We recommend Flocksy

For Unlimited Logo Design, Graphic Design, Video Editing, Motion Graphics, Copywriting and more.

Best Adobe Creative Cloud Alternatives

  • Adobe Creative Cloud is the industry-leading software that has helped millions of graphic designers to create stunning designs 
  • There are alternatives to the software that will get you similar results and be more budget-friendly 
  • We share all of our best Adobe Creative Cloud Alternative and why you should choose them

For years now, Adobe Creative Cloud has been the number choice for graphic designers that want to take their career to the next level. The software is one of the largest industry-leading tools that gives graphic designers what they need to create amazing pieces from scratch. Although Adobe is one of the best software available and the one most popular since it was first created there has been steady competitors rolling out daily for the software. There have been strong and steady alternatives to Photoshop and Indesign that aren’t too bad. These competitors are slowly making their mark on the platform and many graphic designers have started using them. 

If you’re not willing to pay the monthly big bucks for Adobe Creative Cloud and still need the tools for designing, looking into these alternatives is certainly worth it. If you’re looking for the best Adobe Creative Cloud alternatives, these are it.  

Best Adobe Creative Cloud Alternatives

Photoshop Alternative: GIMP

This free alternative to Photoshop is one of the best that you’ll find. This alternative isn’t just good, it’s great. The software supports all file types, with the only downside being that it doesn’t support batch photo editing. But that’s a small price to pay for what the software does allow you to. It has a customizable interface (a very popular feature with users of the software) and other features include layers, filters, tools, layer masks, adjust panels and more.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is cX1_H5qv4tOsHcF959OWYx3tryb-kIDSIiS0Jas4baVWwHUpgyJeLzUWbDt0TeUOkpZKUC1z9GT1bY6v7vDyA6eKMBiiRIYLwOn6SZWFN7kFuZ2xEZfZBvYymZT1pb0ZIKG7nCF2=s0

Illustrator Alternative: Inkscape 

Inkscape is one of the most popular alternatives to Illustrator and the platform boasts advanced features that you can’t find elsewhere. It focuses on SVG format that is very similar to Illustrators and the two compare fairly closely. Although users will notice that Inkspace has an interface that is much simpler than Illustrator’s, that shouldn’t hold you back from trying it. This alternative is certainly worth a shot, you may have found your best Illustrator alternative yet. 

Lightroom Alternative: RawTherapee

RawTherapee is a free alternative to Lightroom that graphic designers use to edit RAW files amongst a variety of other things. The software offers a variety of tools that help with rotation, noise removal, light, settings for tone, exposure control, shadows, light, and more. The image corrector is one of the most popular, combining the best attributes of both Lightroom and Photoshop to create this much-needed software. It’s used to edit images, without the changes being made until you export the RAW image. 

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 6873xOKcmuypUbwFmYS06efHpXh42M3TIc8Cf2ws5apALrMKjf1oZcQBMt1kDDg4GEgClgZwj4rLQtBhU3H_Zv7g2Avoab8sb0xDWfKsUresjrlPxYKYN6yCzBnyUd0oDvw8e-ra=s0

InDesign Alternative: Crello 

This software is a must-have for those that are looking for a design tool that will let them create print magazines, video, Twitter ads, and more. Crello is one of the top choices for those that are looking for a high quality and worthwhile alternative to InDesign. They have a variety of templates that are useful for graphic designers to use for their design projects. If you want to be able to do all your work on a single platform without ever leaving it, this is the software that you need. 

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is qSxzxmhGAHGC8kJFSZDL3EbZJvg5Ve0mA1Rj2Ou8i0EUvI6hLUkycO8_6lY-92-iPI7B_5VTRVqaqIJ_qTrCV5NWR60wsfT38ccmApvnd2x96pv2ScFTma61sG1u8GP5P73Lq4Ww=s0

Photoshop Alternative: Affinity Photo

Few graphic designers don’t already know of this Photoshop alternative that has quickly moved up to be one of the very best. Although Affinity Photo isn’t a free option, it’s worth what you’ll pay for it and be a great resource for graphic designers. The platform has everything that you could need for design, including a dedicated RAW editing workspace and full HDR merge support. You’ll only pay a one-time fee of $49.99, making it one of the best purchases that you’ll make. 

After Effects Alternative: Blender 

There aren’t quite as many After Effects alternatives as there are of the other platforms in the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite. It’s a bit much to ask for an alternative that has all the elements of After Effects in one single software for graphic designers. Blender isn’t a magical solution, but it does give you some of the tools that you need to help if you don’t have Adobe. Blender is used for 3D visual effects and animated graphics. Blender is a good alternative, but you’re going to want to use it with a combination of other resources to get the full comparison to After Effects. 

Summing It Up 

Although Adobe Creative Cloud is constantly spoken of highly as the most popular and best software that graphic designers can use. Although it’s the best option with a vast range of tools for graphic designers, there are also alternatives that you can choose which are more budget-friendly. If you’re on the hunt for good alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, we’ve listed all the top ones above!