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Design · head to head

Adobe Illustrator vs RAD Studio

Adobe Illustrator logo

Adobe Illustrator

Design

Professional vector graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Free plan
No
Visit Adobe IllustratorFull review
RAD Studio logo

RAD Studio

Developer Tools

Cross-platform native app development with Delphi and C++Builder

From
$2000/perpetual
Free plan
No
Visit RAD StudioFull review

The short version

  • RAD Studio is a cross-platform IDE.
  • Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/mo, RAD Studio at $2000/mo.
  • Where RAD Studio falls short: professional edition costs $2,000 for the perpetual license plus $599 for year one maintenance, totaling $2,599 before tax.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe Illustrator and RAD Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe Illustrator and RAD Studio differ
AttributeAdobe IllustratorRAD Studio
Starting price$22.99/month$2000/perpetual
Pricing modelSubscriptionOne-time
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOSWeb
CategoryDesignDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: free tier (No).

Not yet recorded: founded for RAD Studio.

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 RAD Studio

Nothing recorded that Adobe Illustrator does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Adobe Illustrator

  • Logo designnot RAD Studio
  • Vector illustrationnot RAD Studio
  • Icon designnot RAD Studio
  • Print designnot RAD Studio

RAD Studio

  • Building Windows desktop applications with VCL componentsnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Creating iOS and Android apps from shared Delphi codebasenot Adobe Illustrator
  • Connecting to Oracle databases through FireDAC connectivitynot Adobe Illustrator
  • Building REST web services that run on Linux serversnot 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

RAD Studio

  • Professional edition costs $2,000 for the perpetual license plus $599 for year one maintenance, totaling $2,599 before tax
  • Enterprise edition steps up to $3,400 license plus $1,199 maintenance, and Architect edition to $4,416 license plus $2,183 maintenance
  • The perpetual license only entitles the buyer to updates for one year; continued access to new updates and upgrades requires an annually renewable Update Subscription

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe Illustrator

$22.99/month
  • Single App$22.99/mo
    • Illustrator desktop app
    • 100GB cloud storage
    • Adobe Fonts
  • All Apps$59.99/mo
    • All Creative Cloud apps
    • 100GB cloud storage
    • Adobe Stock trial

RAD Studio

$2000/perpetual
  • Professional Edition$2,000 one-off
    • Perpetual License
    • First year maintenance $599
    • Total $2,599 + Tax
  • Enterprise Edition$3,400 one-off
    • Perpetual License
    • First year maintenance $1,199
    • Total $4,599 + Tax
  • Architect Edition$4,416 one-off
    • Perpetual License
    • First year maintenance $2,183
    • Total $6,599 + Tax

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 RAD Studio if

Nothing in the data separates RAD Studio from Adobe Illustrator on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

RAD Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Illustrator or RAD Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and RAD Studio at $2000/perpetual, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Illustrator or RAD Studio?
Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and RAD Studio at $2000/perpetual.
Does Adobe Illustrator or RAD Studio run on more platforms?
Adobe Illustrator runs on Windows, macOS, iOS. RAD Studio runs on Web.
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 RAD Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Illustrator do that RAD Studio cannot?
Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Shape tools, Typography.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

RAD Studio: How much does RAD Studio cost?

RAD Studio uses perpetual licensing: Professional Edition $2,000 perpetual license + $599 first year maintenance ($2,599 total + tax). Enterprise Edition $3,400 license + $1,199 maintenance ($4,599 total + tax). Architect Edition $4,416 license + $2,183 maintenance ($6,599 total + tax).

Source
RAD Studio: What is the difference between RAD Studio editions?

Professional Edition ($2,599 total + tax) targets individual developers. Enterprise Edition ($4,599 total + tax) adds multi-tier app capabilities. Architect Edition ($6,599 total + tax) includes advanced database and cloud features. All three include perpetual licenses.

Source
RAD Studio: Does RAD Studio offer Kai AI integration and discounts?

Yes, adding Kai AI to any edition provides discounts: 25% off Professional ($2,136 + tax), 30% off Enterprise ($3,394 + tax), and 40% off Architect ($4,109 + tax). This promotion is active through August 31, 2026.

Source
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