Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator 2021 for Windows
Adobe

Adobe Illustrator 2021 is the 25th version and offers a ton of new features including share access and edit cloud documents.

Are you a professional graphic designer or an entrepreneur searching for a robust vector graphic designer? You can get Adobe Illustrator 2021 free download and begin creating vector art immediately.

Adobe Illustrator 2021 offers a ton of advanced features that you’ll be able to preview with this free download. This vector editor is among the most advanced Illustrator versions, and downloading it will help you create beautiful animations, illustrations, and advanced vector photos.

Adobe Illustrator 2021 Download for Windows

Get Adobe Illustrator 2021 for Windows and see what thousands of professional graphic designers use to create unique logos and gorgeous illustrations.

Illustrator 2021 is the 25th version of this software released in June 2021. By downloading Adobe Illustrator 2021, you’ll get a robust set of designing tools and functions.

If you want to download Adobe Illustrator 2021, you can launch the program on a moderately powerful machine. You’ll need a multi-core processor with 64-bit support, at least 8 GB of RAM, and 2 GB of storage space. Monitors that support 1920 by 1080 resolution are recommended.

Adobe Illustrator Features

Illustrator 2021 is the pinnacle of Adobe's software craftsmanship. With version 25.3, users could delete hidden layers, rotate the view, and use the paste test feature without source formatting.

Previous updates to the latest version added moderate tweaks to existing features, such as shared access or edit options on the Illustrator Cloud files, various tweaks to the repeat objects function, and numerous performance improvements.

In 2020, Adobe launched Illustrator 24.0 and four of its updates. Path simplification and file handling components were vastly improved, UI was refreshed, and Cloud documents received additional utility. Load times for Cloud saves, and opening new document windows were also improved, and the most notable addition was the Snap to Glyph feature introduced in the 24.3 updates.

A scalable user interface, a comprehensive Cloud library, and a myriad of shaper tools are among the most valuable features for graphic designers introduced in recent years.

The Illustrator Jason (Creative Suite 3, launched in April 2007) introduced several features that were considered groundbreaking at the time; the Live color, eraser, area crop, improved eraser tool, and the isolation mode are still widely used by professionals.

Some of the staple functions of Adobe Illustrator have been a part of its feature kit for decades, including a broad range of 3D effects, Photoshop layer support, optical formatting features, custom tabs, spell checker, and numerous text-related functions (find, replace, change the font, and such).

The first Illustrator that supported both Windows and Mac OS presented many palette-based features, including transform, align, dock, and more. Illustrator's raster editing functionalities have been steadily updated ever since.

Adobe Illustrator Versions

Download Illustrator 2022 - The most up-to-date version of Adobe's Illustrator is 26.0.2, launched for Mac and Windows in Oct 2021. With this update, Mac users received the Apple M1 Native support. Rotate View is the program's newest feature, along with the ability to delete hidden layers.

Download Illustrator 2020 - Illustrator 24.3 was last updated in August 2020. Snap-to-glyph was introduced for the first time, and objects placed on the canvas could be unlocked. Minor improvements were made to several text alignment features.

Download Illustrator 2019 – 23.0.2 - On the 9th of February 2019, Adobe launched the Illustrator 23.0.2, bringing major performance and stability improvements. This is also the year Adobe dropped the CC designation.

Download Illustrator CC 2019 – 23.0 - On the 15th of October 2018, Adobe launched the Illustrator Creative Cloud 23.0, bringing freeform gradients, trim view, content-aware cropping, global edit, and scalable user interface to the fold. This is the first Illustrator version that supported external graphics cards.

Download Illustrator CC 2018 - CC 2018 came in 2017 and introduced a thousand artboard presets and Properties panels for even more versatility. This was also the first time Illustrator supported MacBook touch bar devices.

Download Illustrator CC 2017 - Although the initial CC 2017 came off of a bumpy ride in 2016, it was patched twice in January 2017, allowing users to locate fonts faster, operate glyphs more intuitively, and access Adobe Stock presets more quickly. Typekit Marketplace was also introduced for the first time.

Download Illustrator CC 2015 - Introduced Adobe Stock preset integration and an array of performance upgrades. File recovery function paired with the new Safe mode helped preserve designer works more reliably while GPU performance boon was more than welcome.

Download Illustrator CC 2014 - In June 2014, Illustrator received the version 18 update, presenting a more comprehensive integration to the acclaimed Creative Cloud platform. Fonts, settings, and onboard color palettes could be synchronized with a click on a button. Brand-new typing functionalities were added, as well as the CSS extraction feature.

