At some point, Adobe decided to switch its entire software offering to online subscriptions – that doesn’t suit everyone! We’ll explain to you here whether and how you can buy Photoshop without a subscription.
Version:22.0
Languages German
Release:07.05.2012
License: Demo
Plattformen:Windows 7, Windows 8, Mac OS X, Windows, Windows 10
The customer advantage of the subscription models is that they always get the latest version at a comparatively low price. Manufacturers can force their customers to constantly pay for the software – even if an old version would actually be enough for them. Because that’s exactly what many users don’t want and they don’t see any advantages in the online features, they would prefer to buy Photoshop without a subscription.
Photoshop without a subscription – how?
Technically speaking, that’s not possible. There is no longer a current version of Photoshop that you can pay for once and then use forever. It is only possible to have the subscription price activated for one year with a payment card.
But you still have a few alternative options that allow you to use Photoshop without a permanent subscription:
Purchases an older version of Adobe Photoshop. Before Photoshop CC was introduced in 2013, the programs were still available as a one-time purchase version. For example, you can sometimes get Photoshop Cs6 Extended (v13.0) for Windows on Amazon or eBay for under 300 euros.
Uses Photoshop Elements, if the functions are enough for you. The current version of Photoshop Elements 2024 costs just under 83 euros on Amazon. Upgrades are even cheaper.
These programs are independent of the Adobe Cloud and can be used permanently after purchase at no additional cost. But at some point you will no longer be able to open the latest Photoshop file formats. And of course you have to do without the updated features.
You have another option: Use the current version of Photoshop CC without spending any account details for a subscription. You can even save money. The prepaid annual subscription to Photoshop costs 285.37 euros directly from Adobe. The so-called “photo subscription” still costs just under 172 euros. You can get it cheaper at Amazon and other retailers. The “Adobe CC photo subscription” with Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC and 20 GB of cloud storage only costs 142 euros. In this case, you use Photoshop with a subscription, but you don’t have to reveal any account details.
Instead of a subscription: Photoshop alternatives
For some, Photoshop is essential. You don’t want to or can’t get used to it and for professional reasons you have to always use the latest version of Photoshop.
But if you are flexible and don’t want to be dependent on a subscription for life, then you can actually use Photoshop alternatives.
One of the best-known free graphics programs is called GIMP. It is open source software that is developed by dedicated experts and is constantly kept up to date, but does not cost anything.
Its capabilities are comparable to those of Photoshop. GIMP is not for laypeople, but that also applies to Photoshop. The functions are too numerous and you should have some experience in operating such programs in order to be successful.
In any case, you can say goodbye to a Photoshop subscription completely. Future GIMP versions will also be free.
Another option is PaintShop Pro. The program was initially shareware, was then bought by Corel and has now developed into a truly professional graphics program. PaintShop Pro 2019 ULTIMATE currently costs just under 64 euros on Amazon and the “smaller” versions are even cheaper. The application is particularly suitable for photo editing. It includes a lot of editing options and filters, some of which work much more easily than Photoshop. At a time when you had to carry out several complex steps one after the other in Photoshop to give a lettering a shadow, here you clicked on the shadow function and all you had to do was choose how big and how strong the shadow should be.
If you don’t necessarily rely on data exchange in Photoshop format, you should definitely take a look at this package. Of course, it doesn’t require a subscription and also works without an internet connection.
GIGA recommends
More interesting articles
You don’t want to miss any more news about technology, games and pop culture? No current tests and guides? Then follow us on Facebook or Twitter.