What You Need to Know Before Signing Up for Adobe’s Creative Cloud

There was a tweet going around this week where a designer was charged $291 to cancel their Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. It's hard to find on their website but buried in their cancellation terms is a penalty fee within the first year of your contract. In this video we go over those terms and conditions so you know what you are signing up for when you subscribe to Creative Cloud.
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[@_ranituran3161]

I love how Adobe is literally pushing people to use and even develop a ton of alternative art software :)

[@fracturedliquidwings]

Affinity Suite gang go woop woop!

[@dnghn.design]

Vectornator is a FREE illustrator alternative on ipad with image tracing ❤️

[@kareemellebany3559]

Affinity software is great for photo and graphics work. Just in case somebody here didn’t hear about it.

[@xartistheinfamousx]

@@fracturedliquidwings woop woop

[@tristengrant]

@@dnghn.design Mac and iOS only.

[@thepickicool97]

Y'all remember when you could pay for a software only once without subscription !?

[@mashley444]

Not so true, the updates for Adobe before the subscription were expensive.

[@justnewz]

yes. I remember and updating was optional.

[@impendio]

Yeah

[@danielu.4957]

Those were the days

[@Numonique]

Still can. Affinity :)

[@Thirsty_Fox]

The elephant in the room is why they insist on subscription models: The software is matured and barely changing anymore. Adobe suite, Microsoft Office, etc. They know people will stop paying for smaller and smaller updates that don't really do anything more, so they want you to pay continuously to use it.

[@bendesignsmedia]

If they just gave us the option to do a subscription with fonts, cloud storage, syncing, updates etc, OR just buy the software at a specific version and keep it like they used to, that would be something. Then they would at least be incentivized to make some good updates as apposed to these micro updates

[@jennhall522]

I pay $8/month CAD for Office at home, and I am COMPLETELY happy to do so. Software needs updating, and people need to be paid to update it. I find $8/mo totally reasonable. Adobe just doesn't get what a price like that could do for their numbers. Not that I'd expect to pay less than $10/mo for any of their products, even though all Americans have that as an option.

[@Favoxhille]

They could but they are just money hungry that's the reality... Take for example Sketch (UX/UI prototyping tool) that cost about 80$ for 1year, you can keep using it after that 1 year but if you're a professional collaborating with other designer you would definetely need to update to make sure your your files are compatible with the ones of your colleagues to be used cloud file managment repositories like Abstract, this could be easily applied with Adobe. Similar story with Cinema 4d where they have milestone versioning, and it probably costs even more than what the adobe creative package was back in the day... But anyway it's not a problem to me since I crack everything that is not given to me by my employer and I don't have a problem with it and to be honest I don't feel the least regret in doing so especially when it's the Adobe cloud.

[@hiddentidesgaming]

Also used to make it harder to make pirated versions.

[@cferracini]

in fact, premiere and after effects are getting worse. Did you know that up to CS6 AE was able to render H264 by itself? Now it's not even an option. You are forced to use Premiere or Encoder to do that. Also, all of the softwares now take so much longer to open compared to cs6, not to mention how some effects from AE and Premiere devolved.

[@WarLordXavier]

Thank god I moved to Clip Studio when I did

[@WildPortraitArtist]

Same. These payment plans are egregious

[@helloabwatson]

Same here, I love Clip Studio paint, highly recommend the one time payment software alternatives.

[@WarLordXavier]

@@helloabwatson Ya, and it doesn't even cost that much

[@WarLordXavier]

Well then again I also payed for zbrush so ya it really doesn't cost that much lol

[@queertales]

Clip Studio for iPad and Android unfortunately is using a subscription model, it's only the Windows and Mac version that's a one time purchase. I'm hoping they keep it this way, but I fear they may follow in Adobe's sullied footsteps.

[@TheTownOfCoal]

What killed Adobe for me was when I was using Photoshop CC for drawing but was having issues, so I went to the website to troubleshoot, where I was then shut down by a customer service rep because "Photoshop isn't a drawing program, it's a photo editing program"

[@PhotoBomber]

Wow

[@MASJYT]

The forums are made of users not customer service reps.

[@frostreaper1607]

Its crazy how many digital artist just ignore this and shell out hunderds of dollars on a software that is inferior and a company that doesnˋt care about them.

[@goblinwisdom]

Can also be used to: Import art and make gif Create animations Clean up linework Create illustrations Clean up scanned illustrations And much more Why someone would tell that is dumb.

[@scottconwell2146]

I've long wanted it to be both; but on their current course? It never will be. Just a model to earn more money, with minimal additional effort, on their part.

[@Vall_Ey]

The software company that really want to get pirated so badly. Bcoz even if you legally become their paid customer, they still didn't respect you.

[@AngelaMerici12]

I wanted to buy photoshop and just could out that they no longer sell the whole program. Just subscriptions. I mean, Adobe is not Netflix. I don't get it.

[@kxrannn.g]

Planning to upgrade my laptop I will be downloading Ps Pr Ae Acrobat pro from monkrus or patch it with genp Even if I have money I won't buy it because dollar rate sucks in my country... If I get paid by using adobe I will buy it

[@Gwenx]

Just a note: This is illegal in Denmark. If you have to pay for a subscription to end, its illegal. If you have to pay for a service that you do not have access to, its illegal. My boyfriend was sweet and payed for a year because he could get a student plan, after a year they changed his plan to the normal, without notifying him, and charged him for another year, we got angry and wanted out, and when they presented us with the fees I wrote them about the Danish laws. As far as I remember they would charge us for the year and our account would be inactive the next month, that is not okay! If i have to pay for a service I have to be able to use it too. I have not seen any other professional services do this, and i will never touch adope again.

