Which Creative Cloud Plan Fits Your Photoshop Use?
Adobe’s plans can be confusing. If you’re only interested in using Photoshop, you might often wonder about the following:
- Best plan for the price?
- Am I overpaying for apps I don’t use?
- How many AI / Generative Fill credits do I get?
- Do I need the full suite?
As a Photoshop user, Adobe’s marketing can feel overwhelming. Their website looks slick but hides crucial details about what you’re actually getting. Prices vary by region, AI credit allocations change without warning, and the differences between plans are buried in footnotes.
This guide is specifically for Photoshop users like you. All information is as updated as November 2025.
By the time you finish reading, you’ll know:
- The 4 plans that include Photoshop
- Photoshop plan vs Pro: what’s different?
- AI credits by plan
- When you run out of credits
- Downgrading without losing your work
No promos, no affiliate links, no upsell. Just the facts Photoshop users need to make the right choice and stop overpaying.
Let’s look at the only plans that include Photoshop.
The 4 Plans That Include Photoshop
Here’s what you need to know about the plans that actually include Photoshop (prices shown are the standard monthly rate when paid annually, before local taxes):
| Plan | Price / Month(paid yearly) | Main Apps Included | Cloud Storage | Monthly Generative AI Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creative Cloud Pro | US$59.99 | All 20+ apps (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects, InDesign, etc.) | 1 TB | 4,000 + unlimited standard generations |
| Creative Cloud All Apps | US$54.99 – $59.99 | Same 20+ apps as Pro | 100 GB | 1,000 |
| Photoshop Single App Plan | US$22.99 | Photoshop + Lightroom (limited) + Fresco | 100 GB | 25–500 (depends on join date) |
| Photography Plan (1 TB) | US$19.99 | Photoshop + full Lightroom + Lightroom Classic | 1 TB | 250–1,000 (depends on join date) |
What Photoshop users need to know:
- You get the exact same Photoshop application in all four plans; there’s no “lite” version in cheaper plans.
- The main differences are in AI credits, cloud storage, and whether you get Lightroom Classic.
- If you only use Photoshop, the Single App plan saves you over $400/year compared to Pro.
- For photographers who edit in both Photoshop and Lightroom Classic, the Photography Plan is actually cheaper than the Photoshop-only plan.
Photoshop-Only Plan: What You Get
If you’re primarily a Photoshop user who rarely touches other Adobe apps, this is the plan designed specifically for you. It’s officially called:
Photoshop Single App Plan – US$22.99/mo (paid annually) or US$34.49/mo month-to-month
What you actually get:
- Full desktop Photoshop (exactly the same version as the US$60 plans)
- Lightroom (web and mobile versions only, not the full Lightroom Classic)
- Lightroom Classic is NOT included
- Adobe Fresco and Portfolio
- 100 GB cloud storage
- Generative AI features inside Photoshop (Generative Fill, Generative Expand, Text-to-Image)
Important catch:
Generative AI credits on this plan are tiny compared to the big plans.
- If you subscribed before the recent policy change → you still get 500 credits/month
- If you subscribed after the recent policy change → you only get 25 credits/month
25 credits means roughly 25 Generative Fills or 25 AI-generated images per month. Once they’re gone, the features don’t stop working, but they become noticeably slower (Adobe puts you in the “slow queue”).
Bottom line: If you only need Photoshop and you’ll use Generative Fill lightly (a few times a week at most), the Photoshop Single App plan is the clear winner. You’ll save ~US$450–500 per year compared to Creative Cloud Pro.
AI Credits by Plan
Here’s exactly what Photoshop users get with each plan – no marketing fluff:
| Plan | Monthly Generative AI Credits | Unlimited “Standard” Generations? | Real-World Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creative Cloud Pro | 4,000 | Yes | You can generate thousands of images or ~40 five-second AI videos per month without ever slowing down. |
| Creative Cloud All Apps | 1,000 | No | Good for moderate daily use; heavy users hit the limit in 10–20 days. |
| Photoshop Single App Plan | 25 (new subscribers) or 500 (long-term subscribers) | No | New users: ~25 AI actions per month. Old users: still decent. |
| Photography Plan (1 TB) | 250–1,000 (depends on when you joined) | No | Usually enough for photographers who use Generative Fill occasionally. |
What counts as 1 credit? (Adobe’s official rates)
- 1 credit → 1 standard Generative Fill / Expand / Text-to-Image (up to 2048×2048 px)
- 25–100 credits → 1 short AI video clip (3–5 seconds in Premiere or Firefly)
- 4–8 credits → 1 high-resolution or complex generation
Pro tip:
Creative Cloud Pro is the only individual plan that gives “unlimited standard generations” on top of the 4,000 credits. That means basic Text-to-Image and Generative Fill never slow down, even if you somehow burn through all 4,000 credits (almost impossible for one person).
