# Adobe Illustrator vs Affinity Designer 2 for iPad

Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Designer 2 for iPad both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 52% of Affinity Designer 2 for iPad's written reviews are positive against 13% of Adobe Illustrator's. Adobe Illustrator's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs paid) and ratings volume (38K vs 4.8K). On price, rating, update cadence 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 Affinity Designer 2 for iPad sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Affinity Designer 2 for iPad holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Adobe Illustrator has 38K ratings behind it against 4.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of Adobe Illustrator's written reviews are positive against 52% of Affinity Designer 2 for iPad's.

Adobe Illustrator ships an update every 2 months, Affinity Designer 2 for iPad every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Adobe Illustrator | Affinity Designer 2 for iPad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (38K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-illustrator-graphic-art/id1018784575/reviews) | **[4.7 (4.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/affinity-designer-2-for-ipad/id1616833418/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **38K** | 4.8K |
| Positive reviews | 13.3% of reviews | **51.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 856 MB | 1.7 GB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Serif (Europe) Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/536107177) |

## 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


### Affinity Designer 2 for iPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/affinity-designer-2-for-ipad/id1616833418)

Create stunning illustrations, branding, logos, UI/UX designs, and more with a powerful touch-focused vector graphics app. Optimized for iPad and Apple Pencil, it offers real-time performance and precise tools for both vector and raster workflows.

**Highlights:** Vector Warp, Shape Builder Tool, Knife Tool, Drawing scale, Vector Flood Fill, Switch between vector and raster workspaces, Sophisticated typography

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Designer 2 for iPad License | Free | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful vector tools
- 🎨 Excellent for digital art and illustration
- 💰 Great value for the price
- 👍 Intuitive and streamlined UI
- 🔄 Seamless integration between iPad and desktop versions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Cluttered and unintuitive UI in some areas
- 🖌️ Lacking advanced brush and pencil features
- 💾 Unreliable saving and file management
- 🔀 Confusing transition from Affinity Designer v1

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when switching between vector and pixel layers
- Exported files not retaining expected quality or format
- Grid spacing and snapping issues
- Disappearing or unresponsive UI elements

**Requested features**

- Vector trace tool
- Better layer management and organization
- Improved Apple Pencil support and pressure sensitivity
- Ability to rename documents on creation
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts and UI


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Adobe Illustrator free?

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

### Is Affinity Designer 2 for iPad free?

Affinity Designer 2 for iPad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer 2 for iPad?

Affinity Designer 2 for iPad is rated higher. Adobe Illustrator averages 4.5 out of 5 from 38K ratings, while Affinity Designer 2 for iPad averages 4.7 from 4.8K ratings.

### Do Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer 2 for iPad have ads?

Neither Adobe Illustrator nor Affinity Designer 2 for iPad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer 2 for iPad?

Adobe Illustrator ships an update every 2 months, and Affinity Designer 2 for iPad every 6 weeks. Most recently, Adobe Illustrator was updated on November 8, 2026 and Affinity Designer 2 for iPad on November 7, 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.*