Participant

Answered

Limit imposed on free assets?

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
May 12, 2023
7 replies
14411 views

Why is there suddenly a limit imposed on my 'licsenced for free' images? I have suddenly (today) been told I've reached my daily limit of downloading from here: https://stock.adobe.com/uk/free and the person in chat has told me I now need a subscription - but I only want to use the FREE images, and not the paid for images.....

Correct answer peterspeter

I was just able to download 10+ free stock assets, so it looks like they've recently bumped up the daily limit. Not sure what the new limit is now.

Abambo

Community Expert

Locking this now.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

P

peterspeterCorrect answer

Participating Frequently

I was just able to download 10+ free stock assets, so it looks like they've recently bumped up the daily limit. Not sure what the new limit is now.

SkylorBeck

Participant

This change is definitely because of the rise of AI generated content. They know the writing is on the wall and they want to squeeze as much money as possible before they lose everyone entirely.

Abambo

Community Expert

This change is definitely because of the rise of AI generated content. They know the writing is on the wall and they want to squeeze as much money as possible before they lose everyone entirely.

By @SkylorBeck

That, I would say, is nonsense.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

SkylorBeck

Participant

Remember this in five years

P

peterspeter

Participating Frequently

Sounds like Adobe will start to see an influx of Adobe accounts being created and used without any subscriptions being purchased. A 97% decrease in free stock downloads is horrendous. I could understand limiting free stock downloads for accounts without any active subscription, but to those of us who pay an ever-increasing amount every month to access Adobe products, this is such a sad move.

Abambo

Community Expert

A 97% decrease in free stock downloads is horrendous.

By @peterspeter

100 assets per day was horrendous, too. People hitting that limit were hording assets. 3 is limitative, but you can licence again after some waiting time. Anyhow, if you build your busines model on free assets, Adobe stock is the wrong place to be.

As the assets are free, I suppose, complaining could be limited to a free rant, too.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

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MarielZereza

Participant

I noticed this a week ago and I couldn't find anywhere what the limit number of downloads was until one day I had to count it and yes, it is 3. And it was unexpected, from one day to another and just like that. I pay for the Creative Cloud Suite and I can't believe they restricted the free downloads even for people who pay the service monthly. I kind of get it for people who doesn't have a subscription of any kind, but please, the cost is not cheap AT ALL and now they do this...?

Jill_C

Community Expert

Adobe Stock has always been a separate subscription, and not included in the subscription price for any other Adobe product. In fact, you don't even need to use Adobe products in order to access Adobe Stock images. However, ~2 years ago Adobe decided to build a database of "free images". Being a Creative Cloud subscriber was not a prerequisite for downloading those free stock assets. In other words, CC subscribers were not "entitled" to any particular number of free assets. Though their strategy was not communicated, I would assume that free assets were made available to address competition, and to increase Adobe Stock subscriptions . A daily download limit for free assets was set at that time, but the actual limit was not communicated. It was recently reduced to 3 in a 24 hour period, and no reason for this change was given.

Jill C., Forum Volunteer

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Test Screen Name

Legend

You ask WHY there's a limit. Now, I have no inside knowledge at all, so that leaves me free to speculate.

The first question is - why would Adobe - who had a succesful business SELLING stock images, spend millions of dollars to buy images to give them away? I think there can be only one realistic answer, the main reason a commercial business does stuff for free; someone convinced them to try it, and see if the "free tease" would get people hooked, and then they would want the full range of images, and start paying for them. Adobe have figures for sales of Adobe stock, downloads of free stock, and how many people convert from one to the other. So, why change it? It was either the plan all along, or it was changed because NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE are converting from free images to paid-for images. Some people, perhaps, were able to run a design business perfectly well with the free assets. Anyway, reducing the download limit is a test to see how many people convert now. If it doesn't change, I imagine the whole free collection will close down. To repeat: this is just my speculation, but if you want the world to have free images, do your part and sign up to pay!

O

orlymaxed

Participant

I wouldn't be surprised if it had to do with pushing people towards their firefly AI product. If they are going to do this maybe adobe consumers should start looking at alternatives. They really are double dipping such as their Substance 3d suite. Don't be greedy and just make it apart of the CC plans.

Abambo

Community Expert

I wouldn't be surprised if it had to do with pushing people towards their firefly AI product. If they are going to do this maybe adobe consumers should start looking at alternatives. They really are double dipping such as their Substance 3d suite. Don't be greedy and just make it apart of the CC plans.

By @orlymaxed

Firefly is an entirely different product. It has nothing to do with stock, and even less with free stock assets.

Substance 3D plans are also different from Creative Cloud plans, and there are also other Adobe products that are not part of the Creative Cloud subscription.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

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Liza5C0C

Community Manager

Hello @Orton Marketing Limited,

The current behavior aligns with expectations. We have recently reduced the free daily download limit, resulting in the appearance of a pop-up message informing you that your daily limit of free downloads has been reached. For non-paying Adobe Stock users, the limit is now set at 3 downloads per day.

Orton Marketing LimitedAuthor

Participant

It would have been good customer service of Adobe had informed customers of this change rather than to just receive a pop up notification......

Abambo

Community Expert

There always was a daily limit, but I wasn't aware, that it has been lowered to 3 assets/day. Customer service should have told you this.

However, I understand that Adobe wants to sell their subscription service. You cant't really expect Adobe to be your image provider and give away the service for free. If you are making money with this, it would be normal to take a plan. If you are a non-profit, you can check with other free to use services.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

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