What Those Credits Get You
Numbers on a screen don’t mean much until you see real examples. Here’s what the monthly allowance actually translates to in daily life (using Adobe’s current credit costs):
Creative Cloud Pro – 4,000 credits + unlimited standard
- ≈ 4,000 normal Generative Fills or text-to-image generations
- ≈ 160 five-second AI video clips (if you use the expensive video tools)
- ≈ 1,000 higher-quality or 4K upscale generations
Real life: You can literally generate images all day, every day and never hit a wall. Most solo creators never use more than 1,000–1,500 credits in a month.
All Apps – 1,000 credits
- ≈ 1,000 regular images or fills
- ≈ 40 short AI videos
Real life: Fine for full-time designers or YouTubers who use AI daily but not obsessively. Heavy users run out around day 20.
Photoshop Plan (new subscriber) – 25 credits
- Exactly 25 Generative Fills or 25 text-to-image generations per month
Real life: About one AI edit per day if you spread it out. After that, everything switches to the slow queue (can take 30–60 seconds instead of 3–5 seconds).
Photoshop Plan (old subscriber) – 500 credits
- Still 500 decent-quality generations per month
Real life: Plenty for most months unless you’re doing client work with heavy AI.
Photography Plan – 250 to 1,000 credits
- Enough for removing backgrounds, extending skies, or object removal on hundreds of photos per month.
Bottom line: If you ever find yourself thinking “I wish Generative Fill was faster” or “I hit my limit again,” you’re on the wrong plan.
Photoshop Plan vs Pro: What’s Different?
| Photoshop Single App Plan(~US$22.99/mo) | Creative Cloud Pro(~US$59.99/mo) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full Photoshop (desktop) | Yes | Yes |
| Lightroom Classic | No | Yes |
| Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects, InDesign, etc. | No | Yes (20+ apps) |
| Cloud storage | 100 GB | 1 TB |
| Generative AI credits / month | 25 (new subscribers) or 500 (long-term subscribers) | 4,000 + unlimited standard |
| Speed after credits run out | Slow queue(30–60 sec per generation) | Never slows down(unlimited standard) |
| Best for | Casual users, students, hobbyists who only edit in Photoshop | Full-time creators, designers, video editors, heavy AI users |
Quick verdict in plain English:
Choose Photoshop Plan if:
- You open Photoshop 99% of the time
- You use Generative Fill a few times a week at most
- You want to save ~US$450 a year
Choose Creative Cloud Pro if:
- You regularly use 3+ Adobe apps
- You generate dozens (or hundreds) of AI images/videos every month
- You hate waiting even 10 extra seconds for a generation
- You need the extra 900 GB of cloud storage
Most people who think they “need” Pro actually don’t. Try the Photoshop Plan first. You can upgrade anytime in under 2 minutes with zero downtime.
Check Your AI Credits (30 Seconds)
You don’t have to guess how many credits you have left; Adobe shows the exact number in two easy places.
Method 1: Fastest (works on any device)
- Open a browser and go to https://account.adobe.com
- Sign in with your Adobe ID
- Click your profile picture (top-right corner)
- Look for the box that says Generative credits – it shows something like “2,847 of 4,000 remaining” and a progress bar
- (It updates in real time and resets on your billing date.)
Method 2: Inside Photoshop or Firefly
- In Photoshop: Help menu → Generative Credits (takes you to the same page)
- In Firefly web (firefly.adobe.com): click your avatar (top-right) → the counter is right there
That’s literally it. No digging through menus, no support chat needed.
Pro tip:
Bookmark account.adobe.com/plans and check it once a week if you’re a heavy AI user. Many people get a nasty surprise at the end of the month because they never looked.
When You Run Out of Credits
Adobe does not completely lock you out of Generative AI when your monthly credits hit zero, but things definitely change:
| Situation | What Actually Happens |
|---|---|
| You’re on Creative Cloud Pro | Almost nothing. You still have unlimited standard generations (basic Text-to-Image, Generative Fill, etc.). Only very premium features (long videos, 4K upscales, third-party models) stop until next month. |
| You’re on All Apps, Photoshop Plan, or Photography Plan | Features keep working, but they move to the slow priority queue. A generation that normally took 3–8 seconds now takes 20–90 seconds. Some advanced options (e.g., video generation in Premiere) become completely unavailable until credits reset. |
| You need it right now | You can instantly buy an add-on pack (100 credits for ~US$4.99, 2,000 credits for ~US$29.99, etc.) and the fast speed returns immediately. |
In practice:
- Casual users on the Photoshop Plan rarely notice the slowdown because they only do a handful of generations per month.
