P: Information & Discussion regarding the recent (January 2025) Photography Plan changes

[default4kfo7eyeihb4]

Hello Adobe Team,

First, I want to express my appreciation for the value I’ve received as a subscriber to the Photography Plan. It’s been an essential part of my creative journey, even as an amateur user. The accessibility and affordability of the $9.99/month plan played a significant role in my decision to choose Adobe over other options.

With the announced price changes, I understand that Adobe continues to invest in powerful AI features and other advancements that undoubtedly enhance Photoshop and Lightroom. However, I’d like to offer some feedback and comparisons to competitors that I hope will be helpful as you consider customer experiences and retention:

1. Competitor Pricing and Features:

• Affinity Photo: A one-time purchase of $69.99 offers a robust editing platform. For many amateur users, this presents a cost-effective alternative without ongoing fees.

• ON1 Photo RAW: At $7.99/month, it includes AI tools like culling and auto photo enhancement, which are incredibly valuable for streamlining workflows.

• Skylum Luminar Neo: At $8.25/month or a one-time fee of $149, its AI-driven editing features, such as Sky Replacement and auto enhancements, are compelling for photographers.

These tools might not offer the same depth as Adobe’s ecosystem but provide unique advantages that appeal to hobbyists and professionals alike.

2. Concerns About Entry-Level Pricing:

The 20GB plan has always been a fantastic entry point for creatives like myself. With the price increase, I worry that newer users, particularly those exploring photography as a hobby, may find themselves turning to alternatives that require less upfront investment or commitment.

3. Treating Loyal Users Like Partners:

As a long-time subscriber, I view my relationship with Adobe much like a committed partnership. In a healthy relationship, both parties grow together, and changes are made with mutual respect and consideration. While I appreciate the introduction of new features, such as the upcoming AI-powered culling tool and Generative Remove, the increased pricing feels like a unilateral decision that impacts loyal users. In a partnership, significant changes are discussed and navigated together to ensure both sides continue to benefit and feel valued.

4. Storage Considerations:

Many users, like me, don’t heavily rely on the storage features. I would appreciate an option to maintain access to Photoshop and Lightroom without the push for additional storage that isn’t utilized.

5. Loyalty Programs:

A loyalty reward system or discounted upgrade paths for long-term subscribers could go a long way toward making the transition smoother and ensuring that dedicated users feel appreciated.

I share this feedback as a long-time fan of Adobe and its products. My hope is that these pricing changes can be balanced with features and incentives that continue to make Adobe the go-to choice for creatives of all levels.

Thank you for taking the time to read and consider this. I look forward to seeing how Adobe continues to innovate and support its user base.

[Tessitori SpA]

This is misleading on your part. "Should you cancel after 14 days, your payment is non-refundable, and your service will continue until the end of that month’s billing period." -> OK, I have a "cancelation fee", since the month already paid is non-refundable.

I never had a yearly plan paid monthly, I had a non-commitment plan.

And even if I had one, I've been lied about everything: 1) there was no discount switching from monthly to an annual commitment plan, and 2) conditions CHANGED when i changed back to my monthly plan, even if Adobe representative assured me nothing would change. And I am not the only one with this issue. PLAIN LIE.

[Tessitori SpA]

This is misleading on your part. "Should you cancel after 14 days, your payment is non-refundable, and your service will continue until the end of that month’s billing period." -> OK, I have a "cancelation fee", since the month already paid is non-refundable.

I never had a yearly plan paid monthly, I had a non-commitment plan.

And even if I had one, I've been lied about everything: 1) there was no discount switching from monthly to an annual commitment plan, and 2) conditions CHANGED when i changed back to my monthly plan, even if Adobe representative assured me nothing would change. And I am not the only one with this issue.

[Tessitori SpA]

This is not true. "Should you cancel after 14 days, your payment is non-refundable, and your service will continue until the end of that month’s billing period." -> OK, I have a "cancelation fee", since the month already paid is non-refundable.

I never had a yearly plan paid monthly, I had a non-commitment plan.

