How to get Photoshop free trial in 2023?

How to get Photoshop free safely and legitimately
By Matic Broz, editor-in-chief of Photutorial covering stock media, Adobe, and design. He founded Photutorial while finishing his PhD in computational biosciences.
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Photoshop free trial

Photoshop free trial is the only way to try and use Photoshop for free. With over 26 million paid subscribers, many began their journey with this free trial, myself included. This legitimate 7-day trial can be safely accessed directly from Adobe, after which you have the choice to either purchase or cancel without any obligations. Beware of numerous fraudulent ads and promises online claiming extended trial durations; notably, while some might offer a 30-day trial, this is now outdated as Adobe has reduced its trial period to a week. Always ensure you’re downloading directly from Adobe to avoid scams.

How to get Photoshop for free?

  1. Go to the Adobe website
  2. Click the Start Free trial button
  3. Sign in or set up your Adobe ID
  4. Download your free trial

These are the 5 steps I took to get my own Photoshop free trial, and it won’t take you longer than 5 minutes (a bit longer with a slow internet). If you need more detailed instructions, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get Photoshop free, including which plans to pick.

1. Go to the Adobe website

First, open up the Adobe Photoshop free trial landing page in your web browser. Then, click the button labeled “Free trial“. Keep in mind that your page may slightly differ from the screenshot below because Adobe frequently updates it.

Adobe Photoshop landing page
Screenshot by Matic Broz/Photutorial

2. Select your plan

You’ll now be asked to select a plan you want to try Photoshop with, and if you were to keep using Photoshop as your image editor, eventually buy. Adobe offers three plans for you to choose from. (Adobe will show you only the Photoshop and Creative Cloud All Apps plans by default, but you can click “See all plans and pricing” to see the rest).

If you’re not sure which to pick, here’s a complete breakdown of each plan’s key features:

  • Photoshop plan: This is the most popular choice and includes Photoshop for desktop, iPad, and mobile devices, Adobe Express with Adobe Fonts, step-by-step tutorials, and 100GB of cloud storage. After your free trial ends, this plan will convert into a $19.99 per month subscription.
  • Photography plan: If you’re more into photography, you could try the Photography plan, which includes Photoshop and Lightroom for desktop and mobile. You also get Adobe Fonts and step-by-step tutorials. This plan is available with 20GB of cloud storage for $9.99 per month and with 1TB of cloud storage for $19.99 per month.
  • Creative Cloud All Apps: If you’re looking for complete access to all Adobe Creative Cloud apps (20+ apps including Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Express, Premiere Pro, and Acrobat Pro), this is the best option for you. This plan comes with 100GB of cloud storage and costs from $54.99 per month after the trial.

After you’ve chosen your Photoshop trial plan, pick the commitment duration: annual is cheaper than monthly (Photoshop free trial is available with all of them). Select the “Continue” button at the bottom right of the screen to continue to the next step.

Photoshop free trial pick a plan
Screenshot by Matic Broz/Photutorial

You can also add a 7-day free trial of Adobe Stock to get up to 10 images, vectors, HD videos, or audio tracks. This option nicely complements the Photoshop trial for designers, while it’s not needed for photographers.

3. Checkout

But wait, why is Adobe now asking for your credit card? It’s because you are signing up for a free trial, which will automatically transition to a paid monthly or annual subscription once the trial period ends. When you check out, you will see a “Due now” note on your receipt that shows a value of $0.00.

However, if you fail to cancel your subscription within 14 days (or 7 days after your full trial), you will be charged for the selected plan and won’t be eligible for a full refund.

4. Download and install

After completing your checkout process, a download process for your trial package, which includes Adobe Creative Cloud, should start automatically. Firstly, you will need to download the Adobe Creative Cloud app, which will allow you to manage all your apps, including Photoshop.

Once you have downloaded and installed the app, you will be prompted to sign in to your account through the Adobe Creative Cloud app. After signing in, you can download and install Photoshop through it, and the free trial will be automatically applied. This will give you complete access to Photoshop right away. Once the installation is complete, you can open Photoshop and begin your photo-editing journey.

