Vset3D 2025 2.0.2
Adobe's User Backlash, In the high-stakes world of digital creativity, Adobe has long reigned supreme. From Photoshop's pixel-perfect precision to Premiere Pro's video editing prowess, the company's Creative Cloud suite has been the gold standard for professionals and hobbyists alike. But as we hit the midpoint of 2025, that throne is wobbling. A perfect storm of skyrocketing subscription prices, buggy software updates, controversial AI policies, and a vocal user revolt has Adobe facing its toughest scrutiny in decades. Stock prices are tumbling, boycotts are trending, and alternatives are luring users away like never before.
This isn't just a blip—it's a reckoning. Drawing from recent FTC actions, user forums, social media rants, and financial reports, this article dives deep into Adobe's woes. If you're a creator grappling with these issues or a journalist covering the tech beat, here's everything you need to know to craft your narrative.
The Subscription Trap: Greed Meets Regulation
Adobe's shift to a subscription-only model back in 2013 was a masterstroke for revenue—until it wasn't. Today, it's the epicenter of user fury. Annual plans for Creative Cloud All Apps now hover around $60/month, with photography plans jumping 50% in early 2025 to fund unwanted AI features. But the real kicker? Hidden early-termination fees that can gobble up to 50% of remaining payments in the first year, even if you cancel mid-term.
This "dark pattern" drew the ire of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in June 2024. The agency sued Adobe, alleging deceptive practices that "unfairly trap" consumers in annual contracts disguised as monthly ones. Users must navigate a labyrinth of fine print and upsell prompts to escape, often facing surprise charges. The lawsuit, still ongoing as of September 2025, has amplified calls for boycotts. On X (formerly Twitter), posts like "#BoycottAdobe" spike with tales of "scams" and "extortion." One viral thread from tech analyst Zephyr paints Adobe as a "40-year-old PDF jockey" drowning in its own greed, with enterprise clients axing thousands of seats overnight.
Price Hikes: The AI "Tax" No One Asked For
- 2025 Increases: Photography plan up 50% to $20.99/month; All Apps jumps to $59.99. Adobe blames AI enhancements like Firefly, but many users see it as padding exec bonuses.
- Cancellation Nightmares: Fees as high as $127 on a $20/month plan. FTC documents reveal Adobe buried these in "hidden" menus, violating consumer protection laws.
- Impact on Freelancers: Pros like video editor Gerald Undone are "sailing the high seas" (pirating old versions) in protest. A YouTube exposé calls Adobe "ruined by power & greed," with millions locked in but seething.
Focus on Pricing Discontent
Previously, customers could purchase perpetual licenses (a one-time payment), but the shift to recurring subscriptions has been seen as more expensive over time, inflexible, and particularly burdensome for casual users or freelancers. Complaints center on cumulative costs, cancellation difficulties, and the feeling of "renting" rather than owning software. In 2025, this discontent has intensified due to recent price hikes (announced in May and September) and competition from affordable or free alternatives like GIMP, Affinity, or open-source AI tools.
Price Comparison: Perpetual Licenses vs. Current Subscriptions
Below is a comparison of historical prices (for CS6 in 2012, the last perpetual license version) versus current subscription prices (September 2025, for individual annual plans billed monthly, in USD). Perpetual licenses were a one-time purchase, while subscriptions are recurring. Approximate conversions to EUR (1 USD ≈ 0.92 EUR) are included for context.
| Product/Plan | Old Price (Perpetual, One-Time) | Current Price (Monthly Subscription) | Cost Over 3 Years (Current) | Cost Over 5 Years (Current) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photoshop Only | $699 USD (≈ €643) | $22.99 USD (≈ €21) | $828 USD (≈ €762) | $1,379 USD (≈ €1,269) |
| All Apps Suite | $2,600 USD (≈ €2,392) | $69.99 USD (≈ €64) for Pro Plan (includes extended generative AI) | $2,520 USD (≈ €2,318) | $4,199 USD (≈ €3,863) |
| Photography Plan (Lightroom + Photoshop + 1TB Storage) | Not applicable (no equivalent bundle) | $19.99 USD (≈ €18) | $720 USD (≈ €662) | $1,199 USD (≈ €1,103) |
- Sources for old prices: Photoshop CS6 standard at $699 USD, Design & Web Premium suite at $2,600 USD [Citations: 10, 11].
