Recently, Apple announced their Creator Studio. “The apps you need for everything you want to create”, they claim. This has been a big step for Apple, competing with Adobe by offering creative services on a subscription basis.

There is a lot of discourse over this topic, some arguing this is the beginning of the end for Adobe, and others thinking Apple are in over its head.

What is Adobe Creative Cloud?

Adobe Creative Cloud is a subscription-based service that provides over 20 desktop and mobile apps for creatives, notably:

• Adobe Premiere Pro
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe After Effects
• Adobe Illustrator

Adobe products have been the industry standard for over a decade, with Premiere Pro a go-to for filmmakers and Photoshop the powerhouse behind many of your favourite designs across film, television, and print.

Adobe Creative Cloud has been known for several significant annual price increases, with the latest price being £66.49 per month, billed annually at £797.88. If you pay monthly, it costs a staggering £99.89. However, Adobe offers discounts on days such as Black Friday and currently has a 89% discount for students (just £7.31 a month!).

When researching exactly why Adobe is the industry standard, many sources claimed it’s because of their longevity in the field. Founded in 1982, Adobe was the industry leader for decades, with cutting-edge technology that couldn’t be, and wasn’t, competed with. Nowadays, there are plenty of alternatives that are at the same level as, or even surpass, Adobe, but having established itself as a household name over the years, Adobe maintains a strong advantage in today’s market.

Until…

What is Apple Creator Studio?

Apple Creator Studio is a subscription-based service that provides 6 desktop and mobile apps for creatives, including Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. Included, you get Final Cut Pro (which has a retail price of £299!), Apple Motion, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Keynote, Pages, Numbers… the list goes on. I am definitely most shocked to see Final Cut Pro included, given the package’s monthly cost of just £12.99.

In the early 2000s, Final Cut Pro was the dominant professional video editing software, revolutionising the industry by offering cutting-edge capabilities at a fraction of the price of its main competitor, Avid Media Composer.

At its peak in 2007, Final Cut Pro held approximately 49 of the U.S. professional editing market. However, over the years, many competitors upped their game and became strong contenders for this position. Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer were strong competitors for years, until Avid’s decline in popularity in the mid-2010s.

Many people note the move from Final Cut Pro 7 (FCP7) to Final Cut Pro X (FCPX) as the catastrophic end of their reigning status, as the update introduced an entirely new user interface. Newer platforms, such as DaVinci Resolve, introduced video editing into their otherwise colour-grading-only software, so Final Cut Pro was gradually pushed to the sidelines. Nonetheless, Final Cut Pro remains a handy tool in creatives’ arsenal and is a platform I have personally used for various projects for years.

The Apple Creator Studio monthly cost is 5 times cheaper than Adobe Creative Cloud, making for very strong competition. However, this includes only a fraction of the apps in the package.

Adobe vs Apple: Which is Better?

This is a broad question, and so I will break it down into sections:

Interface & Learning Curve

As mentioned previously, many of Adobe’s products are considered industry standards, so many creatives, particularly professionals, are intimately familiar with their workflows and interfaces. Whilst Adobe’s user interface is often cited as outdated, designers’ experience with the products means it isn’t a major distraction in day-to-day work. Nonetheless, designers often complain that Adobe is annoyingly outdated and hard to navigate, which is an important consideration for new users.

Across its product range, Apple is well known for its sleek, easy-to-understand interfaces. Apps such as Final Cut Pro and Pixelmator Pro are easy to navigate and learn, making the transition smoother if you’re just starting out or moving over from Adobe. A friendlier user interface can lead to a more efficient workflow, potentially boosting productivity. I know firsthand that Final Cut Pro took me minimal time to learn, even at my younger age.

Adobe has a steep learning curve and can take a while to get really comfortable with, but it’s worth it when you do. On the other hand, Apple is easy to understand at a glance, so you can start large projects more quickly and easily. If you dedicate enough time to any platform, you will eventually get to grips with it, but Adobe is often harder to learn.

Capabilities

Being the industry standard, Adobe has a lot of flexibility in its products. Platforms like Photopea and Affinity are likely contenders to Adobe Photoshop, but neither offers the full breadth of Photoshop’s functionality, including powerful photo-editing and adjustment tools. Whilst Premiere Pro doesn’t necessarily have the same unique features as the likes of DaVinci Resolve, it remains a favourite for precision and workflow. Adobe products are designed and adapted for professional use, so they often offer more than the average designer or hobbyist needs.

Depending on your goals, Apple products provide a lot of what a creative needs to complete a project. Final Cut Pro has all of the necessities for video editing, including on a professional level. Pixelmator Pro is Apple’s Photoshop equivalent. Acquired by Apple in late 2024, Pixelmator is a design tool that supports a wide range of content types and styles. For basic-level design, Pixelmator likely has most of what you need and can produce strong, high-quality results, too. However, you are likely to notice minor gaps, such as in layer abilities and colour capabilities.

Apple designs products that are often seen as hobbyist platforms, whereas Adobe is used by the big dogs and is considered more professional. However, part of this is due to popularity, marketing and usage, not simply capabilities. Nine times out of ten, you will be able to achieve the same professional results in both photo and video editing with both platforms.

Price

Price is Adobe’s hamartia. It has been years of complaints about Adobe’s extremely expensive monthly subscription prices, which can be unsustainable for many. Moreover, Adobe has raised its prices over the years; Creative Cloud launched at $49.99 in 2012. Over time, this has risen to a whopping £99.89 a month. Adobe is likely very aware of its high prices, so it offers deals throughout the year, with people able to pay for yearly plans up to 50% off. Regardless, the base price remains intensely high.

Apple’s Final Cut Pro has cost £299 for many years now. This one-time fee is a significant advantage over Adobe. I paid the price 7 years ago and have never paid another penny since. Now, of course, Apple has jumped on the subscription price bandwagon, but the low price of £12.99 still makes it incomparable to Adobe. Some people believe Apple’s low launch price is solely for marketing and that it will raise it within a year. Regardless, I struggle to see Apple raising its prices to £99.89 without significant changes to its package offerings.

Accessibility

Adobe Creative Cloud can be accessed on practically any device and is available across both Windows and iOS. On the other hand, Apple Creator Studio is only available within the Apple Ecosystem, meaning it is not accessible on Windows products. This cuts off a large portion of the creative industry, leaving many people without the opportunity to try the Creator Studio. This, therefore, puts Adobe at a strong advantage.

However, within the Apple Ecosystem, Apple offers Family Sharing, which lets up to 5 people share the benefits of a £12.99/month subscription. Adobe does not offer group sharing, so the price cannot be shared among multiple users.

Final Thoughts

For now, Adobe remains the king of the castle. With its powerful apps spanning a broad range of capabilities and uses, Adobe’s popularity is well earned. Apple’s biggest issue is accessibility, which makes collaborative work difficult. Apple is smart to join this competition, but it will take time for them to catch up to Adobe.

Regardless, Apple’s suite includes many powerful software programs that are easy to learn and adapt to, whether you’re starting out in the creative industry or transferring from another platform. It all depends on your goals and comforts. If price is your main concern, opt for Apple Creator Studio. If a range of functionality is your priority, opt for Adobe Creative Cloud.