How to Buy Adobe Illustrator in 2023 (Free Download or Subscribe)

Knowing how to buy Adobe Illustrator is essential for anyone undertaking vector graphic editing and design.

Adobe Illustrator has quickly become the best software for creating drawings, illustrations and artwork using a Windows or MacOS computer.

Now with the iPad Illustrator app, you can design anywhere, working seamlessly across your devices keeping everything in sync.

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You’re no longer able to buy Adobe Illustrator CS6 outright in 2023 since Illustrator is now a subscription software, part of the Creative Cloud ecosystem.

Subscribing to Illustrator offers numerous benefits, such as online backups, cloud storage, cross-device sharing, free assets, Adobe Fonts and more.

Let’s take a closer look at how to get your hands on this amazing vector graphics editor.

What is the Cheapest Way to Get Adobe Illustrator?

These are the 3 ways to buy Illustrator in 2023:

Illustrator Plan
Creative Cloud All Apps
All Apps Plan for Students & Teachers

You can also download a free Illustrator trial here >>

1. Illustrator Single App Plan – Best Value For Most Users

just-illustrator

If you want to download Adobe Illustrator with none of the other major Adobe software, this is the best option – get it here >>

The Illustrator plan includes :

Adobe Illustrator – for all your illustration, drawing, painting, typography and graphic design needs.
100GB of cloud storage – backup and share your illustrations.
Step-by-step tutorials – world-class artists show you their creations and teach you new techniques.
Adobe Express – task-based web and mobile app allowing you to make multimedia content, social media posts and marketing materials.
Adobe Portfolio – build a free website portfolio to show off your illustrations and designs.
Adobe Fonts – choose from a huge library of licensed fonts.
Behance – access to a thriving community of creatives to get feedback and sell your work.
Creative Cloud Libraries – download new assets for your illustrative projects.

The Illustrator Single App Plan doesn’t include Lightroom, Photoshop, Premiere Pro or any of the other Adobe Apps.

Most people won’t need any additional creative apps for their illustration and vector graphics requirements.

Purchasing Adobe Illustrator gives you all the tools for basic and advanced vector graphics manipulation you can even download a free 7-day trial to try it out.

2. Creative Cloud All Apps Plan – Best For Power Users

allapps

For users who need more than just Adobe Illustrator, the Creative Cloud All Apps plan is great value for money – get it here >>

You get access to over 20 apps for photography, video, design, web, UX and social media, plus integrated essentials like colour palettes, font families and an enthusiastic community of creatives.

It’s likely that professional illustrators will require Adobe software such as Adobe Photoshop or even After Effects – to be able to download these popular apps, you’ll need the All Apps plan.

Other video/photo-related apps included in the Creative Cloud All Apps plan are:

Adobe Premiere Pro – an excellent desktop video editing software for Mac and Windows.
100GB Cloud Storage – allows you to backup, share and edit across all your devices.
Adobe After Effects – used to create all types of visual effects and motion graphics, from animating movie titles to creating VR videos.
Adobe Audition – professional Adobe tools to record, edit, mix and restore audio files for videos, podcasts and sound effects.
Adobe Behance – a social media site/app dedicated to creators who want to share and sell their creative work.
Frame.io – powerful review (feedback) and collaboration tool for lightning-fast media sharing, direct camera to cloud transfers and multiple consecutive projects.
Adobe Bridge – a media management program to categorise and edit files in conjunction with other Adobe apps.
Adobe Lightroom – the number one image editing software for all your photo editing, organisation and storage needs.
Adobe Media Encoder – used with Premiere Pro and After Effects to render videos, compressing and converting formats for universal use.
Adobe Photoshop – the best graphic design software and image manipulation tool, period. Here’s how to download Photoshop for free.
Adobe Portfolio – free online portfolio and website building software that you can use to showcase your creative work.
Adobe Fonts – an online service that gives you access to an enormous font library with fonts you’re free commercially or for personal projects to use under a single licensing agreement.

For power users, business owners and agencies who require more than just Adobe Illustrator for their creative needs, the All Apps plan is a perfect choice.

If you consider that you’re getting 20 more useful apps and software for less than twice the price of the Illustrator (Single App) Plan, it’s really good value for money.

Also, if you’re a videographer and want to buy Adobe Premiere Pro, it makes sense to upgrade to the All Apps plan so you can also use Adobe Illustrator as well.

3. Creative Cloud All Apps Plan for Students & Teachers

students

This plan includes all the same 20+ apps as the regular All Apps plan – the key difference is that you get a big discount – get it here >>

In fact, if you’re a student or a teacher, you can get all the desktop software, mobile apps and web services for less than a standard single app subscription!

