Software · head to head
Adobe Illustrator vs DALL-E

Adobe Illustrator
Software
Professional vector graphics software
- From
- $22.99/month
- Rated
- -
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; DALL-E dALL-E 3 API pricing as captured 6 January 2024 ranged from $0.040 per Standard 1024x1024 image up to $0.120 per HD widescreen image; DALL-E 2 was cheaper at $0.016 to $0.020 per image depending on resolution
- They diverge on capability: Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, DALL-E covers Text-to-image.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Adobe Illustrator and DALL-E actually diverge.
| Attribute | Adobe Illustrator | DALL-E |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $22.99/month | $0.04/per-image |
| Pricing model | subscription | usage-based |
| Platforms | Windows, Macos, Ios | Web, Api, Chatgpt |
| Founded | 1982 | 2015 |
Identical on both: 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 DALL-E
- Text-to-image
- Prompt refinement
- Multiple aspect ratios
- HD quality
- OpenAI API
- ChatGPT integration
- Web support
- Api support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Adobe Illustrator
- Logo designnot DALL-E
- Vector illustrationnot DALL-E
- Icon designnot DALL-E
- Print designnot DALL-E
DALL-E
- ai tools managementnot Adobe Illustrator
- Workflow automationnot Adobe Illustrator
- Reportingnot 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
DALL-E
- DALL-E 3 API pricing as captured 6 January 2024 ranged from $0.040 per Standard 1024x1024 image up to $0.120 per HD widescreen image; DALL-E 2 was cheaper at $0.016 to $0.020 per image depending on resolution
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
DALL-E
$0.04/per-image- Standard$0.04/per-image
- 1024x1024 resolution
- HD$0.08/per-image
- HD quality
- 1792x1024 resolution
Which should you pick?
Choose Adobe Illustrator if
- You need vector drawing.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Ios.
- You also want bezier tools.
Choose DALL-E if
- You need text-to-image.
- You work on Web, Api, Chatgpt.
- You also want prompt refinement.
Questions people ask
- Is Adobe Illustrator or DALL-E better?
- Neither clearly leads. Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and DALL-E at $0.04/per-image, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Adobe Illustrator or DALL-E?
- Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and DALL-E at $0.04/per-image.
- Does Adobe Illustrator or DALL-E run on more platforms?
- Adobe Illustrator runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. DALL-E runs on Web, Api, Chatgpt.
- 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 DALL-E is typically brought in for.
- What can Adobe Illustrator do that DALL-E cannot?
- Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Shape tools, Typography. DALL-E covers Text-to-image, Prompt refinement, Multiple aspect ratios, HD quality.
Related pages
More on Adobe Illustrator
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