And even if I had one, I've been lied about everything: 1) there was no discount switching from monthly to an annual commitment plan, and 2) conditions CHANGED when i changed back to my monthly plan, even if Adobe representative assured me nothing would change. And I am not the only one with this issue.

[jacki3199]

I had the photoshop/lightroom $9.99 plan with 250 generative credits. With the upcoming increase in monthly price I was told that if I change over to the annual plan I would keep my current benefits (I chatted online with a customer service rep and I was assured multiple times that nothing would change). I checked and now (after moving to annual payment) my monthly generative credits are only 100! I contacted adobe customer service about this issue - the issue was escalated after I spent hours on chat/phone with them and received a ticket # and was told they would check into this issue - since they had several complaints about this issue (people now down to 100 generative credits instead of the 250 generative credits) and I would get an answer. After two weeks I received a copy of my payment and nothing else. To say that I am upset about this is putting it mildly. Instead of just changing the payment options they cancelled and started a new membership with annual payment (which the customer service rep did). If I had known or was correctly informed that I would lose my generative credits - I wouldn't have switched to annual payment plan and just paid more monthly. I was lied to when I moved over to the annual payment plan, when I pointed out their 'mistake', I was put on hold for hours and when I asked for s supervisor he told me they would 'make it right'. And then I get a copy of my payment confirmation - that is not what I asked for and nothing was resolved when it came to my generative credits. If you move people over to annual payment and tell them nothing will change and then you change generative credits - why not tell people so we can make an informed decision? I would truly like to have my generative credits back - when I asked to be 'reinstated' to my previous plan - I was told that wasn't possible. Was this a bait and switch to move people over to this 'lesser' plan. For information - I have been using Adobe products for 20+ years, been a subscriber for at least 8 years. So I am not a new subscriber in any way. Its a shame that customers are treated that way - sending a copy of an invoice is not solving the issue. My ticket was closed with nothing resolved/answered. Can somebody here can help how I can get my previous plan with the generative credits back?

[ONAONA]

I feel that the 50% increase to the cost of my Photography Plan is unjustifiable. I am actively looking for an alternative to Lightroom. Any recommendations? Thanks. 

[Rob_Cullen]

My recommendation- if you subscribed to the Photography Plan before January 2025, then request Adobe support  change your method of payment to 'Annual'. You can change the payment method anytime before your 12mnth annual plan expires. (Do not let it expire and re-subscribe!)  Price will only increase if you continue paying monthly.

https://helpx.adobe.com/au/creative-cloud/faq/ccpp-20gb.html

[davidminehart]

Plan price remains the same if you pay annually instead of monthly.

[Antoine Veling]

The 60% price increase which Adobe considers an "Update" shocked me so deeply I am considering closing my subscription after all these these as a faithful apostle of LR. What is the process to exit LR Classic with minimum disruption or loss of my years of assets & data eg keywords, faces, processed amendments. What can I retain and what will be lost? Does anyone else considered moving from LR Classic and if so what alternative platform are you considering? Or am I so bound up in the Adobe ecosystem that they have me trapped.

[drtonyb]

@Antoine Veling 

Please read this https://helpx.adobe.com/au/creative-cloud/faq/ccpp-20gb.html 

If you are paying monthly, the price increase is bad. If you are paying annually, the increase is small.

If paying monthly, change to annually now. You might need to get Adobe to do it for you because their instructions don't seem to work.

[Antoine Veling]

Thanks for thius. I have made the change to annual payment. Adobe should not have sent an email so poorly worded and wasted all our time. Very poor CSR from Adobe IMO. 

[Rob_Cullen]

"after all these (years) as a faithful apostle of LR."

If you change your subscription for the Photography Plan to "Paid ANNUALLY" there is NO INCEASE.

If you cannot do it by logging in to your own account, then contact Adobe Support with a chat. Ask to CHANGE PAYMENT METHOD. Do NOT ask for a change of plan.

