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Software · head to head

Adobe Illustrator vs Principle

Adobe Illustrator logo

Adobe Illustrator

Software

Professional vector graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
P

Principle

Software

Animate your ideas, design better apps

From
$129/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Principle macOS only with no Windows or Linux editor available
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Principle covers Timeline-based animation.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Adobe Illustrator and Principle differ
AttributeAdobe IllustratorPrinciple
Starting price$22.99/month$129/one-time
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosmacOS
Founded19822015

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 Principle

  • Timeline-based animation
  • Interactive prototypes
  • Touch gestures
  • Component reuse
  • Video export
  • Sketch import
  • Figma import
  • Driver animations

Both cover

  • Figma
  • Desktop deployment

What people use each for

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

Adobe Illustrator

  • Logo designnot Principle
  • Vector illustrationnot Principle
  • Icon designnot Principle
  • Print designnot Principle

Principle

  • Mobile app prototypesnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Micro-interactionsnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Animation designnot Adobe Illustrator
  • User flow designnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Gesture-based interfacesnot 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

Principle

  • macOS only with no Windows or Linux editor available
  • No vector morphing capability for complex shape transformations
  • Limited asset creation tools; cannot create vectors or shapes directly within Principle
  • Sketch import flattens certain properties including paths, fills, borders, masks, blur effects, and text layers
  • Limited variable support, logical loops, and data input capabilities compared to tools like ProtoPie or Origami

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

Principle

$129/one-time
  • License$129/one-time
    • One year of upgrades
    • Full access to all features
  • Upgrade License$99/year
    • Annual renewal for ongoing upgrades

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 Principle if

  • You need timeline-based animation.
  • You work on macOS.
  • You also want interactive prototypes.
Principle review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Illustrator or Principle better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Principle at $129/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Illustrator or Principle?
Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Principle at $129/one-time.
Does Adobe Illustrator or Principle run on more platforms?
Adobe Illustrator runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Principle runs on macOS.
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 Principle is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Illustrator do that Principle cannot?
Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Shape tools, Typography. Principle covers Timeline-based animation, Interactive prototypes, Touch gestures, Component reuse. Both handle Figma, Desktop deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Principle: Does Principle run on Windows or Linux?

No. Principle is macOS only and runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. There is no Windows or Linux editor available; however, prototypes can be shared and viewed on any platform via web link.

Source
Principle: What is the cost of Principle?

Principle costs $129 for a one-time purchase with 1 year of upgrades included. After 1 year, upgrade licenses cost $99/year. A 14-day free trial is available with all features included.

Source
Principle: Can I import designs from Figma or Sketch into Principle?

Yes. Principle supports importing designs from Figma and Sketch with intelligent merging of re-imported files. Some Sketch properties such as paths, fills, borders, blur effects, masks, and text layers are flattened upon import.

Source
Principle: How do I share Principle prototypes with others?

Prototypes can be shared via web link with one click (File > Export > Share to Web). Recipients can view and interact with prototypes in any browser on any platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS. No installation required.

Source
Principle: Can I create vector shapes and morphing animations in Principle?

Principle does not support vector morphing, where vector objects transform into other vector shapes. It also has limited asset creation capabilities and editing is restricted to basic operations like scale and rotate.

Source
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