Adobe Photoshop has been so influential in the media world that the name of the app is commonly used to describe an image that has been edited. But while the name is everywhere, not everyone uses the app, and Adobe is hoping to change that with a new free version.
According to The Verge, Adobe is making a “freemium” version of Photoshop on the web currently only available in Canada. Users need to sign up for an Adobe account to access the free web version which is missing many features but the core features are accessible. To get the full version, users will need to pay for an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription—though Photoshop on the web doesn’t yet have many of the same features as a standalone app. Photoshop on the web is currently in beta, and Adobe is adding more features to it as time goes on.
Photoshop on the web only works on Chrome or Microsoft Edge browsers, and if you try to use an unsupported browser like Safari, users will only be able to view and comment on existing documents. The Adobe FAQ says the company will “soon bring editing to other browsers like Firefox,” but makes no mention of Safari or WebKit.
If you’re an iPad user, Adobe does not recommend using Photoshop on the web on a tablet. According to Adobe’s FAQ, “You can currently edit in Photoshop on Web Beta only on non-mobile web browsers. You can view and comment using a mobile web browser. For the iPad, we recommend that you try Photoshop on the iPad, which is included in your Creative Cloud subscription.”
Adobe didn’t mention its plans to expand access to free Photoshop on the Web to more regions, but the Canada trial is likely a test run. Maria Yap, Adobe’s VP of digital imaging, told The Verge: “We want to make [Photoshop] More accessible and easier for more people to try it out and experience the product. ,
Users who decide to pay for an individual Adobe Creative Cloud subscription to get the full set of features will need to pay $21 per month for Photoshop or $55 per month for the full suite of Adobe apps.
While Photoshop has a legacy of its own, its price, Adobe’s subscription model, and app complexity have put off potential customers, with consumers turning to more user-friendly apps like Acorns, Affinity Photos, or Pixelmator. Adobe’s freemium offering is clearly an attempt to better compete with those apps and get more people to sign up for Create Cloud subscriptions.
