Adobe Photoshop Tests Free Version for Web
It's part of a pilot that kicked off in Canada, but will reportedly roll out more widely in the future.
A free version of Adobe Photoshop is available in Canada, and the company intends to bring it to other regions.
Adobe is offering the web version of Photoshop for free starting with a pilot program in Canada, in an effort to make its photo-editing software accessible to more people. Photoshop's free version will eventually open up more widely, The Verge reported Tuesday.
An Adobe spokesperson confirmed the free, web-based version of Photoshop to CNET and added that "all editing features are available." However, the service is reportedly described as "freemium," suggesting some features may require a paid subscription or upgrade down the road.
The free version will include enough tools to "perform what Adobe considers to be Photoshop's core functions," according to The Verge. That's a considerable improvement from Adobe's previous web version of Photoshop, which allowed users and collaborators to do little more than share and comment on documents through a browser.
Users will reportedly need to have an Adobe account, which is also free, to try out the no-cost version of Photoshop on the web. It's unclear when free Photoshop will be available outside of Canada.
The browser version of Photoshop launched in a basic form last year, and Adobe has added features in updates since then.