How much is Photoshop?
Photoshop starts at $22.99/month for the single-app plan, or $19.99/month for the Photography plan that bundles Photoshop with Lightroom and 1TB of cloud storage. Annual commitments lower the effective monthly rate.
Cost breakdown
| Option | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Photography Plan (Photoshop + Lightroom, 1TB) | $19.99/mo | Best value if you only need photo editing; annual plan billed monthly |
| Photoshop Single App | $22.99/mo | Photoshop on desktop and iPad, plus generative AI credits |
| Creative Cloud Standard (20+ apps) | $54.99/mo | Full app suite without the highest AI limits |
| Creative Cloud Pro (20+ apps) | $69.99/mo | Full suite with expanded AI capabilities |
| Adobe Express Premium | $9.99/mo | Lighter, template-based design tool, not full Photoshop |
What you get at each price
The cheapest way into Photoshop is usually the Photography plan at $19.99/month, which bundles Photoshop and Lightroom together with 1TB of cloud storage. For most photographers and hobbyists this is the plan to pick, since it costs less than the standalone Photoshop subscription while adding a second major app.
The Photoshop Single App plan runs $22.99/month and gives you Photoshop on both desktop and iPad along with a monthly allotment of generative AI credits. If you want the full Adobe ecosystem, Creative Cloud Standard ($54.99/month) and Creative Cloud Pro ($69.99/month) unlock 20-plus apps including Illustrator, Premiere Pro, and InDesign.
Billing options and how to save
Adobe quotes most plans as an annual commitment paid monthly, which is the lowest advertised rate. You can also choose annual prepaid billing for a similar effective price, or month-to-month billing that costs more per month but lets you cancel anytime without an early-termination fee.
In August 2025 Adobe split its former single All Apps tier into Creative Cloud Standard and Creative Cloud Pro, with the Pro tier carrying higher AI usage limits. Students, teachers, and businesses have separate pricing, and Adobe frequently runs promotional discounts during back-to-school and holiday periods.
Is there a cheaper or free option?
There is no permanent free version of full Photoshop, but Adobe offers a 7-day free trial of the desktop app and a limited free tier of Photoshop on the web. Adobe Express has a free plan and a $9.99/month Premium tier, though it is a simpler design tool rather than a pixel-level photo editor.
If a subscription does not fit your budget, alternatives like Affinity Photo (a one-time purchase), GIMP (free and open source), or Photopea (free, browser-based) cover many of the same editing needs without a recurring fee.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I buy Photoshop with a one-time payment?
- No. Adobe only sells Photoshop as a subscription. The closest one-time-purchase alternative is Affinity Photo.
- What is the cheapest Photoshop plan?
- The Photography plan at $19.99/month is the cheapest way to get full Photoshop, and it also includes Lightroom and 1TB of storage.
- Is there a free trial?
- Yes, Adobe offers a 7-day free trial of Photoshop, and a limited version of Photoshop is available free on the web.
Researched and edited by Calvin Lauderdale, Lead Researcher & Editor. Figures on this page were verified against the sources above as of June 23, 2026.