- Sources for current prices: September 2025 updates for individual plans [Citations: 35, 36, 41]. Recent price increases (from $59.99 to $69.99 for the All Apps suite) aim to fund AI tools like Firefly but have fueled further criticism.
Quick Analysis:
- For Photoshop alone, the subscription surpasses the perpetual license cost after ~3 years of continuous use.
- For the full suite, the subscription cost matches the perpetual license in ~3 years, but recurring fees (and mandatory cloud-based updates) make users feel "locked in." Casual users pay full price without flexibility, unlike the optional upgrades of the past (around $500–600 every 2–3 years).
User Discontent: Real Examples
Forums, Reddit, and X (formerly Twitter) are filled with complaints. Here’s a snapshot from September 2025:
- On cumulative costs and loss of ownership: "I loved Adobe when you could buy the products and own them forever. [...] Their invasive, expensive subscription model stifles innovation. Awful company." [Citation: 21] (X post, 09/16/2025). Another: "The subscription model is insanely expensive, overpriced. People are looking for alternatives." [Citation: 27]
- For students and freelancers: "Ugh… no way I’m paying €905.02 for a standard subscription. Time to cancel Adobe. [...] It was great, but it’s outrageously expensive." [Citation: 18] (X post, 09/19/2025, on a student plan reverting to full price).
- General backlash and piracy: Since 2013, 87% of surveyed users preferred perpetual licenses [Citation: 4]. In 2024–2025, complaints surged with price hikes: "Pirat[ing] Adobe is morally correct without nuance" [Citation: 17], alongside class-action lawsuits over legacy license issues [Citation: 1].
Adobe argues subscriptions ensure constant updates and reduce piracy, boosting revenue (10–15% annual growth)
AI Ambitions: From Hype to Horror
Adobe's pivot to AI was meant to be its savior—enter Firefly, the "ethical" generative tool. But 2025 has exposed cracks: underwhelming features, ethical minefields, and a Terms of Service (ToS) fiasco that lit social media ablaze.
The ToS Backlash: "They Own Our Work?"
In June 2024, Adobe updated its ToS, granting itself broad access to "view, use, and analyze" user content for "service improvements"—code for AI training. Creators panicked: Would their portfolios fuel Adobe's models without consent? Petitions surged, and X erupted with accusations of "surveillance capitalism."
Adobe backpedaled fast. By June 18, 2024, revised terms clarified: No training generative AI on user content (except Adobe Stock submissions). Users retain ownership, and Adobe can't claim derivatives. Opt-outs for content analytics are now explicit. But trust is shattered—posts like "Adobe is scum" persist, with users fearing "every pixel needs a 12-page EULA."
Firefly's Flop: "MS Paint with a Hangover"
Firefly promised revolution but delivered meh. Midjourney v7 and free tools like GPT-Image outshine it, per user reviews. Features like Generative Fill lag (3% slower in updates?), and a training cluster "fire" from old clipart uploads became meme fodder. Adobe's April 2025 move to support third-party generators? Labeled "most controversial AI move yet."
On X, semantic searches reveal raw pain: "Adobe's AI tax has arrived—time to ditch." Google's free image editor is "attacking" Photoshop directly, per one post.
Bugs and Breakdowns: 2025's "Buggy Mess"
The 2025 releases (Photoshop v26, Premiere Pro v25) were hyped as AI-infused upgrades. Reality? A parade of glitches crippling workflows.
Premiere Pro: Freezes, Crashes, and Black Screens
- Common Complaints: Freezing on import, mask tracking fails, keyboard shortcuts broken. August 2025 update causes CEP panel crashes on X sign-ins.
