Adobe Express vs. Adobe Illustrator CC

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Adobe Express
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
Adobe Creative Cloud Express (formerly Adobe Spark) is a task-based, web and mobile product used to create and share rich multimedia content – from social media posts and stories to invitations to marketing materials like logos, flyers and banners.
$0
Adobe Illustrator
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Adobe Illustrator CC is a vector-based graphic design software.
$20.99
per month
Pricing
Adobe ExpressAdobe Illustrator CC
Editions & Modules
Free
$0.00
Premium
$9.99 / $99.99
per month
Teams
$9.99
per month per user
Yearly - Billed Monthly
$20.99
per month
Monthly
$31.49
per month
Yearly - Billed Upfront
$239.88
per year
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Adobe ExpressAdobe Illustrator
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsContact Adobe directly for Enterprise pricing plan details.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Adobe ExpressAdobe Illustrator CC
Considered Both Products
Adobe Express
Chose Adobe Express
Adobe Express is a unique offering
Chose Adobe Express
Well, they were using Canvas and I just knocked it out. We use After Effects too, but again, if you go into After Effects or Premier, you have to do a lot of addition. It's a lot more complex and Adobe Express for doing simple things. And I don't mean simple by diminishing …
Chose Adobe Express
I started on Adobe Spark / Adobe Express before ever trying Figma nad Canva. I tried them after being told how great the were by colleagues and honestly felt like they were cheesy and less adult. The final product didn't feel as polished and the user experience was lackluster. …
Chose Adobe Express
Adobe Express is a lot more user friendly for people who aren't graphic designers that still want to create content
Chose Adobe Express
Express and Canva are very similar but backed by the power of Adobe; Express is the better option. Its feature set is greater, and the recent addition of Firefly is a game changer, making it leaps and bounds better than Canva. Certain features in Express that Canva doesn't have …
Chose Adobe Express
Adobe Express seems to be slightly inferior design wise, but has greater integrations with the Adobe ecosystem
Chose Adobe Express
Express needs to continue with their AI improvements such as for professional profiles in photo editing.
Chose Adobe Express
Simplicity and more functional
Chose Adobe Express
Canva is a little more expensive and the usability of it for creation or quick changes are not there like Adobe Express has.
Chose Adobe Express
Adobe Express has stronger branding features. For example, it's much easier to save custom logos and styles and I feel like the end-products are more polished.
Chose Adobe Express
I used Canva for a long time, but since we already had the Adobe Creative Suite and Adobe Creative Cloud Express was included, I went ahead and started using Adobe Creative Cloud Express, as it was more cost-effective. Unfortunately, Adobe Creative Cloud Express doesn't offer …
Chose Adobe Express
Adobe Creative Cloud Express uses layers which is closer to the very widely used Adobe PhotoShop. Its integration with Adobe PhotoShop made it more familiar to use. But overall [in my opinion], Canva has more options of elements and effects.
Chose Adobe Express
I prefer Adobe Creative Cloud Express to Canva for the back-end interface. To me, Adobe Creative Cloud Express is more user-friendly and provides greater options. You really do get what you pay for. I was also able to learn how to use Adobe Creative Cloud Express with little to …
Chose Adobe Express
Adobe Creative Cloud Express offers greater versatility in creating, including video, images, and pages. Access to Adobe content will take your creativity to new levels and this alone makes Adobe Creative Cloud Express stand out and above the rest. Finally, the apps are …
Chose Adobe Express
I think the main benefit of Adobe Creative Cloud Express over PicMonkey is simply the ease of use for the App. PicMonkey did have a better web interface, but it's also meant for users who have experience with graphics, whereas Adobe Creative Cloud Express is the most …
Chose Adobe Express
I have not used any other products like Adobe Creative Cloud Express. Adobe Creative Cloud Express has been the best thing for me and my work. I have no need to use any other products that are remotely close to Adobe Creative Cloud Express. I will probably not look for any …
Chose Adobe Express
They both have great ease of use. More recently, Adobe changed something in its interface that created a small but consistently aggravating inconvenience, so Canva may be better in that aspect. The platform for Canva has great UX in my opinion. Adobe Creative Cloud Express …
Chose Adobe Express
While I think Adobe Creative Cloud Express and Canva are actually pretty similar, I find that kids tend to see Adobe Creative Cloud Express as a little more manageable and less overwhelming. Graphic design can be a little scary, and I think Adobe Creative Cloud Express does a …
Chose Adobe Express
Adobe Creative Cloud Express was chosen for us by somebody else in the organization, but I still really like it. Though I do like Canva, I'm so used to Adobe Creative Cloud Express now I'd never go back. We used to use Animoto (free version) and I do miss some of the …
Chose Adobe Express
Adobe Creative Cloud Express is easier to use than almost every other graphics program I’ve used. Those that are as simple, or simpler, do not produce creations with as professional and creative looks as Adobe Creative Cloud Express does.
