Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics software that offers a range of features for creating detailed and scalable designs. The software is part of Adobe's Creative Cloud, providing tools for both individual and team use. This article will summarize its features, user reviews, and other options to consider.
What is Adobe Illustrator?
Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics software that allows users to design a wide range of graphics, from logos and icons to complex illustrations. It offers professional-level precision and time-saving features like Repeat for Patterns and Global Edits.
Unique features include Generative AI tools such as Generative Shape Fill and Text to Pattern, which enhance design efficiency. Additionally, the software provides a Dimension Tool for customizable measurements and a beta version of Illustrator on the Web for online editing.
What to Consider When Selecting a Adobe Illustrator Alternative?
Ease of Use Look for software with an intuitive interface and minimal learning curve. Tools like BeFunky and Snappa offer drag-and-drop functionality, making them accessible to users with varying design skills.
Feature Set Ensure the alternative provides essential design features such as vector editing, layer management, and customizable templates. Visme and Desygner offer extensive libraries of templates and design elements to meet diverse needs.
Collaboration Tools For team projects, choose software that supports real-time collaboration and shared libraries. Piktochart and VistaCreate provide features for streamlined teamwork and feedback.
Cross-Platform Compatibility Opt for tools that work seamlessly across different operating systems and devices. Web-based applications like RelayThat and Stencil ensure you can access your projects from anywhere.
Cost and Subscription Models Consider the pricing and available subscription plans. Some tools, like Marq and BeFunky, offer free versions with basic features, while others provide more advanced options under paid plans.
Best Alternatives to Adobe Illustrator
1. Piktochart
Piktochart is an AI-powered design tool that allows users to transform complex ideas into captivating visuals such as infographics, reports, and presentations. It offers a user-friendly interface that requires no design experience, enabling users to create professional-quality visuals in seconds. Try Piktochart For Free!
Pros of Using Piktochart
AI Design Generator: Instantly generate professional infographics, banners, flyers, posters, and more from any idea or prompt.
Document Conversion: Effortlessly convert documents into engaging data visualizations without the need to copy and paste content.
Text-to-Image: Create custom AI-generated images from text prompts, tailored to specific needs.
Brand Assets: Access brand fonts, colors, and logos easily to ensure brand consistency.
Collaboration Tools: Features for commenting and making revisions, similar to Google Docs or Microsoft Teams, allowing seamless team collaboration.
Who should use Piktochart?
Piktochart targets businesses, educators, and non-profits looking to create professional-quality visuals quickly and easily. It's ideal for teams needing collaborative tools and brand consistency.
Pricing
For businesses, Piktochart offers several pricing packages:
Free Plan: $0 (Free forever)
Pro Plan: $14 per member/month, billed annually
Business Plan: $24 per member/month, billed annually
Enterprise Plan: Custom Pricing
Reviews
Piktochart has an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. Users appreciate its ease of use and the variety of templates available. Check out more of our reviews here!
2. Lucidpress
Marq is a web-based design and publishing tool that allows users to create and collaborate on various types of visual content such as brochures, flyers, newsletters, presentations, and more. It offers a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionality, making it accessible to users with varying design skills.
Pros of Using Lucidpress
Brand Consistency: Guarantees brand consistency by locking critical elements like logos, fonts, and colors.
Content Creation Speed: Speeds up content creation, allowing more content to reach the audience faster.
Self-Serve Content: Empowers teams to self-serve their content needs, leading to personalized and high-velocity content production.
Cons of Using Lucidpress
Content Backlog: Without Marq, teams may face an unmanageable backlog of content requests and long lead times.
Generic Content: Generic content may miss the mark, leading to missed growth opportunities.
Pricing
Enterprise Plan: Custom quote required. Lucidpress's pricing is not public. Contact their support for more info.
Reviews
Lucidpress has a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. Users generally find it easy to learn and powerful to use. Check out more Lucidpress reviews here.
3. BeFunky
BeFunky is an all-in-one online creative platform that offers tools for photo editing, graphic design, and collage making. It provides a seamless workflow for enhancing photos, creating graphic designs, and making photo collages with ease.