[@waiz3ple]

I stop using Adobe since they started this madness. I'm conformable with $100/yr but not $55/m. Adobe is playing the monopoly game that Bitkeeper used to played and that provocation gave birth to git & Github. I know we'll breakout again from this shackle...It's just a matter of time

[@shamimanohar]

Yes, this is unethical, illegal, expensive, and immoral. Shady company. And I thought they are good guys with a suite of decent products. Never buy their annual subscription.

[@danielrobles6503]

It's pure fucking exploitation. I'm in the same situation right now

[@Raor1820]

Kan du fortælle mere om det ? Og hvad gjorde i ? Cannyou tell me more about it and ehat did u do ? I know someone in similar situation

[@Gwenx]

​@@Raor1820 Vi ringede til Forbruger rådet Tænk og spurgte ind til hvad reglerne præcist var på området og så skrev vi en mail til Adopes support. I brevet beskrev vi den "aftale" der blev givet da vi prøvede at opsige vores abbonoment "før tid" hvor vi skulle betale for det resterende år, samt en "bøde" for at opsige abonomentet før tid OG at de lukker adgang til alle deres programmer som jeg altså stadigvæk skulle betale til. Derefter skrev jeg at i følge den Danske lovgivining så er det ulovligt at tage penge for et produkt som jeg ikke har adang til, for det første, derefter må de ikke binde mig i et helt år uden KLAR udmelding og efter meget klar aftale, og jeg som forbruger SKAL kunne trække mig ud uden ekstra omkostninger. Der var vidst nogle flere ting men du som forbruger er meget beskyttet mod den slags handlinger som de praktisere. De gav mig ikke tydelig besked, og da vi gik fra at have studie et tilbud til normal pris, er det ikke lovligt for dem bare at trække pengene, de skal faktisk afslutte "købet" og derefter skal jeg indgå i at lave et nyt, derfor binder det mig slet ikke som kunde. Jeg skrev til sidst at de havde to valg, de gav mig pengene tilbage for det nye år de havde trukket (over 1000+kr) uden omkostninger. Eller jeg tog dem i retten som jeg ville vinde automatisk da det ikke bare er dansk lovgivning men også en lov der gælder i EU. De overførte pengene meget hurtigt... Jeg ville ønske de blev lukket ned i EU dog eller lavede deres business model om så de om ikke andet følger reglerne.. Håber det hjalp!

[@haechi21]

Always paid annually and it's been getting way too expensive. For pro artists who works for the industry, this is a must have. There's no denying that. But for the enthusiast, this has been a very steep price to pay. As a teacher, it's been a downfall for my students to miss out learning Adobe software because the school can no longer have enough funding for the membership. In a fast-evolving digital art, I feel terrible for my students to miss out an opportunity.

[@PomuLeafEveryday]

I think it's time for the industry to start accepting alternatives. It's unreasonable for the entire creative industries to be locked under Adobe's rule. Install GIMP, or Krita. Maybe pay a bit and use Clip Studio Paint which is a much more superior option. I think it would be beneficial to teach these students outside the manipulative Adobe city walls.

[@TomoyoTatar]

@@PomuLeafEveryday those are what I use.

[@haechi21]

@@PomuLeafEveryday True. I do see a good promise on modern apps like procreate and clip studio. But still, so far.. none can match up to what Adobe could offer, and it's difficult for the industry to use alternatives at the moment. My personal wish is to see procreate through different platform other than apple one day.

[@mashtrack4053]

@@haechi21 Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo for PS and Illustrator. DaVinci Resolve + Fusion for Premiere and After Effects

[@Aman_Mondal]

@@haechi21 I mean if it is for the purpose of education then wouldn't the students need to understand how digital art exactly works and not how does Photoshop works?? Also many softwares output the .PSD format now also technically people could just pirate I mean it's not a crime if you don't have any choice

[@ReineGalena]

As much as I miss the extra features 😢 I guess it's a good thing I switched to Affinity and clip studio.

[@cantisanifotografo]

I hate that Clip Studio decided to play the subscription game with the iPad. So I didn’t get it for both my iPad and Mac.

[@Anemomia]

@@cantisanifotografo lớp a man

[@Anemomia]

@@cantisanifotografo lời i3

[@piepie3178]

for me the only thing that missing from AD is shape builder, other than that I'm good

[@FinessenceSL]

What do you think is missing?

[@BunnyRabbit.]

Crack version users: "Hmm interesting!"

[@UrbanAssault]

Fly the flag 🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

[@Zander_08]

You can always pirate adobe products It's always morally correct

[@Favoxhille]

Sometime ago I had an annual license given to me by my employer and when I tried to install Acrobat it failed at the end of the installation. Went back to install the Zii patch for all the adobe collection and never looked back, somehow it felt even more reliable...

[@justadragonnamemarcus1751]

LOL

[@lodhiayush6718]

True brooo

[@JMulvy]

adobe’s price model has always been their biggest flaw and has also always been the main reason why people look and ask for adobe alternatives.

[@imapmpkn]

Or even get cracks

[@pammcclung861]

Subscription has not always been their price model - I remember when you could just buy the software and use it as long as you wanted to (providing your computer and OS could still run it). It was expensive but I always got many, many years out of each version and it was much more affordable for me. I was at an Adobe conference right as they were changing over to the subscription model and boy that was an interesting conference! LOTS of heated discussion among the designers there and very few were in support of this model. I hope the competition can help to rein them in a bit and wake them up to treating their customer base a bit better over time.

[@JMulvy]

@@pammcclung861 Yup, I can only imagine. I remember being in high school when I first started to use PS (circa. 2000), and no one could afford the software. The only option we had was to use the ones on the school computers. However, I didn't realize what expensive was until I got to college and I needed an advance on my student loan to download 3D Studio Max!

[@ajflink]

I will always preach that Adobe is a terrible company with unreasonably pricey software that is definitely not worth the fee. Plus, they demand payment when leaving. Whoever came up with that should be subjected to endless torment. That is absolutely unacceptable.

