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“Don’t Need Full Cloud? Get Any Single CC Tool for $10-23 a Month”
Not Ready for Full Cloud? Subscribe to Any CC App for $10-23/Mo.
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For about 20 years I have been producing illustrations for research articles using illustrator – first Ill 10, then Ill CS2 (which I still use and which still runs on Windows 10 and a ten-year-old Dell dimension, with a few trivial glitches). For the last 10 years I have been retired (but still actively researching) so have been quite unable to afford to upgrade Illustrator. I feel I should now upgrade to the CC version of illustrator but am afraid that this will not read my old (CS2) .ai files. Please advise.
Hi Richard, Illustrator CC should be able to read your old CS2 files no problem. Please see the following guide:
Can You Open/Use/Save Adobe CS Files with CC – and Vice Versa?
If you want to verify this for yourself first (before buying), then just download & install the free trial to confirm:
http://www.TryCreativeCloud.com/
Hope that helps!
Can you sign up for more than one Single App subscription? I.e. can you combine a Photoshop with an After Effects subscription for $30 instead of paying $50 monthly for all the apps?
Yes, absolutely Travis – please see:
Can You Combine CC Photography with Another Single App Subscription?
Sir, I want to know when you publish the cc 2018 products direct download links ? Please notify …
Sure Ajay, the moment they are out (which we expect is soon), we will have them available for you here:
Adobe Ships CC 2018 – Here’s the Latest on Direct Download Links
Subscribe to Any CC App for $10-20/Month ?
No, It’s Outrageous $28.59 in Australia.
Well, in fact Adobe just changed prices in North America – see this article for more details, as well as what you can do about it:
Creative Cloud Price Is Changing: Here’s What That Means for You
So the figure you quoted, A$28.59 (with GST included) = US$21.57 at today’s currency exchange rate – which actually seems less than the new monthly price in the U.S. of $20.99 + tax.
Don’t forget that prices in international stores typically include taxes (VAT, GST, etc) already built into the figure you see – whereas in the USA, the sales taxes (of up to 10%) are never included in the quoted product price… they are calculated and added at the very end by Adobe when you place your order. So that quoting convention can make the actual cost difference seem larger than it really is.
In other words, mathematically the price you posted doesn’t seem outrageous… but rather basically equivalent with what we pay in the U.S.
Thank you ProDesign for the reply.
I suppose it’s only as expensive or as cheap depending on how you’re involved in the industry.
The Film/Photography industry is probably one of the most difficult and most competitive industries in the world.
Some big post-production companies most likely don’t even consider ongoing prices as an expense.
However there are freelancers who are trying really hard to survive and stay in the industry, and to do so they have to practice their skills daily.
I personally have a full CC subscription and I am using it every day, but only about 10% for commercial purposes.
I naturally start asking myself questions …
Out of all the CC programs I am subscribed to, I use only four: Ae, Pr, Ps, Il.
The way Adobe prices their product, I have no choice but to have a full CC subscription because four programs will cost me more.
It’s a sad situation but that’s what a monopoly is.
Thanks for your comment. What’s interesting is that the situation you describe is not new, and did not arrive with the advent of Creative Cloud or its pricing.
In fact, even back in the Creative Suite days, you would have had to purchase a full suite to get those applications (such as Production Premium for US$1,900). You could not have done it cheaper by buying individual tools instead – rather, it would have been far more expensive that way (Ps $1000 + Ai $600 + Pr $800 + Ae $1000 = $3,400 total).
In other words, Adobe has bundled their individual tools together since CS1 in 2003, whereby it’s a much better deal to get many of them instead of a few – and so the current pricing model is pretty much an extension of that “buy in quantity” idea. Even if you don’t use all the apps you get with the $50 Creative Cloud bundle, it’s still a pretty low price when you divide out each one – the same as with an old Creative Suite.
Yes ProDesign,
No argument or disagreement here. I am aware of all you had to say.
It’s not Adobe’s fault that I am not getting enough work. :-)
Thanks for the chat,
Z.
I have LR 6. Is there a easy way to transfer all the libraries to LR CC? And will LR CC work without consistent Internet access, or at the best bad internet access?
Yes, when you start the newer release of Lightroom, it will offer to migrate your LR catalog for you (or you can manually choose to do it from the File menu at any time).
And the latest releases of both Lightroom and Lightroom Classic will indeed run/work offline, without an consistent Internet connection.
Both LR apps are included together with Photoshop in the Creative Cloud Photography Plan, with ongoing product upgrades as well.
Hi! I already have Lightroom 5 on my computer, used for editing photos. I want to start using Photoshop as well. Can you explain the benefit of getting the Photography package vs single-app photoshop option? I don’t need Lightroom from the photography package, but it seems less expensive to get that than the single photoshop app.
Yes, that’s right. There are three advantages of getting the Photoshop single-app plan over the Photography plan:
However, you do not get Lightroom, Lightroom Classic and Lightroom Mobile, which do come with the Photography plan.
With both plans, you get Photoshop for Desktop and iPad, Adobe Portfolio, and Adobe Fonts. You also receive ongoing updates for all included products, with the latest new features as soon as they’re released.
Adobe Bridge is free for everyone and does not require any paid plan.
Here is a complete comparison of the different options:
What’s the Difference Between the Creative Cloud Photography, Photoshop and Lightroom Plans?
Hope that helps!
expensive, bloated…. these guys have 30 million subscribers and still charge around 30$ for a simple not-evolving layout software like indesign. i’d rather learn LaTeX than give Adobe all that money ever.
