Adobe Muse EOL announcement - Alternatives to Adobe Muse?

[Preran]

Hi all,

For those of you that haven't received the email around the Adobe Muse EOL, see the FAQ Product Announcement that tries to answer some the common questions around the announcement including the reasons behind the decision.

Before we proceed with discussing alternatives, the Muse application will continue to open on your computer. You will be able to continue to edit existing or create new websites with the application. Adobe Muse will continue to be supported until May 20, 2019 and will deliver compatibility updates with the Mac and Windows OS or fix any bugs that might crop up when publishing Muse sites to the web. However, it is quite possible that web standards and browsers will continue to change after Adobe stops support for the application.

While there is no 1:1 replacement for Adobe Muse at this stage, the FAQ link above provides some alternatives. Also, Adobe is making our own investment in DIY website creation and welcomes all Muse customers to join our upcoming pre-release program for a new format that will be introduced this year as part of Adobe Spark. Build a beautiful website—in minutes | Adobe Spark

That being said, I would like to open up this discussion for discussing other solutions and migration paths. It would be ideal if we could focus our efforts on the topic at hand.

Thanks,

Preran

[atillahun]

As a graphic designer I like to create sites that don't look the same as so many sites out there. This is why I like Muse. The problem with Spark, from what I can see, is that it falls into the same mould as those other DIY site builders. Why not use Weebly or Wix instead, at least there is every chance they won't pull the plug on you a year down the line. Same goes for Wordpress with a huge community to support it. For Adobe to get Muse users to switch to any of their other products they face the issue of trust, and this will now be damaged.

I used to code my own sites mainly using Dreamweaver, but not what I liked doing so found something called Sitegrinder which was a Photoshop plugin, worked well and had a reasonable CMS, but that closed, moved to Muse which was easier to use and now that too is coming to its end. I will continue with Muse for a while as I am not going to rebuild all my sites.

For me this does put CC into question, I can go back to Quark and dump InDesign, don't use Illustrator very much and there are alternatives, that leaves Photoshop, will probably just opt for that as a package and save myself a load of money.

[Terri_Stevens]

Well done Preran, clearly a terrible day for you with the axing of Muse. I can totally understand everyone's feelings here and honestly do sympathise, but all is not lost because Adobe have decided to discontinue development-it has happened before and will happen again. If you believe your business model is destroyed then you will go out of business, but if after the initial shock subsides you resolve to survive you will. Websites built with Muse will continue to work indefinitely-they will not suddenly cease to work. Everything that works now will work in a years time and probably in five years time, but the program will not be developed any further. This does have implications as new web standards will not now be embraced, this will make no difference to browsers shipping today, but eventually there will be browsers that can do things that Muse cannot. Personally I don't think there will be any major problem until HTML 6 is released and even then deprecated HTML tags are usually supported by the browser developers. Websites running on Business Catalyst will work with other hosting companies-they won't suddenly just become obsolete. Preran can correct me if I am wrong, but Muse will be removed from the Creative Cloud desktop app in May this year- but it will continue to be available as a download elsewhere- Adobe have taken the view to leave it in the CC app would encourage customers to learn Muse and depend on it . As far as I am aware the decision is final and there are no plans to somehow combine Muse with Dreamweaver, although I'd love to see that happen.

We were told last week by a devastated Danni Beaumont that Muse was at the end of it's life. The decision was made well above Danni and Preran's paygrade and it seems to have been taken for purely commercial reasons. To highlight the problem one particular DIY website company is known to employ 1200 people, whereas the Muse team was around 60-although Adobe programmers are good that is very hard to compete with. No software program is 'evergreen' particularly in a dynamic area like web development. I'm old enough to have used Microsoft Visual Intedev which was simplified into Frontpage 2002 and then turned into Expression Web, all of which are now gone, so I know the feeling having spent years learning something for it to be taken away. I'm afraid having to continually update a workflow is part of a designers job. I'll miss Muse but not tomorrow or next week or next year as it will be fully operational-there is plenty of time for everyone to find an alternative to migrate to , maybe even something not yet even released by some other company.

[BrymboLad]

And we are losing Business Catalyst hosting...  This was a good companion for Muse and streamlining the Design to Publish...

[Red Point]

Terri, are you seriously suggesting a company that makes 7 Billion a year cannot afford to keep supporting an already excellent platform for 2-3 years longer? Everyone knows that high standard excellence in webdesign can never be fully achieved by Wix, Spark & Co. Adobe's decision to pull the plug on Muse is actually a blow to human creativity, the eventual outcome of which will be mediocre cloud based regurgitated web-porridge that people will get sick of.

