# Adobe Illustrator vs Tools for Procreate

The clearest difference is update cadence: Tools for Procreate at weekly against Adobe Illustrator's every 2 months. Tools for Procreate also leads on review sentiment (24% vs 13%). Adobe Illustrator's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). 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 and Tools for Procreate sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Adobe Illustrator against 4.6 for Tools for Procreate. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 37K and 16K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 13% of Adobe Illustrator's written reviews are positive against 24% of Tools for Procreate's.

Adobe Illustrator ships an update every 2 months, Tools for Procreate weekly. Both last shipped on October 18, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Adobe Illustrator | Tools for Procreate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-illustrator-graphic-art/id1018784575/reviews) | **[4.6 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tools-for-procreate/id1559271447/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **37K** | 16K |
| Positive reviews | 13.2% of reviews | **23.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 856 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Tools Products FZ-LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549858533) |

## 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


### Tools for Procreate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tools-for-procreate/id1559271447)

This app provides a comprehensive toolkit for Procreate users, offering a vast collection of brushes, fonts, 3D models, and design assets. Enhance your digital art with one-tap installation of unique brushes, AI-generated references, and curated color palettes. Elevate your illustrations and creative projects with professional-grade tools.

**Highlights:** 120+ handmade Procreate brushes, AI-generated art references, Curated color palettes, Unique fonts for Procreate, Digital fashion and stickers, 3D models and textures, AI soundscapes for focus

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tools Premium - Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Tools for Procreate Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Get 3k+ Brushes for Procreate | $9.99 | per month |
| Tools for Procreate Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Tools Premium - 3 Months | $12.49 | per 3 months |
| Premium Sound - Annual | $14.99 | per year |
| Premium Sound - Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Sale Offer | $19.99 | per year |
| Tools Annual Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Annually Special Offer | $34.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Access to Tools | $44.99 | per year |
| Premium - Annually | $44.99 | per year |
| Brushes for Procreate | $44.99 | per year |
| Annual Unlimited Access | $59.99 | per year |
| Tools 1 Conversion | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tools 1 Conversion | $2.99 | one-time |
| One Selected Challenge | $4.99 | one-time |
| AI References 10 Requests | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tools Premium Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎉 Lots of brushes and tools
- 🎨 Helpful for digital art
- 💻 Works well with Procreate
- 🤩 Amazing app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Everything is behind a paywall
- 🙄 Subscription model is expensive
- 🤔 Unclear what's free vs premium
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🤷‍♀️ Poor customer support

**Reported bugs**

- Brushes won't install properly
- App crashes when trying to access content
- Subscription issues and inability to cancel

**Requested features**

- More free brushes and tools
- Better search and organization
- Ability to create and share custom brushes
- Lifetime purchase option instead of subscription


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Adobe Illustrator free?

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

### Is Tools for Procreate free?

Tools for Procreate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Adobe Illustrator or Tools for Procreate?

Tools for Procreate is rated higher. Adobe Illustrator averages 4.5 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while Tools for Procreate averages 4.6 from 16K ratings.

### Do Adobe Illustrator or Tools for Procreate have ads?

Neither Adobe Illustrator nor Tools for Procreate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Adobe Illustrator or Tools for Procreate?

Adobe Illustrator ships an update every 2 months, and Tools for Procreate weekly. Most recently, Adobe Illustrator was updated on October 18, 2026 and Tools for Procreate on October 18, 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.*