Compare: The Creative Cloud Photoshop vs. Lightroom vs. Photography Plans

One sometimes-confusing aspect of Creative Cloud is the different plans for Photoshop that Adobe offers… What do you get with each one? When is Lightroom included and when is it not? Are the same versions of the programs included in the various Photoshop, Lightroom, and Photography plans?

Most commonly, customers want to know: What the difference is between the Photoshop Single-App subscription and the less-expensive Creative Cloud Photography Plan?

So here are the answers.

Adobe’s US$19.99/month Photography plan includes the full version of Photoshop for desktop, iPad, and mobile (iPhone or Android); also the premium version of Photoshop Express on mobile; as well as Lightroom – both the Cloud-based and Classic versions for desktop, plus Lightroom mobile and web.

Alternatively, with the $22.99/month single-app Photoshop plan, you get all the same Photo­shop apps but not Lightroom… However, it comes with the full, premium version of Adobe Express – which normally costs $9.99/month on its own, and is not included in any other Photoshop or Lightroom plan.

If instead you’re a photographer who just wants Lightroom, then for $11.99/month you can choose the Lightroom-only plan, which includes all versions of Lightroom (two desktop apps – Cloud-based and Classic, plus LR for mobile and web), but not Photoshop.

New! For each of these plans, there is now a Monthly option (higher-priced; subscribe month-to-month and cancel at any time) in addition to an Annual (12-month commitment) option.

Importantly, the applications themselves are the same in all cases. There are no differences between the apps nor any limitations on their functions in any plan.

The following table should help make everything clearer:

Compare All Photoshop & Lightroom Plan Features

Feature	Lightroom Plan (1TB)	Photography Plan (1TB)	Photoshop Single-App	Adobe Firefly Pro
Cost per month (U.S.)	$11.99	$19.99	$22.99	$19.99
Photoshop on desktop		Included	Included
Photoshop on iPad (full)		Included	Included	Included
Photoshop on mobile (full)		Included	Included	Included
Photoshop Express (full)		Included	Included
Lightroom (Cloud-based)	Included	Included
Lightroom Classic	Included	Included
Adobe Express Premium			Included	Included
Cloud photo storage	1 TB	1 TB	100 GB	100 GB
Generative AI Credits	250 Monthly	1,000 Monthly	25 Monthly	4,000 Monthly
Adobe Portfolio	Included	Included	Included	Included
Adobe Fonts (full)	Included	Included	Included	Included
Adobe Fresco (100% free)	Included	Included	Included	Included
Adobe Bridge (100% free)	Included	Included	Included	Included

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Note: The Firefly Pro plan listed above doesn’t include Photoshop on desktop; it just has the premium versions of Photoshop for web and mobile.

And Included in All Creative Cloud Plans

So with all of the above plans, you also get these additional tools and services:

• Adobe Fonts, a massive library of over 30,000 high-quality fonts that you can search, browse, and use everywhere you need them. You don’t have to worry about installation, licensing, or limits, because it’s automatic and all personal and commercial use is covered.
• Adobe Portfolio, which gives you a quick and intuitive way to create a beautiful portfolio website to show off your work, without having to write a single line of code.
• Adobe Bridge, the full version – although this is actually a completely free application available to everyone with no subscription required.
• Ongoing upgrades and updates for all included applications and services.
• Access to hundreds of exclusive online video tutorials in Creative Cloud Learn.
• Flexible and budget-friendly payments through monthly or yearly subscription options.
• You can install all of the desktop programs on up to two of your computers, and easily move the software between different systems as needed.
• All desktop applications – including Lightroom – are installed locally on your computer. You don’t need an ongoing Internet connection to use them. Adobe’s desktop apps only need to connect online once every 99 days to revalidate your membership.
• Get going! Download the free 314-page guide to Digital Photography, Photoshop & Lightroom.

If you’d like to try out any of the desktop applications first, then just download the fully-functional free trials to get started:

Download now

See Also

• Get free guide on Photography, Photoshop, Lightroom
• How to save 70% with the Student & Teacher Editions
• Free Adobe Stock! Download 1,000,000+ top images
• How to join Adobe’s Creative Cloud for free
• The 10 most common myths about Creative Cloud
• Free! Watch 200+ new courses from Adobe MAX

Do you have any questions about these plans?  Just ask them below and we’ll get you answers fast!

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