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

[e.reed.rogers]

Architect by Muse Themes looks interesting and does incorporate muse features. Check it out.

[ADusa]

Muse themes sounds like they have a good idea cooking, but not so much with muse grid.

[Cody Monroe]

It's simple. Adobe's astounding negligence causes tremendous damage our businesses, we stop giving them our money. Permanently.

Adobe just initiated it's own suicide.

[REally twisted with adobe]

Class action is called for here

[REally twisted with adobe]

class action needs to be started

[REally twisted with adobe]

I am beside myself.  What are you all thinking?  We designers have had Adobes's back when you just started out. I have been working with Adobe products since Illustrator 88.  DO you not care that we have done our client sites in MUSE and now very likely we will have to eat a lot of free work if things change and your  Muse becomes obsolete because you once again don't give a damn. Who is going to pay for our work Not you Adobe.  Are you trying to kill us designers or make us obsolete too. How dare you tank something before you introduce a proper even better replacement.  I trusted you with Livemotion which worked well in the Flash days. Then I chose Go live from day one because you once again took care of us designers and understood we needed easier to use software. Then you hung us out to dry the very same way you did today on both those software packages You bought Macromedia and too bad so sad for the designer we don't care. Sorry but that is what it feels like today.  Who makes this decision they are idiots and don't care.  While Muse is not perfect it is decent and still is.  You have no respect for design professionals. You take my money every month and now you also have raised your prices and do this. I am a sole practitioner in the design biz and you have totally created a disaster for my web clients when the the web demands change.  I urge you to treat us better. Anyone reading this and thinking of launching a class action against Adobe for this stupid ill thought out decision please let me know I am in.

[CDComVisuelle]

It's a shame to leave the customers without solutions! And what about Business Catalyst? Adobe recommended us to publish the muse's website with BC in order to all the options work well (Typekit, forms and other widgets). If we host the websites created with Muse on a third solution, how will it work ?

[REally twisted with adobe]

Start a class action

[e.reed.rogers]

I'm in for a class action suit so sign me up. https://www.classaction.org/learn/how-to-start  Let's see how many seconds this stays up.

[TomasEvan]

Thank you for the update.

I hope Adobe will better advertise the new software. I was not aware of Muse until last year. Everybody I speak to and mention Adobe Muse just has a blank look - nobody has heard of Muse.

[Preran]

Thank you everyone, for your feedback thus far.  I have summarized the sentiment and discussions and shared it with the team.

It is end of my working day here, and I have tried my best to answer as many questions as possible. My replies may have not satisfied all of you, but I put myself here so that we can have a honest to goodness discussion on the way forward. We have already had a few suggestions, and when the dust settles, I will try and compile those into a single post.

Will be back tomorrow to catch up on what's happening here. If there is anything that I have not said already, or something that warrants repetition, I will do that.

[jessupjs]

@Preran :: hope you had a restful evening!

@Everyone_Else :: total empathy for the devastating news + 2 THUMBS UP and best wishes for productive protest!!

SO - I'm not going to be leaving Adobe over this issue, but I hope that Adobe will consider a few concerns that have appeared in consequence:

1. I think a little more transparency and clarity about the justification for dropping a software would be helpful to the community.  I've never thought it embarrassing to confess that a program is losing money or that it cannot logistically keep up w the rapidly-changing web world.  There might be other interesting reasons too - it'd be helpful to know them.

2. I doubt that there's really any possibility that you will change your mind at this point, but it might be worthwhile, for good-ole goodwill's sake, to adjust the plan in some way, even if only to extend the phase-out period or to invest a bit in a cleaner HTML/CSS/JS data export option.  For those bummed about Business Catalyst, maybe direct to some resources about Dreamweaver / Github w some Adobe-hosted courses for CC subscribers who want to make the transition into development coding.

3. I understand that predicting a new product's future is tough, but it might be helpful for those who are feeling uncertain to divide your program roster into a sort of "permanent" category w long-support commitments (~10 yrs) and "pending" category w shorter but meaningful commitments (~3 years), instead of just lumping them into the same pile.  Obviously I'm spit-balling solutions, but design/tech industries are full of risks, and we're all grateful to have anchors to hold on to.

ANYWAYS - I'm obvi an Adobe fan, and I guess it's easy to forget that our heroes are P&L companies.

"Let us not only fill your wallet but also your heart" :^)

[PeteSmithiesMedia]

This is simply staggering news.
I, like so many others, am astonished to read this.
Muse - like words, simply just fail me right now!

[ADusa]

Adobe just lost all credibility with me. I would not spend any more time learning an Adobe product, a replacement of Muse, just to have you discontinue it in a couple years. I have been with muse almost since the beginning and have so much time invested in it, as well as many websites published through BC. I thought you were nuts when you started the subscription only software program but this is really the last straw.

Anyone looking for alternatives, you might check out MUSE THEMES (not muse grid). They might be on the verge of a good replacement, not sure, just a preliminary video was put out recently. I would steer clear of anything with the name ADOBE!

