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After a record-breaking year, Adobe officially axes the old Creative Suite

By Hillary K. Grigonis January 30, 2017

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Adobe stopped updating the Creative Suite about four years ago in favor of the subscription-based Creative Cloud and now Creative Suite has officially retired.

While the software bundle has not been updated in the last four years, purchasing a stand-alone version of Photoshop and other Adobe programs was still possible if you were OK with getting an outdated version and calling the Adobe Call Center. According to Adobe, as of January 9, the Creative Suite is no longer for sale.

When the Creative Cloud was announced in 2012, the subscription-based pricing model was met with mixed reactions from the programs’ wide user base, from graphic designers to photographers. Many voiced their dislike of the subscription model, which can cost up to $50 a month ($80 with an Adobe Stock subscription), that has users paying for the program monthly instead of a one-and-done payment. Others preferred the smaller monthly payments over paying several hundred dollars for a software program that would be outdated in a few years.

Adobe stopped updating the Creative Suite in May 2013 in favor of the Creative Cloud, sharing with followers that they would eventually be switching entirely to the Creative Cloud. The Creative Cloud subscription is currently $50 for all of the programs but starts at $10 a month for the photography bundle with only Lightroom and Photoshop included.

Adobe says it has added more than 500 features to the set of programs since the Creative Suite’s last update in 2012.

While the full Creative Suite is no longer available to purchase separately, Lightroom 6 is still available from retailers, including Amazon.

According to the company’s latest earnings report, it brought in a record revenue last year with a total of $5.85 billion, an increase of 22 percent over 2015. Thanks to the Creative Cloud, about 68 percent of Adobe’s revenue was categorized as recurring revenue for $4.01 billion, while the company’s digital media segment also grew.

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