Chose Adobe Express
We use Adobe Creative Cloud Express in addition to all of the above, depending on the project. It stacks up extremely well against all other products, except Premiere Pro on the video side (obviously). In the area that we use it most - for the on the fly social media - it is …
Chose Adobe Express
Canva has more free templates than Adobe Creative Cloud Express. The content planner option in Canva makes it different from Adobe Creative Cloud Express. Canva has a more easy-to-understand interface. We can use Canva on any device but Adobe Creative Cloud Express Post is only …
Adobe Illustrator
Chose Adobe Illustrator
I use both of those programs together at times.
Chose Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator CC is the best program to use for creating vector illustrations and graphics, whereas Photoshop is best for pixel-based digital pieces. Indesign is best for printed pieces and Adobe Illustrator CC is a great collaborator tool to use for Indesign projects. The …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
The integration with Creative Cloud Libraries and Adobe Fonts, combined with the powerful array of tools offered in Adobe Illustrator makes up for the high price compared with other tools that are often free. You even get an outstanding 3D renderer built in with excellent …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator gives you much more control over every aspect of the design process. Canva has several limitations like being unable to customize gradients or creating clipping masks. Inkscape only works in RGB space and has a less intuitive user interface. They benefit from …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
Gimp does not have a lot of reference information, so it takes time to solve problems. Illustrator takes less time because there is a lot of reference information on the Internet and in books. Also, Gimp does not allow batch processing, so the work must be repeated. Illustrator …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
Illustrator is far ahead of Xara with features and manage images better than Corel Draw
Chose Adobe Illustrator
There are so many things you can create in Adobe Illustrator CC. It's easy to use and the options for saving and exporting are fantastic. Fortunately, this is the only software of its kind that I have used. I know other people that have used lesser quality products and turned …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
Both are powerful design/vector art tools. And they do the same things - just in a little different way. Tools and interface are a little different. Illustrator thinks like a designer, Corel thinks like an architect. I picked Illustrator mostly due to integration with …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
I know a lot of designers that like to work in Photoshop, when text is involved I prefer Adobe Illustrator CC. You can outline your text and kern and correct there, it is crisp and easy. I would rather push vector points than pixels. I also really appreciate the multiple boards …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
Illustrator has never let me down recently. There have been times where the program didn't do things I wanted it, but over the years the updates gradually modified how I used the program to the point where everything we need to do can be done.Whatever the situation is, Adobe …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
Simply stated, Adobe Illustrator CC just offers more. Not all projects require 'more', but when you need it, it is nice that you don't have to jump programs and start over on a project. Inkscape is simple to use, but so is Canva. Point being, just because a program has a great …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
This is free. But if Adobe is charging then it gives you the best quality and work.
Chose Adobe Illustrator
I chose Rhinoceros 3D because it is accurate to make drawings in it and it is better to make drawings in Rhinoceros 3D and then put them in Adobe Illustrator. But while printing or scaling it is much easier to put it in Adobe Illustrator. This makes the whole printing aspect of …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
For customized designs where text and some artistic touches are needed Adobe Illustrator CC is the best.
Chose Adobe Illustrator
Illustrator has a wide capability for editing ability and can be used in combination with any of the other programs I've listed and used. This makes it incredibly versatile and one of my favorites. Each of the other products have specific purposes, making them less likely for …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
Before using Adobe Illustrator CC, I was using other design tools and struggled with the lack of control over my artwork. Adobe Illustrator CC has given me so much more control over my designs. The interface is beautiful and easy to use; new features like Live Shape and the …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
They complement each other, each with its own specific characteristics, but within a marketing sector, an experienced designer knows that the use of these tools in sets makes all the difference. It is possible to combine their uses and create really relevant materials that will …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
All these software integrate and each one has a purpose, I, particularly, always work with almost all of them together and I don't see competition between them, [but rather] an integration [with] different purposes and uses. I use them all and they all serve me in the best way …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
with ease and many features offered as well as very easy vendor support
Chose Adobe Illustrator
Adode Illustrator is better for the design work in the company, sice it works with vectors and easy shortcuts, the other adobe software is not so useful because we do not work with video editing or rendering. Adobe Illustrator CC meets all our needs and expectations and that is …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
Honestly, Adobe illustrator is the best in the market in terms of what the software is capable of doing. I've used other software in my career, and honestly, I just haven't found anything that has the tools and the capabilities like adobe illustrator. I honestly will pay extra …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
I have not used any other graphic design software but I have used Photoshop and InDesign. If you're looking to create graphics, especially scalable vectors, Adobe Illustrator CC is, hands down, the best tool out there. Photoshop is much better for photo editing and …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
Comparing with Affinity, Adobe Illustrator CC has a powerful core and very high compatibility with other Adobe products which is a huge advantage. The ease of use of various tools are also very familiar among different graphic designers within the corporation, making training …
Chose Adobe Illustrator
Overall, my impression is that Illustrator is better suited to providing the features and end result I am looking for when creating employee documents and/or marketing materials that can be rich and engaging for the end user/recipient. The ability to create multi-page documents …
Best Alternatives
Adobe ExpressAdobe Illustrator CC
Small Businesses
Spotify for Podcasters
Spotify for Podcasters
Score 8.2 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.8 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Pexels
Pexels
Score 10.0 out of 10
GIMP
GIMP
Score 9.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Pexels
Pexels
Score 10.0 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.8 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Adobe ExpressAdobe Illustrator CC
Likelihood to Recommend
8.8
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.4
(0 ratings)
7.2
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.9
(0 ratings)
5.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Adobe ExpressAdobe Illustrator CC
Likelihood to Recommend
I needed to create quarterly safety training posters. In the past, I have used Canva. But in Canva's free version, your options are limited. So off to AE I went. I was able to find four templates to help me create my four posters. I found templates that looked like a movie poster, and the results were so professional looking. It was easy to add my own pictures from my computer to further personalize the posters. I loved them so much I made them into movie poster size printouts, sprayed some liquid glue on a styroboard, and hung them up around our offices. Our employees loved them too, and it drummed up more people to attend my sessions.