For anyone in education, buying Adobe Illustrator as part of the All Apps plan is a complete no-brainer!

Click here to check whether you’re eligible to get the discount.

How Much Does it Cost to Buy Adobe Illustrator?

Adobe Illustrator costs US$20.99/month for individuals and US$35.99/month per license for teams.

Illustrator is also available as part of the Creative Cloud All Apps plan, which includes over 20 other apps for creatives such as Photoshop.

If you’re a teacher or a student, you can get the same All Apps plan at a discount.

How much does Illustrator cost a year?

If you pay for an annual subscription upfront, Adobe Illustrator costs $239.88.

This works out to $19.99 per month, which is a dollar less than if you paid monthly.

Can I just buy Illustrator?

Since Adobe Illustrator is subscription software, it’s not possible to buy it outright – Adobe doesn’t offer any Lifetime Licenses.

Is there a free version of Illustrator?

Yes, there’s a 7-day free trial version of Adobe Illustrator available to anyone.

Click on the Free Trial option of the Adobe Website here.
Select any plan (don’t worry, you won’t be charged provided you cancel before the trial period ends.)
Enter your email ID and payment details.
After your 7-day free trial ends, your Adobe Creative Suite membership will continue, unless cancelled before the free trial ends.

Can I download Adobe Illustrator without Creative Cloud?

You’ll need to download Premiere Pro, and then uninstall Creative Cloud (see guide). However, the CC is needed for stable use of the Adobe software.

Are there any Adobe Illustrator Discounts?

There are currently 2 ways to get a discount on Illustrator. The first is to check here on the Adobe special offers page which occasionally features Adobe Illustrator discounts. The other way is if you are a student or teacher and sign up for the Students & Teachers Creative Cloud Apps plan.

Where can I download Illustrator CS6?

Adobe Illustrator CS6 is now a discontinued software version and is no longer available to download. All Adobe products are now part of the Creative Cloud Apps ecosystem which is a mixture of free software and apps and those only available in a subscription plan The subscription model means you’re getting all the latest graphic design features, advanced functions and regular updates.

Do I need Photoshop and Illustrator?

If you’re starting with an image, Photoshop is generally recommended. Illustrator can then be used in conjunction with Photoshop in order to add things like logos, vector graphics and hand-drawn lettering.

Which is Better: Photoshop or Illustrator?

Illustrator is best for graphical illustrations while Photoshop is more for photo-based work. Their features overlap slightly, but it’s best to use them both together for an entire creative editing experience. See here for Illustrator alternatives.

Is Illustrator on iPad?

illustrator-ipad

Yes – you can download the Illustrator for iPad app here and design anywhere, working seamlessly across your devices while keeping everything in sync. You can also bring in images from Adobe Photoshop on the iPad and easily access your colour palettes in Creative Cloud Libraries.

Recent Adobe Illustrator Updates

December 2022 release (version 27.1)

Taper and twist 3d objects
Preview color, and opacity in real-time
Convert bullets, and numbering to text

Illustrator on the iPad: October 2021 release (version 2.0)

Blend objects – Create unique blends with objects using the Blend tool and give your designs an artistic touch.
Vectorize (Technology Preview) raster images – Convert raster images or sketches to vector art and edit the object and its paths with ease.
Transform shapes with the Shape transform tool – Analyze and modify similar lines and curves within complex shapes using the Shape transform tool.
Stylize paths with the Paintbrush tool – Give your art a hand-drawn feel using the Paintbrush tool. Create cool calligraphies, artistic designs, and personalize your brushes.
Share for commenting – Share a link to your Illustrator document with anyone. View, review and share comments to stay on the same page.
Place linked cloud documents – Work with linked PSD Creative Cloud files in Illustrator on the iPad. Relink, update, or embed to work on the file.
Rulers and Guides – Position and align text and graphic objects with precision using rulers and guides.
Capture colours – Choose and add solid colours to your swatches using the built-in camera powered by Adobe Capture.

(Source: Adobe)

Final Recommendations

If you only require Illustrator for your vector graphics editing needs, the Single App plan is best for you. You can always upgrade to the All Apps plan if necessary.

If you want to get a bit more creative with your illustrations, you’ll need Adobe After Effects, which means you’ll need the All Apps plan which includes AE and all the other apps.

If you’re a student or teacher, the answer is simple – get the Adobe All Apps plan for students and teachers to get a discount on Illustrator and gain access to all the other excellent Adobe apps.