Give an Affordable Licensing for Everyday Users

As a long-time user of Adobe products, I’d like to share some honest thoughts and a proposal to improve the current licensing model—especially for users in lower- and middle-income countries like Tajikistan.

Today, millions of people around the world use Premiere Pro or Audition not as Hollywood-level professionals, but as everyday users—for school, blogs, family videos, or personal podcasts. They don’t need cloud syncing, AI features, or heavy enterprise-level tools. What they want is to quickly edit a video, clean up audio, add some titles—and that’s it.

But in reality, getting even these basic functions is difficult: the minimum Creative Cloud subscription costs $30/month. That’s roughly 10–15% of the average monthly income in Tajikistan. For many, it’s simply unaffordable.

The result? People continue using Adobe products—but they don't pay for them at all. Not because they don’t want to support Adobe, but because there’s no fair or flexible access model that matches their needs and financial reality. This has led to widespread use of pirated versions—not out of malice, but necessity.

What Microsoft Does Differently — And Why It Works

Microsoft has a clear division:

• If you want cloud services and AI tools — get an MS 365 subscription.

• If you just need to write documents and make spreadsheets — buy a one-time Office license and use it forever.

This feels fair: if you only need basic functionality, you can pay once and own the tools.

In contrast, Adobe has become what many loyal users now see as a “money vacuum,” where even basic trimming and editing requires a monthly subscription. Yes, the SaaS model is profitable, but Adobe is losing trust among its user base.

What Could Be Improved

I propose introducing lightweight, affordable versions of Adobe products—without Creative Cloud access, without AI, but with the essential features for basic editing.

For example:

• Premiere Pro Basic — a one-time purchase for $99.

• Audition Lite — a version for podcasters and bloggers, without AI tools.

This would:

1. Win back honest users who are willing to pay, just not under the current model.

2. Help reduce piracy rates.

3. Improve Adobe’s brand perception—making it feel more user-friendly and respectful of different needs and regions.

Such a humane and user-focused strategy would be truly appreciated.

Thank you for your amazing products. I sincerely hope Adobe will consider more accessible and fair options for millions of users around the world.