Design Tools · head to head
Adobe Illustrator vs Metricool
Adobe Illustrator
Design Tools
Professional vector graphics software
- From
- $22.99/month
- Rated
- -
Metricool
Social Media & Content
All-in-one platform to plan, publish, and analyze social media content
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Metricool 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; Metricool full Twitter/X analytics and post approval workflows are locked behind the Advanced plan.
- They diverge on capability: Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Metricool covers Content Planner.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Adobe Illustrator and Metricool actually diverge.
| Attribute | Adobe Illustrator | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $22.99/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows, Macos, Ios | web, ios, android, api |
| Category | Design Tools | Social Media & Content |
| Founded | 1982 | Unknown |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Metricool
- Content Planner
- Analytics & Competitor Analysis
- Automated Reporting
- Unified Inbox
- Ads Management
- SmartLinks
- AI Assistant
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Adobe Illustrator
- Logo designnot Metricool
- Vector illustrationnot Metricool
- Icon designnot Metricool
- Print designnot Metricool
Metricool
- Scheduling posts across multiple social networksnot Adobe Illustrator
- Tracking competitor social performancenot Adobe Illustrator
- Automating client and team reportsnot Adobe Illustrator
- Managing paid social ad campaignsnot Adobe Illustrator
- Building a link-in-bio landing pagenot 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
Metricool
- Full Twitter/X analytics and post approval workflows are locked behind the Advanced plan.
- Unlimited scheduling on paid plans is still capped by an undisclosed fair use policy.
- Free plan is limited to a single brand and 20 posts per month.
- API access is only available on the top Advanced tier.
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
Metricool
Free- FreeFree
- 1 brand
- 20 posts/month
- 5 competitor profiles
- Starter$20/month
- Up to 10 brands
- Unlimited publishing (fair use)
- 100 competitor profiles
- Advanced$53/month
- Up to 50 brands
- Team management and post approval
- Full Twitter/X analytics
Which should you pick?
Choose Adobe Illustrator if
- You need vector drawing.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Ios.
- You also want bezier tools.
Choose Metricool if
- You need content planner.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on web, ios, android, api.
- You also want analytics & competitor analysis.
Questions people ask
- Is Adobe Illustrator or Metricool better?
- Neither clearly leads. Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Metricool at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Adobe Illustrator or Metricool?
- Metricool has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $22.99/month for Adobe Illustrator and Free for Metricool.
- Does Adobe Illustrator or Metricool run on more platforms?
- Adobe Illustrator runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Metricool runs on web, ios, android, api.
- Can I use Metricool for free?
- Yes. Metricool 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 Metricool is typically brought in for.
- What can Adobe Illustrator do that Metricool cannot?
- Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Shape tools, Typography. Metricool covers Content Planner, Analytics & Competitor Analysis, Automated Reporting, Unified Inbox.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Metricool: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?
Metricool's Free plan supports 1 brand, up to 20 posts per month, 5 competitor profiles, and 30 days of analytics history.
SourceMetricool: What does Metricool cost?
Starter runs from about $20/month and Advanced from about $53/month (billed annually, with monthly billing also available); a Custom tier is available on request.
SourceMetricool: How is usage metered?
Plans limit the number of connected brands and competitor profiles; scheduling is unlimited on paid plans but subject to a fair use policy.
SourceRelated pages
More on Adobe Illustrator
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