Adobe's Controversial Subscription Model Proves Surprisingly Popular

When Adobe decided last year to shift from being a company that sells software to one that rents it out, consumers were nothing short of furious. Avid Photoshoppers described the subscription model as predatory, complained loudly on forums across the Internet, and petitioned the White House to step in. Then, it seems, they signed up for monthly subs.

Adobe now has 1.8 million customers paying for these software subscriptions, and it added 405,000 in the last quarter, the company said on Tuesday in its quarterly earnings report. It is making more money selling monthly subscriptions to its Creative Cloud software—the family of programs that includes Photoshop and Illustrator—than it is by selling the software outright. Photoshop enthusiasts may not appreciate having the leash to Adobe pulled tighter, but they’re not abandoning the company.