Bye, Bye, Adobe: How to Cancel Photoshop

My first question is, why on earth would you want to know how to cancel Photoshop? 

Hey there! I’m Cara and as a photographer and designer, I love Photoshop and will be using it for years to come. 

However, I know that not everybody can justify paying a monthly subscription all the time. If that’s you, or you just don’t need the program anymore, you’ll be wondering how to cancel Photoshop.

Follow the steps below to cancel Photoshop or Adobe Subscription. 

Step 1: Sign into Your Creative Cloud Account

Canceling Photoshop is a piece of cake. Go to https://account.adobe.com/plans and sign in to your account. 

Across the top, you’ll see a tab for Plans & Payment. Make sure Plans is selected on the left and click the Manage Plan button. 

Step 2: Cancel Your Plan

In the window that opens, you’ll have the option to make changes to your plan or cancel your plan. If you want to cancel Photoshop but keep other Creative Cloud services, choose the Change your plan option. 

If you’re ready to cancel Creative Cloud completely, choose Cancel your plan.

What if you don’t see the cancellation button? The option disappears while your payment is being processed (or if there is a problem with your payment). Try again the next day and you should see it. 

Surprise! Cancellation Fee

At this point, many people get shocked when trying to cancel Photoshop. Adobe sets up its plans a little differently than most people would expect. If you aren’t aware of this, there is a cancellation fee when you try to cancel Photoshop.

Like many companies that offer subscription services, Adobe lets you choose between paying monthly or paying annually and saving a little bit of money. However, Adobe also has an in-between option that many people take advantage of (sometimes without realizing it). 

This plan allows you to save money by signing up for a year, but pay for it monthly. However, because you’ve agreed to a one-year contract, there is a fee for breaking the contract early. 

Adobe is kind, though, and there is some wiggle room. If you cancel within 14 days of signing up, you don’t have to pay a cancellation fee. 

They also give you a break from the fee itself. If you cancel in one month, you’ll pay the highest cancellation fee ($54.95 at the time of this writing). Every month after that the fee gets progressively smaller until it disappears altogether at the beginning of month 10. 

Adobe Plan Options

To avoid this cancellation fee altogether, you can choose the monthly plan but you will pay extra. For example, the monthly plan is $34.49 per month as opposed to the annual plan paid monthly at only $22.99 per month. 

The absolute cheapest option is to choose the annual plan, paid upfront. You pay the entire plan in one lump sum which works out to a little bit less per month but you get no refund if you cancel before the plan ends. 

Which is the Best Photoshop Plan? 

The choice is yours. Some people will appreciate saving as much as possible and choose the cheapest annual plan. Most people end up in a one-year contract but don’t always realize it because they’re paying monthly. 

Others want complete flexibility to cancel their Photoshop plan at any moment and will enjoy the monthly plan. 

When Can I Cancel My Photoshop Plan?

You can cancel your Photoshop plan anytime you like. All it takes is a few minutes and a couple of clicks. However, if you are on an annual plan (even if you’re paying monthly) you need to be prepared for a cancellation fee equal to 50% of your remaining balance.

Why Cancel Photoshop?

For someone like me who loves photo manipulation and creating cool effects in Photoshop, I can’t imagine canceling Photoshop. However, I do understand that the fees add up. 

For many people, unless Photoshop is a part of their business, it doesn’t make sense to keep paying the subscription. Unfortunately, this is currently the only way to get Photoshop. Adobe no longer offers a standalone version of the software.

Not ready to give up Photoshop yet and eager to learn more about the program? Check out this tutorial on turning a photo into a watercolor painting!

About Cara Koch
Cara fell in love with photography circa 2014 and has been exploring all corners of the imagery world ever since. When she felt limited by Lightroom, she dove headfirst into Photoshop to learn how to create the images she wanted.

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