# Adobe Illustrator vs Roughups

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Roughups at 100% against Adobe Illustrator's 13%. Roughups also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). Adobe Illustrator's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (37K vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Adobe Illustrator sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Roughups sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Adobe Illustrator holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Adobe Illustrator has 37K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 13% of Adobe Illustrator's written reviews are positive against 100% of Roughups's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Adobe Illustrator ships an update every 2 months, Roughups every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Adobe Illustrator | Roughups |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-illustrator-graphic-art/id1018784575/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roughups/id1475449385/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **37K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 13.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 856 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 14.1 |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Prototyper Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1078635977) |

## 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


### Roughups

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roughups/id1475449385)

Transform your wireframe sketches into interactive prototypes with this intuitive iPad app. Easily draw screens, add interactive components, and even create custom fonts. Share your designs through a secure web service.

**Highlights:** Intuitive wireframe drawing interface, Add interactive components (text fields, toggles), Create custom fonts for wireframes, Record walkthroughs of prototypes, Share creations via secure web service, Password protection for shared designs

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Roughups Pro Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Roughups Pro Annual | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Adobe Illustrator free?

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

### Is Roughups free?

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

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

Adobe Illustrator is rated higher. Adobe Illustrator averages 4.5 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while Roughups averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Adobe Illustrator or Roughups have ads?

Neither Adobe Illustrator nor Roughups shows ads.

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

Adobe Illustrator ships an update every 2 months, and Roughups every 2 days. Most recently, Adobe Illustrator was updated on September 28, 2026 and Roughups on September 9, 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.*