# Adobe Illustrator vs Figma

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Figma at none against Adobe Illustrator's 4. Figma also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (29% vs 13%). Adobe Illustrator's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Adobe Illustrator sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Figma asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Adobe Illustrator against 4.6 for Figma. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 38K and 21K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 13% of Adobe Illustrator's written reviews are positive against 29% of Figma's.

Adobe Illustrator ships an update every 2 months, Figma weekly. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Adobe Illustrator | Figma |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (38K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-illustrator-graphic-art/id1018784575/reviews) | **[4.6 (21K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/figma/id1152747299/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **38K** | 21K |
| Positive reviews | 13.3% of reviews | **29.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | **#63** |
| Size | 856 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Figma Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1152747298) |

## What reviewers say

### Adobe Illustrator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-illustrator-graphic-art/id1018784575)

Create logos, illustrations, and graphics on your iPad with intuitive Apple Pencil support. Design vector art, manipulate type, and create patterns on the go, even offline. Seamlessly sync your work across devices and other Adobe apps.

**Highlights:** Vector drawing with Apple Pencil, Advanced typography tools, Pattern creation, Image vectorization, Cross-device syncing, Gradient and color tools

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Illustrator on iPad : Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Adobe Design Mobile: Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Illustrator on iPad : Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Adobe Design Mobile: Yearly | $149.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and intuitive
- 👍 Great for on-the-go vector work
- 🚀 Seamless sync with desktop Illustrator
- 👍 Useful for quick sketches and illustrations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Missing key desktop features
- 🔍 Buggy layer and selection handling
- 🔍 Limited export options and quality
- 🔍 Unintuitive interface in some areas

**Reported bugs**

- Layers disappearing or not updating properly
- Eraser tool behaving inconsistently
- Pasting content causing unexpected issues
- Frequent crashes when working on complex files

**Requested features**

- Ability to rotate canvas
- More brush and stroke customization options
- Implement Gaussian blur and other effects
- Add support for keyboard shortcuts
- Improve file management and cloud sync


### Figma

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/figma/id1152747299)

**Currently charting:** #63 Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Access and review design files, prototypes, and presentations on your mobile device. Collaborate with teammates by adding and replying to comments, sharing files, and managing permissions. Mirror designs in real-time and explore prototypes with interactive features.

**Highlights:** Access design, FigJam, prototype, and slides files, Create and reply to comments, Share files with collaborators, Play and replay prototypes, Mirror designs in real-time, Manage file permissions

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Useful for previewing designs
- 👍 Great for prototyping
- 🚀 Convenient to mirror screen on a real device

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable mirroring
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes often
- 👎 Limited functionality compared to desktop
- 👎 Lacks essential editing capabilities
- 👎 Useless without editing features

**Reported bugs**

- Mirror feature doesn't work consistently
- Prototype playback issues, like zooming in too much
- App forgets scroll/zoom state when switching back
- Crashes when trying to open large files
- Login issues, constantly requiring re-login

**Requested features**

- Add editing capabilities, especially for iPad
- Improve Apple Pencil support in FigJam
- Allow moving the toolbox out of the way on the screen
- Implement multi-account support
- Add option to change sharing permissions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Adobe Illustrator free?

Adobe Illustrator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Figma free?

Figma is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Adobe Illustrator or Figma?

Figma is rated higher. Adobe Illustrator averages 4.5 out of 5 from 38K ratings, while Figma averages 4.6 from 21K ratings.

### Do Adobe Illustrator or Figma have ads?

Neither Adobe Illustrator nor Figma shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Adobe Illustrator or Figma?

Adobe Illustrator ships an update every 2 months, and Figma weekly. Most recently, Adobe Illustrator was updated on October 27, 2026 and Figma on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*