In 2013, Adobe announced its change from the use of licenses to subscriptions for products in the Creative Suite. As a result, the name of the suite was rebranded to Creative Cloud. This change raised a lot of misconceptions because of the reference to “cloud”. The new product also came with additional features that are provided through cloud infrastructure.
However, the delivery of these products is not done through SaaS (Software as a Service) that you will typically find in the cloud. You can download them from the cloud, and then install them locally on your device. The only different thing here is that the software periodically connects to the internet in order to validate its license. You may want to click here to read about SaaS.
Furthermore, the extra cloud features attached to the Creative Cloud products include limited file storage in the cloud and file-sharing/collaboration. On the aspect of licensing, users can no longer purchase perpetual licenses because the products are currently available only after the user subscribes.
What is Adobe Creative Cloud?
If you are in the field of photography, marketing, media, or design, you have probably used some apps in the Creative Suite. Photo Editing Applications like Lightroom, Premiere, and Photoshop are the standard tools in the creative industry. But Adobe’s individual licenses were prohibitively expensive, particularly if you are an independent professional or a freelancer.
Creative Cloud is Adobe’s method of making most of its apps available as a service rather than a one-off purchase. Users can now pay a subscription fee every month to enjoy continuous access to the tools they need. And the fee depends on the number of products you want to use.
Additionally, the service comes with extra options to improve creative workflows. They include cloud storage of 100 GB, access to a rich font library, and a custom portfolio website through Adobe Portfolio.
For individuals, the prices and options are:
1. Single Apps
This option allows you to subscribe to the products individually. The plan ranges from $4.99 – $20.99 monthly, depending on your choice of software.
The subscription also includes cloud storage of 100 GB and Adobe Fonts access.
2. Photography Plan
This option is for photographers as it gives access to Photoshop, Lightroom, and a cloud storage space of 20 GB. The plan starts at $9.99 monthly or $119.88 yearly. You can also choose an option that includes cloud storage of 1 TB at $19.99 monthly.
3. All Apps
If you need access to all the products in CC, including Adobe XD, Illustrator, After Effects, and Premiere Pro, this plan is for you. It starts at $52.99 monthly or $599.88 yearly.
The individual plans are best for people who rely on one or just a few Adobe programs. Also, Adobe has business plans for companies who need features for collaborative video editing and workflow management.
Furthermore, teachers or students with credentials can access the student pricing. If you want to buy Creative Cloud for students, ensure you have an email address of the school or any document that proves you are affiliated with the institution.
What Does Adobe CC Include?
The Creative Cloud service has new features, including the age-old image and video editing programs. The newer services include:
1. Fonts
Some plans offer access to the comprehensive font library. It is compatible with all apps in the Creative Cloud.
2. Portfolio
This product allows users to create a custom website where they can display their work, especially the things they created with Adobe software.
3. XD
It is a UX/UI (user experience/user interface) design tool. It is for people who previously used Illustrator and Photoshop to design mobile and web interfaces.
4. Premiere Rush
This is an alternative product to the popular Premiere Pro. It is suitable for content developers who work online and want to quickly edit videos. Its interface is streamlined with a few features. You can open your projects in this app in the Premiere Pro if you want to perform further edits. The product also has an in-built mobile app.
5. Spark
This is a compendium of apps that allows you to quickly create web content on mobile and web platforms. The web pages will also be responsive when you use Spark Page. More so, with Spark Post, you can create social media graphics or use Spark Video to produce a short video story.
Pros and Cons of Adobe CC
Each subscription model has advantages and disadvantages.
Pros
- Subscribers have access to the most recent products.
- Low entry subscription price compared to the amazing products in the suite, delivering top-quality features.
- The subscription cost, as opposed to perpetual license purchase, is cost-effective for most organizations.
Cons
- Adobe may increase the prices of subscriptions later.
- In the long run, the subscription may turn out to be quite expensive. For instance, instead of charging $600 on upgrades every 2 to 3 years due to perpetual license, Adobe may get that amount or more through subscriptions every year.
- Editions like the Design Standard have a subscription cost of $1299. It is less attractive because the cost of subscribing is still the same as other packages. Over time, this price may become more expensive compared to the perpetual license.
You can visit https://www.diyphotography.net/pros-cons-creative-cloud-subscription-model/ to read more about the advantages and disadvantages of the Adobe subscription model.
Conclusion – Is Adobe CC Worth Your Money?
There is an argument that CC is more expensive in the long run due to its subscription method instead of paying for one permanent license for the software. However, the software updates consistently and offers access to cloud services and new features. As a result, CC brings fantastic value to the table.
The different subscription plans consider different categories of creatives. For instance, the “all applications” plan suits content creators and creative professionals because most of them use a combination of apps in the plan.
Finally, if you decide to switch careers or don’t need the apps anymore, you can easily end the subscription. You can also try the free CC version before subscribing, so you can know which product serves you better.