Adobe will make a browser-based version of Photoshop available for free

According to report, Adobe wants to release a stripped-down, web-only version of their popular photo-editing application Photoshop. This new freemium version is presently being tested with Canadian consumers, but it will eventually be made available to a wider audience.

For the time being, anyone in Canada who registers with Adobe can use the free, browser-only version of Photoshop. Engadget has contacted Adobe to inquire whether when the tool will be available to users worldwide, and we will update this story if we hear back.

Photoshop has long been the industry standard for image editing, but most people are put off by the monthly licence fee. Meanwhile, photo-editing tools like Pixlr, Canva, and Photopea, which are all free or freemium, have accepted casual consumers while also becoming more sophisticated in their services.

Adobe is making its basic picture editing tools available for free in order to attract customers who aren’t part of its normal audience, according to The Verge. Adobe is hoping that some freemium Photoshop users will upgrade to paid subscriptions, especially since the web-only version will have more advanced capabilities that can only be unlocked with a subscription.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because Adobe released a web-only version of Photoshop and Illustrator for subscribers last fall, though its capability was limited to rudimentary editing and project collaboration.

This new, free web version of Photoshop considerably enhances the number of tools accessible, allowing users to start new projects as well as access more advanced colour correction and editing tools.