Adobe Photoshop Elements is more like a ripped and lean version of Photoshop CC and is aimed towards amateur shooters, students and hobbyists.
It has almost all the features of Photoshop CC but with simpler options and less editing tools compared to the CC version.
To get a broader picture, take a look at its pros and cons.
Photoshop Elements Pros
#1 Simple and easy to use
If you’re new to the photo editing thing, then Photoshop Elements is the perfect tool for you. Its user interface is clean and easy-to-navigate. And when you open the application and go to ‘expert’ edit mode, you’ll see that all the editing options, just like Photoshop CC, are aligned on the left-hand side.
Additionally, to make things easier, under the “Guided” tab, you’ll find a quick demo of all the major things you can do using Photoshop Elements like changing backgrounds, turning a photo into a sketch, making collage, etc. Similarly, you can utilize Photoshop actions to save time and boost productivity. Photoshop actions enables to set tasks like applying some visual effects, changing the image size, or saving in a certain format to multiple photos in bulk.
#2. Pay once and for all
Unlike Photoshop CC and Lightroom Classic CC, Photoshop Elements is a one-time buy product. You don’t need to buy a subscription plan and pay a certain amount every month. You pay $99.99 once, and Photoshop Elements is yours forever.
#3 More than one device per license
With a single Photoshop Elements license, you can run the software on two different computers. But it comes with the same typical Adobe condition that says, you can’t use it on both the computers at the same time.
#4 Money back guarantee with extended deadline
While the two previous Adobe tools offer a 14-day money back guarantee, Photoshop Elements takes a step further and provides a 30-day threshold to get a full refund if the user is unhappy with the product.
#5 Share images on social media
Like the previous two software in my test, you can find the photo sharing feature on Photoshop Elements too. In case you receive an error message “image not supported” when you try to share it online, you can fix it by using third-party tools such as VistaCreate’s best online Image converter for free.
Photoshop Elements Cons
#1 Limited editing tools
Of course, Photoshop Elements is the lean version of Photoshop CC and even though it offer many features of the later, it still lacks some essential editing tools that you find on the later one.
For example, it doesn’t support CMYK files, it cannot work on 3D objects, and the ability to work with raw images is not as good as its older sibling.So while it might be fine for basic touch ups here or there, it’s not well suited to fleshing out a masterpiece you just learned how to do from MasterClass.
#2 No cloud storage
Unlike Photoshop CC and Lightroom, you don’t get any cloud storage from Adobe if you buy Photoshop Elements.
#3 Compatibility with Limited devices
Photoshop Elements works only on Windows and Mac computers. But the good news is, it’s a bit flexible when it comes to supporting different versions of operating systems.
For Windows:
Windows 7 (with service Pack 1)
Windows 8.1 and
Windows 10 64-bit (it doesn’t support the 32-bit version)
For MacOS:
MacOS version 10.12–10.14
Photoshop Elements Plans
As I mentioned above in the Pro section, PE (Photoshop Elements) is a one-off buy. It costs you $99.99 if you’re a new user. However, if you already use a previous version of Photoshop Elements, you can upgrade to the latest version by paying $79.99.
Adobe also offers a bundle pack where you can get Adobe Premiere Elements with PE in $149.99. Adobe is also available on the trade market. Click here tocheck out this very strict Adobe stock forecast.
Do I recommend Photoshop Elements?
If you’re an entry-level user, then you won’t find a better tool than Photoshop Elements. It’s easy to use, has built-in video tutorials, and also low in cost. Plus, you get the same set of editing tools that you find in Photoshop CC (barring some particular features and plug-ins).
However, if you want a software to run on your phone or tablet, you might want to skip PE and consider the next tool in the queue.
