Adobe FreeHand vs Xara Designer Pro

Struggling to choose between Adobe FreeHand and Xara Designer Pro? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Adobe FreeHand is a Photos & Graphics solution with tags like vector, illustration, drawing, design.

It boasts features such as Vector drawing and illustration, Page layout and design, Typography, Color separation, Print production tools, PDF support, ActionScript support, Animation and interactivity and pros including Powerful drawing and design tools, Integration with other Adobe products, Industry standard for print design, Large user community and resources.

On the other hand, Xara Designer Pro is a Photos & Graphics product tagged with illustration, layout, tracing, photo-editing, web-design.

Its standout features include Vector illustration tools, Page layout tools, Photo editing tools, Web design tools, Support for unlimited layers, Live guides and snapping, Shape recognition and auto tracing, Gradient and pattern fills, Text styling and formatting, Import/export various file formats, and it shines with pros like Intuitive drag-and-drop interface, Powerful drawing and editing tools, Affordable one-time license cost, Fast rendering of vector graphics, Good for print and web design, Active community support.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Adobe FreeHand

Adobe FreeHand

Adobe FreeHand was a vector graphics editor and designer software for creating illustrations, layouts and typography. It was developed by Macromedia and later acquired by Adobe Systems.

Categories:
vector illustration drawing design

Adobe FreeHand Features

  1. Vector drawing and illustration
  2. Page layout and design
  3. Typography
  4. Color separation
  5. Print production tools
  6. PDF support
  7. ActionScript support
  8. Animation and interactivity

Pricing

  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Powerful drawing and design tools

Integration with other Adobe products

Industry standard for print design

Large user community and resources

Cons

Steep learning curve

Expensive subscription model

Lacks some features of Illustrator

No longer actively developed


Xara Designer Pro

Xara Designer Pro

Xara Designer Pro is a vector graphics editor for Windows that is aimed at both professional and novice users. It has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and provides tools for illustration, layout, tracing, photo editing, and web design.

Categories:
illustration layout tracing photo-editing web-design

Xara Designer Pro Features

  1. Vector illustration tools
  2. Page layout tools
  3. Photo editing tools
  4. Web design tools
  5. Support for unlimited layers
  6. Live guides and snapping
  7. Shape recognition and auto tracing
  8. Gradient and pattern fills
  9. Text styling and formatting
  10. Import/export various file formats

Pricing

  • One-time Purchase

Pros

Intuitive drag-and-drop interface

Powerful drawing and editing tools

Affordable one-time license cost

Fast rendering of vector graphics

Good for print and web design

Active community support

Cons

Limited native PDF editing capabilities

No native font management

Less flexible compared to Adobe Illustrator

Lacks some advanced design features

Windows only, no Mac version