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Software · head to head

Adobe Illustrator vs Airbase

Adobe Illustrator logo

Adobe Illustrator

Software

Professional vector graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Airbase logo

Airbase

Software

The first all-in-one spend management platform

From
$29/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; Airbase airbase was acquired by Paylocity; its pricing page now redirects to paylocity.com/pricing and the product is marketed as 'Airbase, a Paylocity Company' within Paylocity's HCM platform rather than as a standalone product.
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Airbase covers Corporate cards.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Adobe Illustrator and Airbase differ
AttributeAdobe IllustratorAirbase
Starting price$22.99/month$29/month
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosWeb, Ios, Android
Founded19822017

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

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 Airbase

  • Corporate cards
  • Bill payments
  • Expense management
  • Procurement
  • Approvals
  • NetSuite
  • Sage Intacct
  • QuickBooks

What people use each for

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

Adobe Illustrator

  • Logo designnot Airbase
  • Vector illustrationnot Airbase
  • Icon designnot Airbase
  • Print designnot Airbase

Airbase

  • Spend managementnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Expense reportingnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Vendor paymentsnot Adobe Illustrator

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

Airbase

  • Airbase was acquired by Paylocity; its pricing page now redirects to paylocity.com/pricing and the product is marketed as 'Airbase, a Paylocity Company' within Paylocity's HCM platform rather than as a standalone product.

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

Airbase

$29/month
  • StandardFree
    • Corporate cards
    • Expense reports
    • Bill pay
  • Premium$10/month
    • Advanced approvals
    • NetSuite sync
    • Procurement
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom workflows
    • API access
    • Dedicated support

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 Airbase if

  • You need corporate cards.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want bill payments.
Airbase review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Illustrator or Airbase better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Airbase at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Illustrator or Airbase?
Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Airbase at $29/month.
Does Adobe Illustrator or Airbase run on more platforms?
Adobe Illustrator runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Airbase runs on Web, Ios, 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 Airbase is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Illustrator do that Airbase cannot?
Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Shape tools, Typography. Airbase covers Corporate cards, Bill payments, Expense management, Procurement.
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