- Hardware Hell: Throttles PCs, blacks out displays, even post-crash. Users on Mac M-series report "horrendous" render times.
- User Voices: "Premiere Pro 2025 is a buggy mess—downgrading to 2024." X rants echo: "Updating forever… all for extortionate fees."
Photoshop: Lags, Imports, and License Woes
- Text/Image Lag: Adding layers stalls on scratch disks. PSD imports fail post-upgrade.
- License Popups: macOS users battle "expired" errors despite valid subs.
- Broader Suite Issues: Fonts unorganized ("nightmare" navigation), and endless updates halt file opens.
Adobe's forums are a warzone: 1,500+ threads on "2025 issues." Pros like environment artist Josh Powers are fleeing to rivals.
The Bluesky Blunder and Social Media Storm
April 2025's Bluesky debut was DOA. Adobe's cheery "What's fueling your creativity?" posts drew 1,600+ hate comments in days—rants on prices, AI theft, and "fascism." They deleted everything and ghosted the platform.
On X, it's relentless: 20+ recent posts on "Adobe sucks" since January, from "CS3返せ" (return CS3) to boycott calls. Semantic searches pull gems like "Adobe's struggles continue… overshadowed by backlash." Viral threads mock the stock's -33% dive and "re-imagining creativity" PR spin.
Financial Fallout: A Stock in Freefall
Adobe's market cap took a beating in 2025. Shares down 20-33% YTD, underperforming the S&P 500's 12% gain. Morgan Stanley's September downgrade to "Equal-Weight" (target $450 from $520) cites AI uncertainty and competition. After-hours drops of 8% followed missed revenue outlooks.
Analysts whisper: Can it hit $660 by year-end? Doubtful, with enterprise churn and AI rivals like OpenAI eroding moats. Reddit's r/ValueInvesting calls it "oversold," but buybacks (half for 2025 alone) scream desperation.
The Great Migration: Alternatives Gaining Ground
Users aren't just complaining—they're leaving. #DitchAdobe trends as pros switch.
| Adobe Tool | Top Alternatives (2025) | Why Switch? | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photoshop | Affinity Photo, GIMP, Krita | One-time buy, no subs; AI-free ethics. | $70 (Affinity); Free (GIMP/Krita) |
| Illustrator | Affinity Designer, Inkscape | Vector precision without lock-in. | $70 (Affinity); Free (Inkscape) |
| Premiere Pro | DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro | Bug-free editing; Hollywood-grade color. | Free (Resolve); $299 (Final Cut) |
| Lightroom | Darktable, Capture One | Raw processing sans bloat. | Free (Darktable); $299/year (Capture One) |
| After Effects | Natron, Blender | Open-source motion graphics. | Free |
| Acrobat | PDF-XChange Editor, LibreOffice Draw | PDF editing without the premium price. | Free/$50 (PDF-XChange) |
GitHub's "Adobe Alternatives" repo lists 20+ options, from Figma for XD to Audacity for Audition. YouTubers like Technically Trent demo full migrations, saving hundreds yearly. X users report: "Affinity suite replaces everything—DaVinci for Premiere." Even CorelDraw's ad-spamming enshittification pushes folks to open-source.
Adobe's Defense: Too Little, Too Late?
Adobe insists it's listening: Bug fixes in beta builds, ToS clarifications, and "ethical AI" mantras. CEO Shantanu Narayen touts "limitless potential" at MAX 2024 Sneaks. But with stock woes and user exodus, skeptics abound. As one post notes, "Adobe's complexity, pricing, and anti-artist AI TOS starts a revolt."
The Road Ahead: Can Adobe Rebound?
2025's backlash could be Adobe's wake-up call—or death knell. If it doesn't fix bugs, slash fees, and rebuild trust, open-source and indies like Affinity will feast. Creators: Audit your subs today. Investors: Watch Q4 earnings for churn signals.
