In my journey away from Adobe’s ecosystem, I’ve explored a ton of software alternatives that offer robust functionality, affordability, and creative freedom. From the dynamic video editing capabilities of DaVinci Resolve to the intuitive design features of Affinity Photo, each tool presents a unique set of advantages that cater to the diverse needs of content creators. Below, I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of these alternatives, each a potential game-changer in its own right, offering you the tools to break free from the subscription model and rediscover your passion for photography and filmmaking.
There are no affiliate links here. These are all programs that either I personally recommend or others have recommended to me.
Alternatives
⭐ – What I personally and currently use
Photoshop
Paid
- Affinity Photo ⭐
- Pixelmator Pro (Mac)
Lightroom
Free
- Darktable
- RawTherapee
- Snapseed (Android or iPhone)
Illustrator
Free
Paid
InDesign
Free
Paid
Premiere Pro
Paid
- DaVinci Resolve Studio ⭐
- Final Cut Pro (Mac Only)
After Effects
Paid
- DaVinci Resolve Studio ⭐
- HitFilm
- Procreate Dreams (Mac Only)
- Motion (Mac Only)
The best list, very good bro
Thank you!
This list is awesome. Thanks!
Exactly what I’m looking for
Cool
Pixelmator Pro for Photoshop,
Linearity Curve for Illustrator
Linearity Move for After Effects (just launched and it’s still in version 1 but it’s really promising and has a free option)
Photomator for Lightroom
Thank you for the suggestions, I’ll check them out!
Take a look at “Zoner Photo Studio” – I think it’s a good alternative for LR, especially when it comes to catalog your photos. It has also a Editing-Module, but I rarely use it, this is where Affinity comes to work.
Thanks for your ideas!
I’ll check it out. Thank you!
Hi Michael, I bought the complete Adobe Suite for my professional work and paid several thousand euros for it at that time. I left Adobe when they launched the subscription model. My field of activity has also changed somewhat, so I hardly earn any money with the software anymore. I now work on Linux with open scource software and also use some of the things on your list.
I suggest mentioning the DAW Ardour in your chapter “Auditions”, it’s available for free or for a fee with additional services.
Great List and I think free Sortware can not get enough Shoutouts 🙂 I currently use mostly Kdenlive for all video-editing in combination with Shutter Encoder for converting before I work with video material and Handbrake as transcoder after editing to further shrink file size for efficient and quality uploads for example for Youtube and Instagram. All three are free and open source software that also bring profiles and other features for consitstent workflows.
Any suggestions for alternatives to Adobe Media Encoder and Acrobat?
For video editing, look at OpenShot. It’s truly cross platform, free, and sits in between the pro (Premiere Pro, Final Cut, etc) and the Mickey Mouse (iMovie, Windows Movie Maker).