Adobe Photoshop

What is Adobe Photoshop?

Adobe Photoshop is Adobe’s image editing and design app, and its Firefly-powered AI tools now handle much of the routine work. Generative Fill, Generative Expand and the Remove tool add, extend or erase content from a text prompt or a brush stroke. Layers, masks and selections remain in place for precise manual control over every result.

Photoshop runs on desktop, web, iPad and mobile, and every plan is a subscription with a 7-day free trial. Standard Firefly features use 1 generative credit per generation, while premium features and partner models from Google and Black Forest Labs draw more. According to Abduzeedo, Adobe released a conversational AI Assistant in public beta with Photoshop 27.5 in April 2026.

Key Features

• Generative Fill: Generative Fill adds, replaces or removes content inside a selection from a short text prompt. You can choose Adobe Firefly or partner models from Google and Black Forest Labs, and a Reference Image can steer the style of the result.
• Generative Expand: Generative Expand widens the canvas and fills the new border with matching content. It works without a prompt for simple extensions, or with one when you want specific scenery, on desktop, web, mobile and iPad.
• Remove tool: The Remove tool detects distractions such as wires, poles, vehicles and background people, then erases them in one pass. Abduzeedo reports that Generative Remove was rebuilt on diffusion models in 2026 for cleaner portraits and landscapes.
• AI Assistant: The AI Assistant carries out multi-step edits from a single conversational prompt. Automatic mode finishes simple tasks in one step, while Guided mode explains each action, and the feature entered public beta in April 2026.
• Harmonize: Harmonize blends a pasted object into its new background by adjusting light, shadow and colour automatically. Composite artists spend less time matching tones by hand, although Adobe lists the feature for desktop only.
• Generate Background: Generate Background swaps the scenery behind a subject from a typed description that matches lighting and perspective. Generate Similar then produces consistent variations, so product photographers can test several settings quickly.
• Upscale, Sharpen and Denoise: Generative Upscale, AI Sharpen and AI Denoise come from Adobe’s partnership with Topaz Labs. They raise resolution, recover detail and cut noise in older or low-light photos inside the desktop app.
• Rotate Object: Rotate Object tilts, turns and rescales an object in real time without rebuilding its details by hand. It is a premium feature that costs 20 generative credits per object, according to Adobe’s credits FAQ.
• AI selections: Object Selection and Select Subject isolate people, hair, clothing and other fine detail with a click. Remove Background then cuts the subject out cleanly, which saves manual masking time for product and portrait work.

Pros

• Benchmark editor: Photoshop pairs generative AI with a manual toolset that reviewers still treat as the benchmark for pixel editing. Layers, masks and selections let you refine every AI result rather than accepting it as generated.
• Strong user ratings: Photoshop scores 4.8 out of 5 from 2,470 reviews on Capterra. Reviewers single out Generative Fill for cutting the time spent on complex retouching and compositing jobs.
• Choice of models: Photoshop lets you switch between Firefly and partner models inside Generative Fill. Google Gemini and Black Forest Labs FLUX give alternative looks, so you are not tied to one engine when a result misses the brief.
• Works across devices: Photoshop runs on desktop, web, iPad and mobile under one subscription. Generative Fill and Generative Expand work on all four, so you can start an edit on a tablet and finish it at your desk.
• Creative Cloud links: Photoshop connects closely with Lightroom, Illustrator and the wider Creative Cloud. Abduzeedo reports that Firefly Boards variations can now be sent back to Photoshop for finishing, which removes manual export steps.
• Learning ecosystem: Photoshop has a large ecosystem of plugins, tutorials and community guides, which Kompozy lists as a key strength. New AI features tend to gain walkthroughs quickly, so learning them takes less trial and error.

Cons

• Subscription only: Photoshop is sold only by subscription, with no perpetual licence. Capterra reviewers criticise the move away from one-off purchases, and Kompozy notes an early-termination fee on annual plans.
• Few credits on base plan: The single-app Photoshop plan includes just 25 generative credits a month. Premium features and partner models use those quickly, so heavy AI users usually need the Photography, Firefly Pro or Creative Cloud Pro plan.
• Credits do not roll over: Unused generative credits reset each month and do not carry forward, according to Adobe’s FAQ. Premium generation stops once the allowance runs out, until the reset date or a paid credit top-up.
• Steep learning curve: Photoshop remains hard to learn for non-designers despite the AI shortcuts. Capterra and Kompozy reviewers both flag the learning curve, and some users say they rely on outside tutorials more than Adobe’s documentation.
• Desktop-only extras: Several newer AI tools, including Harmonize, Rotate Object and Generative Upscale, are listed for desktop only. Web and mobile users get Generative Fill and Expand but miss parts of the advanced toolkit.
• Reliability complaints: Recent releases have drawn performance and reliability complaints, according to Kompozy. The reviewer says these issues weaken the value case, so test the trial on your own hardware before committing to an annual plan.

Who is Using Adobe Photoshop?

• Photographers: Retouching, cleanup and upscaling of shoots.
• Graphic designers: Composites, mock-ups and campaign artwork.
• Marketing teams: Fast variations of ads and social visuals.
• E-commerce sellers: Product cut-outs and new backgrounds.

Pricing

Adobe Photoshop is a paid subscription with a 7-day free trial and no free tier (USD prices reported by ComparEdge, July 2026; checked October 2026).

Adobe’s plans page showed regional prices in Canadian dollars when we checked, and Kompozy lists a month-to-month single-app rate of $34.49. Adobe adjusts promotions and regional rates regularly, so confirm the figure for your country on its plans page before subscribing.

What Makes Adobe Photoshop Unique?

Generative AI sits inside a full professional editor rather than in a separate image generator. You can create content with Firefly or a partner model, then mask, adjust and retouch it on its own layer with long-established tools. Few AI image apps combine prompt-based creation with that level of pixel control, and the AI Assistant now adds a conversational route for people who prefer to describe an edit.

Compatibilities and Integrations

• Platforms: Windows and macOS desktop, web, iPad and mobile.
• Creative Cloud: Lightroom, Illustrator, Firefly Boards and Adobe Express Premium.
• AI partners: Google Gemini, Black Forest Labs FLUX and Topaz Labs models.
• Storage: 100GB cloud storage on Photoshop, 1TB on Photography.

Adobe Photoshop Tutorials

A first AI edit needs only a handful of steps.

1. Start the 7-day free trial and install Photoshop.
2. Open an image and make a selection with the Lasso or Select Subject.
3. Click Generative Fill in the contextual task bar and type a prompt.
4. Compare the three variations and pick or regenerate one.
5. Refine the new layer with masks and adjustments, then export.

How We Rated It

Summary

Adobe Photoshop suits photographers, designers and marketing teams who want generative AI inside a professional editor. Its main limitation is cost, because every plan is a subscription and the single-app tier carries only 25 generative credits. We rate it the most complete option for AI-assisted image editing. Use the 7-day trial to measure how many credits your workflow needs, then pick the plan that covers it.