So disappointed

[J. De Dios]

Unbelievable! VERY DISAPPOINTED!! And one week notice? really? How do you kill a popular program without a replacement.. because although they suggest XD, and Spark they are just not the same and fall short for what I use Muse. I hope this is an early April Fools joke. Not the best way to start my spring break  .

[naldeau49]

really such a disappointing, farked-up decision; basically a tuff-shite move by adobe. in spite of their supposed concern for the needs of their customers, the thousands of muse users who lose time & money getting out of muse/business catalyst (not an insignificant amount to individual businesses) are not really part of adobe's corporate calculation. not a good portent of things to come.

[REally twisted with adobe]

You need to have Adobe reverse this decision.  Really I have been sick about this all day. Finally I had a software program that let me be a designer and with some great third party widgets have been able to build some really good sites.  Now once again RIP Livemotion, GoLive you are killing us designers.  It is irresponsible fro Adobe to keep doing things like that.  I don't get it.  At least with the former mentioned programs adobe took over Macromedia so killed off their software as the Macromedia was allegedly better.  Go Live was a decent program.  We have stood by Muse while you improved it gradually and now a total slap in our face.  You make money from us designers.  Your founder has a foundation and is a multi millionaire because of pioneer designers like me who had faith in your software since 1988. We counted then and now we don't count.  You need to convince the stupid people who made this stupid ill thought out decision to reverse it.  I for one will o take this sitting down and will truly try to start a class action. But what I really want is the tools that I trust and pay you for not getting tanked at the whim of some president

[deans6958095]

I'm currently in school, and just finished my section on building websites with Muse. Now the program isn't going to last more than a year after I graduate. This move has made my training obsolete before I even graduated. Might as well just flush those 2 months down the toilet. I am really upset about this, as everyone else here. It's not right and feels like there was no thought given to the people who use it for their bread and butter.

[Marco Romano]

I can't believe!!! adobe: are you jocking or having fun?

I spent a lot of time and money learning Muse, buying professional tutorials and plug-ins, and now a lot of time spent goes directly into rubbish...

I have several published sites that I have to manage and 4 new sites (already sold) under construction and almost finished, all made with Muse... and now who will pay for this? adobe will do it?

What do I explain to my clients that I convinced to build the site with Muse also thanks to their easy future upgrade: that I was making them for fun and I'm a clown or you (adobe) are a clown without shame?

Will adobe pay my time to rebuild the sites on another platform? Because starting from now I will never trust in "adobe solutions" anymore, never again!

The list is very long: strarting from FreeHand to GoLive, passing from Fireworks, from the shameful and painful destiny reserved for Flash (which is the only software you should have deleted so far), goes on with Edge, Co, RF, In and now your masterpiece: Muse! Then… what are you doing? you're pushing on Dimension and XD, we CUSTOMERS test them and after… will you delete them in some years?! Come on, we don't have nothing to do all the day to test your beta software on our skin while working and then starting again from beginning… what else! In the meantime you made us swallow the transition from CS boxed versions to the "magnificent CC subscriptions" but "hey… we give you the old Master Collection…, WOW" Well I've never ask for it!

Where are you living? We're working out here, we're not having fun at all!

Now, open your ears: we need few reliable, strong and bug free softwares, not "new marvellous beta tools" every six months that lives one or two years… understand what I mean? Till now every year I spent money to buy CC subscription for Team and I want software that are not killed by people who I don't even know how to call, so much is the contempt I feel for them.

Who can assure me that in one or two years the new apps you push so hard now will not suffer the same painful end that you have decided for Muse and all the software that I mentioned before?

You do not have the slightest respect for the money we spend buying (oops… "hiring") your software and for the huge economic effort we make to learn how to use them: did any of you even think about it before taking this wicked decision?

Some of you have tried to think about the great difficulty that will result in this decision for those who have spent time and money to specialize on Muse in recent years without giving a real alternative...? Or just think only in a bigger wallet.

Even if I have many archived works, I wish you could fail, because this is what you deserve.

Sooner or later customers will getting tired of all this and I hope we'll all migrate to some other software company... or you'll also buy these competitors?

You have definitely broken the trust placed in your solutions and the only thing that will save you in the short term is the affiliation that all of us unfortunately have had to give you.

I really hope Affinity will have a reliable DTP app soon, so I could delete your nice CC subscription.

This is the last one, NO MORE adobe

If someone open a class action, I will certainly support him.

Goodbye.

[Brad Serum]

As Adobe continues to re-focus on developing products and solutions that provide our customers with the most value,

Pardon my language, but I need to convey the intensity of my feelings on this matter — this boilerplate is utter bullshit.

As these threads are revealing, your customers not only VALUE this application, they RELY on this tool. You have a base that wants to spend their time on design, communication and art — not wasting a day debugging Javascript.

I am personally shocked at this announcement. I envisioned the future of (basic) web development as an increasingly WYSIWYG environment, democratizing the path of entry to all creative types. If Adobe has no interest in giving a shit about this group why not sell this application off to a business that believes in the product?

You are removing services while hiking your prices. I don't know about other users, but to me, this smells like the behavior of a monopoly.

