15 Best Free Creative Cloud Suite Alternatives In 2025

Adobe’s Creative Cloud Suite remains the industry standard for professional graphic design, video editing, and UI/UX design. Its tools are powerful, reliable, and widely used by experts globally. However, the subscription cost can be a barrier for many. As of 2025, Adobe’s pricing structure is:

• Individuals: €69.99/month after a 7-day trial.
• Businesses (SMEs and large companies): €89.99/month after a 14-day trial.
• Students and Teachers: €24.99/month after a 7-day trial.

While Adobe offers a free trial, long-term use requires a subscription, which may not suit everyone’s budget. Fortunately, there are free alternatives that can compete with Adobe’s tools, offering robust features for graphic design, illustration, video editing, and more.

In this article, explores 15 free alternatives to Adobe’s Creative Cloud Suite, updated for 2025, including five additional tools to expand your options.

Can You Get the Adobe Suite for Free?

Adobe provides a legal trial period for its Creative Cloud Suite:

• 7 days for individuals and students/teachers.
• 14 days for businesses.

After the trial, a paid subscription is required. Free alternatives, while not always as integrated as Adobe’s ecosystem, offer powerful solutions without the cost. Using these tools is a safer and more ethical choice than attempting to access Adobe software illegally.

How do I replace the Adobe suite?

If you don’t feel ready to invest in the Adobe suite, there are free alternatives that can compete with the Creative Cloud Suite. Using these tools is a much better solution than trying to download Adobe software illegally.

However, you have to be aware that there is not really an equivalent set of software. In other words, you will have to go and find one by one software that corresponds to those of the Adobe suite. This is something that can be penalized in terms of compatibility, but it is still interesting from a financial point of view.

This can lead to compatibility issues, but the financial savings often outweigh the drawbacks. For those with simpler needs, tools like Canva provide an intuitive, centralized platform for basic graphic design, though they lack the depth of Adobe’s offerings.

Free Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop

1. GIMP: The Open-Source Image Editor

GIMP remains a top free alternative to Photoshop in 2025. This open-source software is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, offering professional-grade features for photo editing, digital painting, and graphic design.

Its compatibility with Scribus and Inkscape ensures consistent color management across projects, making it ideal for workflows requiring multiple tools.

• Key Features: Layers, masks, advanced color correction, customizable brushes, and plugin support.
• Why Choose GIMP?: Its robust feature set rivals Photoshop, and its open-source nature allows for community-driven updates and extensions.
• Website: https://www.gimp.org/

2. Photopea: The Online Graphic Design Tool

Photopea is a browser-based tool that mirrors Photoshop’s interface and functionality. Accessible on any device with a modern web browser, it supports PSD files and offers tools like the lasso, magic wand, brush, and layers.

In 2025, Photopea has added new AI-powered editing features, making it even more competitive.

• Key Features: PSD compatibility, layer styles, filters, and a familiar Photoshop-like interface.
• Why Choose Photopea?: No installation required, free, and ideal for users transitioning from Photoshop.
• Website: https://www.photopea.com/

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Free Alternatives to Adobe Illustrator

3. Inkscape: The Free Vector Drawing Tool

Inkscape is a powerful open-source alternative to Illustrator, perfect for creating logos, icons, and vector illustrations. It supports SVG files and can open Illustrator’s AI files, ensuring workflow continuity.

While it lacks CMYK color support, its 2025 updates include improved performance and new drawing tools.

• Key Features: Vector editing, SVG support, node editing, and extensive shape tools.
• Why Choose Inkscape?: Professional-grade vector design with a low learning curve for Illustrator users.
• Website: https://inkscape.org/

4. Vectr: Free Online Vector Design

Vectr is a lightweight, browser-based vector design tool ideal for beginners. It offers basic features like pen tools, shapes, and layers, along with a library of icons and templates.

Its collaboration feature allows real-time sharing via a link, making it great for team projects.

• Key Features: Simple interface, icon library, and real-time collaboration.
• Why Choose Vectr?: Easy to use for quick vector projects without complex features.
• Website: https://vectr.com/

Free Alternatives to Adobe XD

5. Figma: The Leading UI/UX Design Platform

Figma continues to dominate as a free alternative to Adobe XD in 2025. Its free plan supports unlimited personal files and collaborators, with access to plugins, templates, and a mobile app.

Figma’s browser-based nature makes it accessible, and recent updates have enhanced its prototyping capabilities.

• Key Features: Real-time collaboration, prototyping, design systems, and plugin ecosystem.
• Why Choose Figma?: A robust free plan with powerful UI/UX design tools.
• Website: https://www.figma.com/

6. Framer: Fast and Intuitive UI/UX Design

Framer’s free plan in 2025 remains suitable for small-scale UI/UX projects, though it limits project history to one day and lacks advanced security features.