[@AxisCorpsRep]

*happy krita noises*

[@kbhasi]

Especially because it supports Linux-based desktop OSes! (Adobe CC desktop apps only support Windows and Mac OS)

[@majRFan]

👍. I love that software. So amazing that it's completely free.

[@rohithg4743]

:)) yoss

[@mduardo]

The Virgin Adobe CC vs. The Chad Open-Source art apps

[@JAHDUBProductions]

Haha, right.

[@SNC2319]

“You’ll own nothing and be happy.” Subscription models in a nutshell.

[@JAHDUBProductions]

Slightly different but thats the reason I won't buy the oculus. Locked into Facebook, pay for the games but they can lock you out. "You will own nothing and be happy" is spot on. And the reason I stopped using Adobe software.

[@KuttyJoe]

@@Sandstimes The way I see it, subscribing to Adobe is analogous to renting a building where I sell my products and make money, and subscribing to Netflix is like throwing money into a hole while laughing and enjoying it. I mean, there's nothing wrong with subscribing to services that merely provide entertainment, but how can it be worse to subscribe to the tools of our trade? I'm not a fan of subscribing or renting anything, but I certainly think that Adobe makes a whole lot more sense than Netflix.

[@daveindezmenez]

The only part that works in that model is the "own nothing" part.

[@dadrand0m]

As a professional, I will pay for my software. But aside from that, SAIL THE HIGH SEAS.

[@Belidos3D]

I'm happy to pay for the software, but I'm not happy to keep paying for years for software. I'd happily pay $500 for PS if there were no further fees, but i'm not going to pay $300 a year for however many years i need to use it.

[@JAHDUBProductions]

I'll pay as well. But not Adobe. I would never do subscription either. When I upgraded my whole system a few years ago, I decided not to go with the big rip offs. I ditched pro tools, flash, illustrator, photoshop, etc. There are better options to all. Also, paying alot doesn't mean your going to get the best software. Blender is great. Free. Krita, free.Clip paint is really good. Cheap. And many more. I'll give to those guys.

[@KuttyJoe]

​@@JAHDUBProductions There's nothing better than Photoshop and Illustrator. The closest you can get to Illustrator right now is Coreldraw, which is pretty unreliable and costs about 20 cents less. For Photoshop there is nothing even close to what Photoshop does. There are lots of great options for one thing or another, but nothing has it all in a single program. For example, with Clip Studio Paint, you can paint a picture but you can process it for print. If you're not working in print, you wouldn't be concerned with that or aware of what is required, but Photoshop covers those processes thoroughly. Expensive software has the kinds of features that are needed by professionals and major industry. Cheaper software tends to not go into those areas, but if they did, the software would be more expensive.

[@JAHDUBProductions]

@@KuttyJoe i do have photoshop and illustrator. And corel. Older versions. I don't dislike the software. I dislike the company. I stopped using them because I don't like being locked in to a subscription base that the bigger companies are using now. I do like corel. I don't subscribe to anything. And now that blender has crazy 2d tools, I've been all in on blender. Clip studio does have print quality. It was made for comic book creation. I'm not a professional though. Audio production is my main thing. I just use design to push music. But if I can just buy software, own it, they leave me alone, I leave them alone, work offline and that's it.

[@lynnlogue4265]

loser!

[@final_or]

I absolutely and 100% agree. And things like cancellation fees also prevent folks from signing up.

[@PomuLeafEveryday]

This is exactly why I've had enough of Adobe and encourage anyone I work with to use alternatives.

[@manavgala2361]

@Blind Sighted the affinity suite is the main competitor to adobe’s design suite

[@lindersi]

@@manavgala2361 is there a product like after effects or some animation tool in there?

[@PomuLeafEveryday]

@Blind Sighted For photo editing, I use GIMP. It doesn't have the fancy smart stuff, but you get all the tools to touch up images. For drawing, there's Clip Studio Paint which is my personal favorite, not free, but there's a one time payment, and it's so much cheaper than Adobe CC, and has animation tools. If you want to try something free there's Krita, great brushes, works well, the UI just feels a little jank in places, even has animation tools. I'm also a Galaxy Tab user so I guess I'll throw in Android suggestions. There's also Clip Studio Paint on Android, but only subscription plans are available, still really cheap, like $6 a month. Krita on Android sucks. I use Infinite Painter on Android, cos I don't want to bother with subscriptions. It has a one time payment to unlock everything.

[@PomuLeafEveryday]

@@lindersi There's GIMP for photo editing, and for doing touch ups on your art. Both Clip Studio Paint and Krita have animation tools.

[@ArianneCriseyde]

@@lindersi For vfx, color grading and video editing, there's DaVinci Resolve which is free. I can't vouch for its ability to do motion graphics yet because I can't find any motion graphs to edit keyframe interpolations and curves. (Edit: Oh wait, I just recalled there is a motion editor) For animation, if ToonBoom is beyond your budget, Moho Pro is a good software for character rigging and vector animation.

[@portersblackboard]

I teach at a junior college and I warn my students to be wary of signing up for Adobe CC. They always get tripped up with the paid monthly fee for an annual subscription. I just want them to know what they are actually signing up for and I agree it is not clear. Thanks so much for posting this. Now I can just send them to your video. :) I also hate that I cannot just check a box that says do not auto renew my subscription. I like that to be my conscious decision not a default that will continue after I am dead.

[@21_f_aus]

I agree, they could defo be more clear especially when it comes down to young adults, or people with learning disabilities, they do need to make it a bit more clear, and maybe make it more affordable for schools or add more options for the subscriptions for school... I will still get the annual sub in december, I usually get the photoshop and lightroom monthly but will now get all the apps so I can get better acquainted with the other apps... People just need to go with what they can afford...

