Adobe Illustrator vs Penpot

Adobe Illustrator8.9Visit Penpot8.8Visit

Higher score Adobe Illustrator #5 in Designing Solutions 8.9/10 7-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 4 features Visit site

vs

Penpot #6 in Designing Solutions 8.8/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Penpot

• Adobe Illustrator fits best

  Professional vector illustration and artwork

• Penpot fits best

  Teams sharing UI design and prototyping work

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Adobe Illustrator 8.9/10 Visit ↗	Penpot 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.8
Ranking	#5 in Designing Solutions	#6 in Designing Solutions
Best for	Professional vector illustration and artwork	Teams sharing UI design and prototyping work
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	$7/user/mo
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	7 days	14 days
Free trial length	7 days · card required	14 days
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS	Web
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Integrations	4 integrations	3 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Adobe Illustrator 1/4 · Penpot 1/4
Real-time collaboration	—	✓ (best)
Interactive prototyping	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Vector editing	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Templates included	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Primary design type	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Supported platforms	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Cloud storage	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Draw and edit paths, combine shapes, and create complex vector artwork. Supports typography, tracing, recoloring, gradients, and 3D effects. Works with Adobe Stock, Fonts, Creative Cloud Libraries, and Firefly.	Real-time collaboration, reusable components, and shared libraries Responsive CSS Flex and Grid layouts with interactive prototypes Open source, with cloud and self-hosted deployment options
Cons	There is no free plan; access is paid. The 7-day free trial requires a card. Shared-document collaboration is asynchronous, not real-time.	No desktop app; the listed platform is web Unlimited costs $7 per editor monthly, while Enterprise is $25 per member monthly Private Server calls for dedicated private infrastructure management
Our verdict	Adobe Illustrator is vector graphics software for creating scalable logos, icons, illustrations, typography, packaging, and web graphics. Its drawing, editing, and effects tools suit professional illustrators and designers who need precise… Read the review →	Penpot brings interface design, prototyping, and developer inspection into a web-based workspace for designers, developers, and product teams. Its open-source design files use SVG, while responsive CSS Flex and Grid layouts support… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Adobe Illustrator — where it wins

  • Draw and edit paths, combine shapes, and create complex vector artwork.
  • Supports typography, tracing, recoloring, gradients, and 3D effects.
  • Works with Adobe Stock, Fonts, Creative Cloud Libraries, and Firefly.

  Where it doesn't

  • There is no free plan; access is paid.
  • The 7-day free trial requires a card.
  • Shared-document collaboration is asynchronous, not real-time.

• Penpot — where it wins

  • Real-time collaboration, reusable components, and shared libraries
  • Responsive CSS Flex and Grid layouts with interactive prototypes
  • Open source, with cloud and self-hosted deployment options

  Where it doesn't

  • No desktop app; the listed platform is web
  • Unlimited costs $7 per editor monthly, while Enterprise is $25 per member monthly
  • Private Server calls for dedicated private infrastructure management

• Adobe Illustrator8.9/10 · 7-day trial

  A deep vector toolkit for professional artwork, with paid plans and asynchronous collaboration.

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• Penpot8.8/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  A collaborative, open-source design workspace with responsive layouts and developer inspection.

  Visit PenpotFull verdict →