Adobe has been at the center of my workflow for a long time. I've subscribed, unsubscribed, and upgraded through several of its programs, mainly Photoshop and After Effects. At first, it was easy to justify the subscriptions — these tools have helped me sharpen my editing skills and allowed me to create some of my best projects.

But over time, I couldn't ignore the cracks that started to show. From price hikes and unwanted updates to concerns about privacy and data collection, the subscriptions started to feel like a net negative. I realized that my ongoing use of the software boiled down to brand loyalty, which wasn't working in my favor.

So, after about five years with Adobe, here's why I finally decided to call it quits.

Underwhelming innovation

New features and updates weren't exciting anymore

When I first joined the Adobe ecosystem, new features meant new ways to do things. Neural Filters were one of the most advanced additions at the time; they made things like smoothing and colorizing incredibly simple. In the early 2020s, Photoshop impressed me with its updates, like the addition of Adobe Cloud vs. Device Selection for the Select Subject tool. And then Generative Fill dropped in 2023, which changed many aspects of my workflow for the better.

But the good stuff pretty much stopped there for me. Most of the innovations felt disconnected from real-world creative needs. Such as the Contextual Side Bar released in Photoshop 24.5 — we didn't need that. The new Properties Panel in After Effects also felt more like clutter than help. Real innovation stalled, and they seemingly were just adding stuff to justify the subscription cost, which pushed me to start looking for Adobe alternatives. Speaking of cost...

Aggressive subscription model

I started to feel the subscription fatigue

I've hopped between various Adobe subscriptions over the years, including the Photography Plan, Photoshop, and Lightroom as standalone plans, After Effects, Acrobat Pro, etc. You usually get access to several other programs with the solo plans. For example, Photoshop is $35 per month, which is a lot, but you also get Adobe Fresco, Photoshop Express, Adobe Express, and Firefly. Now the $35 seems like a better deal, right? However, I didn't necessarily want those other programs, and the cost would have been lower if I had only purchased what I actually paid for — Photoshop.

Another bad practice is how sneaky Adobe is with the cancellation fee. When you click on a plan to view the details, there are three payment options: Monthly, Annual Billed Monthly, and Annual Prepaid. Annual Billed Monthly displays the lowest cost and is selected by default. The only disclaimer it provides is "Fee applies if you cancel after 14 days," but you need to read the Terms and Conditions to determine what those fees are — it's half of the remaining subscription cost for the entire year. I've fallen victim to this with multiple of my Adobe plans, and ended up paying for something I never got access to.

We also can't ignore the price hikes. In December 2024, Adobe announced a $5 increase for the Monthly Photography plan, encouraging users to switch to the Annual plan instead. The supposed improvements that came with this hike were negligible, which made me lose respect for the company.

The generative AI features aren't useful

It's more about the trend than utility

I like some of Adobe's AI tools, such as Generative Fill. Adobe jumped on the AI train at the right time and created something fresh and useful — Generative Fill provided a quick way to fix a little error or experiment with something new. Some of the Sensei AI-based features in After Effects and Premiere Pro were also useful, such as Auto Reframe.

However, as Adobe's generative AI model, Firefly, began to expand, we saw more lackluster features, and they continued to emerge because it's a trendy approach. Software that is already filled to the brim with advanced tools doesn't really need generative AI, especially not when we already have Adobe Firefly as a standalone program.

Paying for features I never used

I didn't need everything the software offered

Many of us only pay for a program because it has a handful of unique features that are best suited to our workflows, and will never touch the other stuff. This was absolutely the case with Adobe software for me. For example, I rarely used Photoshop's Path tool because it's better for vector work. The lag of the Filter Gallery also prevented me from using it often, so that's another feature I was paying for without reaping any benefits. And there are even some features I wish Photoshop didn't have at all due to how inconvenient they were, such as Brush Smoothing.

Privacy concerns

Data tracking shouldn't be the default

Adobe has never been a beacon of user privacy, and like with most mainstream companies and cloud services, I already knew it was collecting our data to some extent. What set off red flags for me was how they handled improving and training their tools, particularly AI, and how quietly they pulled users into that process. The opt-out option isn't on by default; you have to go digging for it — see Adobe's Content Analysis FAQ for more information.

In 2024, Adobe got major backlash over concerns that it might use user content to train its generative AI, and rightfully so. As reported in this article by The Verge, the updated terms of service at the time were vague. Despite Adobe's quick response to clarify that it only uses licensed and public domain content for training, they can't undo my mistrust.

Syncing is more hassle than help

Syncing should streamline everything, but that's not always the case

In theory, Adobe's cloud-based syncing should streamline your workflow, but it's caused me more inconvenience than it's supposed to. I've had issues with syncing delays and version histories. It wasn't as consistent as I'd hoped, and would sometimes overwrite custom setups I relied on. Instead of improving my focus on my work, Adobe's cloud sync system just felt like a layer of friction. Additionally, given the aforementioned privacy concerns, I would rather not rely on their cloud syncing at all.

Better alternatives are catching up

Adobe's offerings aren't the gold standard anymore

Apps like Affinity Photo and DaVinci Resolve are closing the gap. They offer equally, if not more, powerful tools for free or at a fraction of the cost. Even browser-based tools like Photopea, Figma, and Canva have introduced workflows that rival some of Adobe's. And I'd argue that open-source software like Blender, Inkscape, and GIMP are better than Adobe's software since they're being developed with real user feedback and get useful updates. Having a reliable toolkit to fall back on has made my decision to quit Adobe much easier.

Adobe has stopped listening to creatives

Now it's built for shareholders

There was a time when Adobe felt driven by creative needs, not quarterly growth targets. Now, creatives and professionals have to ask for improvements for years before anything happens, such as a "Select People" tool in Photoshop or better gradient control in Illustrator. Instead, we get additions and interface redesigns that no one asked for, and AI updates that feel more like press releases than functional. Even bug reports seem to get lost in a black hole. Adobe has become large and dominant enough that it no longer has to listen to our needs.

Closing the Adobe chapter

I thought I would use Photoshop and After Effects forever, and they are undoubtedly some of the best tools in the industry. However, the disconnect between Adobe and creatives has become impossible to ignore; updates are now merely marketing events, rather than actual improvements. I didn't only leave the ecosystem because of what was missing or the financial burden, but also because it no longer feels like Adobe listens to its paying customers. So I'd rather choose tools that respect how I work.