A (Final) Final Farewell to Adobe
Ayup! While watching last year's Adobe Max conference, I knew there and then that I didn't want anything to do with Creative Cloud any more. Their AI obsessed vision of the future isn't for me. Nope! I think it's fair to say that plenty of creatives feel the same way.
By complete coincidence (teehee), at the exact same time, Affinity released the new version of their app. Having previously used V.2 of Photo, Designer and Publisher, I downloaded their updated offering and got to work testing it out.
To cut a long and waffly section short, it easily replaced Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. What's more, it's only when you start using different software that you realise how slow and clunky the Adobe apps are.
Without a second thought, I deleted anything related to Creative Cloud from my Mac. Not an easy task, let me tell you, but hurrah! Except then, I remembered that I still had to keep paying Adobe for software I wasn't using. Their annual subscriptions and corporate greed are one of the reasons I'll never use them again.
Many users and industry professionals have voiced frustration with Adobe, citing issues related to pricing, software accessibility, customer service, and the company’s overall business practices. While Adobe’s products are often regarded as the gold standard, the company’s direction has left a growing number of loyal users feeling alienated and frustrated.
Keep paying, or pay to cancel
What a lovely predicament (for Adobe shareholders). For its customers, however, it completely screws them over. The monthly cost for a full Creative Cloud package is now eye-wateringly high. WTAF?
Creative Cloud Pro - £66.49 per month (£797.88 per year)
Creative Cloud Standard - £51.98 per month (£623.76 per year)
Cancellation fees are completely unreasonable too. If you try and cancel before the end of your one year term, a hefty 50% of your remaining contract obligation will be taken from your account.
Most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. Consumers express widespread dissatisfaction with the company's subscription model, citing concerns about pricing and unexpected charges. People also report difficulties with the cancellation process, often encountering substantial fees. The payment system is another source of frustration, with reviewers detailing unauthorised charges and billing issues.
Get out of jail free card
If you find yourself in a similar situation as I did, there are a couple of options available. These worked for me at the time, but I wouldn't be surprised if they remove them going forward.
3 months free - Usually, when you go to cancel, they offer up a bribe to get you to stay. One of mine was three months free. Happy days. This, at least, would bring the final cancellation fee down.
For the ultimate hack, go to manage plan then change your plan. This lets you start an annual subscription all over again. Great, but we don't want that. Fear not! Each plan has a 14 day cancellation period in which you get a full refund. Simply cancel straight away, get your money back, and you're no longer in a contract.
While GIMP and Krita offer a solid free option, many pointed to Affinity's suite of products as the most natural alternative to Adobe.
Out with Adobe, in with Affinity
So yeah, I'm finally free, and it feels gooooooood! The past few months have given me a good chance to really get to know the new Affinity app. I wrote about my initial impressions back in November last year. The article posed the question, will Affinity replace Adobe? It's a resounding yes.
I'll be following this up with a more in-depth overview in the coming weeks. A few folks have asked how I'm getting on with Affinity. Spoiler alert; I love it
As for Adobe, I'm just glad to be the hell out of there. It will be interesting to see how far they can keep pushing this. They're clearly under pressure to bring in more turnover and revenue. Paired with their AI everything approach that nobody asked for (or wants), I can't see their reign holding out for much longer.
