Comparison

Adobe Illustrator vs CDR Viewer Reader

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Vector drawing with Apple Pencil
  • Advanced typography tools
  • Pattern creation
  • Image vectorization
  • Cross-device syncing
  • Gradient and color tools
Read full description

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

About

CDR Viewer Reader

Easily view and inspect CorelDRAW vector files on your iPhone or iPad. Open .cdr, .cdt, and .cmx files directly from your device without needing to upload them to a server. Share your designs as SVG, PNG, or PDF.

Highlights
  • View .cdr, .cdt, and .cmx files
  • Open files from Files, Mail, and cloud drives
  • Zoom, pan, and fit-to-page navigation
  • Inspect document metadata
  • Export pages as SVG, PNG, or PDF
  • Works offline
Features
Read full description

CDR Viewer Reader is a dedicated viewer for CorelDRAW® vector files on iPhone and iPad. Open .cdr drawings, .cdt templates, and .cmx presentation exchange files locally—without uploading your work to a website. WHY THIS APP • No CorelDRAW on your Mac? Preview client CDR files on the go. • Received a .cdr attachment in Mail or Messages? Open it in one tap. • Need a quick look at page count, size, or embedded metadata before you reach a desktop? SUPPORTED FORMATS • .cdr — CorelDRAW drawing • .cdt — CorelDRAW template • .cmx — Corel presentation exchange OPEN FILES YOUR WAY • “Open in…” from Files, Mail, cloud drives, or other apps • Pick a file from the in-app file chooser • Reopen from your recent files list • Documents can open in place when supported by iOS—your originals stay where you saved them VIEW & NAVIGATE • Multi-page documents with a page switcher • Pinch to zoom, drag to pan, double-tap to fit the page • Document sidebar: version, page size, title, author, fonts, and more • Built-in thumbnail preview when the file provides one • Light, dark, and system appearance EXPORT & SHARE • Share or save the current page as SVG, PNG, or PDF • Export all pages to a single PDF • Use the system share sheet to send results to Mail, Files, or other apps BROAD VERSION COVERAGE Designed around the industry-standard libcdr engine with an in-app fallback parser. Typical support spans legacy CDR 7 through modern containers including X4/X5/X6+ ZIP-based files and many X8-era documents. Very new or highly complex files may show partial content; see limitations below. BUILT FOR iOS • Native UI with layouts tuned for phone and tablet • Works offline after the file is on your device • No account required IMPORTANT NOTES • Viewer only: this release focuses on opening, inspecting, and exporting—not desktop-class editing inside CorelDRAW. • Rendering fidelity varies by file version and features (advanced text, some pattern fills, or uncommon effects may appear simplified or as placeholders). • Some X6+ and newer files with external data streams may not render every object until support improves in a future update. • For best text display, fonts used in the design should be installed on your device where possible. PRIVACY Files you open are processed on your device. The app does not require you to upload documents to our servers to view them. LEGAL CorelDRAW® is a registered trademark of Corel Corporation. CDR Viewer Reader is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Corel Corporation. Questions or sample files that do not open as expected? Use the support link on this App Store page—we welcome feedback to improve compatibility.

Screenshots

CDR Viewer Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: CDR Viewer Reader at 100% against Adobe Illustrator's 13%. CDR Viewer Reader also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (daily vs every 2 months). On price and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Adobe Illustrator ships an update every 2 months, CDR Viewer Reader daily. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Adobe Illustrator versus CDR Viewer Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAdobe IllustratorCDR Viewer Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (38K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews13.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings38K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS14.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size856 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdobe Inc.Hefei Yunyilian Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd

Customer experience

Adobe Illustrator

All ratings36,153 ratings
Positive87.7%
Neutral3.9%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews545 reviews
Positive13.2%
Neutral14.5%
Negative72.3%

CDR Viewer Reader

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

CDR Viewer Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Adobe Illustrator

Subscriptions4
  • 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
Show 1 more
  • Adobe Design Mobile: Yearly1 Month trial$149.991 Year
None

CDR Viewer Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Adobe Illustrator free?
Adobe Illustrator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CDR Viewer Reader free?
CDR Viewer Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Adobe Illustrator or CDR Viewer Reader have ads?
Neither Adobe Illustrator nor CDR Viewer Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Adobe Illustrator or CDR Viewer Reader?
Adobe Illustrator ships an update every 2 months, and CDR Viewer Reader daily. Most recently, Adobe Illustrator was updated on October 21, 2026 and CDR Viewer Reader on October 17, 2026.

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