# Adobe Illustrator vs Inkpad Libre

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Inkpad Libre at 59% against Adobe Illustrator's 13%. Inkpad Libre also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). Adobe Illustrator's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (38K vs 26). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Adobe Illustrator holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Adobe Illustrator has 38K ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 13% of Adobe Illustrator's written reviews are positive against 59% of Inkpad Libre'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, Inkpad Libre every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Adobe Illustrator | Inkpad Libre |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (38K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-illustrator-graphic-art/id1018784575/reviews)** | [3.7 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inkpad-libre/id1522113334/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **38K** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | 13.3% of reviews | **58.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 856 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Benjamin Burton](https://appshunter.io/developer/687735578) |

## 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


### Inkpad Libre

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inkpad-libre/id1522113334)

Create scalable vector illustrations on your iPad with this open-source graphics app. Draw paths, add text, use gradients, and manage layers. Export your work in various formats like SVG, PDF, and PNG.

**Highlights:** Vector illustration drawing, Paths and Bezier curves, Text objects with custom fonts, Gradients and dash patterns, Layers and grids, Import photos and SVG, Export as SVG, PDF, PNG

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Adobe Illustrator free?

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

### Is Inkpad Libre free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Adobe Illustrator or Inkpad Libre?

Adobe Illustrator is rated higher. Adobe Illustrator averages 4.5 out of 5 from 38K ratings, while Inkpad Libre averages 3.7 from 26 ratings.

### Do Adobe Illustrator or Inkpad Libre have ads?

Neither Adobe Illustrator nor Inkpad Libre shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Adobe Illustrator or Inkpad Libre?

Adobe Illustrator ships an update every 2 months, and Inkpad Libre every 2 days. Most recently, Adobe Illustrator was updated on November 7, 2026 and Inkpad Libre on November 3, 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.*