Software · head to head
Affinity Designer vs Adobe Illustrator
Affinity Designer
Software
Professional graphic design software for everyone
- From
- $69.99/one-time
- Rated
- -
Adobe Illustrator
Software
Professional vector graphics software
- From
- $22.99/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Affinity Designer sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription: the Windows or macOS edition was priced at CA$94.99, the cross-platform Universal License at CA$224.99, and the standalone iPad edition at CA$24.99 (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024); 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
- They diverge on capability: Affinity Designer covers Gradient tools, Adobe Illustrator covers Shape tools.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Affinity Designer and Adobe Illustrator actually diverge.
| Attribute | Affinity Designer | Adobe Illustrator |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $69.99/one-time | $22.99/month |
| Pricing model | one-time | subscription |
| Founded | 1994 | 1982 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Windows, Macos, Ios), 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 Affinity Designer
- Gradient tools
- Pixel-perfect editing
- Symbols
- Non-destructive effects
- Affinity Photo
- Affinity Publisher
- Adobe apps
- OneDrive
Only in Adobe Illustrator
- Shape tools
- Gradients & effects
- Symbols & instances
- 3D capabilities
- Photoshop
- InDesign
- XD
- Figma
Both cover
- Vector drawing
- Bezier tools
- Typography
- Artboards
- Dropbox
- Desktop deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Affinity Designer
- Logo design
- Vector illustration
- Icon design
- Brandingnot Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator
- Logo design
- Vector illustration
- Icon design
- Print designnot Affinity Designer
Both are used for logo design, vector illustration, icon design, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Affinity Designer
- Sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription: the Windows or macOS edition was priced at CA$94.99, the cross-platform Universal License at CA$224.99, and the standalone iPad edition at CA$24.99 (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024)
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Affinity Designer
$69.99/one-time- Standard$69.99/one-time
- Full version
- All features
- Lifetime updates
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
Which should you pick?
Choose Affinity Designer if
- You need gradient tools.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Ios.
- You also want pixel-perfect editing.
Choose Adobe Illustrator if
- You need shape tools.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Ios.
- You also want gradients & effects.
Questions people ask
- Is Affinity Designer or Adobe Illustrator better?
- Neither clearly leads. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Adobe Illustrator at $22.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Affinity Designer or Adobe Illustrator?
- Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Adobe Illustrator at $22.99/month.
- Does Affinity Designer or Adobe Illustrator run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, Macos, Ios, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Affinity Designer best used for?
- Affinity Designer is most often used for logo design, vector illustration, icon design, branding. Of those, branding is not what Adobe Illustrator is typically brought in for.
- What can Affinity Designer do that Adobe Illustrator cannot?
- Affinity Designer covers Gradient tools, Pixel-perfect editing, Symbols, Non-destructive effects. Adobe Illustrator covers Shape tools, Gradients & effects, Symbols & instances, 3D capabilities. Both handle Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Typography, Artboards.