Adobe Creative Cloud: What Is It and Is It Right For You?

What is Adobe Creative Cloud?

Adobe Creative Cloud refers to a bundle of more than 20 software applications that creators use to produce visual content for personal or professional use, including: 

• Flyers, brochures, business cards, and infographics 

• Books of any length

• Websites and apps

• Photo editing and retouching

• Logos, color schemes, social media graphics, and other design elements for a brand

• Videos of any length 

Many types of creators will find the apps in Adobe Creative Cloud valuable, including graphic and digital designers, photographers and filmmakers, sound editors and designers, animators, web designers, marketers, and desktop publishers. 

According to Enlyft, marketing and advertising companies account for the majority of companies using Creative Cloud, followed by companies in information tech, computer software, retail, construction, higher education, media production, and health care [1]. 

Adobe Creative Cloud vs. Adobe Creative Suite

Adobe Creative Cloud was called Adobe Creative Suite until 2013, when Adobe updated not only the stack’s branding and software but also the payment structure, switching from a license to a subscription service.     

How much is Adobe Creative Cloud?

As a bundle, Adobe Creative Cloud is available at different price points depending on the plan you subscribe to: 

Individual plans

• $89.99 for one month subscription

• $59.99 / month for an annual subscription, paid monthly

• $659.88 / year for an annual subscription, prepaid 

Business plans 

• $89.99 / month for an annual subscription, paid monthly

Students and teachers 

• $19.99 / month for an annual subscription, paid monthly (for the first year, then $29.99 / month upon renewal)

Schools and universities 

• $34.99 / month per user*

• $330 / year per device

• $142 / year per 100 students 

*Pricing for institution-wide license requires consultation

Adobe Creative Cloud apps

In the table below, explore the individual apps inside Adobe Create Cloud by cost, features, and use for different jobs. 

*The Substance 3D Collection includes the following subset of apps: 

• Modeler, sculpt and build 3D models

• Sampler, create 3D materials and lights

• Designer, design parametric 3D assets

• Painter, texture 3D models in real time

• Stager, compose and render 3D scenes

• Assets, high-end 3D asset library 

Read more: What Is 3D Design? And How to Get Started

How to decide if Adobe Creative Cloud is right for you

Now that you know the cost and functions of apps in the Adobe Creative Cloud, follow the steps below to decide if these tools are right for you.  

1. Review your design goals and needs. 

Get clear on what you want to achieve as a creator, including the skills you want to master, the projects you want to complete, and the career path you want to consider. That way you can select the apps from Adobe Creative Cloud (or other brands) that can best help you achieve your goals. Draw from these examples of design goals:

• Master digital design skills and launch your own business 

• Bring life to a personal creative project

• Find your dream job in a specific area of digital design

• Advance into a leadership role in digital design

Read more: Becoming a Digital Designer: What You Need to Know

2. Take courses in creative, digital, or graphic design. 

Taking courses in your area of emphasis can be a great way to master skills and select the software you need with more confidence. Look for courses that introduce you to different software programs, including the apps in Adobe Creative Cloud, and that guide you through using software to complete projects.  

Read more: How to Learn Graphic Design: 7 Steps to Build Your Skills

For instance, with this hands-on guided project Getting Started With Adobe Spark (now called Adobe Express), you can practice using design tools, editing different elements, and more in under 1 hour. 

3. Explore with a free trial. 

Consider signing up for a seven-day free trial of Adobe Creative Cloud to experience using the apps individually and in conjunction with another. In addition, make use of the support documentation in the Help Center, as well as the Adobe Support Community to learn as much as you can during the trial subscription period. 

4. Explore alternatives to the Adobe Creative Cloud. 

Comparing Adobe Creative Cloud with its alternatives and competitors can be a powerful final step in this process. Take pricing, features, capabilities, your long-term goals, drawbacks, learning challenges, and industry standards into consideration as you compare.  

Here are some Adobe Creative Cloud alternatives to investigate: 

• GIMP, alternative to PhotoShop

• Inkscape, alternative to Illustrator 

• DaVinci Resolve 18, alternative to Premiere 

All in all, Adobe Creative Cloud is by far one of the most popular options for creatives, but it is up to you to decide whether it suits your needs and desires.

Dive into design with Coursera

Coursera offers several course options for learning digital design and exploring career applications. CalArts’ Graphic Design Specialization teaches Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator skills, among others. In the Google UX Design Professional Certificate, you’ll get experience with tools like Adobe XD and Figma.