[Pavel_Homeriki]

Unfortunately, this happened because the team does not listen to its users. The development of Muse has long been a dead end road

[nic hsd]

Peran should be a little more honest about non-adobe alternatives, after a google these seem worth a look:

Pinegrow  / webflow / blocs for mac / mobirise /

Not an expert but "Pinegrow export to wordpress" looks impressive, any others worth looking at people...?

[TeamDLS]

Responsive Site Designer | CoffeeCup Software  Looks promising.

[johnc87530144]

The actual issue here is that the customers using Muse are not enterprise customers and don't generate enough revenue to justify Adobe's investment.  Companies really don't have feelings - they just look at the bottom line.  The market that they originally anticipated for the product did not develop, so they are redirecting the investment.  Adobe has consistently profited more from large enterprise level sales not-so-much from the small / mid-sized customer.  As a Muse user, I don't like the decision, but I'm not surprised.

This is the reason, but don't expect them to spell it out clearly in a press release, because it is not good PR and they really don't want to lose the small / mid-sized end-user.

[kellyt30721278]

So....here is the reality.  Adobe killed Muse based on economics.  They weighed the pro's and con's.  They looked at the expenditure of capital going out, and the revenues coming in.  The outcome of that is obvious.  They then CLOSELY looked at the impact and the outrage they KNOW they would cause by killing the program.  Without question, they knew the financial impact that a decision of this magnitude would cause on small business folks, against what they perceived as the backlash and loss of revenue the outrage would cause.  Clearly, they made the decision to kill it.

So, here is the part where I sound like a wacko conspiracy theory nutjob, but really read this next part.  Not unlike the decisions the auto, tobacco or insurance industry make when weighing decisions to either fix a dangerous car, keep selling tobacco, against what a lawsuit or a class action lawsuit would cause them.  Its a simple balance sheet decision.  Like it or not, the neighs won.... they clearly think killing Muse outweighs the benefits and costs.  I am fortunate, I only have 10 websites I need to now completely re-do.  I can't imagine what those of you who built entire business models around this program or those of you who sold websites to hundreds of clients who all now want justice.. or soon will.  Look, this is not like just discontinuing a single product, like a toaster, or TV, this is severing entire business chains that people have come to depend on.  People are drawn to adobe and Muse, not only because it was a great product, but because they trusted the name and the longevity of the product line.

The ONLY way to make Adobe understand the gravity of their decision, is to make them pay.  They only way they will understand is damage to the bottom line. They are counting that this will blow over, people will move on, find another product to fill that need.. .maybe even Adobe Spark when it's done...they are waiting you out, waiting for the fire they expected to go away so they can move on.... Its classic Crisis PR in work. 

The only way to ensure they never do this again to you, your customers, your family, your employees, and YOU is to make them pay financially and make that spreadsheet tilt the other way.  All of us, need to start viral campaigns that show the injustice of their clearly financial decisions.  We need to rally ALL our customers, and employees, friends, and family to absolutely rage against this decision.  Drive boycots to ALL Adobe products.  Post and KEEP posting on every message board, on every place that Adobe sells their programs.. do it once a day, three times a week.  MAKE everyone who even thinks about buying an Adobe product think twice if it will even be there in the next three years.  How many of you would have made a different decision about Muse if you knew there was history of Adobe killing programs that people build their lives around.  I know for SURE I would have, and I am just mildly pissed off at this.  Its only going to cost me about 100-150 hours of work.  How much is it going to cost you?

Start viral campaigns, start Facebook pages, Twitter campaigns, someone smash some stuff on Facebook...do something outrageous that gets the mainstream press' attention.  Better yet, the throngs of millennials out there looking for a cause.. god help them.  Write articles, do Youtube videos, show outrage.  Catch peoples attention.  Find competitors and get help... THEY are counting, and you bet they are, that you will be so focused on rebuilding your businesses that you will let this go.... don't do it.  This is ABSOLUTELY outrageous.  Even car manufacturers have to produce parts for a number of years after they discontinue a model... .

So, either go quietly in the night or go down loud and hard and make them pay... your choice.  So, do your class action lawsuits for sure, but they have already counted how much that would cost into their decision.  What they have not considered, is the new viral world we live in and the impact that can have on a company.  So, all these post showing outrage, they have expected.  Do something unexpected.. start a movement, start a campaign... they will only pay attention when you build numbers... it only takes a few to show the power of a globalized movement who knows and understands how to use the power of social networks... the key is persistence and drive.  Make em pay at the boardroom and then and only THEN will they listen.  Anyone game?  lets do it!

Enough people who believe that Adobe Dreamweaver is next on the chopping block or any other product they have made invaluable to loyal users, built entire business models around... the more they will lose subscribers by the thousands or more.. and given their recent decision, how far off is that... cash cow today, but tomorrow?  Not fair playyou say Adobe... hmmnnn ironic..

Rise up folks.. dont take this laying down.. first one to create a Facebook page with over 5000 followers wins and starts a movement...

Are we sheep, or are we.........

I would remove this post, if I were Adobe.. lets see if they do... but, that may be just enough to drive me over the edge of the unfair cliff... if this is removed, I will post it on TEN websites for every post that is removed.  You move Adobe... just sayin...

Cheers....

Completely ticked off, previously loyal Adobe user and fan....