Adobe Creative Cloud Pricing, Features, Reviews & Comparison of Alternatives

Pros
One subscription - and I get access to 20+ awesome design software. I also get access to stock photographs and other assets which I use regularly as they are of high quality. It's also easy to work on a project with teams as projects are saved online. The thing I like most about Adobe Creative Cloud is that - it gets updated regularly. Due to regular updates, I can be sure that the features of these software are in accordance with current technologies. I have spent more than 3 years using Adobe Creative Cloud in regular basis - and I can say that I learn something new every week and this has helped me a lot in my professional career.

Cons
Subscription for only one software is expensive and doesn't seem to be suitable for beginners. We also need a fast performing computer to use most of Adobe software - which is fine looking at the features they offer. However, I think there is room for improvement of performance.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Every design or marketing team that I’ve been a part of for the last ten tests has used the bundle of Adobe products that eventually became creative cloud. It’s become an indispensable tool in our industry. The cloud based service along with subscription pricing structure changed the application space for the better because you’re always up to date with the latest features. The seamless integration between applications and file types has created the most productive digital workspace imaginable.

Cons
Sometimes the inconsistency across the app interfaces can be frustrating. For example, the crop tool in Photoshop I has a shortcut key of C but in Lightroom the shortcut key is R. You can create your own shortcut keys in Premiere but not in Lightroom. I wish Lightroom Classic would work on iPad on a per catalog basis

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
The programs are fairly easy to use. And I suppose on paper it's not a bad idea. Having a subscription does make it so you're spending less money up front. And it's an easy way to stay up to date. But remember, this is all on paper. In practice it's not so good.

Cons
Adobe seems to have something of a monopoly on the graphic design market, because I don't think they'd be getting away with their practices otherwise. People who bought their products previously no longer have license to use the software they once purchased if they're not using Cloud. Their programs crash all the time, and are full of annoying UI issues. A ton of small things that just don't make sense. For instance, resizing in Photoshop used to require holding shift to maintain original dimensions. And after users become familiar with that, they decide to change it so that when you size something, holding shift changes the width and height independent of each other. Sure, this would have made sense in the beginning, but to change what so many people are familiar with this late in the game? Plus, you'd think they implement that with all programs. But nope, InDesign it's the opposite, making the change completely pointless. And InDesign is a whole other bag of problems and glitches that can really put you in a bind if you're putting together a company catalog. My supervisor and I are constantly holding our breaths and on the edges of our seats when building a catalog that something major doesn't go wrong. Crashes every single time my computer goes to sleep, it'll randomly delete elements, and there are so many problems across the Adobe Suite that they simply won't fix. I could go on and on and on, but I'm about to run out of space.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 0/10

Pros
As a designer, I have to show my appreciation for this product. Its includes everything I will ever need for my business. I can read my PDFs, tweak my images, edit my videos, create illustrations and websites very easily. I especially love the import and export functions among the software's. The free cloud membership is absolutely perfect. I'm always a sucker for anything that includes extra storage.

Cons
Would appreciate if more if the pricing was friendlier and consistent, it's always in the back of my mind that the price for this product will keep increasing. At least pick a price and stick with it. Also not many people know about this creative suite, unless they are in the same industry mine, conversation about it goes right over their heads.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
First and foremost, I love their focus in recent years on making the software easier to learn, easier to use, and easier to deploy. In some places, there is educational materials built right into each window of the program. This is especially helpful to infrequent users. I feel less pressure to have a search engine open in a separate tab for questions that come up, as the help is increasingly within the program. Secondly, I've used the software for years and the sheer value it provides is second to none.

Cons
Some of the programs included in the Creative Cloud feel better suited to use on a laptop than others, at least with the default settings. Perhaps they plan on improving this overtime (I certainly hope so) and it must be said the ACC offerings are still better than their competitors'. However, I would like to see some form of "Laptop mode" like a few programming IDEs provide, as the programs can get a bit cluttered when I'm on the go.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10