Best alternatives to Creative Cloud?

[Karen P]

I currently use Creative Suite 5.5 but it's just too old now to work properly. I only use it sporadically and only for personal projects (not professionally).
I'm running High Sierra 10.13.6 on a 2017 iMac. I am reluctant to upgrade to a new OS until I have found alternatives that work for me.
I don't mind paying for quality, but I also don't want to be a slave to Adobe's monthly fee.

What do people recommend as alternatives to InDesign / Photoshop / Illustrator?
Those are the only ones I need within the Adobe family and I will need the alternatives to convert from these Adobe files so I can still open and use my current projects.

Thanks!

 

[chscag]

Hi Karen:

We fully understand your reluctance to continue paying Adobe for the "privilege" of using their software.

We highly recommend you take a look at the products that Serif has.....

Affinity applications:

Serif Affinity Photo 2022

Being on a budget doesn’t mean having to sacrifice on features

www.techradar.com

By the way, each are fully compatible with the latest version of macOS - Big Sur 11.5.2

 

[IWT]

+1 for Affinity. Excellent product and "relatively" inexpensive, certainly compared with Adobe Suite.

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

+1 for Affinity

 

[Karen P]

Affinity applications:

Affinity – Professional Creative Software

From the smoothest photo editing and design software to next-gen page layout, Affinity is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with creative technology.

affinity.serif.com

By the way, each are fully compatible with the latest version of macOS - Big Sur 11.5.2

Thank you. I will definitely check this out.

 

[Karen P]

Sounds like there is a lot of consensus on this product. Just to double check on opening adobe files:

For instance, I have a deck of cards that I designed using all three- illustrator, Photoshop, and in design. Would I be able to open any element of this project and get a faithful rendition of it in Affinity that is then editable?

thanks!

 

[IWT]

Sounds like there is a lot of consensus on this product. Just to double check on opening adobe files:

For instance, I have a deck of cards that I designed using all three- illustrator, Photoshop, and in design. Would I be able to open any element of this project and get a faithful rendition of it in Affinity that is then editable?

thanks!

Yes. I think you would enjoy going on to the Affinity website. It is not all about selling their product. There are dozens of video-tutorials from absolute beginner to professional level.

Look at these sites first perhaps:

Affinity – Professional Creative Software

From the smoothest photo editing and design software to next-gen page layout, Affinity is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with creative technology.

affinity.serif.com

Affinity Photo – award-winning photo editing software

The only fully-loaded photo editor integrated across macOS, Windows and iPad, Affinity Photo is the first choice of millions of professionals around the world.

affinity.serif.com

Then here are some of he Tutorials:

Affinity Photo for desktop tutorials

Watch tutorial and quick tip videos for the fastest, smoothest and most precise creative software.

affinity.serif.com

Ian

 

[IWT]

I feel I must say that I have no financial or any other relationship with Affinity other than buying and using their product.

Some time ago, with the demise of Apple’s Aperture app, I tested just about every photo editing product I could find. I wanted something as good as, and preferably better than Aperture.

Affinity was way better. In fact, some of their features are beyond my understanding or capability. That was my choice. So my recommendation is personal.

Ian

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Here is a very comprehensive chart of Adobe alternatives:

https://imgur.com/a/Lvakkx4

 

[IWT]

I'm just a tad anxious about going to sites http protection rather than the standard https which is more secure.

Ian

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I'm just a tad anxious about going to sites http protection rather than the standard https which is more secure.

What specifically are you afraid of?

Whose link are you referring to? The one that I gave is an https site.

 

[IWT]

@Randy,

No offence intended. I see you have edited your post since then. The Link was definitely http. My concern is simply that https is now the gold standard and is widely recognised as being far more secure than http.

Of course, I still open http sites if I really need to and if they are sites I visit regularly, but I try to avoid http if it's a new site and/or non-essential.

That's all. Personal choice

Ian

 

[Randy B. Singer]

No offence intended. I see you have edited your post since then. The Link was definitely http.

No, I only ever had the one link to offer. The link is to an IMGUR page, I believe that they are all "https".

My concern is simply that https is now the gold standard and is widely recognized as being far more secure than http.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, honestly I'm not. But what are you afraid might happen if you used an "http" link? Have I missed something? Has there ever been a report of a Macintosh user being somehow harmed by visiting a page that was "http" rather than "https"?

I mean, I can understand it if you wanted the increased security for, for instance, your banking Web site, or for a commerce Web site where you exchange payment information. (Not that I've heard of any real world problems for either), but I don't see the need to be paranoid about just about any other sort of "http" Web site. You certainly can't be worried that some nafarious entity is going to intercept the chart of Adobe alternatives that you access, are you?

 

[IWT]

Hi Randy,

You are most certainly not being a jerk. I cannot think of anyone less likely to have that moniker . Your contribution to this Forum is formidable.

As I said, it is a personal choice. Of course I visit http sites - this very Forum used to be http - because I know and respect this site and the other ones. I am cautious by nature. But not paranoid, Randy.

Best practice seems to indicate that https is more secure - I reference that below (I've only chosen one of many such sites because it's a bore reading them all). And there is a very significant movement to render most/all sites https.

It's not a big deal and I don't wish us to hijack this thread.

cloudflare.com/learning/ssl/why-is-http-not-secure/ (bad link removed)

Ian

 

[Karen P]

Thank you everyone - I am so happy to have an alternative to Creative Cloud, a sort-of solution to Dragon Dictate, an up and coming new OS with a much better name than "Big Sur", and a choice of colours for when it's time to get a new iMac!!
(plus I just learned I can "like" these replies instead of replying to each one)

 

[twizzard]

I currently use Creative Suite 5.5 but it's just too old now to work properly. I only use it sporadically and only for personal projects (not professionally).
I'm running High Sierra 10.13.6 on a 2017 iMac. I am reluctant to upgrade to a new OS until I have found alternatives that work for me.
I don't mind paying for quality, but I also don't want to be a slave to Adobe's monthly fee.

What do people recommend as alternatives to InDesign / Photoshop / Illustrator?
Those are the only ones I need within the Adobe family and I will need the alternatives to convert from these Adobe files so I can still open and use my current projects.

Thanks!

g
As a great alternative to Photoshop, use GIMP. Free, works well, easy to find on the internet.