Adobe Illustrator Running Slow on Mac? 5 Quick Fixes [2025]

Is Adobe Illustrator running super slow on your Mac? You’re definitely not alone. Tons of designers have complained about Illustrator taking forever to open, lagging while working on files, or even freezing completely.

In this guide, we’ll explain why Illustrator can slow down on a Mac and walk you through 5 easy fixes to speed things up.

Why Is Illustrator Running So Slow on Mac?

Illustrator is a powerhouse, but that also means it’s a bit of a resource hog. If your Mac doesn’t have enough memory, storage, or if it’s just a bit cluttered, you’ll notice it lagging. Some common reasons for Illustrator running slowly on Mac include:

• Not enough RAM
• Too many Illustrator cache files
• Outdated macOS or Illustrator version
• Lots of apps running in the background eating up resources
• Low disk space
• Mac overheating
• Older hardware (like CPU, GPU, or storage limitations)

How to Make Illustrator Run Faster on Mac

Here are 5 practical ways to help Illustrator run smoother and faster.

1. Quit Other Resource-Hogging Apps

Illustrator loves memory. If you’re running a bunch of apps at the same time, it can slow down or even crash.

So you should check your memory usage and quit any apps that are using a lot of RAM but that you’re not actively using.

1. Open Activity Monitor using Spotlight.
2. Go to the Memory tab to see which apps are using the most RAM.
3. Quit the ones you don’t need right now.

2. Clear Illustrator Cache

Illustrator uses cache files to help speed things up while you work. But over time, these cache files can pile up and actually slow your Mac down.

Clearing them can make Illustrator feel much snappier. You can do this manually, but a safer and easier way is using a cleaning tool like BuhoCleaner, which finds and removes cache files without messing up your work.

Here’s how:

1. Download, install, and launch BuhoCleaner.
2. Click Scan.
3. When the scan finishes, click View Details.
4. Search for Illustrator, select the cache files you don’t need, and click Remove.

3. Free Up RAM and Storage

Low RAM or disk space can make Illustrator feel slow. Freeing up memory and cleaning your hard drive can help a lot.

You can do it manually, but if you want a faster solution, BuhoCleaner can help. Not only can it help you free up RAM with one click, but it can also scan for junk files, old files, and large files to clean up your Mac.

4. Update macOS and Illustrator

Old software can introduce glitches and slow things down. Make sure your macOS and Illustrator are up to date.

To update macOS,

1. Click the Apple menu → System Settings → General → Software Update.
2. Click Update Now or Upgrade Now if an update is available.

To update Illustrator,

1. Open Adobe Creative Cloud on your Mac.
2. Go to the Apps tab.
3. If there’s an update available for Illustrator, click Update.

5. Restart Illustrator or Your Mac

Sometimes, a simple restart can fix minor glitches. Try quitting and reopening Illustrator first. If it’s still lagging, restart your Mac, as this can clear temporary files that might be slowing down Illustrator.

Conclusion

It’s quite common for Adobe Illustrator to run slowly on a Mac. Fortunately, by following the methods above, it should start running smoothly again.

If you want a quick, hassle-free way to free up memory and clean your Mac, BuhoCleaner is a great tool. It can help Illustrator—and your Mac—run as fast as they should.