A Loyal Customer’s Plea: Please Rethink Your Pricing Strategy

Dear Adobe Team,

I write to you not only as a designer, but as a long-standing and loyal customer who has invested tens of thousands of dollars in your software over more than 35 years. Adobe has been a cornerstone of my creative journey, from the earliest days of digital design through to the modern cloud-based tools of today.

But now, I—and many others—find myself priced out of the ecosystem I helped support and champion. The current subscription-based model has become financially unsustainable for individual creators, retirees looking to stay engaged, or even professionals wanting to keep their skills sharp without a full-time design income. The ability to own and use software independently has been replaced with dependency on perpetual payments—where even access to personal artwork is restricted by an ongoing subscription.

I urge you to reflect on the cautionary tale of QuarkXPress. Once the undisputed leader in publishing software, Quark lost its way by prioritizing short-term gains over customer loyalty and affordability. Their pricing became so inflated and disconnected from user needs that Adobe stepped in with InDesign—an accessible, high-quality alternative that revolutionized the industry and rendered Quark virtually obsolete within months.

Ironically, Adobe is now following a disturbingly similar path. Your monopoly-like hold on the creative industry may feel unshakable, but history shows that no empire is immune to collapse when it loses touch with its base. Already, a new contender—Affinity—is emerging with a fresh, relatable, and affordable suite of creative tools. It reminds me of Adobe in its early days: innovative, user-friendly, and committed to putting creators first.

I’m not alone in turning toward Affinity. The growing exodus from Adobe reflects a deep dissatisfaction with your pricing structure and restrictive policies. For many of us who helped build your legacy, it's painful to walk away—but we are left with no choice.

Please consider a more inclusive pricing model for individuals, hobbyists, and loyal veterans of the creative industry. Introduce perpetual licenses, or at the very least, offer a realistic pricing tier that doesn’t force creatives into a financial corner.

Enjoy your current success—but remember, it is built on the loyalty of users like me. That loyalty is waning.