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Software · head to head

PaintTool SAI vs Adobe Illustrator

PaintTool SAI logo

PaintTool SAI

Software

Lightweight digital painting and illustration software for Windows

From
5500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Adobe Illustrator logo

Adobe Illustrator

Software

Professional vector graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PaintTool SAI windows-only software with no native Mac or Linux version.; 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: PaintTool SAI covers Pressure-Sensitive Tablet Support, Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PaintTool SAI and Adobe Illustrator actually diverge.

Attributes where PaintTool SAI and Adobe Illustrator differ
AttributePaintTool SAIAdobe Illustrator
Starting price5500/month$22.99/month
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
PlatformswindowsWindows, Macos, Ios
FoundedUnknown1982

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 PaintTool SAI

  • Pressure-Sensitive Tablet Support
  • Anti-Aliased Brushes
  • 16-bit ARGB Color Channels
  • Lightweight Performance
  • Crash Data Protection

Only in Adobe Illustrator

  • Vector drawing
  • Bezier tools
  • Shape tools
  • Typography
  • Gradients & effects
  • Symbols & instances
  • Artboards
  • 3D capabilities

What people use each for

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

PaintTool SAI

  • Digital illustration and manga artnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Line art and inking with pressure-sensitive pensnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Lightweight painting on lower-spec computersnot Adobe Illustrator
  • Character and concept art sketchingnot Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator

  • Logo designnot PaintTool SAI
  • Vector illustrationnot PaintTool SAI
  • Icon designnot PaintTool SAI
  • Print designnot PaintTool SAI

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

PaintTool SAI

  • Windows-only software with no native Mac or Linux version.
  • Only supports 32-bit operation, lacking modern 64-bit performance benefits.
  • Lacks the advanced brush engine customization and layer effects found in tools like Photoshop or Clip Studio Paint.
  • No cloud sync or mobile app, unlike many modern illustration tools.

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

PaintTool SAI

5500/month
  • Standard License$5500/month
    • Perpetual license
    • All 1.x.x minor updates
    • Free upgrade path to version 2

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 PaintTool SAI if

  • You need pressure-sensitive tablet support.
  • You work on windows.
  • You also want anti-aliased brushes.
PaintTool SAI review

Choose Adobe Illustrator if

  • You need vector drawing.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Ios.
  • You also want bezier tools.
Adobe Illustrator review

Questions people ask

Is PaintTool SAI or Adobe Illustrator better?
Neither clearly leads. PaintTool SAI starts at 5500/month 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, PaintTool SAI or Adobe Illustrator?
PaintTool SAI starts at 5500/month and Adobe Illustrator at $22.99/month.
Does PaintTool SAI or Adobe Illustrator run on more platforms?
PaintTool SAI runs on windows. Adobe Illustrator runs on Windows, Macos, Ios.
What is PaintTool SAI best used for?
PaintTool SAI is most often used for digital illustration and manga art, line art and inking with pressure-sensitive pens, lightweight painting on lower-spec computers, character and concept art sketching. Of those, digital illustration and manga art and line art and inking with pressure-sensitive pens are not what Adobe Illustrator is typically brought in for.
What can PaintTool SAI do that Adobe Illustrator cannot?
PaintTool SAI covers Pressure-Sensitive Tablet Support, Anti-Aliased Brushes, 16-bit ARGB Color Channels, Lightweight Performance. Adobe Illustrator covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Shape tools, Typography.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PaintTool SAI: Is there a free trial for PaintTool SAI?

Yes, PaintTool SAI offers a 31-day free trial with full functionality before requiring purchase of a license.

Source
PaintTool SAI: What does the license cover?

The one-time 5,500 JPY purchase provides a perpetual license covering all minor updates within version 1.x.x; a major version 2 upgrade is offered for free.

Source
PaintTool SAI: What operating systems are supported?

PaintTool SAI runs on Windows XP through Windows 11, but only in 32-bit mode, requiring at least a 450MHz Pentium processor and 256MB of RAM.

Source
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