Image and video generator trained on licensed content, so it's safer for client work.

Adobe Photoshop
The standard photo editor, with Generative Fill to add or remove things by typing.
Quick take
- Still the most capable photo editor, and Generative Fill makes object removal and background changes quick.
- No free plan, only a 7-day trial. Photoshop alone is $22.99 a month on an annual plan.
- The Photography plan ($19.99 a month) includes Photoshop, Lightroom and 1TB of storage, which is better value for most small businesses.
- The single-app plan only has 25 premium generative credits a month; heavy AI users run out fast.
- If you just need social posts or simple edits, Canva or Adobe Express are easier and cheaper.
What is Adobe Photoshop?
Photoshop is Adobe's photo editor and the tool most designers and photographers already know. Its AI features sit inside the normal editing workflow: Generative Fill adds, removes or replaces anything you select from a text prompt, Generative Expand extends a photo past its edges, and Remove, Select Subject and background tools do in one click what used to take an hour. It runs on desktop, in the browser and on mobile, and plans now let you pick between Adobe's Firefly models and partner models such as Google's and Black Forest Labs'.
Pick it when the image has to be right at full quality: product shots for print, retouching for a client, layered marketing files your designer will reuse. For quick social graphics, Canva or Adobe Express are far easier, and Photoroom is faster for bulk product photos on white. If you only want to erase things from snapshots, a free tool like Cleanup.pictures does the job.
The catch: it's a professional tool with a real learning curve, and it's subscription only. The standard plan includes only 25 premium generative credits a month, which heavy Generative Fill users burn quickly on retries, and users regularly report vague 'try again later' errors and weaker fills after updates.
Who's using it, and who it's for
- Graphic designers
- Photographers
- E-commerce teams
- Agencies
- Marketing teams
Designers, photographers and marketing teams who need full control over images, not just quick fixes.
Key features
Generative Fill
Select an area and type what should be there, or leave it blank to remove what's in it.
Generative Expand
Stretch the canvas and let it fill in the extra background to fit a new format.
One-click selections and removal
Select a subject, sky or background, or brush over an object to remove it.
Choice of AI models
Use Adobe's Firefly models or partner models for generation, depending on the look you want.
Layers and full editing
Every AI result lands on its own layer, so you can keep editing it with the full toolset.
Desktop, web and mobile
The same subscription covers the desktop app, Photoshop on the web and the mobile app.
How we rate it
4.0 / 5
Our rating
From using the tool ourselves. The average of the five scores.
- Ease of use
- 3.0
- Features
- 5.0
- Output quality
- 4.5
- Value for money
- 3.5
- Speed & reliability
- 4.0
How quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
How completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
How good the results are before you fix them.
What you get for the price, including the free plan.
How fast it is and how often it falls over.
Adobe Photoshop pricing
- Our pick
Photography
$19.99/mo, annual plan
Small businesses and photographers who edit photos regularly.
- Photoshop on desktop, web and mobile
- Lightroom
- 1TB cloud storage
- 1,000 generative credits a month
Photoshop
$22.99/mo, annual plan billed monthly
People who only need Photoshop.
- Photoshop on desktop, web and mobile
- Adobe Express Premium
- 100GB storage
- 25 premium generative credits a month
Creative Cloud Pro
$69.99/mo, annual plan billed monthly
Designers who use several Adobe apps.
- Photoshop plus 20+ Adobe apps
- 4,000 generative credits a month
- 100GB storage
Photoshop for teams
$37.99/licence/mo
Businesses managing licences centrally.
- Photoshop with admin console
- 1TB storage per licence
- 25 generative credits a month
Which plan should you pick?
Most small businesses should take the Photography plan: it's cheaper than Photoshop alone and adds Lightroom, more storage and more generative credits. Pick Creative Cloud Pro only if you also need Illustrator, Premiere or InDesign. Watch for introductory discounts that jump at renewal.
Prices in USD unless noted, checked 22 October 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on their site before you buy.
Best use cases
Ways Adobe Photoshop can slot into your week.
- 1
Clean up product photos
Remove dust, reflections and stray props, then swap a cluttered background for a clean one.
- 2
Resize a hero image
Use Generative Expand to turn a landscape shot into a tall story or a wide web banner without cropping the product.
- 3
Retouch team photos
Fix lighting, remove distractions and match backgrounds so staff photos look consistent.
- 4
Build ad variations
Swap seasonal props or backgrounds into a product shot to make several versions for testing.
How it fits your tech stack
It's the heavy-duty editor in an Adobe or Canva workflow: edit and retouch in Photoshop, then lay out posts in Canva or Express. Developers can automate edits through Adobe's Photoshop API.
Connects to
- Lightroom

- Adobe Express

- Adobe Firefly

- Adobe Stock
- Canva

Pros and cons
Pros
- The most complete photo editing toolset available
- AI results land on layers you can keep editing
- Works on desktop, web and mobile with one subscription
- Photography plan bundles Lightroom and storage at a fair price
Cons
- Steep learning curve for non-designers
- No free plan, and Adobe's cancellation fees on annual plans draw complaints
- Only 25 premium generative credits a month on the single-app plan; retries burn them
- Users report vague errors and fills that got worse after some updates
Adobe Photoshop alternatives
The closest alternatives to Adobe Photoshop in the library, best rated first.

Nano Banana
4.6
Best for editing photos by describing the change
Compare with Adobe Photoshop
Canva
4.5
Best for social media posts and stories
Compare with Adobe Photoshop
Namelix
4.4
Best for brainstorming a business name
Compare with Adobe PhotoshopBest for staging empty rooms for sale listings
Compare with Adobe Photoshop
Why it made the list
Its generative editing tools work inside the most capable photo editor there is, so AI fixes and manual retouching happen in one file.
Adobe Photoshop FAQ
How much does Adobe Photoshop cost?
There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $19.99/mo. Prices checked 22 October 2026 against Adobe Photoshop's pricing page.
Is Adobe Photoshop free?
No. There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $19.99/mo.
What is Adobe Photoshop best for?
Adobe Photoshop is best for retouching product and brand photos, removing or replacing objects and extending images to new sizes. Designers, photographers and marketing teams who need full control over images, not just quick fixes.
What are the best Adobe Photoshop alternatives?
The closest alternatives are Nano Banana, Canva, Namelix and Virtual Staging AI. Nano Banana is best for editing photos by describing the change.
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