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Software · head to head

Adobe Illustrator vs Photopea

Adobe Illustrator logo

Adobe Illustrator

Software

Professional vector graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Photopea logo

Photopea

Software

Free online photo editor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Photopea 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; Photopea performance becomes sluggish and prone to crashes with high-resolution images or multi-layered files
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Photopea covers Photo editing.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Adobe Illustrator and Photopea differ
AttributeAdobe IllustratorPhotopea
Starting price$22.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosWeb
Founded19822013

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 Photopea

  • Photo editing
  • PSD compatibility
  • Layer support
  • Selection tools
  • Filters and effects
  • Google Drive
  • Adobe fonts
  • Browser-based

Both cover

  • Dropbox

What people use each for

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

Adobe Illustrator

  • Logo designnot Photopea
  • Vector illustrationnot Photopea
  • Icon designnot Photopea
  • Print designnot Photopea

Photopea

  • Quick photo editsnot Adobe Illustrator
  • PSD file editingnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Web designnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Social media graphicsnot 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

Photopea

  • Performance becomes sluggish and prone to crashes with high-resolution images or multi-layered files
  • Risk of losing work due to browser crashes or save failures
  • Aggressive advertising that can slow down the entire computer
  • No local installation option, always requires browser access
  • Basic file organization and version tracking compared to professional tools

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

Photopea

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Photopea 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 Photopea if

  • You need photo editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want psd compatibility.
Photopea review

Questions people ask

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

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Photopea: Is Photopea free to use?

Yes, Photopea is completely free and supported by ads displayed within the browser. No subscription or payment is required to use the full feature set.

Source
Photopea: Does Photopea support Photoshop PSD files?

Yes, Photopea fully supports Photoshop PSD files including layers, masks, text, and effects. It can read and export files back to PSD, PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG, or GIF format.

Source
Photopea: What platforms does Photopea run on?

Photopea is a web-based editor accessible through any modern browser including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. It can be added to desktop as a shortcut or Chrome extension.

Source
Photopea: Does Photopea upload my files to servers?

No. Photopea processes images entirely within your browser and does not upload files to external servers, keeping your work private and secure.

Source
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Related pages

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