Adobe Illustrator and Figma are essential tools for businesses and designers. Illustrator excels in creating scalable vector graphics, crucial for branding and marketing, while Figma's real-time collaboration boosts productivity and design consistency. We'll compare Adobe Illustrator and Figma to determine which is the best fit for your needs.

A Quick Overview of Adobe Illustrator and Figma

What is Adobe Illustrator?

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Adobe is a software company known for its creative and multimedia software products. The company offers a wide range of products including Adobe Creative Cloud, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Adobe Stock.

Adobe Illustrator offers features like the Pen Tool for precise illustrations and the Scale Tool for resizing designs without losing quality. A unique feature is the Generative Shape Fill, which allows users to quickly fill vector outlines with detailed and colorful patterns, setting it apart from competitors.

What is Figma?

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Figma is a collaborative interface design tool that helps design and development teams build products together. It offers a platform for designing, prototyping, and collaborating in real-time, enabling seamless teamwork across different roles and organizations.

Figma's real-time collaboration capabilities allow multiple team members to work on the same design file simultaneously. Additionally, its Auto Layout feature automatically adjusts designs to fit different layout sizes, eliminating the need for manual resizing.

Features of Adobe Illustrator and Figma

Similarities

Adobe Illustrator and Figma share several key features that make them both powerful tools for designers. Both platforms excel in vector editing, allowing users to create scalable and precise designs.

  • Vector Editing: Both tools offer robust vector editing capabilities, enabling the creation of detailed and scalable graphics.
  • Prototyping: Each platform includes features for prototyping, allowing designers to create interactive and high-fidelity prototypes.
  • Collaboration: Both Adobe Illustrator and Figma support collaborative work environments, though Figma's real-time collaboration is more advanced.
  • Design Systems: Both tools support the creation and management of design systems, ensuring consistency across projects.
  • User-Friendly Tools: Each platform offers user-friendly tools like the Pen Tool in Illustrator and Auto Layout in Figma to enhance the design process.

Differences

Adobe Illustrator and Figma each offer unique features that cater to different aspects of design work. Here are the most significant differences between the two:

  • Generative Shape Fill: Adobe Illustrator allows users to quickly fill vector outlines with detailed patterns, a feature not available in Figma.
  • Real-time Collaboration: Figma excels in real-time collaboration, enabling multiple team members to work on the same design file simultaneously, a capability Adobe Illustrator lacks.
  • Dev Mode: Figma's Dev Mode facilitates the translation of designs into code, ensuring developers have the right code, a feature not present in Adobe Illustrator.
  • 3D and Materials Panel: Adobe Illustrator offers a 3D and Materials Panel for adding realistic effects and textures to 2D art, which Figma does not provide.
  • Auto Layout: Figma's Auto Layout feature automatically adjusts designs to fit different layout sizes, eliminating the need for manual resizing, a feature not found in Adobe Illustrator.

User Interface and Usability

Adobe Illustrator's user interface is structured and organized, with a clear header and footer for navigation. The main content is divided into sections with headings and subheadings, making it easy to find specific information. Figma's interface is also clean and well-organized, featuring a primary navigation menu and a hero section with a prominent call to action. Both platforms use interactive elements like buttons and tabs for easy navigation.

The user experience in Adobe Illustrator is enhanced by its logical structure and easy navigation, with visuals and FAQs improving overall usability. Figma offers an intuitive and user-friendly experience, with clear calls to action and a logical flow from one section to another. Both platforms provide high usability, but Figma's real-time collaboration and detailed feature descriptions offer a slight edge.

Figma has a better user interface and usability over Adobe Illustrator.

Collaboration

Adobe Illustrator, part of the Creative Cloud suite, offers some collaborative features tailored for teams and enterprises. However, it lacks real-time collaboration capabilities, making it less efficient for simultaneous teamwork. Users can share files and provide feedback, but the process is not as seamless as it could be.

Figma, on the other hand, excels in real-time collaboration, allowing multiple team members to work on the same design file simultaneously. It includes features like shared files, audio/chat communication, and comment tracking, making it a more cohesive platform for teamwork.

Figma is better for collaboration than Adobe Illustrator.

Adobe Illustrator and Figma Pricing

Adobe Illustrator offers various pricing plans tailored to different user groups. Individuals can subscribe to Illustrator only for £21.98/mo or the Creative Cloud All Apps for £27.98/mo for the first three months, then £56.98/mo. Students and teachers get a significant discount at £16.24/mo for the Creative Cloud All Apps. Business plans start at £27.99/mo per license.

