What exactly happens to the apps if I cancel creative cloud?

[dgolubov]

I've had creative cloud for 2 years as a student.  From September I'm no longer able to afford this.  I'm wondering what will happen to all the apps installed on my desktop once that expires? (Lightroom, photoshop, premiere Pro, etc).

I was under the impression I'd get to keep them but no longer get software updates or support once I stop subscribing.  Is this the case, or will I just be unable to use any of the apps?  If so this seems incredibly unfair, if I had bought the CDs (like it used to be) I'd get to keep the older versions but no longer have support.

Please clarify.

[John T Smith · Accepted solution]

A software subscription (from any company) is like a car lease... stop paying and you stop using

So, if you cancel your subscription, the programs will stop working

Photoshop/Premiere Elements are purchased with a serial number

[dgolubov]

Your analogy fails because it's actually possible to keep a leased car after a certain amount of time.

And so it would make perfect sense to keep the software but not get any new upgrades or support, just like you would with your car analogy, you just keep the old model, instead of getting an upgraded model.  Just like it happens with other software and also the old model of buying the CD then being FREE to choose whether to pay a subscription to get upgrades/support.

So, another unsatisfied soon to be ex-customer.  Well done.

[dgolubov]

And why do I have FOUR different versions of, let's say Adobe Photoshop on my Adobe folder?  Will all of those get wiped out once license expires or will they just sit there, locked?  Does that mean I had FOUR cars during my lease period?

[Nexahs1138]

It'a also illegal to keep a leased car after it expires, the company will send a bailiff to take the car away.

Your analogy fails because if that was the case then everyone could cancel a subscription after a month and never pay again after getting it for <50 quid.

I'm sure Adobe will miss you terribly, good luck getting a job without having those apps though.

As Nancy already stated, those folders will stay there, along with all your work, you just won't be able to make any changes to them.

[margareth8852342]

@ all the posters on this topic...I understand the logic of the license plan. New, updates, support, storage and use of a huge number of programs. Great! Then I think of my personal situation. I use photoshop for editing my photos and a little bit of adding text to to a photo on a website that I edit for free. I pay for water, electricity, fuel and so on but those are ESSENTIALS. I need them to live. I probably use photoshop 3 or 4 times a year. I am 64 but I still love using the applications. My CS2 is out of date, as is Dreamweaver 8, Illustrator, Flash. I cannot afford these things. I would pay to upgrade my current programs but I can't. I paid for an upgrade on Photoshop and I am so happy that I have this. Why not create a basic version for us guys that we can download and own? 

[Test Screen Name]

The basic version to download and own (or rather, license perpetually, until Windows or mac OS breaks it) - Photoshop Elements.

[Nexahs1138]

Adobe Elements.

If you only use Photoshop up to four times a year then you're not Adobe's targeted audience.

[Nancy OShea]

The Creative Cloud software will stop working when you quit paying but you won't lose your work files.  The work you produced is yours to keep.

Nancy

[Per Berntsen]

Lightroom will to some extent continue to work after you cancel your subscription.

You will still be able to edit metadata, print and export, but the Develop and Map modules will be disabled.

[dgolubov]

So, my question still remains, what exactly happens to all the installed software (Apps, as Adobe calls it) I currently have on my computer once subscription is cancelled?  Does it get deleted or something else (disabled?).  This is what's on my Program Files/Adobe folder...

[Per Berntsen]

The programs will not uninstall, but you can uninstall them if you like.

If you keep them installed, they will start working again if you restart your subscription.

[luvgraphics]

Hi, FYI – KEEP (don't Uninstall) the CS5 ones. You paid for those outright. That was before CC subscription. So, if you stop the subscription, you could still use the CS5 versions (you bought those fully). EXCEPT, the files you made on CC versions would all have to be SAVED DOWN to older CS5 version, BEFORE you canceled your subscription. (so that you can open those newer files with the CS5 version.)  Adobe knows no one wants to save-down ALL their files, so that's why they get away with this awful scam of a subscription-based app. They are crooks. But we love their software. Still, crooks.

[Abambo]

The CS5 version will stop working at some time, when the OS drops support for software that old.

[ProDesignTools]

It's already challenging to try to get CS5 apps (released in 2010) to run properly on newer versions of macOS like Mojave (released in 2018).

[dgolubov]

I've already paid more than £400 for Adobe and that's a large sum of money, I should get to keep what I paid for, and relinquish support and upgrades, ACTUALLY!!!!

This just makes Adobe look greedy, and rather unfairly expensive in the long run.

[Nexahs1138]

That's not how Adobe operates, not any business TBH, if you cancel your sky subscription you get to keep the box but you don't get to keep the stations.

[dgolubov]

And can you just go away, your comments have not been helpful at all, rather arrogant actually.  Bye.

[briank49722202]

You speak for the majority of Abobe subscribers actually.  We all think the same.  Its a rip off

[Nexahs1138]

No we don't, if the majority of people thought that then Adobe would be losing money.

[Abambo]

well actually, the subscription model has advantages if you are a buisiness customer.

[dgolubov]

that's NOT how it used to operate, none of these are the laws of physics and are not immutable, they have changed over the years.  In the past you bought the license, got your box set and kept it for as long as the technology allowed you to.

[Nancy OShea]

dgolubov  wrote

In the past you bought the license, got your box set and kept it for as long as the technology allowed you to.

The cold hard truth s that Adobe has had great success with the subscription model.  It was adopted  to a) thwart piracy and b) facilitate rolling out much needed improvements as soon as possible.   A win, win for everyone. 

Under the old perpetual license model, we often waited 18 mos for a new release cycle.  Now that MS & Apple are rolling out updates every few months, not to mention the device manufacturers who release new cameras and mobile devices at breakneck speed,  the old perpetual model cannot keep pace with these rapid changes.    Users need software that's compatible with their current devices. 

It's unlikely that Adobe will ever revert back to perpetual licenses because it's not in their best interest.  It's no longer a viable business model.

[dgolubov]

Indeed, this suits a set of users and Adobe, but for certain people, like me, who really can't afford to continually pay a subscription fee it's an issue.  I'm not a full-time professional, I use it for 'leisure' and make no commercial gain from any of my 'work'.

As I mentioned before, I've already paid a good sum of money and would be happy using unsupported, older versions for 2-3 years.  However, I'm now denied that option.

Comparing it to subscription services like Sky to make it acceptable doesn't quite make sense, because I'm using the same software (i.e. I'm basically watching the same movie over and over again but having to pay every time I watch, if we carry the analogy further).

Shame, as I do like the software and have been using it for years.

[alaska_joey]

Learn to use free open source programs like GIMP (https://www.gimp.org) for photos, DaVinci Resolve for videos.... etc.

(https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

I too an being priced out after my student plan expires. And I really only use 4 of the programs -- Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Lightroom. I'm not paying 49.99/month (600 + taxes) a year for pgms I do not use.

GOODBYE CREATIVE CLOUD ;(