[@DavidStruveDesigns]

A big problem is also that Adobe (like a few other companies) did the whole payment model thing backwards. The only reason software should have a subscription system is if it's in relatively early development still, and there are many, many updates needing to be released every year - where a subscription service can provide a steady stream of income to help continue funding daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly MAJOR updates and developments. Once the software matures and significant updates - not just updates for updates sake - slow down (as is the case for Adobe products like Photoshop) the payment model should switch over to one-time payments - with people who had subscriptions no longer needing to pay a single penny more. Security updates should be something companies always provide and should try not to charge for (since they are integral to your product continuing to work as the customer has ALREADY paid it to do). Then you can release major version updates with one-off payments when things like coding language changes, or the operating system people are using changes or some massive new major feature(s) needs to be added. There is absolutely ZERO reason for ANYBODY to be paying MONTHLY for Photoshop when it's basically a fully-matured piece of software with all necessary features and functions already developed and baked in. There's ZERO "value" in that for ANYONE.

[@21_f_aus]

I can agree on this, with a one if payment that would make it more affordable for people, even having abundle with them all that we pay one off for would be ideal, they'd still get their money regardless...

[@andrewarmstrong5266]

This came up quite a lot with us students here in Northern Ireland, with lockdown our university supplied us Adobe suite to work from home, many students encountered this early exit, some were able to get this waved via customer services, others in same class at same time denied. This video is definitely good to highlight so thank you

[@Ramparts4]

You mean your school wasn’t paying?

[@MasterKey2004]

@@Ramparts4 exactly

[@andrewarmstrong5266]

@@Ramparts4 our uni only covers subscriptions for on campus machines, it’s an expense we have to cover outside, lockdowns changed this for this year but a few people lost money trying to leave others at same time no issue

[@Ramparts4]

@@andrewarmstrong5266 in that case the university didn’t supply you with anything. If I were you I would send the bill for the cancellation fee to the university since they told you to sign up in the first place.

[@noodie-draws893]

@@Ramparts4 you mean university's normally buy Photoshop for students home use?

[@lindhartsen]

One additional note is that if you act like you’re gonna cancel they may offer you a discount. Not the same thing, but if you’re going to be stuck on a contract that might take some of the edge off.

[@harykapoor2563]

I was able to lower my $78 CAD a month subscription to $30 / Month. Still a bit pricy considering its $360 / YR but manageable

[@bushidojbrown]

I think my main issue with the high cost of the adobe subscription model vs a one-off payment for an app is that even though the one-off payments might be really expensive compared to the monthly fee, you have access to it forever, even if it's not the newest version. The subscription model for this kind of app is just not appealing because, after a few years, the total amount you end up spending becomes greater than the one-off payment, but if you decide to or have to cancel you lose access entirely.

[@ghostpaper]

Thanks for this video, Brad! Super informative about the fine print there on Adobe Cloud!

[@Amanda-if7ey]

I know that photoshop is generally considered the industry standard, it's the one that always gets brought up. They make some excellent products, but things like this make it so I can't justify giving them money. When first deciding on a main product to use, after my research i chose CSP, and I've yet to regret that decision.

[@kat8559]

Photoshop is undoubtedly useful. Problem is the subscription model, the way they treat their customers, and the variety of other cheap or free programs that do almost everything just as well...the list of reasons to not give adobe money is always growing.

[@Sajirah]

I agree with you completely. Good products cost money and I’m perfectly happy to spend that money if I’m getting something quality. Photoshop is definitely a quality product...but Adobe’s actions have become so predatory towards the customer base they still have that they’re driving everyone away. I still use and pay for Photoshop but I also feel like if they keep on with the way they’ve been the last decade that I’m not going to stick around anymore.

[@scribblingjoe]

Yep, this happened to me. I will never get Adobe Creative Cloud again.

[@littlemines6648]

Adobe Alternatives Photoshop : Clip Studio Paint Krita Medibang Paint Pro Animate : Clip Studio Paint ToonBoom Krita

[@alfaridarizka865]

Illustrator alternative: Inkscape Affinity Designer

[@jakemorris111]

Premiere: Davinci Resolve

[@alfaridarizka865]

@@jakemorris111 Vegas Pro as well

[@lime4]

Concepts is also a good vector based program for all platforms

[@ItsScapeGoated]

Affinity in general covers 3 key pieces of software

[@hosseinrezapour251]

I’m a logo designer . And affinity designer did all my jobs since I bought it. I think 50% of people don’t need pro level apps like Adobe. Maybe companies and big projects need it but not students.

[@daveindezmenez]

Since Affinity Designer did all your jobs and you made money from them I would definitely consider it "pro level". Adobe isn't deserving a monopoly on that term.

[@kamm3021]

THIS IS CRAZY YEARS AGO USED TO BE ONE TIME PAYMENT DAMN IT

[@channelofstuff6662]

now you pay that one time payment every year.

[@chikukitty]

I remember back when I purchased Photoshop Elements 6. It was basically an affordable Photoshop without its "advanced features". I think the modern version of Photoshop Elements is still a one-time purchase, but it feels like a watered down, third-party software made for people unfamiliar with photo editing, rather than a cheaper alternative for hobbyists looking to get familiar with Adobe products.

[@ArchieHenderson]

It used to be 1 payment and then the new version came along and pay again. Subscription at least you are always on the latest version.

[@Heisenburg17]

Hopefully, we'll be getting better alternatives in near future. Some of them already exist, like Affinity and Clip studio.

[@lime4]

Clip studio is also subscription based on Android and iOS.

[@MASJYT]

Compared to Photoshop, Clip Studio is better for illustration...but worse in everything else.

