Source-backed analysis9
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
9 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 10, 2026
How we review
Adobe Photoshop Review
The industry-standard photo editor, now with Firefly AI, sold by subscription
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Web
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
Photoshop suits designers, photographers and content creators who need the deepest photo-editing toolset and a shared workflow with the Adobe ecosystem. The trade-offs are the subscription cost, generative-credit limits and the early-cancellation fee on yearly commitments.
Best for: Graphic, photo and advertising professionals who need deep, layer-based editing
Skip it if: People who only need quick edits or template-based design, since lighter and cheaper tools exist
Pros
- Very broad editing toolset: layers, masks, adjustment layers, subject selection and background removal
- Firefly-powered Generative Fill, Generative Expand, Remove Tool and Harmonize built in
- Runs on Windows, macOS, iPad/iPhone, Android and the web
Cons
- Subscription-only since 2013; Photoshop is $22.99/month on an annual plan and Creative Cloud Pro $69.99/month after the first 3 months
- The Photoshop plan includes only 25 generative credits a month, versus 4,000 on Creative Cloud Pro
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
Pros
- The iPhone app holds 4.5/5 from more than 95,000 US App Store ratings
- Adobe's terms commit to not using your content to train generative AI
Cons
- The early-cancellation fee on yearly plans drew a 2024 FTC lawsuit over alleged unclear disclosure; Adobe disputes this
- No free web version for editing your own photos
Best for
- People who want to share files with other Creative Cloud apps
- Users who want AI tools such as Generative Fill, Generative Expand and object removal inside the editor
Skip it if
- Anyone who wants a one-time purchase rather than a subscription
Problems it solves
Experience & key features
What is Photoshop?
Photoshop is Adobe's photo-editing software. According to Wikipedia, brothers Thomas and John Knoll created it in 1987, Adobe bought the distribution licence in 1988 and Photoshop 1.0 shipped for Macintosh on 19 February 1990 at a list price of $895. Since June 2013, Photoshop CC has been subscription-only under Creative Cloud. It now exists on desktop, iPad, iPhone, Android and the web.
Key features
Adobe's product page lists Firefly-powered Generative Fill, Generative Expand and Remove Tool, Rotate Object for real-time rotation and scaling, Harmonize to match lighting, shadows and colour when blending people or objects into a scene, Clarity & Dehaze and Grain adjustment layers, and Topaz Labs models for AI upscaling. When Generative Fill launched on 23 May 2023, Adobe said edits live in generative layers that can be reversed without touching the original image.
Pricing and value
Per the US product page: the Photoshop plan is $22.99/month on an annual plan billed monthly or $263.88/year prepaid; the Photography plan is $19.99/month; Creative Cloud Pro is $34.99/month for the first 3 months and then $69.99/month. The Photoshop plan includes 25 generative credits a month and Creative Cloud Pro 4,000. A free desktop trial exists but the page doesn't state its length. For light users the price is high compared with other photo editors; for daily professionals it is easier to justify.
More analysis
Who it's for and how it compares
Photoshop suits professionals who need depth in photo editing. If you mostly make posts and posters from templates, Canva or Adobe Express is simpler. Affinity is the route for people who want to avoid subscriptions, and Adobe Illustrator fits vector graphics better. Use the free trial, and read the cancellation terms carefully before choosing a yearly commitment.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026
Mobile app (Free)
PersonalFree
Adobe's page says the mobile app is free to download, with premium features behind a subscription. There is no free web version; uploading your own photos on the web needs a plan or a trial.
Photoshop
Personal$22.99/mo/user
$21.99/mo billed yearly
$22.99/month on an annual plan billed monthly, or $263.88/year prepaid (about $21.99/month). The product page shows no no-commitment monthly price. Includes 25 generative credits a month and 100 GB of cloud storage; the desktop app has a free trial.
Photography plan
Personal$19.99/mo/user
$19.99/month on an annual plan billed monthly, per the FAQ on Adobe's Photoshop page.
Creative Cloud Pro
Personal$69.99/mo/user
20+ apps, 4,000 generative credits a month and 100 GB of storage. New subscribers pay $34.99/month for the first 3 months, then $69.99/month (annual plan billed monthly). Students and teachers: $19.99/month in year one, then $39.99/month.
- Free plan limits
- The desktop app has a free trial, but the page doesn't state its length. The mobile app is free, with premium features behind a subscription.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
The Photoshop page doesn't state cancellation terms. Adobe's US Acrobat Pro page, which uses the same plan types, says monthly plans can be cancelled anytime, annual prepaid plans are refundable within 14 days, and annual plans billed monthly carry a fee of up to half the remaining commitment if cancelled after 14 days. In 2024 the US FTC sued Adobe over how this early-termination fee was disclosed, naming Photoshop among the products; Adobe disputes the claims.
