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Adobe Illustrator vs Affinity Designer Comparison
Compare Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Designer side-by-side — pricing, features, scores, and which one is right for you.
The bottom line
Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Designer are both strong contenders in the design tools space, but they serve different needs. Affinity Designer edges ahead with an overall score of 82/100 compared to Adobe Illustrator's 78/100. Affinity Designer is easier to get started with (8/10 for ease of use vs 6/10). On pricing, Affinity Designer offers a free tier while Adobe Illustrator requires a paid plan from $23/mo. Affinity Designer rates higher for value for money (10/10 vs 6/10), making it a better pick if budget is a concern.
At a glance
| Adobe Illustrator | Affinity Designer | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 78/100 | 82/100 |
| Starting price | $23/mo | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Best for | Industry-standard vector graphics editor | Professional design, no subscription |
Pricing comparison
Adobe Illustrator
No free tier
Illustrator (Annual)$23/mo
Illustrator (Monthly)$35/mo
All Apps (Annual)$55/mo
Pricing verified 2026-03-18
Calculate your cost
Adobe IllustratorIllustrator (Annual)
$23/mo
$276/yr
Affinity DesignerAffinity Designer 2
Free/mo
Free/yr
Cheaper— save $276/yr
Feature comparison
core
| Feature | Adobe Illustrator | Affinity Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Vector editing | Yes | Yes |
| Prototyping | No | No |
| Components | Symbols | Symbols |
| Auto-layout | No | No |
collaboration
| Feature | Adobe Illustrator | Affinity Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time editing | Cloud docs | No |
| Comments | Yes | No |
| Version history | Yes | Local |
| Dev handoff | No | No |
advanced
| Feature | Adobe Illustrator | Affinity Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Design systems | Libraries | Asset manager |
| Plugins | Yes | No |
| Animation | Basic | No |
| Responsive design | No | No |
integrations
| Feature | Adobe Illustrator | Affinity Designer |
|---|---|---|
| Photoshop | Yes | No |
| InDesign | Yes | No |
| After Effects | Yes | No |
| Figma | Via plugin | No |
| Photoshop (PSD) | No | Yes |
| Illustrator (AI) | No | Yes |
| No | Yes | |
| SVG | No | Yes |
Ratings breakdown
Choose Adobe Illustrator if...
- You're ready to invest from $23/mo
- You value powerful features over simplicity
- You need enterprise-grade capabilities
Choose Affinity Designer if...
- You want a free tier to get started
- You value an intuitive, easy-to-use interface
- Getting strong value for money is a priority