Companies like BMW or Cartier have always stood their grounds in tough times and stood up to their ideals against the plastic entrepreneurs catering to the masses. Adobe's ideals or better what Adobe claims to stand for is "empowering human creativity" (not automation), what Adobe did yesterday was a huge blow to creativity, to quality in web design and a serious blow to clients who have trusted Adobe for such a long time. Companies that follow their ideals will get past tough times, but companies that follow money will eventually loose their ideals and eventually their user base & costumers.

I am sad but also happy that I'm only a costumer. It would be much worse for me to realize, that I was working for a company that has lost the respect for its user base. The fact that Adobe's management did not consult us in any way says it all. Top-down decision making has never proofed successful in the past. For me Adobe's "evangelism" has turned into false prophesy yesterday!

But yes, I will move forward. I have done so when Netobjects Fusion was plugged. A much better software btw than MS Frontpage ever was. What I will do in the next days is carefully observe what Adobe does and hope there will be some movement on the side of the management to offer some real solutions to our serious issues. If not, I will never trust Adobe again. Period!

[REally twisted with adobe]

I have gone to classaction.org and put in a request but we all need to do this perhaps then Adobe will start caring about the design community again. They have been sued before and maybe this will get them listening

[Illostraight]

@redPoint, As I mentioned earlier, this is not just a drop of editing software, this is people's livelihoods and lives we are talking about. Thx for requesting a motion.

[dodger50]

As an Adobe user of 27 years(!!) I am amazed at this short sighted decsion. Muse encouraged free and open design for the Web and not the mass produced templated rubbish. I pay Adobe £887.16 per annum for the full CC and Stock package. Not sure I wish to continue after this announcement. I really hope there are some viable alternatives for Phtoshop, Illustrator and InDesign as aswell as Muse. If there are, count me in.

[CBBAIN]

I'm so sorry Terri Stevens that your scope of thought is so limited narrow in trying to justify Adobes decision here. I and many others don't pay for a Creative Cloud subscription for two or three usable programs. It's a package, a suite, in which Muse was apart of. You remember suites don't you, groupings of software. So your analogy of expense over profitably does not hold water here. If you want to tell me that Adobe Character Animator CC, Adobe Dimension, and Adobe Fuse CC are more justifiable and profitable than Muse, I would love to be proven wrong.

The simple fact here is this is a cash grab by Adobe. People were not using Business Catalyst which was a key part of Muse's and Adobes business model for it. Adobe was not making money off of designers making websites and hosting them elsewhere. This is also, among other reasons, why Adobe DPS failed as well. This is all about Adobe not getting that extra lick of the proverbial ice cream. Which again, is also why Adobes new so-called "solution", Adobe Spark, is now a $10 a month premium service. Offering way less but is probably much easier to maintain. And with fewer employees, I would bet.

This boils down to greed. And if Muse was not being used enough, it's mostly the fault of Adobes horrible record of promoting products and the benefits of them. They have always relied on word of mouth. Need a shining example... How long did it take to find how-tos for programs from Adobe? Heck, you still can't find answers on how to use some features of Photoshop on any official Adobe website. I'm not counting the forums. Because, between forums, Google, and Youtube, you might not even know how to use Adobe software.

Like many others have stated as well, if you keep pulling the rug from under us, how can we trust you?

I lost a lot of respect and trust in Adobe with this move by them. You can be as positive and spin this as you see fit, but this was not Ok and is costing people jobs, careers, and possibly businesses.

[BrymboLad]

What is sad, is they will lose me as a customer of over 10 years. That's 10 years of every month paying on time for my membership for the full Creative Cloud Suite... 

Adobe, you need to take care of your current customers that are paying you for the use of the software and service.

[Malin_Ritare_Bengtsson]

MUSE is THE BEST PROGRAM - please do not take the best of the best.

I have known Muse all way from start. It is the best program ever. Please reconsider and let it stay.

[Zav]

I completely agree, it is the most versatile of all my tools and enables me to offer something quite amazing to my clients.

[Illostraight]

Peram, what will happen with renewals if people have to renew with 3 months remaining and want to stay in a little longer for their clients while they work on alternatives? Are you going to give them a well needed break? Cheaper yearly renewal? Rebates for those that want to get out?  How is this going to be handled?

[PaulLane]

So dissapointed with Adobe for all the reasons already voiced. I have used Adobe products from the very beginning, this is an awful way to treat your customers. This impacts peoples livelihoods, disguted!

[carl bach]

i'M SORRY SPARK DOESN'T CUT THE MUSTARD.

This is not an alternative!

[Illostraight]

@Adobe, have you tossed around charging us more for MUSE? If I have to pay more elsewhere and learn a new program, I'd be willing to stay here and fork out more.

