Adobe Stings Australian Subscriptions with 135% Price Hike

Adobe Introduces Price Hikes On Its Australian Creative Cloud Subscriptions

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Australians are more than used to getting shafted by Adobe. In 2013, they were charging $4,334 for the CS6 Master Collection, compared to the $2,599 that Americans were paying. News.com.au found that it would be cheaper to take a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Los Angeles, buy the CS6 pack there, and then fly home (with $587 to spare). After being dragged by the Australian Parliament, the company lowered the annual subscription costs of its Creative Cloud so that they matched those of the US.

That sweet deal lasted just over three years. This morning, Australian Adobe users received an email that announced the software company’s plans to implement price hikes across their Creative Cloud subscriptions. The discounted plan for students and teachers currently costs $18.69 a month. It will increase to $43.99 inc. GST on 5 June 2017. That’s a 135% price hike.

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Gizmodo reports that one Adobe user has watched his yearly subscription cost steadily rise from $359.88 in 2014 to $871.07 this year – a 242% jump over four years.

Adobe attributes the price overhaul to fluctuating currency exchange rates:


As part of doing business globally, Adobe monitors currency exchange rates in order to make adjustments to our pricing up or down as needed. You may be aware that currency exchange rates have fluctuated significantly over the last few years. As a result of recent changes in exchange rates in your region, the price of Adobe products and services is increasing starting on 5 June 2017. 

Internet users have started voicing their dissent, with one stating that Adobe is "one of the few tech companies [they] don't feel bad about pirating. Give shitty deals, get shitty customer loyalty". Another instructs people to "learn to use The GIMP and tell Adobe to fuck off." 

Gimp is just one of many free alternatives to Adobe Photoshop that are out there. But if you're a designer that relies on any other branch of Adobe software, it might be a good idea to shop around. Or at least set a reminder to cancel your subscription by 5 June. 

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