Whatâ€™s the difference between Illustrator and Photoshop?

Both products let you create beautiful, precise designs and graphics. The difference lies in how theyâ€™re created. Illustrator is best for creating graphics that can be infinitely scaled up or down without blurring or losing sharpness, since theyâ€™re made of points, lines, and curves â€” not pixels. Use these vector graphics in any format you like â€” small or extra-large, digital or print. Photoshop, on the other hand, is ideal for working with photos and creating or editing pixel-based, or raster, graphics. Learn more about when to use Illustrator vs. Photoshop here.

Adobe Illustrator

Gorgeous graphics, designed by you.

Q: Can you use Adobe Illustrator on the iPad?

Yes. You can download it in the App Store, and itâ€™s included in your Illustrator or Creative Cloud All Apps subscription. Illustrator on the iPad is especially great if you love to draw digitally with natural hand movements â€” for example, by using an Apple Pencil. Find out more about Illustrator on the iPad here.

Q: How much is Adobe Illustrator?

Plans start at US$20.99/mo. We'll get you started with tutorial videos and hands-on learning, free fonts and templates, access to Adobe Express Premium , and more. Learn more about purchasing options on the Creative Cloud plans page.

Q: Is Adobe Illustrator free?

Illustrator is a paid monthly or yearly subscription, but you can sign up for a free seven-day trial to see if Illustrator is the best graphic design tool for you. Or try making collages, flyers, videos, and animations with the regular version of Adobe Express â€” itâ€™s free forever.

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Build your brand’s building blocks.

Aaron Atchinson uses Illustrator to create logos and icons that look amazing everywhere — from websites to sweatshirts, social to swag.

Make bold graphics that work anywhere.

Design studio The Branding People combines shapes, color, and type in Illustrator to make unique marketing graphics that scale from the screen to the street.

Bring your products to market in style.

Shanti Sparrow uses Illustrator to create boldly colored patterns that make brands pop — in packaging, mobile apps, signage, and more.

Design incredible infographics.

Konstantina Gavalas transforms complex data into simple graphics with Illustrator tools, making it easier for businesses to see trends, discover insights, and make smarter decisions.

See what new can do.

We’re always adding new features to Illustrator so you can create with precision and control. And with your Creative Cloud membership, you get them as soon as we release them.

Learn more

For designs in no time, meet Adobe Express.

Easily make design edits, a new logo, and quick content with Adobe Express. Drop your logo and design elements into thousands of beautiful templates for social posts, flyers, banners, and more. Adobe Express premium features are included in an Illustrator plan. Or, give these features a try for free:

Remove Background

Remove background

Resize Image

Resize image

Crop Image

Crop image

Logo Maker

Logo maker

Get Adobe Express free

Frequently asked questions.

Adobe Illustrator is the industry-leading graphic design tool that lets you design anything you can imagine — from logos and icons to graphics and illustrations — and customize it with professional-level precision, as well as timesaving features like Repeat for Patterns or Global Edits. You can use the graphics you create with Illustrator in any size digital or print format and be confident they’ll look exactly the way you designed them.

Both products let you create beautiful, precise designs and graphics. The difference lies in how they’re created. Illustrator is best for creating graphics that can be infinitely scaled up or down without blurring or losing sharpness, since they’re made of points, lines, and curves — not pixels. Use these vector graphics in any format you like — small or extra-large, digital or print. Photoshop, on the other hand, is ideal for working with photos and creating or editing pixel-based, or raster, graphics. Learn more about when to use Illustrator vs. Photoshop.

Not at all. With Illustrator, you can use shapes, lines, curves, and edges to create beautiful designs with features like Shape Builder, even if you’ve never drawn a thing in your life. Or, try out customizable templates for when you want to get started quickly on a project. The best part is that you can keep modifying and changing colors, fonts, shapes and more — whenever and as much as you like.

Yes. You can download it in the App Store, and it’s included in your Illustrator or Creative Cloud All Apps subscription. Illustrator on the iPad is especially great if you love to draw digitally with natural hand movements — for example, by using an Apple Pencil. Find out more about Illustrator on the iPad here.

Plans start at US$22.99/mo. We'll get you started with tutorial videos and hands-on learning, free fonts and templates, access to Adobe Express Premium, and more. Learn more about purchasing options on the Creative Cloud plans page.

If you’re interested in additional Adobe creative apps, you can also get Illustrator as part of the All Apps plan.

Illustrator is offered as a paid monthly or yearly subscription, but you can sign up for a free seven-day trial to see if Illustrator is the best graphic design tool for you. Or try making collages, flyers, videos, and animations with the regular version of Adobe Express — it’s free forever.

Yes, students and teachers save over 60% on the Creative Cloud All Apps plan. Find out more about student plans.