Adobe Illustrator vs Figma
Adobe Illustrator
adobe.comFigma
figma.comSide by side
| Figure | Adobe Illustrator | Figma |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $3/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 15 |
| Spec score · Graphic Design Software | 9.1 (#13) | 9.5 (#1) |
| Spec score · Design tools | 9.1 (#13) | 9.5 (#1) |
| Spec score · Content Creation tools | 9.0 (#5) | 9.0 (#6) |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes |
| Founded | 1982 | 2012 |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Headquarters | San Jose, California, USA | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Illustration tools | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time collaboration | No | Yes |
| Template library | Yes | Yes |
| What it does | Illustrator creates vector graphics such as logos, icons, drawings, typography, and illustrations for print, web, video, and mobile. | Figma is an AI-native design platform where product teams explore ideas, align on direction, and move to production in one workspace. |
Plans
Adobe Illustrator
- Illustrator — Annual, billed monthlyPrice not published
- Illustrator — Annual, billed monthlyPriced on request
- Illustrator — Annual plan, prepaidPriced on request
- Illustrator — Annual plan, prepaidPrice not published
- Adobe Illustrator (students and teachers)$19.99 a month
- Illustrator$22.99 a month
- Illustrator for teams$37.99 a month
- Creative Cloud Pro for teams$99.99 a month
- Illustrator$263.88 a year
Figma
- StarterFree
- StarterPriced on request
- Professional$16 a month
- Professional (annual)$12 a month
- Organization$55 a month
- Enterprise$90 a month
- Professional Collab seat$3 a month
- Enterprise Collab seat$5 a month
- Organization Collab seat$5 a month
- Professional Dev seat$12 a month
In their own words
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator creates vector graphics such as logos, icons, drawings, typography, and illustrations for print, web, video, and mobile. Its artwork uses points, lines, and curves, so it can scale up or down without pixel blurring. Pen, Curvature, Pencil, and Shape Builder tools create and edit lines, curves, and complex shapes. Generative Shape Fill and Text to Vector Graphic add AI-assisted creation, while Text to Pattern and Generative Recolor support custom patterns and color palettes. The Font Browser offers filtering, and font libraries sync across Adobe apps. Illustrator vectors can be imported into After Effects while preserving layer structure. The product has desktop and mobile apps and is listed for iOS, macOS, web, and Windows. Illustrator requires a membership and has no free plan. The individual Illustrator plan is $22.99 a month, billed annually monthly, and lists 100GB cloud storage, 25 monthly generative credits, Adobe Express Premium, and a seven-day free trial. Desktop use requires an internet connection at least once every 99 days to validate membership. Desktop requirements for version 30.0 and later include Windows 10/11 or macOS 13 through 26, with 8GB RAM minimum and 16GB recommended.
Figma
Figma is a collaborative design platform for teams developing digital products, presentations, and related work. Figma Design supports exploration, iteration, and prototyping in a shared workspace. Dev Mode connects design files with code, while Figma Make turns prompts or existing designs into prototypes or apps. FigJam provides an online whiteboard, and Figma Slides supports co-created interactive presentations with prototypes, polls, transitions, and PowerPoint import and export. Team members can comment, give feedback, and branch work without changing the main file; shared links can be set for viewing or editing. The platform runs on the web, with desktop apps for macOS and Windows and mobile apps for iOS and Android. Starter is free with limited product access, unlimited drafts, and up to 500 AI credits per month. Starter co-editing is limited to three files, with three pages per file. Professional billed annually costs $12 a month; the monthly billing option is $16 a month. Figma says it provides unlimited cloud storage and maintains SOC 2 Type 2 and SOC 3 reports.