Alternatives for Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, and more
I remember when Adobe made the switch. In 2013, not long after I purchased Adobe Creative Suite CS6, Adobe terminated the desktop versions of its software and launched Creative Cloud, offering subscription-based access only to its suite of products.
It’s easy to understand why some users have been unhappy with Adobe’s subscription model. A large corporation has the budget to shoulder monthly fees, but small businesses and home users may balk, especially for programs used only occasionally.
I love Adobe products, and I’ve used them since Photoshop version 2.5. I’ve also purchased Freehand and PageMaker, and the Macromedia products. They’re the best, hands-down. But a subset of users have largely left their beloved Adobe software behind for a variety of clones, shareware, and open-source products.
I actually use them all—Adobe and the alternatives—because each program has unique features I can pick and choose for my projects. The following programs are the best options we’ve found to replace Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. We also talk to experts about why software subscriptions are on the rise.
