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Fashion & Apparel · head to head

Adobe Illustrator for Fashion vs Marvelous Designer

Adobe Illustrator for Fashion logo

Adobe Illustrator for Fashion

Fashion & Apparel

Vector design tool optimized for fashion illustration

From
$22.49/month
Rated
-
Marvelous Designer logo

Marvelous Designer

Fashion & Apparel

3D clothing design and simulation

From
$29/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Adobe Illustrator for Fashion the Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's Illustrator page on 31 December 2022 stated plans start at US$20.99 per month for desktop and iPad; there is no fashion-specific edition, only the general Illustrator product.; Marvelous Designer 2019 archived pricing showed Enterprise licensing at USD 4,000 outright (standalone) or USD 6,000 for the networked edition, well above the USD 340 Personal edition purchase price
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Illustrator for Fashion covers Vector design, Marvelous Designer covers Pattern-based design.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe Illustrator for Fashion and Marvelous Designer actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe Illustrator for Fashion and Marvelous Designer differ
AttributeAdobe Illustrator for FashionMarvelous Designer
Starting price$22.49/month$29/month
PlatformsWindows, MacWindows, MacOS
Founded19822009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Fashion & Apparel).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adobe Illustrator for Fashion

  • Vector design
  • Illustration tools
  • Artboard management
  • Typography
  • Photoshop
  • InDesign
  • After Effects
  • Cloud backup

Only in Marvelous Designer

  • Pattern-based design
  • Cloth simulation
  • Draping
  • Texturing
  • Avatar fitting
  • Animation
  • OBJ export
  • Real-time preview

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adobe Illustrator for Fashion

  • Designnot Marvelous Designer
  • Technical flatsnot Marvelous Designer
  • Presentationsnot Marvelous Designer

Marvelous Designer

  • Game clothingnot Adobe Illustrator for Fashion
  • Film costumesnot Adobe Illustrator for Fashion
  • Fashion visualizationnot Adobe Illustrator for Fashion

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adobe Illustrator for Fashion

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's Illustrator page on 31 December 2022 stated plans start at US$20.99 per month for desktop and iPad; there is no fashion-specific edition, only the general Illustrator product.

Marvelous Designer

  • 2019 archived pricing showed Enterprise licensing at USD 4,000 outright (standalone) or USD 6,000 for the networked edition, well above the USD 340 Personal edition purchase price

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe Illustrator for Fashion

$22.49/month
  • Single App$22.49/month
    • Illustrator only
  • Creative Cloud All Apps$59.99/month
    • All Adobe apps

Marvelous Designer

$29/month
  • Personal$39/month
    • Personal/learning use
  • Enterprise$225/month
    • Commercial use
    • Full features

Which should you pick?

Choose Adobe Illustrator for Fashion if

  • You need vector design.
  • You work on Windows, Mac.
  • You also want illustration tools.

Choose Marvelous Designer if

  • You need pattern-based design.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS.
  • You also want cloth simulation.

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Illustrator for Fashion or Marvelous Designer better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Illustrator for Fashion starts at $22.49/month and Marvelous Designer at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Illustrator for Fashion or Marvelous Designer?
Adobe Illustrator for Fashion starts at $22.49/month and Marvelous Designer at $29/month.
Does Adobe Illustrator for Fashion or Marvelous Designer run on more platforms?
Adobe Illustrator for Fashion runs on Windows, Mac. Marvelous Designer runs on Windows, MacOS.
What is Adobe Illustrator for Fashion best used for?
Adobe Illustrator for Fashion is most often used for design, technical flats, presentations. Of those, design and technical flats are not what Marvelous Designer is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Illustrator for Fashion do that Marvelous Designer cannot?
Adobe Illustrator for Fashion covers Vector design, Illustration tools, Artboard management, Typography. Marvelous Designer covers Pattern-based design, Cloth simulation, Draping, Texturing. Both handle Windows support.

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