CompareStack/Adobe Illustrator vs Adobe Photoshop
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Updated March 2026 · Independent Analysis

Adobe IllustratorvsAdobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop starts at $9.99/mo, 57% cheaper than Adobe Illustrator's $22.99/mo. Both rated 4.7/5 by users.

A
Adobe Illustrator

Industry-standard vector graphics editor for logos, icons, and illustrations

★ 4.7/5Founded 1987Part of Creative Cloud (30M+) users
Try Adobe Illustrator Free →
A
Adobe Photoshop

The definitive image editing and design tool for photography and graphics

★ 4.7/5Founded 1990Part of Creative Cloud (30M+) users
Try Adobe Photoshop Free →

⚡ Quick Stats

⭐
Avg Rating
Adobe Illustrator4.7/5
Adobe Photoshop4.7/5
🏆 Adobe Illustrator wins
💰
Starting Price
Adobe Illustrator$22.99/mo
Adobe Photoshop$9.99/mo
🏆 Adobe Photoshop wins
🔧
Features
Adobe Illustrator15
Adobe Photoshop15
🏆 Adobe Illustrator wins
🎁
Free Plan
Adobe IllustratorNo
Adobe PhotoshopNo

📊 Ratings Breakdown

A

Adobe Illustrator

4.7/5 avg
G2 Score4.6/5
Capterra Score4.7/5
Overall Avg4.65/5
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Adobe Photoshop

4.7/5 avg
G2 Score4.6/5
Capterra Score4.8/5
Overall Avg4.699999999999999/5

⚡ Quick Verdict

Independent analysis based on features, pricing, and user ratings

Choose Adobe Illustrator if you need:
  • ✓ Vector Design
  • ✓ Pen Tool
  • ✓ Typography
  • ✓ Color Management
  • ✓ Artboards
Try Adobe Illustrator Free →
Choose Adobe Photoshop if you need:
  • ✓ Photo Editing
  • ✓ Layer-based Design
  • ✓ Generative Fill (AI)
  • ✓ Generative Expand
  • ✓ Neural Filters
Try Adobe Photoshop Free →

🔧 Feature Comparison

Adobe Illustrator uniquely offers Vector Design, Pen Tool, Typography. Adobe Photoshop uniquely offers Photo Editing, Layer-based Design, Generative Fill (AI). Both share 2 features including Cloud Documents, iPad Version.

Feature
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Cloud Documents
✓
✓
iPad Version
✓
✓
Vector Design
✓
✗
Pen Tool
✓
✗
Typography
✓
✗
Color Management
✓
✗
Artboards
✓
✗
Symbols
✓
✗
Patterns
✓
✗
Image Trace
✓
✗
3D Effects
✓
✗
Variable Fonts
✓
✗
Creative Cloud Libraries
✓
✗
Plugins
✓
✗
AI-powered Features (Generative)
✓
✗
Photo Editing
✗
✓
Layer-based Design
✗
✓
Generative Fill (AI)
✗
✓
Generative Expand
✗
✓
Neural Filters
✗
✓
Object Selection
✗
✓
Content-Aware Fill
✗
✓
Camera RAW
✗
✓
Brushes
✗
✓
Masks & Channels
✗
✓
Smart Objects
✗
✓
Actions & Automation
✗
✓
3D
✗
✓
Total Features
15
15

💰 Pricing Comparison

Adobe Photoshop starts at $9.99/mo, 57% cheaper than Adobe Illustrator's $22.99/mo.

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Adobe Illustrator Plans

Paid plans only

IllustratorBest Value
$22.99/mo
  • • Single app
  • • 100GB storage
All Apps
$59.99/mo
  • • 20+ Creative Cloud apps
Full Adobe Illustrator pricing breakdown →
A

Adobe Photoshop Plans

Paid plans only

Photography PlanBest Value
$9.99/mo
  • • Photoshop + Lightroom
  • • 20GB storage
Photoshop
$22.99/mo
  • • Single app
  • • 100GB storage
All Apps
$59.99/mo
  • • 20+ Creative Cloud apps
Full Adobe Photoshop pricing breakdown →
🔔 Get notified when prices change

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

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