Free Adobe software: every legal way to get it free
Short answer
Acrobat Reader, the Creative Cloud app, Adobe Express, Adobe Scan and Adobe’s free mobile tiers are free with no time limit. Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and the other desktop apps are free only during Adobe’s official trial, which usually lasts 7 days.
Adobe software that’s free with no time limit
Adobe Acrobat Reader
FreeOpen, print, comment on and sign PDFs on Windows, Mac and mobile.
Read the guide →Creative Cloud desktop app
FreeInstalls Adobe apps and starts free trials on Windows and Mac.
Read the guide →Adobe Express (free plan)
FreeTemplates, quick photo edits, background removal and short videos, on the web and mobile.
Read the guide →Lightroom mobile (free tier)
FreeCore photo editing on iPhone and Android.
Read the guide →Photoshop on the web & mobile (free features)
FreeLimited free editing tools in the browser and on phones.
Read the guide →Adobe Scan
FreeFree document scanner for iPhone and Android, with text recognition.
Read the guide →
Free download options for each Adobe app
The official free trial, what’s free on each device, and the best free alternatives, app by app.
- Photoshop free downloadFree trial, then a paid plan
- Illustrator free downloadFree trial, then a paid plan
- Premiere Pro free downloadFree trial, then a paid plan
- After Effects free downloadFree trial, then a paid plan
- Acrobat free downloadAcrobat Reader is free; editing needs a paid plan
- Lightroom free downloadFree mobile tier; desktop needs a paid plan
- InDesign free downloadFree trial, then a paid plan
- Creative Cloud free downloadThe app is free; the apps it installs need a plan
Free alternatives to Adobe apps at a glance
| Adobe app | Free alternatives | Full comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Photoshop | GIMP, Photopea, Krita | Free Photoshop alternatives |
| Illustrator | Inkscape, Figma (free plan), Canva (free plan) | Free Illustrator alternatives |
| Premiere Pro | DaVinci Resolve, Shotcut, Kdenlive, CapCut, iMovie | Free Premiere Pro alternatives |
| After Effects | Blender, DaVinci Resolve (Fusion) | Free After Effects alternatives |
| Acrobat | Preview, Microsoft Edge, PDF24 Creator, LibreOffice Draw | Free Acrobat alternatives |
| Lightroom | Lightroom mobile (free tier), darktable, RawTherapee, digiKam | Free Lightroom alternatives |
| InDesign | Scribus, Canva (free plan) | Free InDesign alternatives |
What about “free full version” and cracked Adobe downloads?
Cracked, “pre-activated” and “portable” Adobe downloads are one of the most common ways malware spreads. They can steal passwords and banking details, never get security updates, and break Adobe’s license terms.
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Want Photoshop for free? Start here.
See exactly how the official free trial works, what’s free on the web and mobile, and the best free Photoshop alternatives.
Free Adobe software FAQ
Some of it. Acrobat Reader, the Creative Cloud desktop app, Adobe Express’s free plan, Adobe Scan and the free tiers of Lightroom and Photoshop on mobile cost nothing. Desktop apps like Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere Pro are free only during Adobe’s official trial, which usually lasts 7 days.
The Creative Cloud desktop app and an Adobe account are free. The professional apps you install through it need a paid plan or an active free trial.
Adobe’s free trials usually last 7 days and include the full, current version of the app. Cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged.
Adobe offers discounted student and teacher pricing, and many schools and universities provide Creative Cloud to students at no cost. Check with your school’s IT department.
No. Cracked, “pre-activated” and “portable” Adobe downloads are a common source of malware, can’t be updated, and break Adobe’s license terms. Stick to adobe.com and the free options on this page.