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Indicated and suitable for companies and agencies that work with the creation of materials for social media, digital graphics and printed materials. Suitable for any scenario and for those who want to produce high quality material without image pixelation. A scenario not very suitable would be the use without proper knowledge of the tool, it would be interesting to see the tutorials and guides available by Adobe
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Pros
  • Out-of-the-box templates save a lot of time and effort for designers and new users.
  • Collaboration to share resources and monitor task status centrally.
  • Great design elements bring a wow factor to digital content.
  • Single design tool for all types of content design.
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  • Vector graphics for scaling to large sizes
  • Filling an object with a texture
  • Easily adjusting and expanding an artboard to fit the size of the content (especially for infographics)
  • Compatibility with other Adobe CC programs, but also exporting for PPT graphics
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Cons
  • Canva has a better interface, in my opinion... I like that this one is friendly to Adobe users, but I would likely recommend Canva to someone who's never used design software for a complete beginner.
  • Removing the background from images doesn't always work well. I almost always need to switch to Photoshop for this.
  • The touch screen interface could be better; graphics on mobile apps are tough in general but specifically, the iPad interface could use some improvement.
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  • Illustrator Files can get large/cumbersome when you begin to incorporate high resolution photography, especially if you 'place' the photo instead of linking to it's source file
  • Typography can sometimes be a challenge, especially if you working on different machines that may not always have the font you need installed or sending the file to a commercial printer
  • OLDER versions of Illustrator can be a bit temperamental about being backward compatible though this issue has been greatly reduced with Adobe's move the Cloud Based subscription model
  • Not great for large print layouts (books, magazine etc) you're better off to move the project to Adobe InDesign in that case.
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Likelihood to Renew
I use it daily for almost all my marketing needs. So far it is the program that has the most and best to offer for what I need and is the easiest to use
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While Adobe Illustrator CC is one of the only true design software out there, it really stands heads above the other products. It's clean UI and menu structure is easy to navigate.
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Usability
The overall usability of the software was strong. The application, especially relative to other Adobe services like Photoshop that can demand a lot of knowledge and skill, was highly easy to use. At the same time, that also speaks to the somewhat limited amount of customization opportunities that allow content designers to truly create content that is dynamic, engaging, and different than the standard stuff that floods our vision every day.
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There's a bit of a learning curve to this software vs other similar tools that can take some time to learn and get familiar with but the amount of functionality that Adobe Illustrator CC offers is quite large compared to simpler tools.
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Support Rating
Because adobe is so widespread the community support is amazing. I have never actually used adobe support short of their website, but I go to youtube a lot to get my questions answered. You can google any problem you have and not have any issues finding an answer. In my opinion, community support is much more meaningful and helpful than support directly from the company
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I normally already know how to do whatever I'm trying out, but the documentation (as well as a simple Google search) makes any question quick to resolve. The Adobe boards themselves are a fantastic resource, especially for resolving questions between new programs and iterative releases.
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Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
It was very easy to purchase and download.
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Alternatives Considered
For users already in the Adobe ecosystem, Adobe Express is a great tool to consider for it's modern, professional templates, impressive stock image library and the easy drag-and-drop tools. I mostly do most of my work on desktop, but I know Canva is generally better for mobile usability and its got more third-party integrations that may be important to some users.
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I chose Rhinoceros 3D because it is accurate to make drawings in it and it is better to make drawings in Rhinoceros 3D and then put them in Adobe Illustrator. But while printing or scaling it is much easier to put it in Adobe Illustrator. This makes the whole printing aspect of it much easier.
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Return on Investment
  • It has allowed us to complete more demos and projects in less time by being so flexible.
  • It has positively impacted our efficiency in delivering creatives such as YouTube thumbnails, event poster designs, Instagram story posts, etc to clients in a timely manner no matter where work takes us.
  • I would say the ROI has been seeing more projects completed and invoiced per month. I would estimate overall a 20% increase in volume on deliverables.
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  • Improved engagement in employee programs that are now represented in documents created using Illustrator.
  • Improved customer outcomes/interest as a result of materials created using Illustrator.
  • Better ROI on the programs we have developed or introduced due to the higher engagement and involvement.
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ScreenShots

Adobe Express Screenshots

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