Adobe alternative stack
For designers, illustrators, or photographers paying €60/month for Adobe CC but only really using 2 or 3 apps.
- Selection
- 4 tools
- Target budget
- $33 per month
- Profile
- Optimization business stage
Which tool does what?
Product / UI designFigma
Absolute reference, free for solo, replaces XD and part of Illustrator.
Marketing visualsCanva
Replaces InDesign and Illustrator for 80% of common marketing assets.Photo retouching
Luminar Neo
One-time purchase, enough for most everyday retouching outside of pro print.Video / fast cut
CapCut
Free, replaces Premiere Pro for social formats and fast editing.
Why these tools together?
Affinity Suite V2 (Photo + Designer + Publisher) costs €170 as a one-time purchase with a universal Mac + PC + iPad license, that is 2.8 months of Adobe CC. The only real blocker for migrating: .AI files (Illustrator). Affinity opens .PSD files with excellent fidelity. .AI files are more hit-or-miss: the format is proprietary and closed by Adobe. If your clients regularly send .AI files, keeping only the Adobe Single App Illustrator plan (€24/month) is smarter than the full suite. Another often-forgotten trap: Adobe Fonts disappear if you cancel the subscription: identifying which ones you use in client deliverables before canceling is a non-negotiable step.
A good fit if…
Branding, UX/UI, social, light photo retouching, marketing assets, vector illustration.
Look elsewhere if…
You do broadcast video post-production, complex pro print, or heavy motion design.
What should you budget?
- Figma$16
- Canva$11
The target budget is the recommended starting envelope. The list price adds up each core tool's first paid plan, excluding 1 tool without a fixed price. Optional tools are not included.
What to watch out for
Paying for full Adobe suite when 90% of work fits in Figma + Canva + a photo editor.
Questions to ask yourself
Do your clients regularly send you .AI or .INDD source files?
Yes → migrating completely from Adobe is risky. The Single App Illustrator plan at €24/month is smarter than the full €60 suite. No → Affinity Suite as a one-time purchase is the path.
Are you using Adobe Fonts in current client deliverables?
Yes → they disappear if you cancel the subscription. Identify which ones before canceling and find equivalents on Google Fonts or Fontshare (free, license-clear). This is the step everyone forgets.
Do you edit video with Premiere Pro for non-broadcast projects?
Yes → DaVinci Resolve Free is a complete professional alternative used in cinema post-production. There is no functional reason to pay for Premiere Pro for solo non-broadcast editing.