"What is the process to exit LR Classic "

Cancel your subscription. Be aware the you will pay a penalty for the remaining months of your 12month commitment to the plan.  CANCELLING & REFUND POLICIES 

With a plan cancelled (and a free account maintained) you will lose access to the Develop  and Map modules, and all other benefits of syncing, AI edits, etc. However you are still be able to access your catalog and photos.

[davidminehart]

I assume others have explained how you can keep your current price by
paying annually for a year’s subscription instead of making monthly
payments?

[Antoine Veling]

Thanks for letting me know of this David. You are the first to tell me and now others have. I would expect Adobe. to be responsible for clarifying the issue and sending out better constructed "updates".  It all smacks of a direputable business to me. 

[merwindur]

so i just found out that adobe will have a prince increase from 9.99 to 14.99

look's like i'll be canceling my account next month since im not paying up front for an entire year just to avoid the increase. seems like adobe is forcing people to switch to paying up front and personally i feel like adobe is just greedy and doesn't care.

im sure others will also cancel their account as well. some of us do photography as a hobby and mainly use lightroom classic and have no need for all this ai stuff. why? because we know how to shoot and some of us still shoot film and older dlsr gear.

i'll be looking for other alternatives. just sharing my personal thoughts on this prince increase.

[JohanElzenga]

Nobody likes price increases, but considering that this is the first increase in ten years, and that you can still avoid it by paying yearly, I think calling Adobe 'greedy' is a just a little bit exaggerated, don't you agree?

[dj_paige]

Good luck finding a replacement for Lightroom Classic that doesn't increase their prices over a 10 year period. Or even over a 5 year period.

[Bernhard_Cornwell2633]

I have been using Lightroom Classic for over 10 years and have accumulated 88,000 + edited photos. Having cancelled my subscription after the colossal price hike I discover that the “access” to my photos only means I can still view the photos that are on my hard drive anyway. All edits are NOT retrievabel - in other words Adobe is holding my photo edits to ransom. Imagine if you could no longer see the changes you made with Word 5 years ago because Microsoft wouldn’t let you!!!!! I am disgusted at this policy by Adobe.

[dj_paige]

@Bernhard_Cornwell2633 

this is not correct at all, and this was pointed out to you in your earlier thread one day ago. 

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/losing-access-to-lightroom-classic-afte...

[Threads were merged by moderator]

[davidminehart]

As others will have explained, doing an annual rather than monthly plan
keeps the effective cost the same: $120/year.

[Africadunc]

I've been subscribed to Lightroom since 2015 and today I got a message saying:

"The price of the Photography plan (20GB) annual, billed monthly plan is changing from A$10.99/month to A$23.99/month"

You just more than doubled my plan cost for NO EXTRA features!

How do you get off on treating customers like that? 

SERIOUSLY!!!!!

[dj_paige]

Annual plan,  billed annually (not billed monthly) shows a much smaller price increase. In fact, here in the USA we saw zero increase if we switched from monthly billing to one annual payment.

[delynquint]

I have (most likely HAD) the whole shebang plan. $396/yr or $33ish/month. This month it changes to $720/year or $60/month. Yes, I'm miffed. I don't use it enough to justify that amount of $$. 

[Africadunc]

I've been trying out multiple other software and settled on DXO photolab. They dont hold you hostage to monthly fees. I really hate the fact that Adobe can stop you editing your own images if you dont keep paying them. I just want to purchase software and choose when to upgrade myself. It quite unethical and very disappointing to be driven away from software I've been using since it first came out because some corproate moron is getting a big bonus based on extorting long-term customers!

[CescoP]

I have opened my LrC this morning and a popup said the 20GB Plan(Lr-LrC-PS) is ending soon, I have seen this months ago but I have paid this plan until October 2026, so the question is: can I use my LrC until this date or I lose the remaining period and I have to buy the new 1GB(Lr-LrC) plan?

Thanks for the help, have a nice day.

Cesco

[dj_paige]

The answer to your question is PROBABLY yes, but you would be wise to contact Adobe and confirm.