[@dibel3669]

@@MASJYT everything else? 👀

[@mai_chan163]

Yes!! I'm early 😆 I love your content alot Brad, your videos are as helpful as always ❤️

[@openedeyes6110]

I believe that we need a company like Blender who wants their product to be an industry while being free and open source. Currently, every open source app like Krita and GIMP don't really care about industry, therefore, losing their relevance. Or since open source projects are made by volunteers, maybe promoting them will automatically bring tons of people into its development. But I have observed that any company willing to compete with such industry standard apps has to release a suite rather than a single product. I'm hopeful for future that there will be a competition from free (or paid) but open source project. I really love Adobe but I also hate monopoly.

[@MASJYT]

The thing is you often use multiple apps in a creative project, not just one. So free alternatives not only have to work well by themselves but also with other apps and that's rarely the case.

[@HelenMcLean]

They are thieves. Been a user for 20 years, half of which was subscription based. I wanted to cancel after the auto renewal had kicked in - and was going to be charged that ~$300usd amount. You mentioned in your video about that 50% charge not applying after 1 year - that's a new thing. I had to beg & cry poor via online chat to have it waived. I have been using Affinity products since then and been very happy.

[@ahadmrauf]

I switched to Vectornator after your last video on it, haven't looked back on that decision since (although Adobe Acrobat DC is pretty hard to replace, admittedly).

[@Twixt-ng]

I agree! No great alternative for Acrobat DC. Been searching for years now

[@piepie3178]

@@Twixt-ng try PDF X Change Editor. It works great for me

[@juberthtech]

PDF element is your answer, been using it for 3 years and with the new updates is HOT

[@WilonaJoy]

This information is gold. Thank you so much 🙌🏾🙌🏾💯💯💯

[@KatieFowler]

I came across your video after trying to cancel an Illustrator plan. My only option was to cancel and pay the fee or switch to a different plan. If I switched to a photography plan (the cheapest one) I'd actually get a refund for the unused term of the old plan instead of the cancellation fee... but wait... I already had a photography plan... a plan over a year old now that I think of it. Your explanation of the terms gave me an idea! I could essentially cancel my old plan with no fee and switch the plan I wanted to cancel to the plan I already had. When I explained my hatched idea to customer service over chat they agreed that while it would work to do that they would save me the trouble and just waive the cancelation fee. So thank you, I wouldn't have realized my bargaining chip if I hadn't watched your video.

[@samuelzparkerz]

I just agree with everything you said! lol. I do believe there are some bad actors in the finance department at Adobe but I have no evidence for that. It would be nice to have different packages available, i.e. perhaps a "Graphic Designer" package with Ai, InD and Psd for 30-40 a month would be nice.

[@addie7043]

A lot of other software companies keep 2 options: subscription and “pay once use forever”. I personally think that’s the best approach as it keeps everybody happy. I am wondering what would happen if Adobe did the same thing? Those who like subscription model will probably continue but those who abandoned Adobe could potentially go back.

[@daveindezmenez]

The "pay once, use forever" is the best model. If, other than fixes, new features are added to the software then the company can use the same model again to sell the new version giving a loyalty discount to owners of previous versions. That way their customers aren't ripped off.

[@kbhasi]

Thanks for explaining this in a way I can understand! I'm honestly glad I'm not going the Adobe route even though it may be popular, though mainly because the 'all apps' plan is the only one that would fit my use case, and where I live, that's $70 a month, and I'd only use the following, but probably for around a few hours a week - Photoshop - Illustrator - Premiere Pro - XD - Audition - Bridge and sometimes: - InDesign - Animate - After Effects - Audition - Acrobat Pro (beyond just reading/annotating) - Media Encoder - Dreamweaver - Prelude Honestly, a large chunk of Adobe CC apps are confusing to me. I feel glad I'm trying to go the open-source route, but mainly because I aim to try and create on Linux-based desktop OSes and prove those are feasible for not only software/hardware developers, but creatives too!

[@MastermindAtWork]

I'm glad my school pays for my Adobe account until I graduate. When that time comes, I'm going to Clip Studio Paint.

[@alexb4790]

I switched to affinity and have never looked back. A company that actually listens to its customers.

[@trashmito]

I left Adobe six months ago. I bought Clip Studio and Affinity softwares. Best decision I made this year.

[@lazyness04]

congratulations fam!!!

[@JerBearTeo]

I agree the full package is great value if you use all the apps included. But most of us don't and since they're not the only game in town these days, there is really no need to stick with Adobe. Moved on to CSP for drawing and Affinity for vectors.

[@salamandercriskai9502]

People who are to young to buy and instead use cracked after affects, photoshop, and illustrator: 🧐 interesting

[@Aman_Mondal]

Actually even after I start earning I still would never invest in Adobe's Creative Cloud Suite because it's kind of bullshit to be honest also why give a company my precious money when they don't even innovate anymore

[@phantomapprentice6749]

@@Aman_Mondal but they added a color wheel ... (yes I'm sarcastic)

[@Aman_Mondal]

@@phantomapprentice6749 great for them but I have always preferred the colour puck from Autodesk Sketchbook I don't know why it just feels optimised for artwork

[@aegresen]

@@Aman_Mondal Man, I would love for another software to use similar UI elements of Sketchbook. Especially for colour and basic zoom/pan, it's so intuitive and it's a shame others don't have a similar approach.

[@katieborkin9524]

I'm tired of the subscription fee too. But yes, having fonts is the trade-off. * Thanks for pointing out the photography plan is cheaper, that saves me a tenner a month at least.

[@katieborkin9524]

@@Potatomelon111 Exactly. Every Little Helps. And that's 120 more I can earn interest off.

[@oatcookies_]

Thank you! It helped a lot.

