Knowing how to buy Adobe Photoshop can be a little confusing. There’s no simple one-time purchase option. So you have to choose a subscription. But figuring out which one is best for you might take a bit of time. And if you’re careful, there are ways of saving some money.
Students and teachers can get some good discounts. There are plans for business or educational establishments. If you’re buying for yourself, then your main decisions are what apps to buy. And whether to pay monthly or annually.
There’s a cost saving for an annual purchase. And you can commit to a year and spread that cost over 12 monthly payments. But be aware that there is a substantial early termination fee if you cancel before the year is up. If you’re not sure that you’ll get value for money, you can always start with a free trial. Then pay monthly while you assess your usage. You can always convert to yearly once you know it’s worth it.
So let’s look at what’s on offer if you want to buy Adobe Photoshop.
| Annual Subscription |
Annual Subscription
$239.88
|
| Annual Subscription Paid Monthly |
Annual Subscription Paid Monthly
$20.99
|
| Monthly Subscription |
Monthly Subscription
$31.49
|
| Best For |
Best For
Anyone who just wants Photoshop on its own
|
Adobe Photoshop is the most well-known photo manipulation app in the world. It has even become a verb, applied liberally and sometimes inaccurately, everywhere you look. But if you want to use the actual app, then you need a subscription.
For Photoshop on its own, you can choose an annual or monthly subscription. You can save money by paying your annual subscription monthly, but there are penalties if you cancel before the year is up.
| Annual Subscription (20 GB) |
Annual Subscription (20 GB)
$119.88
|
| Annual Subscription (20 GB) Paid Monthly |
Annual Subscription (20 GB) Paid Monthly
$9.99
|
| Annual Subscription (1 TB) |
Annual Subscription (1 TB)
$239.88
|
| Annual Subscription (1 TB) Paid Monthly |
Annual Subscription (1 TB) Paid Monthly
$19.99
|
| Best For |
Best For
Photographers who want both Lightroom and Photoshop
|
Many photographers like Adobe Lightroom as much as Photoshop, if not more. Adobe has you covered with the Creative Cloud Photography plan. This includes the two apps and either 20 GB or 1 TB of cloud storage.
Both options include Lightroom Classic for mobile and on the web. Photoshop comes as an app for desktop and iPad. And you also get Adobe Portfolio for building websites.
If you are a teacher or student, then you’re actually better off getting the educational price for Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps. It’s the same price as the Photography plan but includes all 21 Creative Cloud apps. If you choose Lightroom, then check out our Effortless Editing with Lightroom course.
Like any of its apps designed for creatives, Photoshop lives in Adobe’s Creative Cloud. This is a suite of programs that cover everything from Adobe Illustrator to Adobe Audition. There are 21 apps in the cloud, and the easiest way of accessing them all is to pay for the All Apps subscription. It’s cheaper than paying for three individual subscriptions. But it’s not a cheap option.
| Annual Subscription |
Annual Subscription
$599.98
|
| Annual Subscription Paid Monthly |
Annual Subscription Paid Monthly
$54.99
|
| Monthly Subscription |
Monthly Subscription
$82.49
|
| Education Monthly Subscription |
Education Monthly Subscription
$19.99
|
| Best For |
Best For
Anyone who wants three or more Adobe apps
|
First of all, there’s Photoshop itself, of course. And the product is improving all the time. Among the features included in all subscriptions are new AI capabilities. Plus, the usual useful features of simple background removal, smart portraits, and endless brushes and effects.
The AI features, currently in Beta form, allow you to create backgrounds and images with text prompts. Background removal can be as simple as one click on the image. And the smart portraits feature allows you to turn your subject’s head or change their facial expression.
As well as the headline Photoshop app, your subscription comes with some other benefits. First of all, there’s Adobe Fresco, an iPad editor for raster and vector graphics. Then there’s Photoshop Express for Mobile. And you also get 100 GB of cloud storage.
One area where Photoshop leads the way is the vast number of presets and training courses available. Adobe provides access to their own tutorials. But the internet is awash with free and paid resources.
You probably want to ask yourself if it’s worth it. There’s no doubt that the costs are quite substantial. But it’s also clear that Photoshop is popular for a reason. If you’re still not sure, then you might want to check out what you can do with Photoshop before you download the free trial. And it’s worth checking out the best plugins for Photoshop.