Pros of Using BeFunky
User-Friendly Interface: Drag-and-drop simplicity makes it accessible for users of all skill levels.
One-Click Collage Maker: Quickly create customizable collages with ease.
AI-Powered Features: Tools like background remover and batch processing enhance productivity.
Extensive Library: Access to over a million free stock images and thousands of vector graphics.
Cons of Using BeFunky
Subscription Required for Advanced Features: Some tools and functionalities are only available with a BeFunky Plus subscription.
Limited Advanced Functionality: May not meet the needs of professional users requiring more sophisticated tools.
Pricing
Annual Plan: $6.99 per month, billed annually at $83.88
Monthly Plan: $14.99 per month, billed monthly
Reviews
BeFunky has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars. Users generally find the interface user-friendly but note limitations in advanced editing features. Check out more BeFunky reviews here.
4. RelayThat
RelayThat is a design automation app that helps marketing managers, agencies, and teams create consistent, on-brand digital marketing materials, display ads, and social media content.
Pros of Using RelayThat
Brand Management: Easily manage and switch between multiple workspaces and campaigns.
Headline Generator: Automatically generate perfect copy with wildcard keywords.
One Click Resize: Resize and remix layouts to fit any advertising or social media channel without additional tweaking.
Cons of Using RelayThat
Customer Support: Some users find it difficult to cancel the subscription and criticize the customer support for being slow.
Lack of Updates: There are complaints about the lack of updates and new features.
Pricing
PRO: $15 per month per user.
PRO PLUS: $25 per month, which includes 2 users.
ENTERPRISE: Custom pricing with advanced features for larger teams and more complex needs.
Reviews
RelayThat has a rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars. Users generally appreciate the automation features but criticize the customer support and lack of updates. Check out more RelayThat reviews here.
5. Desygner
Desygner is an all-in-one business growth and marketing solution that provides tools for creating and managing marketing materials. It offers designer-crafted, AI-optimized templates and features like PDF editing, stock image access, AI text generation, and more.
Pros of Using Desygner
Cost-Effective: Eliminates the need for costly designers and agencies.
User-Friendly: No expertise needed to create professional designs.
Comprehensive Tools: Includes design tools, PDF editor, stock images, AI text generator, and more.
Collaboration Features: Allows team collaboration with controlled access.
Cons of Using Desygner
Learning Curve: Despite being user-friendly, new users might need time to explore all features.
Dependence on Internet: Requires internet access for full functionality.
Pricing
Business Plan: $19.08 per month for the first 6 people (billed annually).
Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for larger enterprises (more than 100 employees).
Reviews
Desygner has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. Users generally find it easy to use and effective for maintaining brand consistency across various materials. Check out more Desygner reviews here.
6. Crello
Crello is a free graphic design tool with thousands of free templates for users to choose from. It allows users to pick a template, adjust it to their project, and post or print. The tool is designed to help users tell their brand story through design.
Pros of Using Crello
Extensive Template Library: Over 150,000 professionally-designed templates for various formats including social media, web, and print.
Huge Library of Design Elements: Access to a vast collection of fonts, music, animations, illustrations, backgrounds, and objects.
Animation and Video Features: Tools for creating engaging video posts with animated text effects, transitions, and objects.
Cons of Using Crello
Limited Free Assets: While the free plan offers a substantial number of templates and design elements, access to the full library of 70 million files requires a Pro subscription.
Storage Limitations: The free plan includes 10 GB of storage, which may be insufficient for users with extensive design needs.
Pricing
Starter: $0 per month
Pro: $10 per month
Reviews
Crello has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Users generally appreciate the ease of use and the variety of templates available. Check out more Crello reviews here.
7. Adobe Spark
Adobe Spark is a free web page maker that allows users to design professional-quality web pages for their brand or business. It offers a variety of customizable templates and professionally-designed themes, making it easy to create engaging and visually appealing web pages without any design skills.
Pros of Using Adobe Spark
Free to Use: No cost involved in using the basic features.
Ease of Use: Simple and intuitive interface, no design skills needed.