Download Illustrator CC - The first Illustrator without a nickname in 25 years, as well as the first subscription-based suite of software compatible with the Illustrator, CC 2013 gave designers a different type of pricing, a fresh set of typing functionalities, and extended range of file placement features. It was updated on the 16th of January 2014, introducing Typekit integration and a revamped pencil tool.

Download Illustrator CS6 - Popularly known as Illustrator Ellora was the first Adobe Illustrator to support 64-bit memory systems. User Interface was revamped, bringing a cleaner outlook, and Image Trace replaced the Live Trace feature. Ellora was the last 'named' Illustrator.

Download Illustrator CS5 - Ajanta was launched in May 2010, introducing strokes with variable width, the bristle brush, Perspective tools, and various minor tweaks to performance. Shape-builder tools were a massive hit and had almost completely replaced Pathfinder tools.

Download Illustrator CS4 - Sonnet was launched in October 2008 and introduced multi-artboards, transparent gradients, blob brush, and live gradient editing. Version 14 also came with support for separation previews and advanced in-palette appearance editing.

Download Illustrator CS3 - The CS3, or Illustrator 'Jason' version brought Flash integration, early versions of the Isolation mode, multiple document profiles, the crop area functionality, and the Live color feature.

Downlaod Illustrator CS2 - The heavily acclaimed Zodiac was one of the most groundbreaking improvements to Illustrator. Version 12 and 12.0.1 came with support for Photoshop layers, Adobe Bridge, and Wacom tablet. Live trace and colorized grayscale effects were also introduced.

Download Illustrator CS - The first Illustrator CS is actually the 11th iteration of the program. This version introduced compatibility of saves with Microsoft Office, support for OpenType functionality, columns, rows, and a variety of unique effects. 

The first version of Creative Studio - Released nearly two decades ago, the original Creative Studio brought an eclectic suite of software designed for professional editing of digital media. After Effects, Bridge, and Photoshop were its main highlights. 

Download Illustrator 10 - After Pavel, Simba, Elvis, Matisse, and Paloma versions, the Pangea Illustrator came and took the market by storm, offering 3D and scribble effects, Microsoft Office sync, optical kerning and margins, configurable columns and rows, dozens of character and paragraph styles, and OpenType support.

Adobe Illustrator Alternatives?

Some graphic designers find Illustrator to be too challenging to use while many beginners who are yet to learn how vector designing tools work typically look for free programs to learn the basics. While the best Adobe Illustrator alternatives may not be as versatile, their features are usually much simpler to use.

Illustrator vs Photoshop

Illustrator can do nearly everything Photoshop is capable of, but not the other way around. Although many enthusiasts may argue that Photoshop feels a bit easier to use, Adobe’s team worked diligently to simplify Illustrator without sacrificing its versatility. As a better-rounded program with drastically more robust features, Illustrator would clearly win.

Check out our in-depth Illustrator vs Photoshop comparison of the two leading graphics and design editing software packages on the market. Or consider downloading Adobe Photoshop 2021 for Windows and compare for yourself side by side.

Illustrator vs CorelDRAW

When it comes to two of the most renowned vector graphics editing programs on the market, picking the right one can be difficult.

For more information, check out this fantastic Adobe Illustrator vs. CorelDRAW 2022 break down. While both are amazing vector graphics editors, they offer vastly different and unique advantages.

Should I Upgrade to Adobe Illustrator 2022?

There are thousands of reasons for upgrading to the latest version of Adobe Illustrator and barely a handful against it. First and foremost, Illustrator has been the leading graphic design software for decades, and Adobe has consistently delivered upon the promise of quality with each new version, patch, and update.

Check out my in-depth article on Adobe Illustrator pricing or download the free Adobe Illustrator trial for 7-days and see what you think for yourself.

Download Adobe Illustrator 2021

As the leading designer program that has been almost uncontested for decades, Adobe Illustrator is the prime choice for seasoned experts and professionals for a good reason.

The benefits this software offers are leagues beyond the advantages of free graphic designer programs; moreover, you can download a free trial before making the final decision.

Software Summary:

You can run Adobe Illustrator on Windows operating systems. Adobe Illustrator is a software product developed by Adobe and it is listed in the category. Adobe Illustrator is licensed as Adobe Illustrator.

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System Requirements

Windows
Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon 64 processor
1 GB of RAM (3 GB recommended) for 32 bit; 2 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended) for 64 bit
2 GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on removable flash storage devices)
1024 x 768 display (1280 x 800 recommended)
To view Illustrator in HiDPI mode, your monitor must support a resolution of 1920 x 1080 or more.
OpenGL 4.x

Optional: To use GPU Performance: an Intel, NVIDIA, or AMD video adapter from those listed below (medium/high-end recommended); 1 GB of VRAM (2 GB recommended); and latest drivers for optimal performance

Alternatives in on Windows