CorelDRAW vs Adobe Illustrator

by Gralio Mar 10, 2025

CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator are powerful design tools catering to different needs. CorelDRAW offers a broader toolset and a perpetual license, making it attractive for budget-conscious users seeking diverse design capabilities. Adobe Illustrator excels in vector graphics editing and seamlessly integrates with the Adobe Creative Cloud, making it the industry standard for professional designers.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 6919 reviews and 60 websites, saving 1 day, 14 hours, 56 minutes of reading.

CorelDRAW

Website LinkedIn Twitter

Adobe Illustrator

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is a professional design software offering tools for vector illustration, layout, photo editing, and typography. Used by individual designers and teams globally, CorelDRAW helps users create graphics for various projects. It aims to provide a comprehensive and efficient design solution, enabling users to produce high-quality visual content.

Adobe Illustrator is the industry-standard software for creating vector graphics. It's used by designers to create illustrations, logos, and other artwork for print, web, and video. Unlike raster images, vector graphics can be scaled to any size without losing quality. This makes Illustrator ideal for creating designs that will be used at various sizes, such as logos and illustrations. Illustrator offers a wide range of tools and features, including tools for drawing, typography, and color.

Summary

Main difference

CorelDRAW is a comprehensive design suite offering vector illustration, layout, photo editing, and typography tools, ideal for diverse design projects and budget-conscious users with its perpetual license. Adobe Illustrator focuses primarily on vector graphics creation and is the industry standard, deeply integrated with the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, making it better for professional designers within the Adobe ecosystem.

Relative strengths of CorelDRAW (compared to Adobe Illustrator)

Comprehensive design suite with diverse tools beyond vector graphics (layout, photo editing, typography).
Perpetual license offers cost savings over time compared to subscription models.
Wide range of file format compatibility.

Relative weaknesses of CorelDRAW (compared to Adobe Illustrator)

Steeper learning curve and less intuitive interface compared to Illustrator.
Limited integration with other design software outside the Corel suite.
Less robust vector editing capabilities for complex illustrations compared to Illustrator.

Who should use CorelDRAW VS. Adobe Illustrator

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is a versatile graphic design software catering to diverse design needs, from vector illustration and layout to photo editing and typography. Praised for its wide-ranging features and customization options, it also faces criticism for its steep learning curve and occasional instability. Ideal for businesses of all sizes seeking a comprehensive design solution.

Adobe Illustrator is the industry-standard vector graphics software empowering designers to create scalable artwork. Praised for its precise tools and seamless integration with Adobe Creative Cloud, it's ideal for illustrations, logos, and other marketing materials. However, some users find it resource-intensive and challenging to learn.

Best for small to medium businesses (1-100 employees), but suitable for larger enterprises.
Suitable for various industries including healthcare, finance, e-commerce, retail, and more.

Ideal for small businesses, medium businesses, and large enterprises (1-1000+ employees).
Suitable for various industries, including healthcare, finance, e-commerce, retail, and more.

CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Artboards

Not supported

CorelDRAW supports multi-page documents but not artboards.

Supported

Illustrator supports artboards for multiple designs or pages within a file.
Artistic effects

Supported

CorelDRAW allows applying various artistic filters and effects, including special effects for bitmaps and art strokes.

Supported

Illustrator supports applying artistic filters to stylize designs.
SVG export

Supported

CorelDRAW supports exporting artwork to SVG format.

Supported

Illustrator supports exporting artwork to SVG format.
Pen tool

Supported

CorelDRAW offers a pen tool for precise curve drawing with anchor points and handles.

Supported

Illustrator supports the Pen tool for precise curve drawing with anchor points and handles.
AI import/export

Supported

CorelDRAW supports importing and exporting AI files.

Supported

Illustrator fully supports importing and exporting AI files.
SVG import/export

Supported

CorelDRAW supports importing and exporting SVG files.

Supported

Illustrator supports importing and exporting SVG files.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

-0.5

Rather negative sentiment

-0.76

Strongly negative sentiment
Customer Service

No data

+0.33

Rather positive sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.68

Rather positive sentiment

+0.48

Rather positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

-0.26

Neutral sentiment

+0.08

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Implementation

-0.33

Rather negative sentiment

-0.5

Rather negative sentiment
Scalability

-0.33

Rather negative sentiment

+0.88

Strongly positive sentiment

CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Rather negative

-0.5

We couldn't find a pricing page for CorelDRAW.