Photoshop in Adobe Creative Cloud
Screenshot by Matic Broz/Photutorial

System requirements

During your Photoshop trial, you have complete software access to test performance on your system. If you buy it, it will run identically. Here are the specs provided by Adobe:

Windows:

 MinimumRecommended
ProcessorMulticore Intel® or AMD processor (2 GHz or faster processor with SSE 4.2 or later) with 64-bit support
Operating systemWindows 10 64-bit (version 20H2) or later; LTSC versions are not supported
RAM8 GB16 GB or more
Graphics cardGPU with DirectX 12 (feature level 12_0 or later)
1.5 GB of GPU memory
GPUs less than 7 years old
GPU with DirectX 12 support (feature level 12_0 or later)
4 GB of GPU memory for 4k displays and greater
See the Photoshop graphics processor (GPU) card FAQ
Monitor resolution1280 x 800 display at 100% UI scaling1920 x 1080 display or greater at 100% UI scaling
Hard disk space20 GB of available hard-disk space50 GB of available hard-disk space
Fast internal SSD for app installation
Separate internal drive for scratch disks
InternetInternet connection and registration are necessary for required software activation, validation of subscriptions, and access to online services

macOS:

 MinimumRecommended
ProcessorMulticore Intel® processor (2 GHz or faster processor with SSE 4.2 or later) with 64-bit support
Operating systemmacOS Big Sur (version 11.0) or later macOS Big Sur (version 11)
Installation is blocked on v10.15.x
RAM8 GB 16 GB or more
Graphics cardGPU with Metal support
1.5 GB of GPU memory
GPU with Metal support
4 GB of GPU memory for 4k displays and greater
To find out if your computer supports Metal, see Mac computers that support MetalSee the Photoshop graphics processor (GPU) card FAQ
Monitor resolution1280 x 800 display at 100% UI scaling1920 x 1080 display or greater at 100% UI scaling
Hard disk space20 GB of available hard-disk space50 GB of available hard-disk space
Fast internal SSD for app installation
Additional high-speed drive(s) or SSD to set up scratch disks
Photoshop will not install on a volume that uses a case-sensitive file system
InternetInternet connection and registration are necessary for required software activation, membership validation, and access to online services

How to cancel Photoshop’s free trial?

If you don’t like Adobe Photoshop CC for image editing, you can cancel the free trial anytime within 7 days. You can do it one minute before it expires, and you won’t be charged.

  1. Sign in to your Adobe account.
  2. Select Manage plan or View plan for the plan you want to cancel.
  3. Select Cancel plan (sometimes also Cancel your plan).
  4. Pick the reason for canceling the trial.
  5. Select Continue.

What to pay attention to

1. Fake credit card scams

Some guides and websites claim that you do not need to provide your credit card information to get the Adobe Photoshop trial or that you can use a fake credit card. First, Adobe requires that you provide your credit card information to prevent people from creating multiple email accounts to get infinite free trials.

Secondly, using fake credit cards is considered fraud because, before you start the free trial, you agree to the terms and conditions, which state that you are not allowed to provide false information.

2. 30-day free trial

More than a year ago, Adobe shortened the trial period for Photoshop from 30 to 7 days. Although this change was made some time ago, many tutorials have not yet been updated. Also, several clickbait websites advertise the 30-day trial in hopes of scamming you.

3. Pirated versions

The pirated version of Photoshop is one of the most searched topics on the Internet. But people who use pirated versions of Photoshop risk their security and compromise the security of their systems. A pirated version of Photoshop is not only risky, but it also limits your creative potential and can even lead to some really frustrating problems when using the program.

FAQs

What is Photoshop?

Adobe Photoshop is a powerful image editing software developed by Adobe Systems. It allows users to edit, create, and enhance photos, graphics, and illustrations. With its extensive features and tools, Photoshop is considered the industry standard for graphic designers, photographers, and digital artists.

How long is the Photoshop free trial?

The free trial for Photoshop lasts for 7 days. Some websites falsely advertise a 30-day free trial that no longer exists.

What are the benefits of using Photoshop?

Photoshop is a multifaceted software equipped with a plethora of features suitable for photo editing, graphic creation, and website design. Among its many advantages, Photoshop boasts robust tools tailored for intricate photo manipulation, an expansive suite of features for graphic design, and capabilities tailored for web design. Moreover, its vast community of users adds to its allure, providing an extensive reservoir of resources and support for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Who can get a Photoshop free trial?

Adobe Photoshop’s free trial version is available for users 13 and up. It can only be used once per user, and may not be available in all countries and languages. An internet connection is required to access the trial version.

How do I get a Photoshop free trial?

To get a Photoshop free trial, you can go to the Adobe website and create an account. Once you have created an account, you can download the Photoshop trial software.

What features are included in the Photoshop free trial?

The Photoshop free trial includes all of the features of the full version of Photoshop. You can use the free trial to edit photos, create graphics, and design websites.

What happens after the Photoshop free trial ends?

After the Photoshop free trial ends, you will no longer be able to use the software. You will need to purchase a subscription to continue using Photoshop.

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