How to Cancel Adobe Stock (2026 Guide) — $30/Month for Stock Photos in the AI Era
Updated 2026-02-24 · 6 min read
Adobe Stock costs $29.99/month for 10 images, $79.99/month for 40 images, or $199.99/month for 750 images. In 2026, with AI image generators and free stock photo sites, paying $3+ per stock image is harder to justify. Here's how to cancel — including how to avoid Adobe's infamous early termination fee.
🔴 Early Termination Fee Warning: Adobe Stock annual plans (paid monthly) charge a 50% of remaining subscription fee if you cancel early. On the 10-image plan, that's up to $150+ in ETF. Read the "Avoiding the ETF" section below before canceling.
Adobe will show the ETF amount (if applicable) and offer retention deals
Download any unused credits/images before canceling — they don't transfer
Avoiding the Early Termination Fee
Adobe's ETF is one of the most complained-about subscription practices. Here's how to minimize or avoid it:
Cancel within 14 days of signup: Full refund, no ETF
Wait for the annual renewal date: Cancel in the last month of your annual commitment — no ETF because you're fulfilling the term
Switch to month-to-month: If you call Adobe support, sometimes they'll switch you to a true monthly plan (higher price, no commitment) before you cancel
Chat with Adobe support: Say "I want to cancel but the ETF is too high." They often waive it entirely — especially for long-term customers. The first agent may refuse; try again or ask for a supervisor
File a complaint: If Adobe won't budge, file an FTC complaint. Adobe's ETF practices have been under regulatory scrutiny
Use Your Remaining Credits
Before canceling, download images with your unused credits:
Unused credits from your current month don't carry over after cancellation
Downloaded images keep their license — you can use them forever
Download the highest resolution available for each image
Consider downloading images you might need for future projects
Free & Cheaper Alternatives in 2026
Unsplash (free) — 4M+ high-quality photos, free for commercial use. The go-to free alternative
Pexels (free) — Similar to Unsplash, growing fast. Free commercial license
Pixabay (free) — 4M+ images, vectors, and videos. All free
AI image generators — Midjourney ($10/mo), DALL-E, Stable Diffusion (free), Adobe Firefly. Custom images on demand
Canva Pro ($12.99/mo) — Includes 100M+ stock photos, plus design tools. Better value than Adobe Stock alone
Envato Elements ($16.50/mo) — Unlimited stock photos + videos + music + templates. 3-5x cheaper per image than Adobe Stock
The AI Factor
Stock photography is being disrupted by AI generators. Consider:
AI-generated images are custom (exact composition, style, and content you want)
No licensing concerns with AI-generated images (you own what you create)
Adobe Firefly is included in Creative Cloud — you may already have access
For generic business imagery, AI is faster and cheaper than stock
Stock photos still win for: Authentic people, real locations, editorial content, brand photography
Adobe Stock + Creative Cloud Bundle
If Adobe Stock is bundled with your Creative Cloud subscription:
You can cancel Stock separately without losing Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.
Go to account.adobe.com/plans → manage the Stock add-on independently
If you need both CC and stock images, Envato Elements ($16.50/mo unlimited) + CC is usually cheaper than CC + Adobe Stock
🔍 Creative Tool Audit: Adobe Stock + Creative Cloud + Canva + Figma + font subscriptions — creative professionals often spend $100-300/month on tools. Upload your bank statement to JustCancel to audit everything.