[@chanoc455]

I'm a Graphic Designer and use about three Adobe Apps but I freelance now with monthly payments in all three and thank you Brad for this information and I didn't know about the 14 grace period I never read or it's info that is hidden and that is not really a good move on their part. I've been using Adobe Apps since since its inception I think it was 1981 or earlier but then you had to buy the whole App disk and the same with "Macromedia FreeHand" with PageMaker…etc

[@lillakieah]

Lol I changed my card number, disabled the card I changed it to, and let it lapse.... They threatened me for ages... But 🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️

[@benmcdonnell85]

Yep, did the same once. It’s because they can’t do anything. Its only a contract payment agreement when you pay via a direct debit from the bank. All adobe do is take the money from the card. In the UK anyway, thats not technically an agreement hence they can’t chase you for it, and ultimately why they give up chasing you.

[@xmanu_]

I could never afford the subscription if it wasn’t for my design school that gives us personal access to all adobe programs and services, but I was underwhelmed since I only have an ipad and some programs already have really good alternatives for free or cheaper. I love procreate and feel better using it than with photoshop, it just lacks on some more specific features.

[@hansendesigns]

GREAT vid. Thx. Had no idea.

[@patricxd9895]

Thank you. TNice tutorials is really helpful. Much respect

[@skullybonez4342]

I graduated in 2020 and Had the same problem where I went to cancel my adobe subscription since I knew I wasn't going to use it anymore. Same thing I was going to be charged $160 I think but I went and downgraded my subscription got that 14 day trial and then went and canceled it no charge so that loophole still feels like it could still work.

[@MASJYT]

I just removed my credit card and never paid again.

[@Merserissugoi]

the problem is if they are charging a monthly fee, by customers continuously providing value to Adobe, Adobe must also do the same. There's hardly new features in every edition of photoshop.

[@sp3ctix]

Im soo confused please help wich one is better : Huion Kamvas 13 ?? Or Xp pen 12 pro ??

[@jamarnimurphy716]

Hey Brad, I need your help. I was wondering if you know of any drawing tabs that would not need to be plugged into a device to work that is not an Ipad

[@nerdaccount]

In my professional graphic life, we would hang on to version of Photoshop and Illustrator for as along as we could. We'd buy maybe 10 licenses and use them for years and years. Then when it became too out of date, we'd by 10 more and leap frog past many editions. I don't fault Adobe for trying to smooth the intake of money but it's now a premiere program that you can only justify using if you have business reasons for having it. Affinity does great graphic work and I'm getting used to using it with my Kanvas 16pro. I need to make logos and small illustrations for the non-profit I work for. No way I can justify Adobe when two $30 programs will do. Honestly, it does feel a little like driving a very sturdy, well made but economy car when you learned on a Tesla. But the more I use the Affinity suite the more I'll like it.

[@mtl_graphics]

It's awesome. I'm currently using Adobe because of school but also have affinity. I 100% agree with you. Affinity gets the job done and does it well.

[@daveindezmenez]

Looking at their pricing tiers it looks extremely arbitrary and ridiculous. You pay more if you need less.

[@Jan_haj]

Thanks for translating all that lawyer-stuff into normal English 💪🏼 But I have to say, I really don't know why anyone is complaining about the policy, that you have to pay 50% if you want to cancel your annual subscription. Otherwise the monthly plan would make no sense at all and you would always choose the annual plan and quit whenever you want. They give you a discount because you subscribe for a year and not just for one month.

[@mariuszdziem8203]

I will take adobe full suite and you will pay for all of this and i would not bothered to looking at their website! :) People are counting their money.

[@DianteEx]

Thanks for explaining it!

[@mihirkardile6676]

Okay so i have 1 question - My subscription ends in November this year. So If i cancel in October, I will have to pay the cancellation fee. But if I cancel in December, I will not have to pay the cancellation fees because I'm out of the 1 year contract. Correct?

[@andrea.rivers]

I love Adobe software. It's what I learned on, it's what I know and I can pick right up where I left off and go. I do NOT however like the subscription b.s. I get why they do it. But it is the only reason I don't have any Photoshop or Illustrator on my computers. I've tried other programs, they always lack the one thing or intuitive feel that Adobe. That said- it's always in the fine print. I'm going to assume it's always going to favor the business to get and keep your hard earned money. I will always hate the subscription. I edit to add, I have no issue paying good money for good Software and Adobe is the best. But I'd rather pay for it and not be tethered to monthly or annual fees. I've tried Affinity Design... it lacks just where I need it.

[@ArianneCriseyde]

I get what you mean. For professionals who do multimedia work, CC suite is well integrated with each other. PSDs and AI can be imported to After Effects. Smart objects can toss vectors between PS and AI, ditto for AE files with Premier. Not to mention, there's just no beating After Effects for vfx and motion graphics. But with the subscription model, Adobe's real clients are corporations like Disney.

[@daveindezmenez]

There's one thing to be said about something being "intuitive". It may simply mean that you've learned it and are used to it so it feels intuitive to you now. I doubt it felt intuitive when you first started using it. The thing about different software not feeling intuitive is that you just haven't learned it yet and it may do things in a different way than the software you are used to. The question you have to ask yourself is if that familiarity is worth the rent they are charging you for it or if becoming familiar with something else that does the same things you need would be worth the "cost" of taking time to become familiar with it so that it too is "intuitive".

[@onekaitorulethemall1451]

I recently reluctantly purchased an Adobe subscription because I had to considering every job I want to apply for says I need all of their programs skills...sucks that they know this and use it against us instead of with us.

[@geekygirl01]

This is so true! I work in fashion and you are expected to use adobe specifically then any other software as that's what most companies in that particular industry use.

[@mashpotatosauce3566]

So if i buy the 10$ photoshop and lightroom monthly 10 USD payment plan and cancel before the end of the month, I only have to pay 5$? Am I understanding this correctly?

[@re_animatedabby6791]

What if you switch plans? For example going from a student plan to another plan.

