In a move that’s already raising eyebrows across the creative and IT communities, Adobe is rolling out an automatic shift to a more expensive subscription tier for Creative Cloud users. And it’s happening whether you asked for it or not. Read on to get the details. 

From June 17, 2025, Adobe will automatically migrate Creative Cloud All Apps subscribers in North America to a new plan called Creative Cloud Pro. This “upgrade” comes with a price jump of up to 16.7% for some plans. The reason? Adobe wants to bundle in its new generative AI tools, whether you need them or not.

Adobe's announcement

The press release from Adobe says:

"Creative Cloud Pro will be available beginning June 17 at $69.99/month, plus tax, for the annual billed monthly plan.

*Price effective at renewal on or after June 17, 2025.

For current members in North America, your Creative Cloud All Apps plan will automatically be renamed Creative Cloud Pro starting June 17. Creative Cloud Pro pricing will be effective at your next renewal on or after June 17.

What’s changing?

Here’s the breakdown:

• Individuals (annual plan): Was $59.99/month, will now be $69.99/month
• Students & teachers: Was $19.99/month for first year moving to $34.99 for subsequent years, now goes $29.99 for the first year, moving to $39.99/month for subsequent years
• Teams annual subscription: Was $89.99/month, rising to $99.99/month
• AI credits for single-app subscribers: Previously got 500 credits, now only 25 credits

Adobe claims it’s adding value by including more AI capabilities, but many users and IT decision-makers see this as little more than a forced upsell.

It does say that customers have the option to ‘switch to Creative Cloud Standard, which includes desktop apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom and Premiere Pro as well as 100GB of cloud storage and many of the services and benefits you enjoy today, but with limited access to our generative AI features and our web and mobile apps.’

Enterprise customers are encouraged to contact their Adobe account managed to discuss price plans. Read the full price breakdown here.

Why this matters

Let’s be clear: Adobe already dominates the creative software space. With limited competition and increasingly aggressive licensing practices, businesses are left with very few choices and now even less control.

This change:

• Happens automatically, with no requirement for user consent

• Forces organisations to pay for AI functionality they may not want or need. It is the user's responsibility to proactively choose to ‘downgrade’ to a new Creative Cloud Standard tier but it comes with reduced functionality and no access to premium generative AI tools that users will already be used to.

• Adds yet more complexity to managing Adobe licensing and budgeting
  
  
• Could easily expand beyond North America. This may just be the start

How Livingstone helps: visibility, control, and cost savings

If you're responsible for managing Adobe software spend across your organisation, this is exactly the kind of change that can slip through unnoticed until the budget impact hits. And with vendors increasingly bundling in AI (with matching price tags), it's only going to get more difficult to manage.

That’s where Livingstone comes in.

As part of our Software Asset Management Managed Service, we:

• Continuously monitor Adobe and other vendor changes, so you're never caught off guard
• Use real usage data to identify whether the Pro tier makes sense for your users or not
• Help you right-size your Creative Cloud estate and avoid unnecessary cost
• Optimise not just Adobe, but your entire software estate from Microsoft and Oracle to SaaS and long-tail vendors

In summary: Adobe’s latest change is a reminder

You can’t afford to 'set and forget' your software licensing. Vendors like Adobe are evolving their models fast, often with very little transparency.

But with Livingstone in your corner, you stay one step ahead, keep costs under control, and make smarter decisions about what’s really needed.

Don’t just accept higher costs. Challenge them.

Contact us to learn how our Managed Service can protect your budget and maximise the value of your software investments.