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Design Tools · head to head

Adobe Illustrator vs Square Appointments

Adobe Illustrator logo

Adobe Illustrator

Design Tools

Professional vector graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Scheduling & Booking

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square Appointments 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; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Square Appointments covers Online booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe Illustrator and Square Appointments actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe Illustrator and Square Appointments differ
AttributeAdobe IllustratorSquare Appointments
Starting price$22.99/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryDesign ToolsScheduling & Booking
Founded19822009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Square Appointments

  • Online booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Instagram booking
  • Google booking
  • Mobile app

What people use each for

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

Adobe Illustrator

  • Logo designnot Square Appointments
  • Vector illustrationnot Square Appointments
  • Icon designnot Square Appointments
  • Print designnot Square Appointments

Square Appointments

  • Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot 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

Square Appointments

  • The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
  • Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
  • Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
  • Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one

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

Square Appointments

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Online booking
    • Client management
  • Plus$29/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Multiple staff calendars
    • No-show protection
  • Premium$69/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Multi-location
    • Staff management

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 Square Appointments if

  • You need online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client management.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Illustrator or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Illustrator starts at $22.99/month and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Illustrator or Square Appointments?
Square Appointments has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $22.99/month for Adobe Illustrator and Free for Square Appointments.
Does Adobe Illustrator or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
Adobe Illustrator runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Square Appointments runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Square Appointments for free?
Yes. Square Appointments 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 Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Illustrator do that Square Appointments cannot?
Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Shape tools, Typography. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Payment processing.
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