Craft Apps GuideWhat can you use from Adobe for free?
“Free Adobe” can mean a continuing free plan, a reader with limited functions, or a trial that ends. The answer depends on the job. Adobe Express Free has an ongoing free plan with plan limits; Acrobat Reader is free for reading and sharing PDFs, while fuller editing belongs to other plans. Adobe lists trials for its professional apps on its download page. Check the current terms for your account and region before committing a project.
| You need to… | Adobe's documented route | Free Craft App to inspect | Handoff question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make a quick social image | Adobe Express Free | PhotoCraft for image edits, VectorCraft for vector work | Do you need a finished image or the same editable cloud project? |
| Read or share a PDF | Acrobat Reader and plan comparison | PDFCraft for its documented PDF tasks | Reading is different from editing PDF text, signing or a team approval flow. |
| Keep editing layered design files | See the current Adobe app trial and plan terms | PhotoCraft and VectorCraft | A finished export is different from an unchanged native Photoshop or Illustrator project. |
| Produce video or motion work | See the current Adobe app trial and plan terms | FilmCraft and EffectCraft task comparison | Check the required output, plugins and editability before moving a client project. |
If a recipient must continue in an Adobe-native project, keep your licensed workflow until that exact file handoff has been checked with a copy. If the deliverable is an image, PDF or other final export, a Craft App may be worth trying on a small job first. This is a task choice, not a claim of complete Adobe feature parity.
For the difference between free Craft Apps and ArtCraft AI Studio, read Is ArtCraft free?. For the full creative workflow, use ArtCraft vs Adobe Creative Cloud. The official Craft App links are collected separately from Adobe's own download routes.
Sources checked 31 October 2026: Adobe Express Free plan, Acrobat plans, Adobe downloads and trials, ArtCraft app directory. This page does not list a permanent price or claim that the whole Adobe suite is free.