Good morning
I am only interested in Adobe Indesign
I am a religious, parish priest of a parish; is there a non-profit plan?
Because even USD 20 per month is a lot!
who can I write to?
Thank you
Father Carlo
Hi Carlo,
If you want to use Adobe software at a non-profit or charity, then check out TechSoup – they offer non-profit licenses donated by software companies such as Microsoft and Adobe to resell their products at very affordable prices (highly discounted) for qualified organizations.
It says US$20.99/mo when I click on the link…
Yes, you get access to “any Adobe creative application for US$10-20 a month (paid annually).”
One of the upsides of your alignment with Adobe is your clear understanding of what goes on and its plans. You are also responsive – which, I’m sure is appreciated, and certainly by me.
It is concerning that you are shown as an affiliate of Adobe at the bottom of the web page. Why shouldn’t Adobe be responsible to provide the same level of service for its subscribers and be transparent about its motivations? Provide a good product, and they do, people will pay a fair price without the subterfuge.
Thanks, James. We can’t speak for Adobe as we are an independent publisher – but we can say it’s not uncommon for customers generally to experience a more variable level of service when you start to talk about large companies.
One thing about staying small (like this site is) is that we can ensure consistency with a high level attentiveness and responsiveness to every question and every comment from every visitor. Nothing slips through the cracks and everyone who visits hopefully has a positive experience!
Was there something in particular which happened that you’re referencing? If there is an issue, we do have some longtime technical contacts inside Adobe who can sometimes help if the normal channels aren’t working for some reason.
Hey, how can I get AE 2020
The type of subscription plan described in the article above is how you can get just a single app for a reduced price, compared to All Apps… The monthly rate is about 62% less.
You may be able to get older versions of After Effects using these links:
How to Get Direct Download Links for All Adobe Software
I am a retired graphic designer but continue to use Adobe InDesign from time to time for personal projects. I have been paying monthly ($54.99) for Adobe CC but can no longer justify paying that much. What are my options if I only need ID and Acrobat? Also, it’s possible that I may need access to PS and/or AI occasionally but rarely. Am I correct in thinking those apps can be ‘turned on and off’ temporarily?
Hello Robin, that’s a good question. Adobe does not offer any sort of hybrid or “pick-your-own-apps” plan; however, if you need to access certain apps only occasionally, then you can get a month-at-a-time subscription for just the tools you need, when you need them. More details here:
Creative Cloud Annual vs. Monthly Plan: Which Should You Choose?
Multiple “single-app” subscriptions for one tool like Illustrator or InDesign or Acrobat can be combined for a lower-cost total which doesn’t include the whole “All Apps” package.
So buying the Single-App plans for both InDesign and Acrobat would come to around $34-$41/month, depending on whether you chose Acrobat Standard or Acrobat Pro. By contrast, the All Apps plan is about $55 a month, as you noted.
Another option would be to take advantage of a little-known discount on the All Apps bundle and pay only $50/month instead… See this post for more info on the price reduction:
How to Save Up to 9% On Creative Cloud With Hidden Discount
Hello, I work in animation and mainly use Photoshop, but very occasionally a client needs me to use Illustrator or Animate.
I was thinking of just getting the ‘Photography Plan’ as an annual subscription, as I need Photoshop day to day and it’s cheaper when bundled with Lightroom for some reason.
If I did this, would I be able to add on Single App plans for the odd month as and when I need them? I understand this would bump up the cost for that month, but would be cheaper than subscribing to all of CC all the time.
I can see that Adobe let you stack multiple ‘single app plans’ but do you they let you combine multiple single app plans with the ‘photography plan’? Or is the photography plan exclusive?
Thank you for your help.
Hey Guy,
Yes, you can definitely stack multiple single-app plans together, including the Photography plan… There is no restriction or limitation.
This includes mixing Yearly and Month-to-Month plans, if desired:
Creative Cloud Annual vs. Monthly Plan: Which Should You Choose?
So you have complete flexibility – you can sign up for whatever tools you need at any given time, and you won’t pay when you don’t need them.
Lastly, on your other question regarding the difference between Adobe’s various plans which contain Photoshop… Yes, there are a few different options, and this guide should help:
What’s the Difference Between the Photography, Photoshop and Lightroom Plans?
Hope that explains things, and just post back if you have any followup questions!
Hi, is it possible to purchase a photoshop + illustrator bundle? Or do I need this single-tool subscription for both, separately?
Hi Kira,
Since Creative Cloud first launched, the only Adobe plans which offer multiple desktop applications are the “All Apps” plan (which includes everything) and the Photography plan.
For any other combinations, you can mix and match the Single App plan(s) together with the Photography plan, which usually includes Photoshop plus Lightroom.
Thanks for the reply! I do have a photoshop subscription, and I think lightroom is included and something else. But illustrator would be a great addition to photoshop (I’ve never used it before so I’m a beginner, like I am with photoshop too, but I’m learning more and more every day and it’s getting easier).
One question: can a psd file be converted into a vector file, so that the image can be scaled unlimitedly? If that can be done, do I need illustrator for that or can I do that in photoshop?
You can vectorize a PSD file or another raster-style image fairly quickly using the Image Trace function in Illustrator.
If you want to use Photoshop only, you can still do it but it’s definitely more work. See:
How to Vectorize an Image in Adobe Photoshop
If you want to try this out in Illustrator without buying it, then you can download a 7-day free trial to see how it goes.