Adobe Testing Free Version of Photoshop on the Web in Canada

Image: Adobe

Adobe is currently testing a “freemium” version of Photoshop for the web in Canada before opening the new offering up to other regions — reports The Verge.

“We want to make [Photoshop] more accessible and easier for more people to try it out and experience the product,” said Maria Yap, Adobe’s VP of digital imaging.

The company originally launched a web version of Photoshop in October 2021. That release was a nerfed rendition of the full Photoshop experience and marketed primarily as a collaboration tool.

According to Adobe, the free web version of Photoshop is a slimmed-down port of the desktop client with enough tools to perform core Photoshop functions. Under the new model, anyone can use Photoshop on the web through a free Adobe account.

The company does plan on eventually locking some of the features available on the web right now behind a subscription, though.

Photoshop on the web is supposed to be a taste of what the platform is capable of. It is supposed to acquaint a user with the basics of Photoshop and hook those who won’t mind paying for the more advanced stuff.

What’s more, the move will reduce the barrier to entry for Photoshop and bring the tool to more devices than ever before. Chromebooks are a particularly interesting angle, considering they’ve all but taken over schools in North America and beyond.

“I want to see Photoshop meet users where they’re at now,” Yap said. “You don’t need a high-end machine to come into Photoshop.”

Back in 2020, Apple brought real-time Photoshop to mobile when it launched the AI-powered Photoshop Camera app for iOS and Android. The renowned image editing tool is also available on the iPad.

Adobe didn’t say exactly when the free web version of Photoshop would expand to other markets. The company is also working on bringing several more tools to Photoshop for web, including refine edge, curves, the doge and burn tools, and the ability to convert Smart Objects.

According to Adobe, Photoshop on the web (beta) also gets the following updates:

• New, easy-to-use editing features like Curves, RefineEdge, Dodge and Burn and Smart Objects conversion;
• Mobile browser access for fast and easy reviewing and commenting;
• Onboarding and learning content for new creatives and citizen creators who were previously unfamiliar with Photoshop; as well as
• Performance and UX enhancements.

Doesn’t it feel weird to have something launch in Canada before the rest of the world? Let us know what you think about basic Photoshop going free in the comments below.