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Design · head to head

Adobe Illustrator vs Medium by Adobe

Adobe Illustrator logo

Adobe Illustrator

Design

Professional vector graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Medium by Adobe logo

Medium by Adobe

AR VR

Sculpt in VR with intuitive tools

From
$9.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Medium by Adobe covers VR sculpting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe Illustrator and Medium by Adobe actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe Illustrator and Medium by Adobe differ
AttributeAdobe IllustratorMedium by Adobe
Starting price$22.99/month$9.99/month
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosVr, Quest
CategoryDesignAR VR

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Medium by Adobe

  • VR sculpting
  • Layer system
  • Stamps
  • Move tool
  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Substance
  • FBX export
  • Vr support

What people use each for

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

Adobe Illustrator

  • Logo designnot Medium by Adobe
  • Vector illustrationnot Medium by Adobe
  • Icon designnot Medium by Adobe
  • Print designnot Medium by Adobe

Medium by Adobe

  • VR Gamingnot Adobe Illustrator
  • AR Marketingnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Virtual Trainingnot Adobe Illustrator
  • 3D Visualizationnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Immersive Experiencesnot 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

Medium by Adobe

Nothing recorded yet. See the Medium by Adobe review.

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

Medium by Adobe

$9.99/month
  • Medium$9.99/month
    • Full sculpting tools
    • Export
    • Adobe integration

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 Medium by Adobe if

  • You need vr sculpting.
  • You work on Vr, Quest.
  • You also want layer system.
Medium by Adobe review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Illustrator or Medium by Adobe better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Medium by Adobe at $9.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Illustrator or Medium by Adobe?
Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Medium by Adobe at $9.99/month.
Does Adobe Illustrator or Medium by Adobe run on more platforms?
Adobe Illustrator runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Medium by Adobe runs on Vr, Quest.
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 Medium by Adobe is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Illustrator do that Medium by Adobe cannot?
Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Shape tools, Typography. Medium by Adobe covers VR sculpting, Layer system, Stamps, Move tool.
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