Which is better, Corel Draw or Illustrator?

Corel Draw and Adobe Illustrator is a classic vector graphic program rivalry. Both software is still widely used worldwide by graphic designers and printing production house. Both are capable of creating advanced vector graphics, yeah, everyone knows that.

But if you are a new user, a new learner that standing in front of a divided path between these two software, it will add extra confusion; which vector graphic software should I learn and use for my future jobs?

I have been using Adobe Illustrator for years and also becomes one of my primary software for my work. But I also sometimes use Corel Draw for certain jobs. Then should I think that Adobe Illustrator is better than Corel Draw? Unfortunately, the answer is not that obvious. Here is why.

The main consideration is, it really depends on what you do daily as a graphic designer. 

For vector graphic only, I feel that Corel Draw is more complete and effective than Adobe Illustrator. It is actually funny when I stated above that I use Adobe Illustrator primarily for work. But I say it is true. When I tried Corel Draw sometimes after years of using Adobe Illustrator, there are obviously some great features of Corel Draw which renders Adobe Illustrator way behind the competition. Here is some stuff that I really liked from Corel Draw (currently I tried the 2019 version) that in the current Adobe Illustrator (version 2020) missing or simply not on par.

Adding Nodes and editing curves or bezier in Corel Draw is way faster than Adobe Illustrator. This basic operation is simply where Corel Draw has an absolute edge. I have been using Adobe Illustrator for creating vector graphic designs. Yes, it does the job nicely, but when I tried the Corel Draw node editing tool, I was instantly impressed with how quick and straightforward the process of the creation. When you switch to its Shape Tool, all the essential and necessary tool is presented on the top bar for faster editing. In Adobe Illustrator, you do not have such luxury; you have to browse through the menu or customize the shortcut key to access additional functions.

Creating Symmetrical Artwork is much easier in Corel Draw. There is a dedicated tool to create symmetrical objects in Corel Draw by accessing the Object menu "Symmetry". You can customize the mirroring options in any way you like. 

There is also a cool tool called as "Impact tool" where you can create sunburst effects in an instant and you can also modify the shaping as well.

In Adobe Illustrator? It is a real pain to create this. You will have to use Adobe Illustrator "Transform Effects" and the set-ups is taking quite some time. There is a plugin though for Adobe Illustrator for this effect, but it does not come for free. 

Custom Corner Effects is done better in Corel Draw. I was surprised when playing around with this basic tool in Corel Draw. It is so easy, smooth, and straightforward. You can also modify the corner by using its Shape Tool.

Creating dimension lines is so easy and calculated automatically in Corel Draw. While Adobe Illustrator, if you ever tried to create such lines, you will have to do it in an ancient way. That is, by manually draw a line and input the width or length by adding text frame first. What a waste of time! If you are a packaging design or any other product designs, that Dimension Tool in Corel Draw is instant love for creating measurement lines for die-cut templates.

I believe there will be more features in Corel Draw where Illustrator really lacks. I am currently not using Corel Draw for regular basis but its features are amazing and effective. I think dedicated vector artists love those.

In the next comparison, let's see the pricing of these two vector graphic software. Corel Draw still has perpetual licenses for its Essential, Standard, and Graphic Suite (includes all other Corel graphic apps) type for US$ 155, US$415, and  US$628 respectively. Perpetual license frees you from a monthly subscription plan, where not all designers love it. But Corel also has a subscription model for its Graphics Suite for US$399 annually or US$33.25 monthly which bundled with  Corel Photo-Paint, Font Manager, PowerTrace, mobile apps, and others. Meanwhile, the latest Adobe Illustrator only comes with a subscription model for its standalone app for US$239.88 annually, or if you want other Adobe's creative apps in one pricing just like those in Corel's offer, you have to subscribe to it for US$599.88 annually. 

For standalone app pricing, it is clear that Corel Draw offers more savings. Corel Draw Standard 2020 is only US$415 and it also includes Corel Photo-Paint (quite an equivalent to Adobe Photoshop) and you can use it forever without extra future payments. Meanwhile, Adobe Illustrator is only cheaper for a year.

Then for a graphic designer, Corel Draw is the best vector graphic software? Yes, if you are just doing vector graphics, Corel Draw is the better choice and it brings great value for your money.

But if you are a multidisciplinary graphic designer that is not only doing vector graphics or you work within a team of creatives with different expertise (say, brand identity designer, website designer, motion graphic artist, or even 3D CGI), it is much better to go with Adobe Illustrator. Yes, Corel Draw is much intuitive for vector work, but when you get used to Illustrator, you can always be able to create the same artwork in Illustrator, even though you will need extra clicks here and there in your workflow. 

What's the matter here is that Adobe Illustrator provides more integration with other creative software which Adobe has big guns in those other areas. Adobe Photoshop for editing photographic images, Adobe InDesign for publishing layout designs, Adobe After Effects for motion graphics and video effects, Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing, and etc., all those integrated so well with Adobe Illustrator. For example, if you have a vector illustration in Illustrator format (.ai) and you can animate it directly with After Effects. You can also edit it back in Illustrator and the After Effects will update the animation immediately. It brings efficiency and less time in doing importing-exporting files between multiple creative apps. This is where Corel Draw lacks since its native .cdr file is not read by any Adobe Apps. You will need to convert it into .ai or other files if you need it read by Adobe Apps, which is quite time consuming when you will have some revisions through the process.

What's more, Adobe Illustrator is widely preferred in many corporate companies as graphic designer candidates will be required to master the software. I rarely see Corel Draw is listed as the skills required for candidates in those job vacancy.

So what do you do in your daily creative work? If your work is only creating vector graphics and printing, without extensive photographic editing, and also limited by budget, Corel Draw is the best choice.

But if you work on various projects, and especially working in teams with different expertise in creative fields, it is much better to stick with Adobe Illustrator.