While the flagship Adobe Creative Cloud apps are firmly locked behind a subscription, you aren't completely out of options. If the Elements family fits your workflow, you can still enjoy the Adobe ecosystem with a "buy once, keep forever" mindset. Otherwise, it might be time to look toward a new generation of creative tools that still value ownership.

: A user-friendly video editor for creating quick, polished clips.

: You can often find Photoshop and Premiere Elements bundled together for a discounted one-time price. 2. The Professional Exception: Adobe Acrobat Pro