Vector Magic vs Illustrator: Which Is NOT Worth Your Efforts?

By Ann Young 5 days ago, Apps and Software

Being involved in graphic design, I frequently work on raster images that I have to convert to vector format to achieve specific results, so I decided to pit Vector Magic vs Illustrator to see which tool is better suited for my needs and maybe help you in this issue.

Vector Magic’s automatic tracing feature is perfect for doing conversions, but that’s the only task this software can perform, unfortunately.

If I’m dealing with a large-scale project that requires storyboarding or making an animated video, I need a more feature-packed solution. Illustrator is a lot more versatile, as it comes with drawing tools that let me sketch out concepts and visualize the ideas I have in my head.

Final Verdict:

If you’re an aspiring graphic designer, I suggest starting with Illustrator. This drawing software is capable of creating intricate illustrations that can be used for animations, advertising materials, prints, site UI elements, and banners – all thanks to the wide selection of available tools.

Head To Head Comparison

vector magic vs illustrator battle
vector magic logo
Vector Magic

illustrator logo
Illustrator

Rating

★★★★☆ 4/5

★★★★☆ 4.5/5

Best For:

Conveniently converting bitmap images into vectors

Designing detailed illustrations and handling complex shapes and lines

Free Trial

✔️

Price

$5.49/month

$22.99/month

Platforms

Windows, Mac, Web

Windows, Mac

What Is Vector Magic?

vector magic interface

Vector Magic lets me conveniently convert raster pictures into scalable vector illustrations that I can easily resize without lowering their quality. This process is similar to vectorizing an image in Illustrator, only here it’s done automatically. The provided auto-tracing tool allows me to avoid having to perform the entire process manually while delivering clean, professional results.

Meanwhile, the customizable color settings and segmentation parameters allow me to personalize and enhance my images as I see fit. Sadly, I had to deal with some compatibility problems when converting files that have a large number of different hues.

For example, when processing a color-rich photo into a vector graphic, I found that some tones weren’t converted accurately, making the final image look less detailed and realistic.

What Is Illustrator

illustrator interface

Illustrator is a terrific choice that I use to design stunning illustrations for comics, marketing campaigns, and different multimedia projects. Its vast functionality includes the Pen Tool, Type Tool, Shape Tool, Pathfinder Tool, Color Palette, Gradient Tool, and Layers, which can all be instrumental in crafting pro-quality designs.

I can also integrate Illustrator with other Adobe tools to enjoy a seamless transition between different software when working on complex visual projects. Probably the only drawbacks of this tool is that it takes up a lot of space on your hard drive and requires a subscription.

However, if you’re working on a lot of graphic design projects, the paid plan is more than worth it.

Features Comparison

vector magic logo
Vector Magic

illustrator logo
Illustrator

Vectorization

Cutting-edge automated tracing

Manual and automated tracing

Drawing tools

✔️

Editing tools

Basic

Advanced

Batch processing

✔️

✔️

AI tools

✔️

Retype

✔️

Curvature tool

✔️

Scale tool

Limited

Different scaling features and presets

Vector Magic is fantastic at quickly transforming raster illustrations into beautiful vector files without any effort required on your part. It offers impressive automated functionality and delivers solid results, covering all your basic vectorization needs.

Meanwhile, Illustrator provides a broad selection of cutting-edge features for designing stunning visual assets and illustrations while also offering accurate edge processing and font recognition. I followed some online Illustrator tutorials to learn how to design logos and create storyboards for my projects. Its drawing functionality has allowed me to make intricate illustrations that satisfy all my quality requirements.

Price

vector magic logo
Vector Magic

illustrator logo
Illustrator

Free Trial

✔️

Paid Plan

$5.49/mo

$22.99/mo

Best Offer 

Desktop Editing
Single-time fee
$295

Creative Cloud All Apps
Over 20 applications included
$59.99/month

Compatibility

vector magic logo
Vector Magic

illustrator logo
Illustrator

Windows

✔️

✔️

Mac

✔️

✔️

Linux

Web

✔️

Support

vector magic logo
Vector Magic

illustrator logo
Illustrator

Email

✔️

✔️

Live

✔️

Community

✔️

Phone

✔️

Alternatives

  • sketch logo
    Sketch
    $12/mo
  • inkscape logo
    Inkscape
    Free
  • coreldraw logo
    CorelDRAW
    $36.58/mo
  • affinity designer logo
    Affinity Designer
    $69.99
  • vectr logo
    Vectr
    Free

Final Thoughts: Overall Winner

Even though Vector Magic is a great option for fast bitmap to vector conversions, Illustrator is still the winner of this whole battle due to its superior versatility. Honestly, you can’t even compare these both tools.

I can use Illustrator for storyboarding and creating illustrations for animated videos while also integrating it with other Adobe tools like InDesign, meaning I don’t need to pay for other third-party software when tackling large-scale projects.

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