[@Lenniefinch]

Affinity designer is a great alternative for Illustrator. Affinity Photo is not quite as feature packed as Photoshop but is fine for illustrations/photo manipulation. I’d love to say blender is as good as after effects but sadly it’s not, yet. In time it could be.

[@daveindezmenez]

Blender is moving fast though and much of what After Effects does can be done with nodes, but it's a different learning curve.

[@Naurif]

Back in the day, I painfully put up the money and paid full price for Photoshop CS5.5. When CC hit, I realized that the monthly cost of the program over two or three years would be way more than what I paid for CS5.5 in the first place. So I've been sticking with CS5.5 and Clip Studio since... Adobe--Nickel and diming people always leaves the customer with enmity. Just stop.

[@pammcclung861]

I totally agree with you on that!!!

[@daveindezmenez]

Just shows that they were greedy then too. They've just found a better way of extracting wealth that on the surface appears like a better deal. Kind of like turtles in a stew pot with the heat turned up so gradually that they don't notice they are being cooked.

[@turtls5427]

This is why I use clip studio paint (Also I think some huion screen tablets work with chromebook now hopefully there will be a review for that)

[@ZacharyNoah]

I'm glad I never even became an Adobe Creative Cloud subscriber in the first place. I always use free and open-source software for the following tasks below. Photo Editing: GIMP Drawing/Painting: GIMP and Krita Office Productivity: LibreOffice Audio Recording/Editing: Audacity Video Editing/Compositing: Kdenlive 2D Animation: OpenToonz/Tahoma2D and Krita Video Capturing: OBS Studio and VirtualDub2 Classic PC Gaming: DOSBox and ScummVM

[@OHNOcomments]

I agree that Photoshop is definitely a good software but it’s just not really worth the subscription price at this time where there are so many good alternatives

[@whereaboutsunknown3822]

For digital artists specifically, I just bought clip studio paint on sale for $25 (normally $50). It goes on sale a couple times a year. It's a really good painting software for digital art.

[@FakeLLama23]

How does it compare to sketchbook?

[@CooleenBooks]

I'm only using Adobe since that's the software that my college has taught us to use. Now during lockdown and turing to online learning, I'm so glad that the college decided to pay for our Adobe subscription (they initially refused). But once I can no longer use these softwares for free (I only use Premiere Pro and Adobd Audition) I'll definitely be using other softwares.

[@herzaislad]

I need the adobe animate, animate character, after effect, photoshop, and illustrator. Is there any alternatives as good as those?

[@xXxXxCGPBxXxXx]

I HATE the way Adobe charges ... you mentioned a monthly plan and a annual monthly plan? What is that all about ... Ive been paying for over a decade (I'm in this business) and I'm in Canada and they've been charging me around $75.00 CDN every month for all CC Apps ... but out of no where they discounted it after I bitched about it ... dropped it to about half and then a couple months later I get a notice today saying its going up again and will now be almost at $80.00 CDN!!! Oh and Adobe Stock will be up to $40.00!!! I HATE HOW I FEEL LIKE IM DEALING WITH A USED CAR SALESMAN anytime I talk to them about this crap... it feels like a scam and the service also is not great. Total BS!

[@amadeuscrossing7061]

The funny part that no one acknowledged that Photoshop used to be $1500+ back then per updated version some times even more. The monthly model is the cheapest.

[@blaze_yt_6990]

It isn't cheaper. Most people buy the all apps pack which is 600 a year and keep it for several years which makes them more than 1500, ofcourse that's 1500 per update but the reason Adobe switched to this pricing me del in the first place is because they know the software is mature and that almost anyone will need the updates. Ofcourse they lose money on the people who only buy a single app but they make more from the all apps pack than they lose.

[@daveindezmenez]

But you only paid for it once. You didn't pay rent into infinity, well past the time when that purchase price was recovered.

[@jacobbaker9389]

I recently cancelled my 7 day trial before I had to pay. I'm so glad all this came to light before I got screwed aswell.

[@vauar6972]

I wanna learn After Effect but so many people talk about the price. Should i get a cracked version of it or no?

[@RufusVenture]

Brad: “I believe good software costs money...” **cough** Blender **cough**

[@alfaridarizka865]

Tbh "free" softwares mostly rely on ads (like Ibis Paint X) or donations (like Krita and Blender) to get funds for future improvements Don't get me wrong, I'm still against Adobe's business model, but Brad still has a point

[@RufusVenture]

@@alfaridarizka865 I believe donations only play a small role in Blender’s total ‘revenue’. But even if they would rely solely on donations; it’s still completely free for the user and an amazingly interesting businessmodel if you ask me; I’ve worked for SaaS companies with more employees than Blender but that are waaaay behind when it comes to updating and upgrading their product.

[@thelittleredhen]

I remember when nobody thought InDesign would be able to knock Quark Express from their throne. Despite their extortionate pricing and really buggy software everyone thought they were too deeply embedded into workflows to be replaced. It turns out people and businesses will jump through hoops to get rid of what they dislike. As a one time benefactor of this, there’s a lesson here you’d think Adobe would remember!

[@daveindezmenez]

With Adobe's predatory subscription pricing it looks like history is going to repeat itself, this time with Adobe on the receiving end.

[@xFaylinnx]

The issue is even if there are other options of software that are not Adobe, if you work in the industry no matter how small of a business you are or have, you need to use Adobe for a ton of things, that's what big companies use and you're expected to be able to work with whatever file they send you, which is usually an .AI or .PSD or .AE and so on.

[@fischergreen4134]

Affinity photo, Affinity designer,final cut pro,apple motion. That sorts me out very nicely thank you although I do miss after effects.

[@rklauco]

Exactly. Good SW costs money. Like Linux. Or Apache. Or ... I am donating to a lot of SW development projects, but I hate this subscription type think. I loved Adobe while it had boxed SW you can purchase and use. But their CC is, in my opinion, a wrong direction. The problem here is for me the same as "renting movies" - once your CC license goes out, your creative art will not be editable anymore. So is the art really yours?

