Yes, if your thumbnails, brand photos or client work need real compositing and retouching. Photoshop is still the reference for raster editing, and every printer, client and collaborator can open a PSD. If you only touch up a photo now and then, the subscription is hard to justify.
We assessed Photoshop alongside the rest of our design & visuals reviews, including Figma, Affinity by Canva and Midjourney. We cover it without a score (see the disclosure above).
What it does well
Photoshop's core editing tools (layers, masks, selection refinement) remain the gold standard more than 35 years in, and Generative Fill has changed retouching workflows rather than being a gimmick bolted onto the toolbar. Extending a background for a cropped product shot, a job that used to mean manual cloning, is now a prompt and a pick from a few variations.
Thumbnails that need compositing. This is the creator job where Photoshop earns its price: cutting out a face cleanly, relighting it, adding glow and blending it into a background shot in different light. Template tools get you a layout; Photoshop gets you a composite that doesn't look pasted. Our best YouTube thumbnail tools guide covers when that's worth paying for.
AI with stated commercial terms. Generative Fill runs on Adobe Firefly. Adobe's Firefly FAQ says outputs from features without a beta label can be used in commercial projects, and beta outputs can too unless the product says otherwise. If you pick a third-party model inside Adobe's apps, we didn't find the same guidance stated for those outputs, so check before you sell the result.
Social graphics and brand kits on the same bill. The Photoshop single-app plan includes Adobe Express Premium, so quick social posts, resizing and brand kits are covered without a second design subscription.
Universal files. Literally everyone downstream, from print shops to ad platforms to fellow designers, expects and can open a PSD without conversion headaches.
Where it falls short
The interface intimidates newcomers, and large layered files are resource-heavy. Generative Fill runs on Adobe's cloud and draws on generative credits, so Photoshop's newest features depend on an internet connection rather than running fully local.
Cost is the main sticking point: paying monthly for software you might open twice a week feels disproportionate now that Affinity by Canva, which includes Affinity's photo editing tools, is free to download. Whether it covers your raster work depends on the job, so check before you cancel.
Pricing in practice
Adobe lists these as annual plans billed monthly (US prices):
- Photoshop single app (US$22.99/mo): desktop, web and mobile, Adobe Express Premium, 100GB of storage and 250 generative credits a month.
- Photography (US$19.99/mo): Photoshop plus Lightroom, 1TB of storage and 1,000 generative credits. In our read of the plans page, the better value for most solo creators.
- Firefly Pro (US$19.99/mo): Photoshop on web and mobile only (no desktop app) and 4,000 credits. For AI-heavy work, not full compositing.
- Creative Cloud Pro (US$69.99/mo, US$34.99 for the first 3 months for new subscribers; offer checked Nov 1, 2026): 20+ apps and 4,000 credits. Only if you also edit video or design in Illustrator.
- Photoshop on mobile: included with the paid plans above. Adobe's free option is Firefly image editing in the browser.
Example (assumptions: one creator, 12 months, prices as listed on Oct 8, 2026): the single-app plan costs $275.88 a year and the Photography plan $239.88, so Photography is $36 cheaper and adds Lightroom, 975 more monthly credits and 900GB more storage.
Who should pick it (and who shouldn't)
Pick it if you composite thumbnails, retouch brand or product photos, or deliver files to clients and printers. Skip it if you mostly make template-based social posts, or if you'd rather pay nothing and accept a different file format.
Alternatives worth comparing
- Affinity Designer: free professional tools, without the PSD ecosystem.
- Adobe Express: Firefly and templates for faster social work.
- Canva: templates first, compositing second.
More options in Photoshop alternatives.
What changed (Oct 8, 2026)
- Plan names, prices and limits now match Photoshop's official pricing page as checked on Oct 8, 2026.
- We removed first-person usage claims, because this review is editorially reviewed rather than hands-on.
- We corrected statements in the review text that no longer matched the product or its documentation.
- We corrected the integrations and platforms listed.
SOURCES (CHECKED OCT 19, 2026)
| Claim | Source URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Plans, prices and plan limits in the pricing table | https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html | 2026-10-19 |
| Plan lineup incl. Photography (1TB, 1,000 credits) and Firefly Pro (web/mobile only, 4,000 credits); served in CZ EUR pricing | https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/plans.html | 2026-10-19 |
| PLAN | PRICE | WHAT YOU GET |
|---|---|---|
| Photoshop (single app) | US$22.99/mo, annual plan billed monthly | Photoshop on desktop, web and mobile, Adobe Express Premium, 100GB storage, 250 generative credits/mo |
| Photography | US$19.99/mo, annual plan billed monthly | Photoshop and Lightroom, 1TB storage, 1,000 generative credits/mo |
| Firefly Pro | US$19.99/mo, annual plan billed monthly | Photoshop on web and mobile only (no desktop app), 4,000 generative credits/mo |
| Creative Cloud Pro | US$69.99/mo, annual plan billed monthly (new subscribers: US$34.99/mo for the first 3 months; offer checked Nov 1, 2026) | Photoshop plus 20+ apps, 100GB storage, 4,000 generative credits/mo |
| Photoshop on mobile | Included with paid plans | included with the paid plans; Adobe's free option is Firefly image editing in the browser |
Photo editors and compositors needing pixel-level control.
you only need basic photo touch-ups occasionally — if that's a dealbreaker, see every design & visuals tool we've reviewed.
- Is Photoshop worth it in 2026?
Still the reference point for raster image editing, and still the tool clients expect you to deliver files compatible with. BestCreates covers Photoshop without a score: Carlos has a paid relationship with Adobe, and we don't score products where he has one. It's built for photo editors and compositors needing pixel-level control.
- How much does Photoshop cost?
Adobe lists Photoshop on its own at US$22.99/mo on an annual plan billed monthly. The Photography plan (Photoshop plus Lightroom, 1TB of storage) is US$19.99/mo, Firefly Pro (Photoshop on web and mobile only, plus 4,000 generative credits) is US$19.99/mo, and Creative Cloud Pro (20+ apps) is US$69.99/mo, all on annual plans billed monthly. Photoshop on mobile is included with the paid plans; Adobe's free option is Firefly image editing in the browser. List prices change often, so confirm with the vendor before you buy.
- What are the downsides of Photoshop?
Subscription cost adds up for casual users. Interface complexity intimidates newcomers. Resource-heavy on large layered files. Some AI features still require internet connection.
- How did BestCreates review Photoshop?
Editorially reviewed: An editorial evaluation of verified product information, official documentation, pricing and features, informed by Carlos Gil's professional experience. Available demos and screenshots may inform the review; documented product use is required for a hands-on label. We don't score Photoshop, because Carlos has a paid relationship with Adobe; the research, pricing and limits on this page are covered the same way as every other review.
Still the reference point for raster image editing, and still the tool clients expect you to deliver files compatible with.
Editorially reviewed. An editorial evaluation of verified product information, official documentation, pricing and features, informed by Carlos Gil's professional experience. Available demos and screenshots may inform the review; documented product use is required for a hands-on label. Read our review standards.
BestCreates is written and edited by Carlos Gil. Every tool is assessed against the same documented framework — the jobs creators hire it for, ease of use, pricing accuracy, support and integrations — and each review states in the open how it was assessed.
LAST UPDATED OCT 19, 2026
SIGNED BY CARLOS GIL · FOUNDER & EDITOR, THE BEST NETWORK · OUR DISCLOSURE POLICY