Chameleon Magazine

Why I’m Reducing—and Eventually Dropping—My Adobe Subscription

I’ve always enjoyed using Adobe products. As a hobbyist, tools like Photoshop and Illustrator were a creative joy, even if they came with a hefty subscription fee. But over time, that joy has been dimmed by frustration.

Years ago, I bought the full Adobe suite outright—back when you could actually own software. Unfortunately, as my computer systems evolved, Adobe stopped supporting that version. The tools I had paid for simply stopped working. No updates, no compatibility fixes, nothing. It felt like a bit of a con, to be honest. I wasn’t a business user—just someone passionate about design—but that investment was lost.

Now, I’ve scaled back my subscription and will likely stop it altogether soon. I’m moving to Affinity, which offers a one-time payment and full ownership of their software. It’s refreshing to find tools that don’t hold your creativity hostage to a monthly fee.

I still respect what Adobe makes—but the model no longer fits me. Creativity shouldn’t come with a lifelong subscription tax.