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Adobe Raises Photoshop, Lightroom Prices for Monthly Plans

New Adobe Photography 20GB and Adobe Lightroom 1TB subscribers will pay more for their monthly plans come January, but annual buyers won't see a price hike.

 & Kate Irwin Reporter

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Adobe is raising the cost of two of its monthly plans.

Adobe's Photography 20GB plan, which includes Photoshop, Lightroom and Lightroom Classic, will go from costing $9.99 a month to $14.99 a month—a 50% price hike for US customers. The Lightroom 1TB standalone plan will go from costing $9.99 a month to $11.99 a month, which is a 20% price increase. The 1TB Photography subscription—which currently costs $19.99 a month or $239.88 a year—won't get a price hike, however.

While Adobe is raising some of its monthly subscription prices, the plans' annual, paid upfront prices are staying the same. This effective annual discount may incentivize new subscribers to commit to a full year instead of a monthly plan. The Photography 20GB plan will still cost $119.88 a year (which works out to be $9.99 a month), and the Lightroom 1TB plan will still cost $119.88 a year, as well. Buying an annual plan means you're not able to cancel early to get some of that money back, though.

Adobe claims the reason for the price hikes is to "better reflect the value that the apps deliver." Existing subscribers will be charged the new rates when their plan renews, while all others will see the new prices take effect Jan. 15. If you're new to these Adobe apps, you can still do a free trial before choosing a subscription option. But if you don't want to pay the higher monthly prices, you'd have to sign up before Jan. 15 to get the current rates for another year.

Adobe is planning on adding more features to Photoshop and Lightroom in 2025. The company says more Quick Actions like one-tap editing, more streamlined sharing, more AI features, and faster photo "culling" are coming in the new year. These upcoming additions could help save time and make edits easier.

In June, the US Federal Trade Commission sued Adobe over its cancellation fees, alleging Adobe's unclear disclosures "harm and mislead consumers." The FTC also claimed that one Adobe exec said its termination fees were "like heroin" for the company. Adobe cancellation fees for its "annual, paid monthly" plans can range from anywhere from $30 to $330 depending on when you cancel the plan. Adobe, however, has said it will fight the FTC's allegations and claims its cancellation fees have "minimal impact" on its revenue.

About Our Expert

Kate Irwin

Kate Irwin

Reporter

I’m a reporter for PCMag covering tech news early in the morning. Prior to joining PCMag, I was a producer and reporter at Decrypt and launched its gaming vertical, GG. I have previously written for Input, Game Rant, Dot Esports, and other places, covering a range of gaming, tech, crypto, and entertainment news.

I’ve been a PC gamer since The Sims (yes, the original) in the CD-ROM days. I still think about my first-gen pink iPod mini, which, looking back, was not so mini. In 2020, I finally built my own custom Windows PC for gaming with a 3090 graphics card, but I also regularly use Mac and iOS devices. As a reporter, I’m passionate about documenting the wide world of tech and how it affects our daily lives.

My Areas of Expertise

  • Microsoft
  • Google
  • Artificial intelligence 
  • Cybersecurity
  • Video games are a big one. I specialize in shooters (Apex Legends, Fortnite, Overwatch) but I occasionally test out other genres as well, especially indie games or cozy games (The Sims series, Animal Crossing). 
  • The business and tech that powers video games
  • Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology
  • Social media platforms, including Meta’s apps, X/Twitter, Telegram, TikTok, etc.
  • Tech regulation

The Technology I Use

  • MSI gaming laptops
  • Nvidia graphics cards
  • AMD CPUs
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  • An iPhone from 2019 (though I’m thinking about getting a “dumb phone” like the Light Phone)
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PlayStation 5
  • Freewrite Traveler 
  • At home: Sonos speakers (we have them all over the house), Philips Hue + Ring security products

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