Has Creative Cloud got you down? Piggy bank need a boost?
Adobe used to sell its products as a software hardcopy (who remembers the Photoshop CD-ROM?) and then as a direct download. Users made a one-time purchase for whatever products suited their needs. Adobe has gradually moved their apps to the Creative Cloud which comes with a hefty monthly fee in perpetuity. The exception is Acrobat which can still be purchased as a one-time download.
The price for one Creative Cloud app ranges from $9.99/month (Photoshop) to $19.99/month for most of the others. For the entire suite of Adobe apps, the lowest fee is $49.99/month.
“Yikes,” says the Queen of Free. “These prices are prohibitive for a small designer or someone who uses these products on an occasional basis.”
Today, The Queen of Free presents free alternatives to some of the Creative Cloud apps.
Photoshop – used mainly to enhance and edit photos and illustrations. This app has a huge learning curve. Once you master it, however, it’s amazing and sets the standard for everything else. But, there’s also GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). It’s a free open-source program and it is a worthy competitor, particularly with its layering features. There are tutorials, a community of forum helpers and plugins to help you along. It’s available on Windows and Mac.
Illustrator – for use in creating vector (scalable) graphics, illustrations and logos and more. This app also takes quite a bit of practice to master. The solution – try Inkscape. Like GIMP, it is a free, open-source tool and is available on Windows or Mac. It touts itself as an alternative to Illustrator and other purchased software and users can create great stuff.
Acrobat – used to create and edit PDF documents, combine PDF documents, create fillable forms and add signatures. To create a PDF document, you can do it with the Save As drop-down menu, nothing extra required. To edit PDF documents, try PDF Architect. And there are lots of free digital signature apps such as Hello Sign and DocuSign. So, it’s not a one-stop shop, but depending on what you need from Acrobat, there are free alternatives.
Dreamweaver – used to create and design websites. Instead use WordPress. Their themes have come a long way and they have responsive, flexible designs. Find one and save money!
InDesign – for layouts in print and digital design. Get a Canva account. They have thousands of design templates, millions of photos, graphics and illustrations or you can upload your own. You can use a custom size or select a pre-determined size such as for a brochure or infographic. Use their fonts or upload your own. Another plus – it’s easy to learn and use. Note: it is free to use and create but there are some elements for purchase so be sure to use the free search filter. All elements are reasonable priced at $1.
Audition – Adobe’s audio editor and mixer. Audacity is another free open-source tool that is a great alternative to Audition. It’s easier to figure out and the default save is a more compatible option.
Premiere Pro – used for creating and editing videos. Download VideoPad instead. There is not much of a learning curve and it has drag and drop capabilities. The free version doesn’t have as many features, but it’s great for a YouTube channel and basic editing.
“Hope your creative juices continue to flow with more money in your piggy bank,” says The Queen of Free.
About The Queen of Free
The Queen of Free provides occasional blogs on free or low-cost alternatives to high-ticket items in the marketing, small business and creative marketplaces. Her goal is to help you maximize your momentum with a free makeover.
Do you have an expense that needs a free or low-cost makeover? Please leave suggestions below.
For daily marketing communications news online, subscribe to LGK’s free MarCom Digest. Maximize your momentum!