Its intelligent components and prototyping tools make it a strong contender for website and app design.

• Key Features: Interactive prototyping, smart components, and page management.
• Why Choose Framer?: Streamlined for rapid prototyping with an intuitive interface.
• Website: https://www.framer.com/

Free Alternatives to Adobe InDesign

7. Scribus: The Open-Source Document Editor

Scribus, a French open-source tool, is a solid InDesign alternative for professional document creation. Available on all major operating systems, it supports CMYK printing, color management, and WYSIWYG editing.

Its 2025 release includes a refreshed interface for better usability.

• Key Features: CMYK support, template creation, and professional print settings.
• Why Choose Scribus?: Reliable for print-ready documents with a familiar layout.
• Website: https://www.scribus.net/

8. Canva: The All-in-One Design Tool

Canva remains a versatile option for graphic design, including print projects. While not as specialized as InDesign, its vast template library and user-friendly interface make it ideal for quick designs.

In 2025, Canva has expanded its free offerings with new AI-driven design tools.

• Key Features: Templates, drag-and-drop interface, and print-ready exports.
• Why Choose Canva?: Perfect for beginners and non-designers needing fast results.
• Website: https://www.canva.com/

Free Alternatives to Adobe After Effects

9. Blender: The Open-Source Animation Powerhouse

Blender is a versatile open-source tool known for 3D modeling but equally powerful for video animation and effects.

Its 2025 updates improve its motion graphics capabilities, making it a strong After Effects alternative. However, its learning curve remains steep.

• Key Features: Video editing, motion graphics, visual effects, and 3D animation.
• Why Choose Blender?: Comprehensive toolset for advanced animation projects.
• Website: https://www.blender.org/

10. DaVinci Resolve: The All-in-One Video Suite

DaVinci Resolve combines After Effects and Premiere Pro functionalities, offering editing, visual effects, color grading, and audio post-production.

Its free version in 2025 is robust, supporting 4K editing and advanced effects, with compatibility for Premiere Pro files.

• Key Features: Color grading, motion graphics, audio editing, and multi-track video editing.
• Why Choose DaVinci Resolve?: A professional-grade tool for video production.
• Website: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/

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More Free Alternatives for 2025

11. Krita: The Digital Painting Specialist

Krita is an open-source tool designed for digital painting and illustration, making it a great alternative to Photoshop for artists.

Its 2025 updates include enhanced brush engines and animation tools, ideal for concept art and storyboarding.

• Key Features: Customizable brushes, animation support, and layer management.
• Why Choose Krita?: Tailored for digital artists with a focus on painting and sketching.
• Website: https://krita.org/

12. Gravit Designer: Versatile Vector Design

Gravit Designer is a free, browser-based vector design tool that competes with Illustrator. It offers a clean interface for creating logos, icons, and illustrations, with cloud syncing for seamless access across devices.

• Key Features: Vector editing, cloud storage, and template library.
• Why Choose Gravit Designer?: Lightweight and accessible for vector design on any device.
• Website: https://www.designer.io/

13. Penpot: Open-Source UI/UX Design

Penpot is an open-source, browser-based alternative to Adobe XD, focusing on collaborative UI/UX design.

Its 2025 release emphasizes integration with development workflows, making it ideal for teams bridging design and coding.

• Key Features: Prototyping, collaboration, and code export for developers.
• Why Choose Penpot?: Free and open-source with strong team collaboration features.
• Website: https://penpot.app/

14. Affinity Photo (Free Trial): A Photoshop Contender

While Affinity Photo is a paid tool, its generous free trial (30 days in 2025) makes it worth considering. It offers advanced photo editing features comparable to Photoshop, with a one-time purchase option for long-term users.

• Key Features: Non-destructive editing, RAW processing, and layer support.
• Why Choose Affinity Photo?: A professional alternative with a cost-effective trial.
• Website: https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/

15. Natron: Node-Based Compositing

Natron is an open-source compositing software similar to After Effects, specializing in node-based visual effects. Its 2025 updates improve performance for complex motion graphics and VFX workflows.

• Key Features: Node-based compositing, keyframe animation, and plugin support.
• Why Choose Natron?: Ideal for advanced VFX and motion graphics on a budget.
• Website: https://natrongithub.github.io/

Wrapping up!

In 2025, there are plenty of Creative Cloud alternatives you can choose from. Tools like GIMP, Figma, and DaVinci Resolve offer professional features, while new-ones like Penpot and Natron expand options for niche needs.

While these tools may require combining multiple solutions and adapting to different workflows, they provide cost-effective ways to achieve high-quality results without Adobe’s subscription costs.

We hope that our readers would find these 15 Creative Cloud alternatives helpful. This list should help you find the perfect fit for your creative projects.

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