Adobe Creative Cloud: What Is It and Is It Right for You?

Key takeaways

Adobe Creative Cloud is a bundle of more than 20 apps you can use to produce visual content for personal or professional use.

• Creative Cloud costs $104.99 per month or $69.99 per month if you commit to a one-year subscription, with separate rates for businesses, students, teachers, and educational institutions [1].

• Some of the apps included in Creative Cloud are Photoshop for creating graphics and photos, Illustrator for designing and creating illustrations, After Effects for creating motion graphics, and Dreamweaver for developing responsive websites.

• You can make use of Creative Cloud in various professions, including graphic design, web design, photography, animation, video editing, and business ownership. 

Learn more about what is included in Adobe Creative Cloud, costs, and how to decide if a subscription is right for you. When you're ready to add to your creative skill set, consider enrolling in the Adobe Content Creator: Launching Your Creative Career Professional Certificate. You'll have the opportunity to build in-demand skills in visual design, social media, and multimedia storytelling while learning how to use Adobe Express features powered by generative AI.

What is Adobe Creative Cloud?

Adobe Creative Cloud refers to a bundle of more than 20 software applications that creators use to produce visual content for personal or professional use, including:

• Flyers, brochures, business cards, and infographics 

• Books of any length

• Websites and apps

• Photo editing and retouching

• Logos, color schemes, social media graphics, and other design elements for a brand

• Videos of any length 

Many types of creators will find the apps in Adobe Creative Cloud valuable, including graphic and digital designers, photographers and filmmakers, sound editors and designers, animators, web designers, marketers, and desktop publishers. 

According to Enlyft, information technology companies account for the majority of companies using Creative Cloud, followed by companies in marketing and advertising, computer software, retail, construction, media production, and design [2]. 

Adobe Creative Cloud vs. Adobe Creative Suite

Adobe Creative Cloud was called Adobe Creative Suite until 2013, when Adobe updated not only the stack’s branding and software but also the payment structure, switching from a license to a subscription service.  

How much is Adobe Creative Cloud?

As a bundle, Adobe Creative Cloud is available at different price points depending on the plan you subscribe to [1]: 

Individual plans

• $104.99 for a one-month subscription

• $69.99 / month for an annual subscription, paid monthly

• $779.88 / year for an annual subscription, prepaid 

Business plans 

• $99.99 / month per license for an annual subscription, paid monthly

• $1,199.88 / year per license for an annual subscription, prepaid

Students and teachers

• $24.99 / month for an annual subscription, paid monthly ($39.99 / month after the first year)

• $299.88 / year for an annual subscription, prepaid

Schools and universities

• $34.99 / month per user

• Pricing per student for departments of 100 students and institution-wide licenses requires consultation

What does the Adobe Creative Cloud include?

In the table below, explore some of the individual apps inside Adobe Create Cloud by feature and use for different jobs. Also included is the individual cost for each app if you decide not to get the Creative Cloud bundle.

Additional apps included in a Creative Cloud subscription include: 

• Premiere Rush

• Adobe XD

• Adobe Lightroom Classic

• Adobe Dimension

• Audition

• Adobe Fresco

• Bridge

• Adobe Photoshop Express

• Adobe Media Encoder

• Lightroom Web

• Adobe Scan

• Acrobat Reader

• Creative Cloud Assets

• Adobe Express

• Adobe Firefly

Read more: Adobe Generative AI: Features, Applications, and Getting Started

How to decide if Adobe Creative Cloud is right for you

Now that you know the cost and functions of apps in the Adobe Creative Cloud, follow the steps below to decide if these tools are right for you.

1. Review your design goals and needs. 

Get clear on what you want to achieve as a creator, including the skills you want to master, the projects you want to complete, and the career path you want to consider. That way, you can select the apps from Adobe Creative Cloud (or other brands) that can best help you achieve your goals. Draw from these examples of design goals:

• Master digital design skills and launch your own business. 

• Bring life to a personal creative project.

• Find your dream job in a specific area of digital design.

• Advance into a leadership role in digital design.

2. Take courses in creative, digital, or graphic design. 

Taking courses in your area of emphasis can be a great way to master skills and select the software you need with more confidence. Look for courses that introduce you to different software programs, including the apps in Adobe Creative Cloud, and that guide you through using software to complete projects.

3. Explore with a free trial. 

Consider signing up for a seven-day free trial of Adobe Creative Cloud to experience using the apps individually and in conjunction with one another. In addition, make use of the support documentation in the Help Center, as well as the Adobe Support Community, to learn as much as you can during the trial subscription period. 

4. Explore alternatives to the Adobe Creative Cloud. 

Comparing Adobe Creative Cloud with its alternatives and competitors can be a powerful final step in this process. Take pricing, features, capabilities, your long-term goals, drawbacks, learning challenges, and industry standards into consideration as you compare.

Here are some Adobe Creative Cloud alternatives to investigate:

• GIMP: Alternative to Photoshop

• Inkscape: Alternative to Illustrator 

• DaVinci Resolve 20: Alternative to Premiere Pro

All in all, Adobe Creative Cloud is by far one of the most popular options for creatives, but it is up to you to decide whether it suits your needs and desires.

Explore free Adobe and other design resources

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for helpful videos about Adobe, design skills, and career advice. Then, check out these additional resources that may be helpful to you:

• Consider a career: Career Spotlight: Graphic Designer

• Learn more: 4 beginner-friendly graphic design elements for better communication

• Bookmark for later: Graphic Design Terms & Definitions

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