Published on 13 May 2019 | Updated on 11 December 2020
I have been using Photoshop for many years, starting from 6.0, through Creative Suite versions, to the current Adobe Creative Cloud release. The announcement of the Adobe’s new subscription-based software and discontinuation of the CD versions was a big surprise to everybody.
At first, I thought that since I used one of the Creative Suite versions it would be enough for me and I would not spend extra money on cloud subscriptions. But the option to work with the latest version of such great software was tempting. And when I finally downloaded Creative Cloud Installer (download link) and tried the new Photoshop “in the cloud”, I never wanted to go back to the previous version.
Why is Adobe Creative Cloud worth its price?
Let’s start with some advantages of the Creative Cloud subscription over the standard CD installations.
First of all, in 2013, Adobe announced that they would not release new versions for Creative Suite anymore. Users had to face the fact that CS6 would be outdated eventually if it receives no further updates or new versions. It was probably OK for some users, but considering that for $50 a month you get ALL latest versions of ALL apps was a great advantage. You need the Internet connection for the updates but you can still work with Creative Cloud apps offline.
At the time of the Creative Cloud release, Adobe CS6 Master Suite was priced at around $3,000. It included all of the main Adobe products in one package. You could also buy photo editing or video packages for less, or even choose to purchase a single program. Adobe Creative Cloud is around $50 a month so you can use the latest 20+ creative desktop and mobile apps with all its updates for 5 years before you start spending more than the latest CS6 Master Suite would cost you. It gives you some kind of flexibility. Furthermore, you don’t have to use it for 5 years, maybe you’ll need it only for a year or two.
What’s important, Adobe ensured its users, that in case they need to shut down the Creative Cloud service all subscribers would be able to keep the latest version of the software.
How much is Adobe Creative Cloud?
It depends on the plan you pick, the region you are in, or whether you are an individual or buying Creative Cloud for business or education. All sample pricing shown below apply to the US region – other areas may differ in pricing or currency so switch to your region when visiting Creative Cloud website.
If you don’t want to spend $50+ a month for all apps, you can subscribe to:
Creative Cloud Photography Plan: $9,99/month
It includes Photoshop on Desktop and iPad, all-new Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and 20 GB or 1 TB of cloud storage. In the past you would spend around $600 for a physical version of a single app.
Subscribe to Photography Plan now >
Single App: from $9,99 to $20,99 per month
Your choice of one creative desktop app plus 100GB of cloud storage, Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, Adobe Spark and other free tools and features depending on the app you subscribe to.
Buy Single App now >
If you need more than one app, pick one of the following plans:
All Apps: $52,99 a month
Collection of 20+ desktop and mobile apps including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Acrobat, and many more. This Creative Cloud plan comes with 100GB of cloud storage, free Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, Adobe Spark.
Subscribe to All Apps now >
Creative Cloud for Teams:
$33,99/month for Single App plan and $79,99/month for All Apps
These plans come with a bunch of useful features, such as a management console, possibility of sharing assets across all the apps and devices, integration with other vendor’s popular apps, 24/7 technical support and optional 1TB of cloud storage.
Creative Cloud For Education
Student and Teachers save over 60%
Students and teachers can purchase the Creative Cloud All Apps plan for the reduced price of $19.99/month. It as a massive savings compared to the regular price of $52.99/month.
It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or (semi) advanced user. Many tutorials and free templates will help you start and get creative at any level.
Schools and Universities
From $14,99/month for Single App plan and $34,99/month for All Apps
Not only individual students and teachers can save on Adobe plans. Creative Cloud for Education is an option designed for workgroups, departments, classrooms and labs, or even entire institutions.
Easy-to-use Admin Console helps you centrally manage apps and licenses and allocate them to one department or entire institution. You can also easily reassign licenses as students graduate.
With prices starting at $14,99 per single app per user, Adobe Creative Cloud for education will let you save up to 75% of the commercial price. You can purchase per-device licenses for labs and classrooms, as well as named-user licenses for teachers, staff, and students using their own devices.
Add Adobe Stock to your subscription
Each of the above plans comes with an option to add Adobe Stock and get one month free trial with free stock photos.
To learn more about Adobe Stock read our Review. To find out how to download 10 free images without Creative Cloud Subscription read this post.
Why you should try Adobe Creative Cloud
I never thought that switching to Adobe Creative Cloud would make my life much easier in terms of creative design.
Regular updates are a great advantage. In the past days you bought a piece of software (or hardware ;), and a few months later there was a new release announced. You paid a few hundreds for your software and a year later found out that you need to upgrade to stay on top with the latest features. Today, with Adobe releasing updates on regular basis without additional costs you can focus on your workflow, not on your software.
Forget about CDs, you don’t need them anymore for installation or updates. I remember times, when loosing or scratching a CD was a huge problem. You were not able to reinstall anything if your disc got lost or damaged. Now, with the Creative Cloud service you simply install and update any program directly from the Creative Cloud App.
Flexibility is another significant bonus. You can install Creative Cloud service on 3 computers, and use it on 2 at the same time. Anytime you want to use it on the 3rd machine, you just log out from one of the other two. It’s compatible with both Mac and PC. You don’t have to search for a specific version as it was in the case of Creative Suite products. You get over 20 creative apps that work across platforms and devices. Start a project on your desktop, and finish it on your laptop or mobile phone.
So Far So Good…
You can use all your apps offline so you are free to take your computer anywhere you want. And you will update (or upgrade) the apps next time you are connected to the internet.
With each Adobe Creative Cloud plan you get free software, such as Portfolio or Spark. You get access to premium fonts, social media tools and you can share you creative work with others from anywhere.
And finally, Adobe is happy to let potential users purchase the service at discounted price. If your timing is right you can get pretty good Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals.
Still not convinced?
Download Creative Cloud Installer and try any app of your choice for free. To do so, you will need an Adobe ID – if you don’t have it yet visit this page to create one. Free trial should be enough for you to decide if Adobe Creative Cloud is worth its price. Then purchase any plan that suits your demands and budget.
