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Software · head to head

Adobe Illustrator vs Melio

Adobe Illustrator logo

Adobe Illustrator

Software

Professional vector graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Melio logo

Melio

Software

Simple business payments

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Melio 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; Melio go (free) plan limited to one user only
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Melio covers Vendor payments.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Adobe Illustrator and Melio differ
AttributeAdobe IllustratorMelio
Starting price$22.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosWeb, Mobile app
Founded19822018

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 Melio

  • Vendor payments
  • Card to check
  • Payment scheduling
  • Approval workflows
  • QuickBooks sync
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • FreshBooks

What people use each for

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

Adobe Illustrator

  • Logo designnot Melio
  • Vector illustrationnot Melio
  • Icon designnot Melio
  • Print designnot Melio

Melio

  • Accounts payable automationnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Bill management and payment schedulingnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Multi-vendor payment processingnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Invoice receivables and payment collectionnot 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

Melio

  • Go (free) plan limited to one user only
  • ACH charges £0.50 per transaction beyond monthly allowance (5-50 free depending on plan)
  • Card payment fees range from 2.9% to 2.9% plus £75 maximum
  • International payments limited to select currencies only
  • NetSuite integration only available in Unlimited plan (£80/month minimum)

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

Melio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Melio 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 Melio if

  • You need vendor payments.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app.
  • You also want card to check.
Melio review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Illustrator or Melio better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Melio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Illustrator or Melio?
Melio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $22.99/month for Adobe Illustrator and Free for Melio.
Does Adobe Illustrator or Melio run on more platforms?
Adobe Illustrator runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Melio runs on Web, Mobile app.
Can I use Melio for free?
Yes. Melio 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 Melio is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Illustrator do that Melio cannot?
Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Shape tools, Typography. Melio covers Vendor payments, Card to check, Payment scheduling, Approval workflows.
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