Customizable Templates: A wide range of templates for different purposes (education, business, portfolios, etc.).
Professional Quality: High-quality design options and themes.
Cons of Using Adobe Spark
Limited Advanced Features: The free version may lack some advanced features available in paid plans.
Dependency on Templates: Users might find the customization options limited compared to more advanced web design tools.
Pricing
Free: $0.00 per month
Premium: $9.99 per month (with an option to save 16% with a yearly plan)
Teams: $49.99 per year, per seat (annual, prepaid)
Reviews
Adobe Spark has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Users generally appreciate the ease of use and the variety of templates available. Check out more Adobe Spark reviews here.
8. Visme
Visme is an AI-powered content creation platform designed to help users create engaging presentations, infographics, documents, and more. It offers a wide range of tools and templates to produce professional, on-brand content quickly and easily, even for users with no prior design experience.
Pros of Using Visme
Versatile Content Creation: Offers tools for creating presentations, documents, data visualizations, social media graphics, videos, and more.
AI-Powered Tools: Features like the AI Designer help users generate ready-to-use designs quickly.
Extensive Template Library: Thousands of customizable templates covering over 50 content types.
Cons of Using Visme
Complexity for New Users: The wide range of features and tools might be overwhelming for new users.
Dependence on Internet: As a web-based platform, it requires a stable internet connection for optimal use.
Pricing
Enterprise: Custom pricing (requires booking a demo)
Reviews
Visme has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. Users generally appreciate the ease of use and the variety of templates available. Check out more Visme reviews here.
9. Stencil
Stencil is an easy-to-use online graphic design tool designed for bloggers, business owners, and social media marketers. It allows users to create beautiful social media graphics, compelling ads, stunning blog headers, and more quickly and efficiently.
Pros of Using Stencil
Ease of Use: Simple interface that allows quick creation of graphics.
Extensive Resources: Access to over 5,000,000 stock photos, 1,350+ templates, 6,550+ Google Web Fonts, and 3,100,000+ icons and graphics.
Customization: Ability to upload and store multiple logos and custom fonts.
Social Sharing: Direct sharing to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Buffer.
Cons of Using Stencil
Limited Advanced Features: May lack some advanced design features found in more complex tools like Photoshop.
Dependency on Internet: As an online tool, it requires a stable internet connection to function.
Pricing
Stencil's pricing is not public. Contact their support for more info.
Reviews
Stencil has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Users generally appreciate the ease of use and the variety of templates available. Check out more Stencil reviews here.
10. Snappa
Snappa is a graphic design software that allows users to create online graphics quickly and easily. It offers pre-set image dimensions, thousands of pre-made templates, access to millions of high-resolution stock photos, and a variety of fonts, vectors, and photo effects. It also includes features like one-click background removal, easy image resizing, and direct social media sharing.
Pros of Using Snappa
User-Friendly Interface: No learning curve, making it accessible for users of all skill levels.
Vast Library of Templates and Stock Photos: Thousands of pre-made templates and access to millions of high-resolution stock photos.
One-Click Background Removal: Easily remove backgrounds from images with a single click.
Direct Social Media Sharing: Share designs directly to social media platforms and integrate with Buffer for scheduling posts.
Cons of Using Snappa
Limited Advanced Features: May not meet the needs of professional designers requiring more sophisticated tools.
Dependence on Internet: Requires internet access for full functionality.
Pricing
Starter: Free
Pro: $15 per month (monthly billing) or $10 per month (billed yearly)
Team: $30 per month (monthly billing) or $20 per month (billed yearly)
Reviews
Snappa has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. Users generally appreciate the ease of use and the variety of templates available. Check out more Snappa reviews here.
Which One Should You Go With?
While all these tools offer unique features and benefits, Piktochart stands out for its AI-powered design capabilities and user-friendly interface. Whether you're a business, educator, or non-profit, Piktochart makes it easy to create professional-quality visuals quickly. If you're looking for an alternative that combines ease of use with powerful design tools, Piktochart is a fantastic choice.
Piktochart Team
