If you can’t decide who is better in the Adobe Spark vs Illustrator competition, you definitely need to read this article. Despite the fact that these programs are developed by the same company, Adobe Systems, and are used by graphic designers for similar projects, they have their own peculiarities and differences.
Adobe Spark is an online service created for smaller businesses and educational establishments, who are engaged in the production of short video tutorials and one-page websites. There you can find features to make and use logos, captions, templates, filters, GIFs, etc.
Adobe Illustrator is a graphic design software for creating and editing vector graphics. It contains professional tools for free work in the field of web design.
What Is Adobe Spark?
Adobe Spark is actually a mixture of 3 separate Adobe products – Spark Post, Spark Page and Spark Video. You can take advantage of the entire suite from a web browser or download an app for each particular service for work on mobile devices.Adobe SPR is designed to help users create and edit images and posts for Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram. It also contains the necessary instruments to create simple, understandable and eye-pleasing web pages and videos.
The target audience is non-profit enterprises, small businesses and young people.
Adobe Spark: Strengths and Weaknesses
100% functionality. Combining the functions of 3 full-featured services, Adobe Spark is a really appealing product. You can use Spark Page to create one-page websites with all filling displayed when you scroll down. Earlier, this section was called Adobe Slate and it worked as a story application where you could choose images and complement them with corresponding inscriptions. Spark Post is meant for creating graphics that consists of pictures, text, filters, overlays and optimizing your Instagram scheduling. Adobe Spark Video comes in handy when you need to assemble short videos that contain real footage, photos, background sound, etc. The app was built on the basis of Adobe Voice, one of iPad Adobe video editors that appeared in 2014.
User-friendly. Post, Video and Page are really easy to use, and while they can’t replace programs used by the leading content creators, they give regular people the possibility to look respectable on social media. The fact that they are free to use (even though they are developed by Adobe brand) makes them even more appealing for those on a budget.
Amazing templates. Unlike numerous Adobe Spark alternatives, this program allows choosing among a huge variety of adjustable “themes” that come with customizable export sizes and shapes for your projects.
It is possible to personalize each theme to make it match your vision. Not only the Adobe Spark free version allows adding captions and improving the background, but it is also supplied with wonderful palettes and fonts.
Scrolling one-page websites. If you have ever tried to create a website from scratch, you know how tedious the process can be. However, this program allows coping with the task in a stress-free and time-efficient way.
Use the software to build a one-page Spark website with unlimited scrolling. Thus, you can insert as much content as needed. The most pleasant thing about the software is that it optimizes your finished site for numerous devices automatically. You just need to fill in the website.
Photo library. If you need to add photos to your project, you can check Unsplash or Pixabay Photo Libraries (some images may be copyrighted). It is also possible to upload your own images. There are tools and filters for basic photo edits, so use them if needed.
Few customization options. When you open Adobe Spark, namely its logo creation section, you notice that the number of adjustments there is very limited. Actually, you can change only font and its color. Besides, when doing so, you need to cycle through different variants instead of clicking on the fitting one.
Problems with video templates. When you pick the video template you like, you may be instantly redirected to the Graphics section instead of getting right to a video editor though these templates are stored in the video window. This can cause some confusion at first, but once you are used to the program, you’ll see that templates meant for video editing have a small “play” icon in the bottom corner of the thumbnail.
Doesn’t save logo files. I believe that the most frustrating thing about Adobe Spark is that the results of your work disappear when you close the program. I created the account in order to save my creations but that didn’t help.
What Is Adobe Illustrator?
Adobe Illustrator is a modern software for working with vector graphics. Illustrator (AI) helps create eye-catching logos, colorful icons, images and, typography.Adobe Illustrator has a modern customizable interface that allows you to optimize the performance of tasks. It contains a complete suite of multi-functional professional creative tools to save time.
Adobe Illustrator: Strengths and Weaknesses
Multi-functional. Adobe Illustrator CC allows you not only to create pictures based on various primitive images, but also to edit them. It also works with bitmap elements such as images drawn from pixels and photographs. A user can even take a sample of a vector symbol and save it as a bitmap. Later, this object can be used in any new file, which reduces file size and improves manipulation (no need to create a new element every time).
Handy drawing tools. Since Illustrator is a vector graphics software, it has many pro-level instruments for this task. Among them, the most notable are Pixel Perfect, which allows producing accurate web graphics with pixels placed precisely on a grid, and the Puppet Warp tool for performing advanced editing of complex shapes. In addition to purpose-built tools, you can also use regular ones, such as pen, ellipse, rectangle, etc.
Efficient slicing function. Adobe Illustrator CC has slicing and cutting tools that are indispensable if you want to have better control over shapes and lines. There is also the Navigator tab, which contains tools for combining, merging, intersecting, and splitting. I highly recommend testing each feature to understand what results they may bring.
Integration with other Adobe products. If you are a devoted Adobe fan and frequently use Lightroom, Photoshop, or InDesign, then you can make your work even more productive with the help of Illustrator.
Unlike Adobe Illustrator alternatives, this program creates relatively small AI files (on average it is 5-15MB, instead of 100MB). It also supports such formats as JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, EPS, INX, and PDF.
Top-tier plug-ins. Adobe Illustrator download is absolutely justified given the powerful features it offers, which can be further extended by various plug-ins. There are built-in plug-ins and custom ones. The net is full of numerous brushes, icons, and other awesome effects, which are meant to make your workflow quicker and more pleasant.
Doesn’t work on all computers. Illustrator doesn’t work on all OS, only on Windows and Mac. This isn’t relevant for its competitor in the Adobe Spark vs Illustrator battle, which works on tablets and phones.
Not for beginners. Illustrator is quite a complicated program, and its rich functionality is excessive for creating simple images. Besides, it significantly consumes computer resources, which leads to slow operation on weak devices.
Adobe Spark vs Illustrator: Price
If you want to use the full version of Adobe Spark for a month, you need to pay $9.99. The entire year access costs 10 times more, which, in the long run, allows saving the prices of 2 months.
- Adobe Spark Starter Plan - allows using free templates - Free
- Adobe Spark Individual Plan - allows for joint work, use photo library, various templates, and remove Adobe Spark watermark - $9.99/month (First 2 months – $0.00/month)
- Adobe Spark Team Plan - similar to the Individual plan + multiple users under one account+ 24/7 tech support - $19.99/month
If you’ve decided to buy Adobe Illustrator, pay attention to the plans offered by the developer:
- Adobe Illustrator Single App Plan - 100GB of cloud storage, Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark - $20.99/month;
- All Apps Plan - 20+ creative desktop and mobile apps including Illustrator and InDesign - $52.99/month.
If you aren’t sure whether the program is worth spending $20.99 per month on, you can use the Adobe Illustrator Free Trial for a week. It is also a good idea to take advantage of available Adobe discounts to download the program at a reduced cost.
Adobe Spark vs Illustrator – Who Wins?
Adobe Spark is helpful if you want to produce animated clips, web pages and optimized presentations. Since the program is based on AI and UX, it can cater to the needs of many users, who are looking for simple-to-use software for their needs. You can use Adobe Spark for education, business, marketing, and social networks.
Adobe Illustrator is an excellent multifunctional program for working with vector graphics. Typically, Illustrator is used by polygraphers, designers, and graphic designers, who need to illustrate some images or text.
Freebies for Adobe Spark vs Illustrator
To make your work in Adobe Illustrator more productive right after installation, I have prepared a special collection of free fonts for you. It is suitable for all types of photographs, as well as for filling business cards with text, various advertising materials and creating layouts.
