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Adobe Creative Cloud vs GitHub

Adobe Creative Cloud logo

Adobe Creative Cloud

Design

Creativity for all

From
$20.99/month
Free plan
No
Visit Adobe Creative CloudFull review
GitHub logo

GitHub

Developer Tools

Where the world builds software

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit GitHubFull review

The short version

  • GitHub is a development platform inspired.
  • GitHub has a free plan, then $4/mo; Adobe Creative Cloud starts at $20.99/mo.
  • Only Adobe Creative Cloud lists premiere Pro; only GitHub lists git repositories.
  • Where GitHub falls short: acquired by Microsoft in 2018, reducing pure independence despite operational autonomy.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe Creative Cloud and GitHub actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe Creative Cloud and GitHub differ
AttributeAdobe Creative CloudGitHub
Starting price$20.99/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOS, Android, WebWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
CategoryDesignDeveloper Tools
Founded19822008

Identical on both: pricing model (Subscription).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adobe Creative Cloud

  • Photoshop
  • Illustrator
  • InDesign
  • Premiere Pro
  • After Effects
  • Lightroom
  • XD
  • Creative Cloud Libraries

Only in GitHub

  • Git repositories
  • Pull requests
  • Code review
  • Issues & projects
  • GitHub Actions CI/CD
  • GitHub Pages
  • Security scanning
  • Dependency management

Both cover

  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • 2FA

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adobe Creative Cloud

  • Graphic designnot GitHub
  • Photo editingnot GitHub
  • Video productionnot GitHub
  • Web designnot GitHub
  • Digital artnot GitHub

GitHub

  • Version controlnot Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Code collaborationnot Adobe Creative Cloud
  • CI/CD pipelinesnot Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Project managementnot Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Documentation hostingnot Adobe Creative Cloud

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adobe Creative Cloud

  • The vendor's own Plans and Pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 1 January 2022 listed, in US dollars per month: Photography (20GB) at $9.99, Photography (1TB) at $19.99, Creative Cloud All Apps at $52.99, Acrobat Pro at $14.99, and single apps such as Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, and InDesign each at $20.99, all with a 30 day free trial and a separate Adobe Stock add-on

GitHub

  • Acquired by Microsoft in 2018, reducing pure independence despite operational autonomy
  • Primary focus on source control differs from purpose-built project management tools like Jira
  • Pricing for enterprise features and private repositories adds up compared to some self-hosted alternatives

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe Creative Cloud

$20.99/month
  • Photography$20.99/mo
    • Lightroom
    • Lightroom Classic
    • Photoshop
  • Single App$22.99/mo
    • One app of your choice
    • 100GB cloud storage
    • Portfolio website
  • All Apps$59.99/mo
    • 20+ Creative Cloud apps
    • 100GB cloud storage
    • Portfolio website
  • Teams$89.99/mo
    • Everything in All Apps
    • 1TB cloud storage
    • Advanced admin console

GitHub

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited public/private repos
    • 2,000 CI/CD minutes/month
    • 500MB package storage
  • Team$4/mo
    • Everything in Free
    • 3,000 CI/CD minutes/month
    • 2GB package storage
  • Enterprise$21/mo
    • Everything in Team
    • 50,000 CI/CD minutes/month
    • 50GB package storage

Which should you pick?

Choose Adobe Creative Cloud if

  • You need photoshop.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want illustrator.
Adobe Creative Cloud review

Choose GitHub if

  • You need git repositories.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want pull requests.
GitHub review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Creative Cloud or GitHub better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Creative Cloud starts at $20.99/month and GitHub at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Creative Cloud or GitHub?
GitHub has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20.99/month for Adobe Creative Cloud and Free for GitHub.
Does Adobe Creative Cloud or GitHub run on more platforms?
Adobe Creative Cloud runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web. GitHub runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
Can I use GitHub for free?
Yes. GitHub has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adobe Creative Cloud starts at $20.99/month.
What is Adobe Creative Cloud best used for?
Adobe Creative Cloud is most often used for graphic design, photo editing, video production, web design. Of those, graphic design and photo editing are not what GitHub is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Creative Cloud do that GitHub cannot?
Adobe Creative Cloud covers Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro. GitHub covers Git repositories, Pull requests, Code review, Issues & projects. Both handle Slack, SOC2, ISO27001, 2FA.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GitHub: What is a Git repository and how does GitHub use it?

A repository is the centralized database that stores the complete collection of files and folders for a codebase, along with the revision history. GitHub uses Git to provide distributed version control access to repositories with version tracking, branching, and collaboration features.

Source
GitHub: How does GitHub authentication work?

When you connect to a GitHub repository from Git, you need to authenticate with GitHub using either HTTPS or SSH. GitHub supports multiple authentication methods including passwords, personal access tokens, SSH keys, and GitHub Apps.

Source
GitHub: How long has GitHub been operating?

GitHub was founded in 2008 and launched publicly on April 10, 2008, making it the dominant git hosting platform for nearly two decades.

Source
GitHub: Who owns GitHub and when did the acquisition occur?

Microsoft acquired GitHub for $7.5 billion USD, with the deal announced June 4, 2018 and completed October 26, 2018. GitHub operates as an independent subsidiary within Microsoft.

Source
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