# Adobe Illustrator vs Pixel Designer Pro

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Adobe Illustrator | Pixel Designer Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-illustrator-graphic-art/id1018784575/reviews)** | [3.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-designer-pro/id1485016367/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **37K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 13.2% of reviews | **38.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 24 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 856 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Infinite Token](https://appshunter.io/developer/1445595230) |

## 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


### Pixel Designer Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-designer-pro/id1485016367)

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.

**Highlights:** 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.)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Adobe Illustrator free?

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

### Is Pixel Designer Pro free?

Pixel Designer Pro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Adobe Illustrator or Pixel Designer Pro?

Adobe Illustrator is rated higher. Adobe Illustrator averages 4.5 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while Pixel Designer Pro averages 3.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do Adobe Illustrator or Pixel Designer Pro have ads?

Neither Adobe Illustrator nor Pixel Designer Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Adobe Illustrator or Pixel Designer Pro?

Adobe Illustrator ships an update every 2 months, and Pixel Designer Pro every 24 months. Most recently, Adobe Illustrator was updated on September 26, 2026 and Pixel Designer Pro on June 5, 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.*