Adobe Illustrator vs SAI+
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
SAI+
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SAI+ is a color management tool that lets you create and share color chip PDFs using only your iPhone or iPad, without a computer. Quickly choose colors on site, organize them into a palette, and export them as a PDF. It is useful for meetings, production instructions, color specifications, design checks, and field work. You can choose colors from photos, the color wheel, sliders, or HEX input. Each selected color can be checked in HEX, RGB, HSB, and CMYK. Add colors as color chips, rearrange them by dragging, and export the list as a PDF. Except for sending or sharing PDFs, the main features do not depend on an internet connection. You can create color chips on an airplane, underground, outdoors, or in places with unstable reception. With AirDrop, you can quickly share them with nearby coworkers or clients. How to use: 1. Choose a color from a photo, color wheel, slider, or HEX input 2. Tap ADD to add it to the color list 3. Add up to 20 colors to one list 4. Drag colors to rearrange the order 5. Export the list as a PDF from the LIST screen 6. Share via AirDrop, email, or messages 7. To rename a saved list, tap the list name Each color list can contain up to 20 colors. You can save up to 50 color lists, with the saved date, time, and a custom name. Exported PDFs can be used for meetings, production instructions, color specifications, and design reviews. HEX, RGB, HSB, and CMYK values are recorded as text inside the PDF, making them easy to check in tools such as Illustrator. SAI+ supports both iPhone and iPad. Use iPhone to choose colors quickly on site, and iPad to review palettes on a larger screen. SAI+ is a one-time purchase app. No subscription. Ideal for design, illustration, UI, print, signage, displays, painting, field production, and any situation where color needs to be communicated accurately. Main features: ・Extract colors from photos ・Color wheel ・RGB / HSB / CMYK sliders ・HEX input ・HEX / RGB / HSB / CMYK display ・Create color lists ・Rearrange colors by dragging ・Up to 20 colors per list ・Save up to 50 lists ・Saved date and time ・Edit color list name ・Export color chips as PDF ・Color values recorded as text in PDF ・Share via AirDrop ・Copy HEX with one tap ・iPhone and iPad support ・Main features work without internet ・No login required ・No subscription SAI+ is not just for choosing colors. It helps you organize colors and hand them off clearly to clients, coworkers, or production teams. Photos stay on your device. Photo access is used only to extract colors from images selected by the user. ※ Colors extracted from photos are approximate values based on image pixels. They may differ from the actual color due to lighting, shadows, reflections, white balance, image correction, or display settings. ※ Even with the same RGB value, colors may appear different depending on the device, brightness, True Tone, Night Shift, and ambient lighting. ※ CMYK values are simplified conversions from RGB. Actual printed colors may vary depending on paper, ink, printer, and color profile.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Adobe Illustrator at Free against SAI+'s $2.99. Adobe Illustrator also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.5). SAI+'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On ads and device support 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
Adobe Illustrator is free to download; SAI+ costs $2.99 up front. Adobe Illustrator sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. SAI+ asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Adobe Illustrator | SAI+ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (37K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 13.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 37K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 17.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 856 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Adobe Inc. | TAKAO OGASAWARA |
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
SAI+
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
SAI+
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Adobe Illustrator free?
Is SAI+ free?
Do Adobe Illustrator or SAI+ have ads?
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