs-Adobe-Illustrator)[Inkscape vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/178240-227125/Inkscape-vs-Adobe-Illustrator)[CorelDRAW vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/124823-227125/CorelDRAW-vs-Adobe-Illustrator)[Fotor vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/181589-227125/Fotor-vs-Adobe-Illustrator)[The Brief vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/161766-227125/Creatopy-vs-Adobe-Illustrator)

[Adobe Creative Cloud vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/48969-227125/Adobe-Creative-Cloud-vs-Adobe-Illustrator)[Affinity Designer vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/110533-227125/WebPlus-X4-vs-Adobe-Illustrator)[SMASHINGLOGO vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/189918-227125/SMASHINGLOGO-vs-Adobe-Illustrator)[Adobe InDesign vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/227125-233314/Adobe-Illustrator-vs-Adobe-InDesign)[Adobe Express vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/174232-227125/adobe-express-vs-Adobe-Illustrator)[Figma vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/175027-227125/Figma-vs-Adobe-Illustrator)[SignMaster vs Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/compare/227125-10005100/Adobe-Illustrator-vs-SignMaster) 

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