- Heavy users feel it instantly: waiting a minute for every Generative Fill kills the workflow.
The slowdown is Adobe’s way of nudging you toward either Creative Cloud Pro or the credit add-on packs.
Buying Extra Credits: Worth It?
If you ever run out and don’t want the slow queue (or you’re on Pro but somehow burned through 4,000 credits doing video), Adobe sells add-on credit packs. These are monthly subscriptions (not one-time purchases) and stack on top of your plan’s included credits.
Current prices (in USD before local tax):
| Pack Size | Monthly Price | Cost per 1,000 Generations | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 credits | US$4.99 | ~US$50 | Emergency top-up only |
| 2,000 credits | US$29.99 | ~US$15 | Heavy Photoshop/AI users on cheaper plans |
| 7,000 credits | US$79.99 | ~US$11.40 | Full-time creators who refuse to upgrade to Pro |
| 50,000 credits | ~US$299 | ~US$6 | Agencies or absolute power users |
Real-world math most people care about:
- If you find yourself buying the 2,000-credit pack every month, you’re spending ~US$30 extra → total US$53/mo on a Photoshop Plan. At that point, just upgrade to Creative Cloud Pro (US$59.99) and get unlimited + all apps.
- The 100-credit pack is almost never worth it; it’s the most expensive per generation by far.
You can turn these add-ons on/off anytime from account.adobe.com → Plans & Products → Manage plan → Add-ons.
Downgrading Without Losing Your Work
Yes, you can drop from Creative Cloud Pro (or All Apps) down to the cheaper Photoshop Single App plan at any time, and you won’t lose files, presets, brushes, or Lightroom catalogs. Here’s the safe way to do it:
- Wait until the day after your current billing cycle ends (If you cancel mid-cycle on an annual plan, Adobe will still charge you the 50% early-termination fee on the remaining months, so wait.)
- Log in at https://account.adobe.com/plans
- Find your active plan → click Manage plan → Change plan
- Choose Photoshop (the single-app option, US$22.99/mo)
- Pick the same billing cycle you’re on now (annual or monthly)
- Confirm. The change takes effect at the end of your current paid period
What stays the same:
- All your cloud files (they just cap at 100 GB instead of 1 TB; anything over 100 GB stays accessible but you can’t add more until you’re under the limit)
- All installed apps continue working until the downgrade date
- Lightroom Classic catalogs, Photoshop brushes, presets, fonts: everything stays on your computer
What you lose immediately on downgrade day:
- Access to Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects, InDesign, etc.
- The extra 900 GB of cloud storage
- The 4,000 (or 1,000) AI credits → you drop to the Photoshop Plan’s 25–500 credits
Pro tip:
Before you downgrade, download anything important from Creative Cloud storage to your hard drive or another cloud service. Once you’re under 100 GB, you’re golden forever.
30-Second Decision Guide
Find your situation below to instantly see which plan matches your actual Photoshop usage:
| Your Situation | Best Plan for You | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I only open Photoshop (maybe Lightroom sometimes) | Photoshop Single App Plan (~US$22.99/mo) | Half the price, full Photoshop, enough AI for casual use |
| I shoot/edit photos a lot + want 1 TB storage | Photography Plan 1 TB (~US$19.99/mo) | Cheapest way to get full Lightroom Classic + decent AI credits |
| I use 3+ Adobe apps regularly (Illustrator, Premiere, etc.) | Creative Cloud Pro (~US$59.99/mo) | You’re already paying for it, so keep it |
| I generate dozens of AI images or videos every week | Creative Cloud Pro | Only plan that never slows down and gives truly unlimited standard generations |
| I’m on Pro/All Apps but barely touch the other apps | Downgrade to Photoshop Plan | Save US$400+ per year. Do it the day after your billing cycle ends |
| Not sure / just starting out | Start with Photoshop Single App Plan | Cheapest to test. You can upgrade in 2 minutes later if you need more |
The bottom line for Photoshop users:
Most Photoshop users who subscribe to Creative Cloud Pro are overpaying for features they rarely or never use. Unless you’re heavily using AI features daily or need multiple Adobe apps, the Photoshop Single App plan will give you the exact same Photoshop experience at less than half the price.
If you’re a photographer who uses both Photoshop and Lightroom, the Photography Plan is an even better deal.
Take a moment to review your actual usage, check your AI credit balance, and make sure your subscription matches how you actually use Photoshop. Your creative budget will thank you.