[Furqueron44]

I am sickened that Adobe is abandoning the Muse platform. It is a unique tool in the world of web design. I am considering finding alternative design software. I know many others that feel the same. Some people rely on Muse for business purposes. You have betrayed them.

[davidb58663726]

Hi Everyone, Serif's Affinity suite has been mentioned here a few times as a potential future replacement for Muse. I thought this exchange of emails might be interesting for some on here.

On 27-Mar-18 12:25 PM, Affinity Team wrote:

Hi David,

Thanks for your email.

Having read the Adobe announcement regarding Muse, we can only presume that they have came to the same conclusion that we did with WebPlus, and a line in there statement is very telling;

"we’ve come to recognize trends in website creation that have led us to evolve our strategy"

Unfortunately we found too, that many users are now moving to companies like Wix and Wordpress or similar online web-builders.

Whilst we understand that the end users they would love a replacement for WebPlus and now Muse, we feel that it is very telling that given Adobe have also now pulled out of developing this type of product that there is no longer a market for it. Being a small company ourselves, it would not be financially viable for us to deviate from our current successful direction, and focus on a product line that to all intents and purposes is unfortunately dying off.

Kind regards,

Steven

On Tue, 27 Mar at 12:12 PM , David Bone wrote:

Hello Serif,

I've used pretty much all of your software over the years, and love it.

I've just started using Affinity photo, and it's great - intuitive,

powerful and elegant - congratulations. The new Affinity suite of

products is outstanding, and you must now be now a real headache for Adobe.

But I had to ditch WebPlus of course, because you are not supporting it

any more, and I completely understand you decision - it's code was

becoming incompatible with the web and it was only a matter of time

before it would have to be let go in the absence of a major rewrite.

Unfortunately, I chose Adobe Muse as its replacement. I've just finished

redesigning my site with Muse, and now (maddeningly) Adobe has just

announced that they are ending Muse next year. The smart money is saying

its because they want to migrate to the more lucrative on-line design

and hosting format (weebly, squarespace etc...), so they wont be making

a credible alternative to Muse, despite their statements to the contrary.

Surely this will leave a big hole in the market - Does this represent a

new opportunity for Serif ? Might you rethink the possibility of

developing a new "without code" web design tool as part of the Affinity

range, to grab the thousands of very angry Muse users out there ?

All the best,

David Bone, a very loyal customer

[J Yas]

I left Muse last year and started using Wordpress. Pick a good theme to install and you can create virtually any design. Plus you have a CMS so your clients can add content themselves on pages and the blog. And there's heaps of plugins and the support is always going to be there.

[Mrs Roberts]

But is is web based. I have students requiring websites to be made and it must be done offline. I am dreading the return of dreamweaver, as some simply cannot use it, not now. CS5 yes that was ok.

[bartl]

Let's face it guys: there is no adequate alternative offered by Adobe. Neither XD, nor Portfolio, nor Spark do the job. Many of us will be leaving therefore, and so do I.

Best,

bartl

[dragan.miletic]

At the beginning, I was very disappointed because I'm currently ending the site Made in Muse, than... I thought it was an April joke but, in the right upper corner it says Mar 27. And than, I was totally disappointed!!!!

Now... Thank you Adobe for allowing me to finally open my eyes and to realize that I do not need to trust anyone!

It's time to learn to code, people!

[mspot6]

I believe I speak for many designers...

I have found Muse to be the missing link (no pun intended) which allows me to design rather than code to build websites. Before Muse I used Dreamweaver and always felt restricted by its parameters... make a box, position the box, don't extent beyond the box.

Muse finally has allowed me to be a website DESIGNER. Your move to eliminate Muse is as if offset printers decided to tell designers they would no longer be able to print from the files designers created and that instead, designers would need to create "prototypes" which the printers would then use to create the files necessary to print. BULLSHIT!

This smells like some nefarious coding cartel is blackmailing designers.

I truly hope that in the coming months you will announce that we will be able to open, modify, and transfer all of our Muse-built websites to XD (or at least be able to export and upload directly from XD to our chosen hosted servers.

Scott Oatman

Adobe customer since 1991

[Red Point]

... and while I am at it, I truly trusted your so called Muse "Evangelists", but as it turns out now, they were all just false prophets!

[BUSKIRKS.com]

#AdobeClassActionLawsuit

[shiznit1994]

The only this that, to me would come close to being an ok solution here would be if they combined Muse and Animate CC... And I say this ONLY because the two programs (apps) seem as though they would combine well, AND many old school flash people might find the transition easier... I honestly can't believe they have done this ruined my day, I am in the middle of a site right now and I refuse to use Dreamweaver...