No data

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-0.76

See full Pricing page

CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator review insights

6919 reviews analysed from and

Users love

Versatile tool for vector illustration, layout, and graphic design.
Extensive customization options for workspace and tools.
Wide range of file format compatibility.
Relatively affordable compared to other professional design software.
Intuitive drawing tools, especially for vector creation.

Precise and scalable vector graphics
Versatile tools for drawing, typography, and color
Seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps
Industry-standard software with wide range of features
Customizable workspace and tools

Users dislike

Difficult to use for novice users.
Software crashes and hangs frequently, leading to lost work.
Steep learning curve, especially for advanced features.
Limited photo editing capabilities compared to dedicated software.
Outdated user interface.

Difficult to learn for new users
Resource intensive, can cause lag and crashes
High subscription cost
Limited raster editing capabilities
Occasional bugs and glitches

CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator Ratings

G2

4.3/5

(515)
Capterra

4.5/5

(1471)
Glassdoor

3.3/5

(191)

G2

4.6/5

(2484)
Capterra

4.8/5

(2449)
Glassdoor

4.3/5

(10097)

Company health

Employee growth

2% decrease in the last year

3% decrease in the last year

Web traffic

18% increase in the last quarter

1% increase in the last quarter

Financing

No data

April 1984 - $3M

How do CorelDRAW's photo editing tools compare to Illustrator's?

CorelDRAW, while offering some photo editing tools through Corel PHOTO-PAINT, is not primarily a photo editing software. Illustrator has very limited raster-based (photo) editing capabilities and is focused on vector graphics. For extensive photo editing, dedicated software like Photoshop would be a better choice than either CorelDRAW or Illustrator.

Which product offers a smoother, less crash-prone user experience?

Adobe Illustrator, while also having occasional bugs and glitches mentioned, appears to offer a smoother experience than CorelDRAW. CorelDRAW users specifically cite frequent crashes and hangs leading to lost work, a problem not highlighted to the same degree in Illustrator user reviews.

What are the advantages of CorelDRAW?

CorelDRAW offers a perpetual license option, potentially saving costs long-term compared to Adobe Illustrator's subscription model. Users praise CorelDRAW's intuitive drawing tools and versatile feature set encompassing vector illustration, layout, photo editing, and typography, making it a comprehensive solution. It also boasts wide file format compatibility, including PSD and SVG support.

What are the disadvantages of CorelDRAW?

CorelDRAW's disadvantages include a steep learning curve, making it challenging for beginners. Users have reported frequent crashes and software instability leading to lost work. The photo editing capabilities are considered limited compared to dedicated photo editing software, and some users find the user interface outdated.

Alternatives to CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator

CorelDRAW Technical Suite X7

CorelDRAW Technical Suite X7 is a technical illustration software that combines 3D CAD manipulation with tools to create detailed technical drawings and documentation. It's suitable for architects, engineers, and technical illustrators who need to produce precise and visually appealing technical materials. The software stands out by integrating powerful design tools with technical illustration features, aiming to streamline technical drawing creation.

Inkscape

Inkscape is a free design program for creating professional-quality graphics. It offers flexible drawing tools, works with various file types, and boasts a powerful text tool. Inkscape is a popular choice for both individuals and businesses looking for a versatile and accessible design solution.

Affinity Designer

Affinity Designer is professional graphic design software for creating illustrations, logos, and marketing materials. It's known for its speed, wide range of features, and ability to handle complex designs smoothly. Affinity Designer offers both vector and raster design capabilities in one package and is compatible with both Mac and Windows. Unlike subscription-based design software, it requires only a one-time purchase.

Canva

Canva is a user-friendly design platform that makes it easy to create professional-looking visuals. It offers a wide range of templates and design tools, including a library of stock images, videos, and fonts. Canva can be used to create social media graphics, presentations, marketing materials, and more. Its drag-and-drop interface and intuitive features make it suitable for users of all skill levels, even those without prior design experience. Canva's focus on simplicity and ease of use has made it a popular choice for individuals and businesses alike.

Gravit Designer

Gravit Designer is a free graphic design tool that specializes in vector graphics. It allows you to create designs with scalable elements that retain their quality at any size, making it suitable for logos, illustrations, and marketing materials. It offers features like SVG editing, presentation tools, and customizable document sizes.

Mega Creator

Mega Creator is a free web-based design tool offering a vast library of icons, illustrations, photos, and design elements. It provides simple drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy for non-designers to create graphics for social media, presentations, or marketing materials. Mega Creator also incorporates AI-powered tools for background removal, image upscaling, and generating unique illustrations or faces.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

How are we doing?

Is this information helpful to you? Is there anything we are missing?

Did this help you select your product?

Other issues? Vote & Let us know