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Design · head to head

Adobe Illustrator vs Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator logo

Adobe Illustrator

Design

Professional vector graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Adobe Photoshop logo

Adobe Photoshop

Photography

The world's best imaging and graphic design software

From
$19.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Adobe Illustrator listed on UK G-Cloud as part of Adobe Creative Cloud (which bundles Illustrator) at £58 to £80 per licence per month, via reseller ServiceKey; Adobe Photoshop subscription-only model with ever-increasing costs, no perpetual license option
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Adobe Photoshop covers Advanced photo editing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop differ
AttributeAdobe IllustratorAdobe Photoshop
Starting price$22.99/month$19.99/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosWindows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Web, Android
CategoryDesignPhotography

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (1982).

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

  • Vector drawing
  • Bezier tools
  • Shape tools
  • Typography
  • Gradients & effects
  • Symbols & instances
  • Artboards
  • 3D capabilities

Only in Adobe Photoshop

  • Advanced photo editing
  • Layer-based editing
  • Selection tools
  • Color correction
  • Digital painting
  • 3D design
  • Typography tools
  • Batch processing

Both cover

  • Desktop deployment

What people use each for

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

Adobe Illustrator

  • Logo designnot Adobe Photoshop
  • Vector illustrationnot Adobe Photoshop
  • Icon designnot Adobe Photoshop
  • Print design

Adobe Photoshop

  • Photo editingnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Digital art creationnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Graphic designnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Web designnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Print design
  • Social media graphicsnot Adobe Illustrator

Both are used for print design, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

Adobe Illustrator

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud as part of Adobe Creative Cloud (which bundles Illustrator) at £58 to £80 per licence per month, via reseller ServiceKey

Adobe Photoshop

  • Subscription-only model with ever-increasing costs, no perpetual license option
  • High hardware requirements for smooth performance with large graphics
  • Limited mobile optimization compared to desktop version
  • Limited 3D modeling and rendering tools for professionals
  • AI text generation inside images remains inconsistent and unpredictable
  • No progress monitoring bars for rendering operations

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe Illustrator

$22.99/month
  • Single App$22.99/month
    • Illustrator desktop app
    • 100GB cloud storage
    • Adobe Fonts
  • All Apps$59.99/month
    • All Creative Cloud apps
    • 100GB cloud storage
    • Adobe Stock trial

Adobe Photoshop

$19.99/month
  • Photography Plan$19.99/month
    • Photoshop desktop for macOS and Windows
    • Lightroom desktop and cloud
    • 1TB cloud storage
  • Photoshop Single App$22.99/month
    • Photoshop desktop for macOS and Windows
    • Photoshop for iPad
    • Photoshop web (limited features)
  • Creative Cloud Pro$69.99/month
    • All Creative Cloud apps including Photoshop
    • Unlimited standard AI features with Firefly Pro
    • 4,000 AI credits monthly

Which should you pick?

Choose Adobe Illustrator if

  • You need vector drawing.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Ios.
  • You also want bezier tools.
Adobe Illustrator review

Choose Adobe Photoshop if

  • You need advanced photo editing.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Web, Android.
  • You also want layer-based editing.
Adobe Photoshop review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Adobe Photoshop at $19.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop?
Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Adobe Photoshop at $19.99/month.
Does Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop run on more platforms?
Adobe Illustrator runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Adobe Photoshop runs on Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Web, Android.
What is Adobe Illustrator best used for?
Adobe Illustrator is most often used for logo design, vector illustration, icon design, print design. Of those, logo design and vector illustration are not what Adobe Photoshop is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Illustrator do that Adobe Photoshop cannot?
Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Shape tools, Typography. Adobe Photoshop covers Advanced photo editing, Layer-based editing, Selection tools, Color correction. Both handle Desktop deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Adobe Photoshop: What does a Photoshop subscription include?

A single-app Photoshop subscription ($22.99/month) includes the desktop app for macOS and Windows, Photoshop for iPad, limited web features, 100GB cloud storage, and 25 AI credits monthly. The Photography Plan ($19.99/month) adds Lightroom and increases AI credits to 1,000 monthly.

Source
Adobe Photoshop: Is there a free trial for Photoshop?

Yes, Adobe offers a 7-day free trial for individuals and 14 days for Teams. The trial requires credit card verification, includes 100GB cloud storage, and full access to all features. The subscription auto-renews at $20.99/month unless cancelled 24 hours before trial ends.

Source
Adobe Photoshop: What AI features does Photoshop 2026 include?

Photoshop 2026 features Generative Fill with reference image support (for control over lighting and color), Generative Upscale (enlarges images to 8MP while preserving detail), a conversational AI assistant in beta, Harmonize for auto light and color matching, and integration with Gemini 2.5 Flash and FLUX.1 AI models.

Source
Adobe Photoshop: What platforms does Photoshop run on?

Photoshop is available on Windows 10/11, macOS 13+, iPad (iOS 17+), iPhone (iOS 17+), and web browsers. Android version entered beta in June 2025.

Source
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