Adobe Cost

Adobe applications require a subscription to use. These subscriptions range in cost between $5 and $55 per month. You could be looking to pay around $700 a year to use Adobe applications. However, that price does give you access to all of the Adobe applications and new programs as they are released. When you break that cost down, for each application within Creative Cloud, you pay less than $3 a month to use it. 

What is Adobe?

Adobe Creative Cloud is a computer software application that allows users access to all the different Adobe programs. Creative design and marketing professionals typically use it to create content for print, video, or online distribution. You can find professionals in nearly every industry that uses Adobe Creative Cloud, including advertising, website design, and video editing.

At the center of the creative community, Adobe Creative Cloud connects creativity with collaboration, as the cloud-based systems allow you to share work with fellow creatives and work from anywhere. Adobe’s spectrum of programs allows you to edit photos, create stunning digital designs, build websites, and edit videos. Adobe Creative Cloud stores all your programs under the same roof, allowing you to switch easily between programs as needed. Using Creative Cloud can also introduce you to new programs you have not used before to help upgrade your career. 

Read more about what Adobe is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Adobe?

Adobe Creative Cloud is a one-stop shop for all creative projects, and several applications are industry leaders for creative software. Adobe has over 20 applications, though typically, when referring to Adobe Creative Cloud, people think of the top five most popular; After Effects, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro. However, Adobe Creative Cloud has much more to explore. 

Adobe offers applications to fit every project, from allowing users to view and edit PDF files to designing and publishing web pages. The top five applications allow users to edit photos and videos, create visual effects and motion graphics, and create page layouts, typography, and illustrations. With other programs like Adobe Spark, users can create social media or web content directly from their computer or phone. Dreamweaver allows users to publish web pages with a simplified code engine. Adobe Aero focuses on the world of augmented reality. There are endless possibilities for creating with Adobe Creative Cloud.

In-Depth Review of the Cost

If you don't know about a particular application yet, you can use Adobe's free trial and watch tutorials online to determine if that program is right for you. Or you can subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud and gain access to all the programs, allowing you to try out programs you never even thought about using.

Before Adobe became a subscription-based program, they released priority licensing for each software. Priority licensing could cost a person almost $1000 every time they release a new program version. As computers began to update, and Adobe had to keep up to date with those changes, they would release programs every year or two. Keeping up-to-date with the programs became relatively expensive for the average user. By switching to a subscription-based program, Adobe can get its products in the hands of the average person for a single monthly price. There is no extra cost when updates occur; applications update as soon as you open Adobe Creative Cloud. 

Companies will always strive to produce applications similar to those that Adobe produces for a lower price. While these less expensive programs may be able to accomplish some of the same tasks as Adobe software, there is a reason Adobe is one of the best software to use in the creative industry. Cheaper applications often produce lower-quality work, especially when they are in the hands of beginners. So while the price may be worth it, the outcome is not. 

Why Learn Adobe?

Businesses use print, web, and video advertisements to capture our attention and tempt us into paying for a product or service. Companies need to hire individuals who know how to create these images, graphics, and videos. Knowing how to generate such products is a lucrative skill to have on any resume. Adobe applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign are in-demand skills that can prepare you for several career opportunities. Career possibilities include Graphic Designer, Digital Designer, Digital Marketer, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI) Designer, or Motion Graphics Designer. Each of these creative careers offers competitive salaries and can often provide remote working opportunities.

Learning Adobe Creative Cloud applications allows you to build a foundation of design skills, diversifying your creative talents and opening more doors for different creative career paths. Suppose your professional aspirations change and you want to take on more or different Adobe applications. You will then have a foundation of skills to build upon, which can help you in other career areas.

Read more about why you should learn Adobe.

Free Introductory Adobe Course Online 

Free introductory Adobe courses are a great start if you want to learn a new skill but are too busy to take an entire course. Noble Desktop offers several free seminars covering various topics. To get started with Adobe, check out the Intro to Adobe Creative Cloud seminar, where students receive an overview of the software and its applications. 

Noble Desktop is not the only provider offering free Adobe courses. Udemy offers several courses that cover a variety of design skills as well as a few Adobe applications. Coursera offers beginner courses in several Adobe applications. Through Coursera, students can audit longer courses for free, including a course on graphic design fundamentals. However, if those options do not work for you, there are hundreds of tutorials on YouTube for each Adobe application. When going through these video tutorials, focus on the most recent uploads to ensure you learn the most up-to-date software and trends, as Adobe updates regularly.

Read about more free Adobe videos and online tutorials.

Learn Adobe with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop provides several Adobe Creative Cloud Classes that meet any schedule or learning style. Participants have the option to attend in-person courses at Noble's campus in Manhattan, or they can opt to take courses virtually from anywhere in the world. Each option has students working closely with expert instructors in small groups. Noble also provides a free retake option within one year, allowing students additional time and opportunities to hone their skills without paying for another course. 

Learning Adobe Creative Cloud can be daunting; however, the Intro to Adobe CC Bootcamp is available for students who want to learn only a few applications quickly. This course covers several Adobe applications, introducing students to Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and After Effects. Students use each application to work through real-world exercises and projects. For those with a little more time on their hands who want in-depth training on more programs, the longer Adobe Creative Cloud Bootcamp devotes more time to work with each application. 

Additional options are available for those looking for more career-oriented learning. The Graphic Design Certificate dives into Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, while covering concepts surrounding the graphic design career. For more training on using Adobe programs to design web or mobile interfaces, there is the UI Design Certificate. As part of this course, you will work closely with Photoshop and Illustrator. In addition to learning the programs for your field of interest, you will develop a portfolio to send to potential employers.