There’s good news! Photoshop will soon be available as a free web edition for Chrome users and is currently being tested in Canada!.
Many people have been put off by Photoshop’s expensive price in the past, but Adobe is now testing a free version of their renowned image editing tool on the Google Chrome browser.
Canadian customers can try out a free-to-use Photoshop on the Web, according to tech news site The Verge. Adobe described the test as a “freemium” service in order to make its app more accessible to consumers. There are also plans to provide subscribers new features to distinguish the paid edition from the free one.
Basically, Adobe is creating its own version of Canva, which is a free online image editing tool with its own paid premium plan. Adobe didn’t reveal, according to The Verge, if and when free Photoshop on Web will officially launch or if there are plans to expand the test internationally.
We contacted Adobe to see if they would be prepared to provide us with any details about the free Photoshop on Web test, but we received no response.
Web-based benefits
Adobe launched Photoshop on Web last October during its Adobe Max 2021 conference. The browser-based app is a stripped-down version of Photoshop on desktop with a bigger emphasis on collaboration. You do get some brushes, layer adjustments, cropping, etc., but you won’t have the full arsenal of tools.
For collaboration, you’re able to add in comments or make tweaks yourself on a work in progress. The idea is that you’re not bombarding the artist with multiple comments on what to change; you can just do it yourself.
One of the big benefits of Photoshop on Web is that you can use it on Chromebook. Usage on a particular laptop platform may seem arbitrary, but Chromebooks are an important tool for professionals and students. Adobe confirmed in a forum post that the standard, desktop Photoshop application does not work on Chromebooks.
The browser app alleviates that problem. Now you have a version of Photoshop that Chromebook users can use. Currently, you need to pay $21 a month for one device, and if you can’t afford it, you’re out of luck. A free version of, arguably, Adobe’s best app is handy to have.
Analysis: The new freemium
Adobe already has several free app. There’s Adobe Express, a design app with a wide variety of tools, but it does lock many of them behind a paywall. There’s also Fresco, which is a drawing and painting app that’s under a freemium model.
It appears that Adobe is going for a baiting approach with its apps: Draw in new users with free versions of its apps while locking the best parts behind a paywall. It’ll be interesting to see if other apps, like Premiere video editor, also get the freemium treatment.
Aside from this news, Photoshop is also getting a new Neural Filter tool to restore old photographs (but it does give them a plastic look).
