Softwr

Design · head to head

Adobe Illustrator vs Blacksmith

Adobe Illustrator logo

Adobe Illustrator

Design

Professional vector graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Free plan
No
Visit Adobe IllustratorFull review
Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BlacksmithFull review

The short version

  • Blacksmith is a GitHub Actions runner service.
  • Blacksmith has a free plan, then $0.004/mo; Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/mo.
  • Only Adobe Illustrator lists vector drawing; only Blacksmith lists bare metal runners.
  • Where Blacksmith falls short: per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Adobe Illustrator and Blacksmith differ
AttributeAdobe IllustratorBlacksmith
Starting price$22.99/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOSGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS
CategoryDesignDeveloper Tools

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Blacksmith, founded for Blacksmith.

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 Blacksmith

  • Bare metal runners
  • Multiple OS support
  • ARM support
  • Docker layer caching
  • Sticky disks
  • GitHub Actions observability
  • Free tier
  • Static IPs

What people use each for

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

Adobe Illustrator

  • Logo designnot Blacksmith
  • Vector illustrationnot Blacksmith
  • Icon designnot Blacksmith
  • Print designnot Blacksmith

Blacksmith

  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster, cheaper infrastructurenot Adobe Illustrator
  • Accelerating CI build times for organizations with heavy CI loadnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Reducing cloud spend on GitHub Actions by 60% or morenot Adobe Illustrator
  • Supporting ARM architecture builds without GitHub runnersnot 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

Blacksmith

  • Per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs
  • macOS M4 pricing ($0.08/min) is significantly higher than GitHub Actions
  • Docker layer caching and sticky disks are paid add-ons at $0.50/GB/mo
  • Static IP add-on costs $100/IP/mo

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe Illustrator

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

Blacksmith

Free
  • Ubuntu x64$0.004/minute
    • 3,000 free minutes per month
    • 2x faster hardware
    • 4x faster cache downloads
  • Ubuntu ARM$0.0025/minute
    • 3,000 free minutes per month
    • 2x faster hardware
    • 4x faster cache downloads
  • Windows x64$0.008/minute
    • 3,000 free minutes per month
    • 2x faster hardware
    • 4x faster cache downloads
  • macOS M4$0.08/minute
    • 3,000 free minutes per month
    • 2x faster hardware
    • 4x faster cache downloads

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 Blacksmith if

  • You need bare metal runners.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want multiple os support.
Blacksmith review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Illustrator or Blacksmith better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Blacksmith at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Illustrator or Blacksmith?
Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $22.99/month for Adobe Illustrator and Free for Blacksmith.
Does Adobe Illustrator or Blacksmith run on more platforms?
Adobe Illustrator runs on Windows, macOS, iOS. Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month.
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 Blacksmith is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Illustrator do that Blacksmith cannot?
Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Shape tools, Typography. Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Blacksmith: How much do Blacksmith runners cost compared to GitHub Actions?

Blacksmith offers 60-75% cost savings depending on OS. Ubuntu x64 costs $0.004/min vs GitHub at $0.012/min. All plans include 3,000 free minutes monthly.

Source
Blacksmith: Can I use Docker layer caching with Blacksmith?

Yes, Docker layer caching is available as an add-on at $0.50/GB/mo. Managed Docker layer persistence is included with the base service.

Source
Blacksmith: What is the SLA for Enterprise plans?

Enterprise Blacksmith plans include a 99.9% SLA guarantee along with 24/7 priority support, dedicated Slack channels, white-glove onboarding, and CI optimization support.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Adobe Illustrator

More on Blacksmith

Keep looking

Other head to heads