Privacy
Photoshop falls under Adobe's general privacy policy (updated 24 Oct 2025): Adobe collects contact, payment, device and usage data and content you send or store, including AI prompts. Adobe's terms state it will not use your local or cloud content to train generative AI models, except content submitted to Adobe Stock; it may still analyse cloud content to improve products, which you can opt out of. Adobe says Firefly's first model was trained on Adobe Stock images, openly licensed content and public-domain content. Transaction records are kept for 10 years after your last interaction; the policy lists rights to access, correct, delete and port data.
Adobe Photoshop alternatives
7.7/10Canva
Drag-and-drop design with a large template library, a free tier and AI tools
7.5/10Figma
Browser-based interface design tool built for teams working in one file
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free version of Photoshop?
There is a free mobile app with premium features behind a subscription, and the desktop app has a free trial. Adobe says there is no free web version for uploading your own photos.
How much does Photoshop cost?
On Adobe's US page: $22.99/month (annual plan billed monthly) or $263.88/year prepaid for the Photoshop plan; Photography at $19.99/month; Creative Cloud Pro at $69.99/month after a first 3 months at $34.99.
What are generative credits?
They are the allowance for generative AI features. Per Adobe's product page, the Photoshop plan includes 25 a month and Creative Cloud Pro 4,000. AppDuo did not find a page detailing how credits are consumed.
Does Adobe train AI on my photos?
Adobe's terms say it will not use your local or cloud content to train generative AI models, except content you submit to Adobe Stock. It may still analyse cloud content to improve products, which you can opt out of.
Review evidence & sources9
Scores
- Ease of use
- 6.8
- Features
- 9.4
- Value for money
- 5.6
- Performance
- 7.8
- Support
- 6.8
- Privacy & security
- 6.8
Why this score
The iPhone app holds 4.5/5 in both the US and Vietnam, but the desktop app has many tools and a learning curve, while newer AI tools speed up object removal and background removal.
Why this score
One of the deepest photo-editing feature sets available: layers, masks, Clarity/Dehaze/Grain adjustment layers, Rotate Object, Harmonize, Generative Fill/Expand and Topaz Labs upscaling models.
Why this score
$22.99/month for the Photoshop plan (annual) is a significant recurring cost, with only 25 generative credits a month, no free web version and an early-cancellation fee.
Why this score
Updated regularly with native Apple silicon support since 22.3 (March 2021). Version 26 raised Intel CPU requirements to AVX2, indicating a heavier app. No independent speed data was found.
Why this score
Adobe provides a help centre and documentation, but direct support channels for individual plans were not confirmed in the pages read, and the FTC complaint cites obstacles to cancelling.
Why this score
Commits to not training generative AI on user content and lists data rights. Marked down for broad collection, ongoing cloud content analytics (opt-out available) and 10-year transaction record retention.
What users say
- App Store (United States), Photoshop iPhone app4.5/5 · 95,428
- App Store (Vietnam), Photoshop iPhone app4.5/5 · 1,383
Sources
- Vendor-providedAdobe Photoshop product page (USD pricing)Nov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedAdobe Acrobat Pro page (US cancellation terms)Nov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedAdobe Privacy PolicyNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedAdobe General Terms of UseNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedAdobe news: Generative Fill in Photoshop (2023-05-23)Nov 10, 2026
- storeiTunes Lookup API: Photoshop iPhone app (US)Nov 10, 2026
- storeiTunes Lookup API: Photoshop iPhone app (Vietnam)Nov 10, 2026
- Community-reportedWikipedia: Adobe PhotoshopNov 10, 2026
- pressCBS News: FTC lawsuit against Adobe (2024-06-17)Nov 10, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- Adobe
- Headquarters
- United States
- Launched
- 1990
- Category
- Productivity
Capabilities
- AI features
- Integrations
- Real-time collaboration
- Mobile app
Platforms
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Web
Interface languages
- English
- French
- German
- Japanese
- Korean
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Chinese
- Spanish
- Thai
Integrations
- Adobe Firefly
- Adobe Creative Cloud
- Topaz Labs
Support
- Help center
Change history
- Company.The US FTC sues Adobe over disclosure of the early-termination fee on yearly plans billed monthly, covering products including Photoshop; Adobe says it will dispute the claims.
- Feature.Adobe announces Firefly-powered Generative Fill in the Photoshop desktop beta, with general availability expected in the second half of 2023.
- Launch.Photoshop for iPad releases alongside Photoshop 2020.
Full change history (6)
- Price.Photoshop CC launches and moves to a subscription-only model under Creative Cloud.
- Company.Adobe buys the full rights to Photoshop from the Knoll brothers for $34.5 million.
- Launch.Photoshop 1.0 releases for Macintosh at a list price of $895.
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