Graphic Design Software

Adobe Illustrator vs Penpot

Both are graphic design software. The short answer: choose Adobe Illustrator if you are logos, icons and vector illustration; choose Penpot if you are open-source UI design and prototyping.

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Adobe Illustrator logo Adobe IllustratorPenpot logo Penpot
Best forLogos, icons and vector illustrationOpen-source UI design and prototyping
Free planNo (trial may exist)Yes
PricingSee providerSee provider
Built for IndiaGlobalGlobal
CategoriesGraphic Design SoftwareGraphic Design Software
Strengths
  • Industry standard for vectors
  • Print-ready output
  • Free and open source
  • Self-hostable
Watch out for
  • Subscription
  • Learning curve
  • Smaller plugin ecosystem than Figma
Visit Adobe IllustratorVisit Penpot

Which should you choose?

Adobe Illustrator: Professional vector graphics software.

Penpot: Open-source design and prototyping platform.

The best way to decide is to run the same week of real work through both — most offer a free plan or trial — and compare how long tasks take, what your team prefers, and the total cost for your number of users including renewal pricing.

Not sure either fits? See all graphic design software compared.