Adobe Creative Cloud Full Plan or Single App? A Breakdown for Pakistani Freelancers

Adobe is one of the few software companies where the pricing changes meaningfully based on which apps you actually use. For Pakistani freelance designers, the difference between buying the full Creative Cloud plan and buying single apps is roughly PKR 12,000/month — that's a real client invoice. Here's how to figure out which one you actually need.

The two plans, current PKR pricing

The "Pakistan regional pricing" you'll see mentioned exists but is harder to access than people claim. It applies if your account is verified Pakistani billing, but Adobe's regional discount has been quietly trimmed in 2024–2025 and many users report the regional price reverting to global price after the first cycle.

Pick by what you do — not by what you might do

The trap is buying All Apps "in case I need Premiere later." Most freelance designers never use more than 2–3 apps regularly. A practical breakdown:

• Print/branding designer: Illustrator + InDesign. Single-app for one + ad-hoc subscription for the second when needed.
• Photo/social media designer: Photography plan (PS + Lr) at PKR 3,400. This is the best deal Adobe offers.
• UI/UX designer: Most have moved to Figma. If you still need XD, single-app.
• Video editor: Premiere + After Effects single-app each = PKR 12,800. All Apps at PKR 16,800 is better. Or use CapCut Pro if you don't need motion graphics.
• Generalist agency designer: All Apps. Period. The breadth pays for itself once you've used 4+ apps in a month.

The reseller maths

Through a reseller (we sell Adobe CC at Sunday Product), All Apps is roughly PKR 3,500/month — about 80% off direct. At that price, the All Apps plan is the no-brainer. The decision flips: even if you only use 2 apps regularly, the reseller All Apps is cheaper than direct single-app.

The trade-off with reseller: you don't fully own the Adobe ID — it's a slot on a Team plan. For pure personal-use design, this is fine. For client-handoff (where the client wants to take ownership of the Adobe license), you need direct billing.

What about Affinity / Figma / free tools?

Realistic alternatives that Pakistani designers actually switch to:

• Figma for UI/UX. Most agencies have already moved. Free tier is generous, $12/month if you go pro.
• Affinity Suite (Designer + Photo + Publisher) — one-time purchase, ~$160 total. Worth it if you bill by project rather than by retainer.
• Canva Pro for social media work. Most clients can't tell the difference between Photoshop output and Canva output for Instagram posts. Canva Pro at reseller pricing is roughly PKR 700/month.
• CapCut Pro for video. Genuinely competes with Premiere for short-form content.

But for client-facing professional work where the deliverable file format matters (PSD, AI, INDD), there's no real escape from Adobe.

Hidden costs nobody mentions

Two things bite Pakistani Adobe users specifically:

1. Forex margin compounding. Adobe charges in USD. Your card adds 2–4% on top of the spot rate. Over a year on All Apps, that's an extra PKR 8,000+ in invisible bank fees.

2. Annual commitment penalty. Adobe's "monthly" plans are actually annual — you commit to 12 months. Cancelling early triggers a 50% remainder fee. If you bought All Apps for a 3-month project and cancel after, Adobe will charge you ~6 more months. Read the fine print.

Reseller pricing avoids both: PKR pricing locked at checkout, and you can stop renewing month-to-month with no penalty.

My recommendation by income tier

Bottom line

For 80% of Pakistani freelance designers, reseller All Apps at PKR 3,500/month is the right call. It's cheaper than direct single-app, you get every Adobe app, and the warranty replaces any account that gets flagged. Direct subscriptions only make sense if you specifically need ownership for client handoff or if Adobe's regional pricing actually sticks for you (test for 3 months before committing).

Browse all design tools or message on WhatsApp for a recommendation based on your exact workflow.