Adobe Illustrator vs ProtoSketch
Adobe Illustrator
adobe.comProtoSketch
protosketch.ioSide by side
| Figure | Adobe Illustrator | ProtoSketch |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 1 |
| Spec score · Vector Graphics Software | 9.1 (#3) | 8.2 (#16) |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Headquarters | San Jose, California, USA | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Platforms | Adobe offers Illustrator for desktop, iPad, and web; desktop system requirements list Windows and macOS. | The FAQ says the iPhone version was expected after iPad; it says there were no plans for Linux, Windows, or Android, while the Mac page says the Mac app is in development. |
| Support | The teams plans include 24x7 dedicated technical support, and Adobe links to its Help Center and Adobe Community from the Illustrator product page. | The FAQ directs users to contact the maker through Facebook, Twitter, or its email form. |
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
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.
ProtoSketch
ProtoSketch is vector graphics design software for work spanning web and app graphics, logos, icons, print, illustration, UI and UX. Its stated audience also includes product and marketing designers. The app provides vector tools, icons, fonts, UI elements, and basic and complex shapes. For layout precision, it offers smart guides, object snapping, an adjustable grid, and alignment and distribution commands. Styling options include fills, strokes, gradients, RGB sliders, color wheels, hex input, blending modes and opacity. Users can draw and edit paths, use layers and groups, and apply divide, exclude, minus front, unite and intersect operations. ProtoSketch currently exports PDF, imports and exports PNG and JPG, and supports SVG data exchange; SVG import is planned for a future version. On iOS, Dropbox can import documents and images, while “Open in…” functionality is also available. iCloud syncing across Mac, iPad and iPhone is planned. ProtoSketch Lite costs nothing and allows up to five documents, with some libraries locked and exports restricted to social shares and ProtoSketch files. The Mac version is in development.