Figma provides a range of plans, starting with a free Starter Team option. The Professional Team plan costs $15 per full seat per month, with a 20% discount for annual billing. The Organization plan is $45 per full seat per month, and the Enterprise plan is $75 per full seat per month. Figma also offers free access for students and educators.

Figma has more flexible and cost-effective pricing options compared to Adobe Illustrator.

Comparing Adobe Illustrator and Figma to Piktochart

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Piktochart transforms complex ideas into captivating visuals that inform and engage your audience. With Piktochart AI, you can create stunning infographics, reports, and presentations in seconds, perfectly aligned with your brand. No design experience required.

Pros of Piktochart

  • AI-Powered Design Generator: Piktochart's AI-powered design generator allows users to create stunning visuals quickly and effortlessly, making it a standout feature.
  • Extensive Template Library: With a wide range of templates for infographics, presentations, social media posts, and more, Piktochart saves users valuable time and effort.
  • Customizable Text and View Properties: Users can easily customize text properties and view settings, including background color and aspect ratios, to suit their specific needs.
  • Versatile Visual and Video Tools: Piktochart offers a variety of tools, from infographic and banner makers to video editing and transcription, catering to diverse content creation needs.
  • Support for Various Industries: Piktochart provides tailored solutions for education, marketing, healthcare, and nonprofits, ensuring that all user needs are met effectively.

Piktochart's Pricing

  • Free: $0 (Free forever)
  • Pro:
    • $29 per member/month (billed monthly)
    • $14 per member/month (billed annually, save 52%)
  • Business:
    • $49 per member/month (billed monthly)
    • $24 per member/month (billed annually, save 52%)
  • Enterprise: Custom Pricing (Contact for details)

What Are Others Saying?

Adobe Illustrator Reviews

Adobe Illustrator has received mixed reviews, with an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5. Users appreciate its powerful tools but find the steep learning curve and high subscription costs frustrating.

"The learning curve is steep, and it can be overwhelming for beginners." - John D., 3.5/5

"Resource-intensive and occasionally crashes, which is frustrating." - Sarah K., 3/5

"High subscription costs make it less accessible for freelancers." - Alex M., 3.8/5

Find more of Adobe Illustrator reviews on G2!

Figma Reviews

Figma has an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5. Users appreciate its features and team collaboration capabilities but find the learning curve and performance issues frustrating.

"I don't like the unclear subscription information. Sometimes I am confused with the limits of creating pages." - Kyrylo T., 3/5

"Loading a Figma file in the browser takes too much time. Not really easy to learn for beginners." - Chetan P., 3/5

"The method of paid access for teams/plan is a little obscure. I'd like to have more options for sharing." - Simon C., 3/5

Find more of Figma reviews on G2!

Piktochart Reviews

Our users have given Piktochart an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5. They particularly appreciate its ease of use and the variety of templates available. Here are some of the sentiments from our users:

  • "Piktochart is an easy, online graphic tool application." - Ganesh P.
  • "Piktochart is a web-based magic graphic design tool everyone should use." - Pooja N.
  • "Easily create social images and infographics to boost business services." - Rachel L.

Find more of our reviews on G2!

Why choose one over the other?

Why Choose Adobe Illustrator:

  • Consumers who need professional-level precision and scalability in their designs might prefer Adobe Illustrator. This tool is ideal for graphic designers and illustrators who require detailed vector graphics for various digital and print formats.

Why Choose Figma:

  • Figma is perfect for teams that prioritize real-time collaboration and seamless integration between design and development. UI/UX designers and product managers will find Figma's collaborative features and design systems particularly beneficial.

Why Choose Piktochart:

  • Piktochart is an excellent choice for users who need to create engaging visuals quickly without any design experience. Content creators, educators, and marketing professionals will appreciate its AI-powered design generator and extensive template library.

Adobe Illustrator, Figma, or Piktochart: Which is the best platform for you?

Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting, Adobe Illustrator, Figma, and Piktochart each offer unique strengths to meet your needs. While Adobe Illustrator and Figma are excellent for detailed vector work and real-time collaboration, Piktochart stands out for its ease of use and powerful AI-driven features. We believe Piktochart is the perfect tool to transform your ideas into captivating visuals effortlessly. Give it a try and see how it can elevate your content creation experience!