Adobe Illustrator vs Pixel Designer Pro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Adobe Illustrator
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.
- Vector drawing with Apple Pencil
- Advanced typography tools
- Pattern creation
- Image vectorization
- Cross-device syncing
- Gradient and color tools
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Create logos, illustrations, graphics and more. Illustrator on the iPad works intuitively with your Apple Pencil so you can design on the go from anywhere, even offline - it’s never been easier to take your creativity to new places. Design with precision, as naturally as you would with pen and paper. Create vector lines, shapes, type, gradients, and effects. Merge or cut graphics with quick, intuitive Pencil gestures to remove unwanted areas. Make your graphics pop with effects, and access over 18,000 fonts, 20+ color palettes, up-to-the-minute live streams from famous creatives, and guided tutorials. Work on a project across Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Fresco. Plus, your Illustrator work is automatically synced to the cloud, so you and your team can always access the latest version from your desktop or iPad. This app is part of Adobe Creative Cloud. It’s free for Creative Cloud members who have a plan that includes Illustrator. INTUITIVE AND PRECISE DRAWING WITH APPLE PENCIL • Natural ways to draw — Make lines and curves using the Pen, Pencil, and Brush tools • Art and Calligraphic Brushes — Create and apply brush strokes to add artistic elements to your artwork. • Pinpoint editing — Create perfect graphics without quality loss with Smart Delete, Simplify Path, and more • Point precision — Edit graphics down to the point, radius, or angle level NEW WAYS TO MAKE STUNNING PATTERNS AND SHAPES • Vectorize — Convert raster images or paper sketches into vector images. • Radial, grid, and mirror repeat — Turn graphics into sophisticated patterns • Polygon shape creation — Make objects out of circles, triangles, squares, and stars • Transform as Shape — Transform paths and curves without manual manipulation of anchor points. • Blend Tool — Smoothly blend one shape into another across a specified number of steps. THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE TYPE TOOLKIT FOR IPAD • 18,000+ fonts — Use one of the thousands of high-quality fonts included in the Adobe Fonts library • Fonts of your own — Upload and design with any of your own licensed fonts and use them on both desktop and iPad • Type on a path — Bend and flow text onto the surface of lines and shapes • Outlined text — Turn text into an editable format that can be modified without limits • Variable fonts — They’re infinitely customizable • Color fonts — Explore gorgeous color variations and gradients that are built into the font BRILLIANT COLORS AND GRADIENTS • Point gradients — Drag and drop colors to create dynamic blends of diffused colors • 20+ color books — Use industry-standard color swatches or incorporate your own SEAMLESS MOVEMENT BETWEEN DEVICES AND APPS • File syncing between Illustrator on the desktop and on the iPad — Projects are automatically synced and accessible across devices • Photoshop import — Easily place a Photoshop image into your Illustrator design • Standard file format export — Create, save, and open Illustrator (AI) files with no loss of quality, and export in the most common formats, including SVG, PDF, PNG, and PSD. KEEPING TABS ON THE LATEST CREATIVE TRENDS • Livestreaming — Watch and learn from top design-industry creatives daily, right within the app • Trends to discover — Explore projects by other creatives Terms & Conditions: Your use of this application is governed by the Adobe General Terms of Use http://www.adobe.com/go/terms_linkfree_en and the Adobe Privacy Policy http://www.adobe.com/go/privacy_policy_linkfree_en Do Not Sell My Personal Information: www.adobe.com/go/ca-rights-linkfree
Pixel Designer Pro
Create pixel art, animations, and game assets with a professional editor. Features include multiple drawing modes, advanced layers, custom palettes, and precision tools. Seamlessly work across devices with cross-platform sync.
- Multiple Drawing Modes (Frame, Tile, Tileset, Sheet)
- Advanced Layer System
- Custom Color Palettes
- Animation Tools with Real-time Preview
- Precision Drawing Tools
- Mirror Drawing
- Flexible Grid Options
- Professional Export Options (PNG, GIF, etc.)
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PixelDesigner - Professional Pixel Art Editor Create stunning pixel art, animations, and game assets with PixelDesigner, the powerful native editor built for artists, game developers, and designers. KEY FEATURES =========== Multiple Drawing Modes Switch seamlessly between Frame Mode for animations, Tile Mode for individual game tiles, Tileset Mode with Wang tile support, and Sheet Mode for organizing sprite sheets. Each mode is optimized for specific pixel art workflows. Advanced Layer System Work with multiple layers to build complex compositions. Organize your artwork, separate elements, and maintain full creative control over every pixel. Custom Color Palettes Create and manage your own color palettes for consistent artwork. Import existing palettes or build new ones from scratch to match your project's aesthetic. Animation Tools Preview your animations in real time as you work. Export animations as GIF or PNG sequences with customizable frame rates and timing controls. Precision Drawing Tools Choose from Brush, Eraser, Fill, and Eyedropper tools. Each tool is designed specifically for pixel-perfect artwork with full control over every detail. Mirror Drawing Create perfectly symmetrical designs with horizontal and vertical mirroring. Ideal for character sprites, icons, and architectural elements. Flexible Grid Options Work with multiple grid styles including solid, dashed, dot, checkerboard, and more. Customize your workspace to match your preferred drawing style. Professional Export Options Export your work in multiple formats including PNG, JPEG, GIF, and TIFF. Generate sprite sheets with customizable layouts, export individual tiles, or create animated GIFs with precise control over timing and quality. Wang Tile Support Automatically generate seamless tilesets using Wang tile algorithms. Perfect for creating game environments and repeating patterns that tile perfectly. Document-Based Workflow Save and organize your projects with a native document-based architecture. Open multiple documents simultaneously and switch between projects effortlessly. Native Performance Built from the ground up with SwiftUI for optimal performance on both iOS and macOS. Enjoy a responsive, fluid experience that takes full advantage of your device's capabilities. Cross-Platform Sync Start a project on your Mac and continue on your iPad. PixelDesigner uses a universal file format that works seamlessly across all your devices. Whether you are creating game sprites, animated icons, retro artwork, or detailed pixel illustrations, PixelDesigner provides all the tools you need in a clean, intuitive interface.
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Adobe Illustrator at 4.5 against Pixel Designer Pro's 3.3. Adobe Illustrator also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 24 months) and ratings volume (37K vs 3). Pixel Designer Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (38% vs 13%). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Adobe Illustrator sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Pixel Designer Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.
Adobe Illustrator holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Adobe Illustrator has 37K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 13% of Adobe Illustrator's written reviews are positive against 38% of Pixel Designer Pro'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, Pixel Designer Pro every 24 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Adobe Illustrator | Pixel Designer Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (37K ratings) — better | 3.3 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 13.2% of reviews | 38.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 37K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 24 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 856 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Adobe Inc. | Infinite Token |
Customer experience
Adobe Illustrator
Pixel Designer Pro
Bugs and requests
Adobe Illustrator
Reported bugs
4 issues- Layers disappearing or not updating properly
- Eraser tool behaving inconsistently
- Pasting content causing unexpected issues
- Frequent crashes when working on complex files
Requested features
5 requests- 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
Pixel Designer Pro
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Adobe Illustrator
- Illustrator on iPad : Monthly1 Month trial$9.991 Month
- Adobe Design Mobile: Monthly1 Month trial$14.991 Month
- Illustrator on iPad : Yearly1 Month trial$79.991 Year
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- Adobe Design Mobile: Yearly1 Month trial$149.991 Year
Pixel Designer Pro
No in-app purchases