[@PomuLeafEveryday]

Adobe's products are overpriced and manipulative. It does not cost that much to maintain those projects. Many Linux distributions survive on donations. Clip Studio Paint is so much cheaper and is a much more superior art program. Good software costs money, but not exploitative prices.

[@TomoyoTatar]

No. Its not; your art anymore.* They are manipulative pos.

[@miolaika]

all my homies hate adobe

[@mrvapor4791]

YOU have HOMIES??!

[@MellowFelloh]

So what I'm understanding is the first year is when they can get you. But the subsequent years you can cancel any time?

[@mathnraj4885]

Hello sir, Im a school teacher and a professional wedding photographer as well. Which Adobe package should i go for ? Indivual plan (Lr & Ps) or the Student - Teacher plan (Creative Cloud) which include all apps ?

[@DrD0000M]

Yar - Har - fiddle - dee-dee being a pirate is all right with me!

[@AngelaMerici12]

😆 🤣 🤣 🤣 ✌️! But in all seriousness, I just found out about the subscription because I wanted to buy the program 😂.

[@selfboredom3025]

this is why I abandoned adobe. My only issue with the alternatives I’ve found is that other programs don’t have the curvature tool which I use all the time

[@juberthtech]

Affinity Designer

[@mario.fernando]

Ok just to clarify. After the first year of subscription, they won't have the cancellation fee? Or it won't be as steep?

[@noone-mg3qn]

I once saw a tweet about this. A guy wanted to cancel his plan but he was supposed to pay a lot of money. He contacted customer support and said he can’t afford it and barely uses the programs and the customer service tried to convince him first but after a while they gave in and cancelled his plan. I live in Germany and i tried this as well. I said i’m a student and i can’t afford it anymore. And they cancelled my subscription without any cancellation fees.

[@bendesignsmedia]

Adobe has convoluted, hidden, and confusing terms and conditions!? Wow I am shocked! That is so unlike everything else they do which is simple, straight forward, to the point and customer focused. JK, of course this is how Adobe does it because, as Brad said, they operate like a monopoly, and until designers, at least a large enough group of designers, are willing to say no more, then Adobe will keep doing this. Brad makes use of impressive number of the softwares in the creative cloud, but most people are using probably only 2-3 of them. Also I don't think Brad mentioned that the student price increases after your first year.

[@vikingmetaldragon]

"until designers, at least a large enough group of designers, are willing to say no more, then Adobe will keep doing this" From what I've seen for years now, enough have said no more. Adobe is still doing it. They worked out all the details of the loss vs. gain. They know they have the schools and graphically inclined corporations to fund them. They don't need to care about freelancers or little shops.

[@rocketsteps]

I used to love adobe, but they are ripping people off now. My niece uses Photoshop for college, as she didn't know about Affinity photo. As soon as she can get out of the policy, I'll help her move to affinity.

[@Quigomy]

Please review the Asus Flow X13 for drawing purposes! Thanks!

[@janiversen4391]

Hi great video. I just bought the adobe photoshop elements and premiere elements 2021. paid cash for the download versions. But when i had downloaded theese programs, the creative cloud app was on my beginner screen. Do i have to pay anything extra for this? sorry for my bad english

[@daveindezmenez]

Although you paid once for Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, you still paid too much as each is a dumbed down version of the non-Elements versions. There's other software you can get that does more for less money.

[@xp-cv7br]

Can you make a Review of the realistic paint Studio App?

[@superiornightwing]

I will never give up cs6. I have no interest in the newer tools

[@AngelaMerici12]

Is the same stuff 😆🤣!

[@goblinwisdom]

@@AngelaMerici12 some tools have better code like the paint to select is better at realising what from the image you trying to select first try. Cs6 has almost all the same features as cc but they are more basic. If there was another program that actually worked as well as photoshop and converted lines into vectors id jp on it to try.

[@arsom5552]

This is enlightenment!!!

[@ettcha]

Getting into Adobe was an adapt or die thing for me, but I still have a windows partition older than my nephews for my Coreldraw! Corel also went subscription based a while ago, but I think they still have the option to buy! CC is nice n' all but learning and keeping an alternative on the side isn't a bad idea.

[@rksanimation]

Lots of Love from India

[@animatrix5931]

Your not alone

[@camile]

Ive been paying £21 for the whole suit for 7 years while I finished university ages ago! aint no-one got time for paying full price lol

[@benmcdonnell85]

Im not even a student and i always sign up as one! They make no checks at all. Im paying £13 at the moment. In the past though, when I wanted to cancel, all i did was stop them taking the payments from my visa debit. A company taking payments from a card each month is not classed as a contract like it is with direct debit. Never payed the fee, and after I made that clear to them via email that they technically cant charge me a fee, they simply emailed back ‘your adobe cc account is now cancelled’ 😁

[@London2ATL]

Do you change your email every year?

[@benmcdonnell85]

@@London2ATL yes. Obviously just one solely for the purpose of doing this.

[@London2ATL]

@@benmcdonnell85 I thought so, cause they automatically charge you full price the 2nd year. So you'll have to change every year.

[@benmcdonnell85]

@@London2ATL yep. Or, i did use to use an old link from an offer from when it went to a subscription model and it gets you it for £30. Same as the price they offer on like black fridays ect. Link still works

[@sugaraagsa2332]

Can you a make new video about an apple sidecar ? Is it possible to use ipad and imac like a cintiq ? Is jitterring still there ?

[@85leomustang]

It is possible to circumvent the extra charge for canceling the subscription, I did it by placing PayPal as my payment method, and my PayPal account is linked to a debit card. To cancel my account I only had to go to my control panel in PayPal and deny the automatic payment of Adobe, I did not have to pay anything extra to cancel my subscription.