Adobe is preparing a free web version of Photoshop, the benchmark image editing software. A limited edition, but sufficient for the greatest number, which can be supplemented with a paid formula.
Despite the weight of the years, Photoshop remains the reference software for image editing, for professionals and demanding amateurs alike. Alas, this practically essential tool remains expensive, and even very expensive for ordinary users, especially since it is now only available through subscriptions – unlike when it was sold in classic form, with a “lifetime” license. It is thus necessary to count 23.99 € / month for an annual monthly subscription, and 35.99 € / month for a monthly subscription without commitment, which is not within everyone’s reach. An elitist policy that encourages many to turn to free solutions like GIMP or Photopea, or even to use pirated versions…
To fight against increasingly serious competition, particularly through online services, Adobe has decided to launch a free version, accessible via the Web. No need to install the software or have a powerful computer, you just need an Adobe account and an Internet connection. Currently in the test phase in Canada, this online Photoshop corresponds to a limited version of the software, which offers all the basic functions for free while leaving the possibility of paying for more advanced options, according to the economic model of freemium. “We want to make Photoshop more accessible and allow more people to try it out and experience the product. “said Maria Yap, vice president of digital imaging at Adobe, to The Verge.
Photoshop online: towards a freemium formula
To initiate the company’s accessibility approach, a web version was launched at the end of 2021 to allow users to share their Photoshop or Illustrator creations via a link. People clicking on the link can then, even without an Adobe account, leave annotations or comments. With an Adobe account, they can make some basic changes, like adding a layer, text or resizing the image for example. However, it is more of a simplified collaborative tool allowing you to have a quick feedback on your work than a real creation tool, since it does not allow you to create a document yourself.
Adobe intends this time to move towards a freemium formula, by making the main functions of the software accessible free of charge, in order to introduce it to beginners or people wishing to try the product before spending such a sum and then make them want to to buy. “I want Photoshop to meet users where they are. You don’t need a powerful machine to get into Photoshop“, explains Maria Yap. Chromebook users will also have access to Photoshop in the future and users of the web version can now access it from a mobile browser, although this is only to view or comment on a creation.
Adobe will not leave paid Photoshop users on the sidelines, however, since it will also continue to improve. The firm thus announced the arrival of the functions Curves, Refine Edges, Dodge and Burn and Convert to Smart Objects, and improved software performance. By the end of the week, it will also be updated to accommodate a new smart filter, Neural Filter, which can recolor and restore an old photo using artificial intelligence. However, the publisher has not indicated a date for the release of the free version in France.