Adobe Photoshop: retouching, compositing, AI features and subscription at a glance

Photoshop is a pixel editor with layers, masks and adjustment layers. For retouching and compositing you work non-destructively: adjustment layers change colour and tone without permanently changing pixel values. Smart objects can be scaled, rotated and warped without losing the original. Filters on smart objects become smart filters and stay editable. You can re-edit layer and vector masks at any time.

For cut-outs there are automatic features such as Select Subject and Remove Background. According to Adobe, their results can be improved using processing on the device or in the cloud. For distracting people and objects there is the Remove tool. You choose whether it uses generative AI, does not use it, or decides automatically. According to Adobe, no generative credits are deducted for the Remove tool.

For montages you combine as many layers as you need with masks and adjustment layers. Generative Fill adds or replaces image areas from a text prompt, Generative Expand enlarges the canvas with generated content. Besides photo retouching, Adobe also names digital painting and graphic design as areas of use.

PSD is Photoshop's native file format. A PSD file stores several layers with content, images and objects. If you receive PSD files from agencies or clients, you open and save them directly. According to Adobe, Photoshop also opens TIFF (including layers), PNG, JPEG, PDF, HEIC and WebP, among others. You edit raw files via Camera Raw, which is included in Photoshop as a plug-in.

Photoshop edits images in 8, 16 and 32 bits per channel; images with 32 bits per channel are HDR images. For print there is CMYK mode: you prepare images for four-colour printing and edit scanned or imported CMYK images directly. According to Adobe, JPEG only supports 8 bits; for work in progress Adobe recommends a format such as PSD.

You install plug-ins and extensions from Adobe and third parties via the Creative Cloud desktop app or place them in the Plug-ins folder. For custom plug-ins and scripts there is the UXP interface.

Generative features such as Generative Fill, Generative Expand and Generate Image need an internet connection and generative credits. According to Adobe, the Photography plan includes 1,000 credits per month and the Photoshop single-app plan 25. Most standard features use one credit per generation; premium features need more. Unused credits do not roll over to the next month; the allowance renews every month on your reset date, the day of the month on which you started your plan. Once the credits are used up, you wait for the next allowance or take out an additional credit subscription. Without credits, Generative Fill is unavailable.

Besides Adobe's own Firefly models, Photoshop on the desktop also lets you use image models from partners, according to Adobe for example Google's Gemini and FLUX.2 pro; for upscaling, Photoshop integrates models from Topaz Labs. Super Resolution in Camera Raw, by contrast, runs locally on your computer: it doubles the width and height of an image and uses the graphics card to do so.

Privacy: According to the terms of use and help pages, Adobe does not train generative AI models on your local or cloud content – unless you submit it to Adobe Stock. According to Adobe, the Firefly models were trained on licensed content such as Adobe Stock and on public domain content. Separately, there is content analysis for product improvement: Adobe may analyse content that is processed or stored on its servers. According to Adobe, files stored locally are excluded. You switch off content analysis in the privacy settings of your Adobe account. You only submit images to improve Photoshop's machine-learning features if you voluntarily join a separate programme.

The full version of Photoshop runs on Windows and macOS. For most Creative Cloud 2026 apps, Adobe lists Windows 11 (24H2 and 23H2), Windows 10 (22H2 and 21H2) and macOS 26, 15 and 14. Photoshop is also available for iPad, smartphone and the web. Both plans listed here include these apps in addition to the desktop program. According to Adobe's feature comparison, the web version does not have all desktop tools; for example, Warp, Puppet Warp and the Magic Wand are missing.

You sign in with your account on up to two computers, but can only use Photoshop on one at a time. Installation needs an internet connection. After that, according to Adobe, the apps try to validate the licence every 30 days. On an annual plan, an offline grace period of 99 days applies. Generative AI features always need a connection.

New versions and updates are included in the subscription; you decide when to install them. The interface is available in German, and you change the language in the preferences. To get to know the program, there is a seven-day trial. After that it automatically becomes a paid plan unless you cancel first.

Photoshop is only available by subscription. The plan considered here is an annual contract paid monthly. If you cancel within 14 days of purchase, Adobe refunds the full amount for most plans. After that, a fee of half the remaining contract value applies.

In our view, Photoshop suits above all photographers, designers and agencies who regularly retouch, cut out and build composites. Points in its favour are direct PSD exchange, CMYK mode, editing in 16 and 32 bits and non-destructive work with layers, masks and smart objects. On the Photography plan, photographers also get Lightroom and Lightroom Classic for raw processing and photo management.

For beginners, the automatic features are helpful, such as Select Subject, Remove Background and the Remove tool. However, the feature set is large and learning it takes time. For social media graphics, Photoshop makes more sense if you need cut-outs and composites; for quick graphics from templates there are simpler tools.

If you do not want a subscription, Photoshop is not an option. Also factor in the costs over several years and the monthly limit on credits for generative features. For occasional corrections, in our view a one-off purchase program or a free program from this comparison is the better fit.