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Software · head to head

Adobe Illustrator vs Blender

Adobe Illustrator logo

Adobe Illustrator

Software

Professional vector graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Blender logo

Blender

Software

Free and Open Source 3D Creation Suite

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Blender has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Blender rendering performance lags behind dedicated render engines
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Blender covers 3D modeling.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Adobe Illustrator and Blender differ
AttributeAdobe IllustratorBlender
Starting price$22.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux
Founded19822002

Identical on both: 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 Blender

  • 3D modeling
  • Sculpting
  • Animation
  • Rigging
  • Rendering
  • Compositing
  • Video editing
  • 2D animation

What people use each for

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

Adobe Illustrator

  • Logo designnot Blender
  • Vector illustrationnot Blender
  • Icon designnot Blender
  • Print designnot Blender

Blender

  • 3D modeling and animationnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Visual effectsnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Game developmentnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Architectural visualizationnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Video editingnot 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

Blender

  • Rendering performance lags behind dedicated render engines
  • Limited real-time viewport performance for very large scenes

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

Blender

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Blender review.

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 Blender if

  • You need 3d modeling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want sculpting.
Blender review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Illustrator or Blender better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Blender at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Illustrator or Blender?
Blender has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $22.99/month for Adobe Illustrator and Free for Blender.
Does Adobe Illustrator or Blender run on more platforms?
Adobe Illustrator runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Blender runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Blender for free?
Yes. Blender 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 Blender is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Illustrator do that Blender cannot?
Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Shape tools, Typography. Blender covers 3D modeling, Sculpting, Animation, Rigging.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Blender: Can I use Blender commercially for free?

Yes. Blender is distributed under the GNU GPL license, meaning it is completely free to use for any purpose, including commercially or for education, with no licensing fees or restrictions.

Source
Blender: What operating systems does Blender support?

Blender is cross-platform and runs equally well on Linux, Windows, and Macintosh computers.

Source
Blender: Can I extend Blender's functionality?

Yes. Blender has a flexible Python-controlled interface and you can use hundreds of add-ons by the community or create your own using Blender's accessible Python API.

Source
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Related pages

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