(Last updated on November 2nd, 2022)
Are you ready to start using Adobe Premiere Pro for your video editing projects? But do you not want to pay a lot? Check out this article on finding out how you can use Premiere with a one-time payment.
Premiere has been around as Adobe’s video editing software 1991. It’s become one of the industry standards when it comes to video editing. Adobe Premiere has been used in film production (Terminator: Dark Fate) and musical events (Madonna’s Confessions Tour).
Premiere Pro can perform quite a bit. In addition to being great at video editing, the app can also edit audio, color, and allow for adding texts and graphics. The application can accomplish big feats of making movies or as small as making YouTube videos.
For being such a powerful program, the question arises of how much it costs. The cost can be an important part in your budget for video projects, especially if you’re a professional. Thankfully, there are a few options when it comes to purchasing Premiere.
What makes Adobe Premiere Pro great?
As with most Adobe programs, there was a time when their applications all came with one-time fees. It used to be that you could either buy one app or a bundle for one large price. That model has changed with the Creative Cloud that now requires subscriptions.
Under the current pricing model, Premiere Pro requires a subscription fee to use. The cost is $20.99 a month with an annual plan. The subscription will give you access to all previous and future Creative Cloud versions of Premiere.
While the monthly price may seem high, consider what features come with the application. There are tools present in the program for advanced color correction as well as detailed graphics. They don’t take too long to learn and are easy enough to use with the workspace panels in the interface.
The price will also give you access to an array of support offered by Adobe. This includes a library of plugins for making the program easier to use and access to support forums. You’ll also receive a newsletter with updates and tutorials on the latest developments in the software.
Premiere Pro is best suited for professional videographers. It costs a bit but is worth the price for delivering videos for clients or developing your YouTube channel. Everything from wedding videos to advertisements can be accomplished with the powerful tools of this program.
If you know you’re going to be needing some additional creative software, the complete Creative Cloud Package is a more significant value. For $52.99 a month, you can access everything in the Adobe catalog. This can be beneficial for those trying to deliver a more elaborate video.
For example, Adobe After Effects is an essential tool for video compositing. If you’re trying to insert 3D graphics or green-screen out a portion of the background, you’ll need After Effects to accomplish such tasks. After Effects may also be used for setting up motion graphic text that is more elaborate than what Premiere has to offer.
The Creative Cloud package also comes with programs for generation animations you may want to place in After Effects. Adobe Animate can create vector-based 2D animation, and the array of Substance apps can help create 3D animations.
The complete Creative Cloud package is best suited for professionals. It’s an expensive package but is worth it for those seeking to do a lot with their videos. For professional videographers, After Effects is a must if you’re editing videos with special effects.
Adobe Premiere Elements: The One-Time-Fee Alternative
As an alternative to Premiere Pro, you can use Adobe Premiere Elements. This consumer-grade software is a slightly limited yet powerful version of Premiere. You’d be surprised just how much this app is capable of performing.
Premiere Elements still comes with plenty of automation and the use of Adobe Sensei AI technology. This allows you to easily add in some effects, background overlays, and scene transition. You can also use smart tags and facial recognition to organize your assets better.
Even without looking at how the product is advertised, it’s pretty evident that Premiere Elements is aimed at consumers. This is mainly to the simplicity of the timeline and the organization of the tools. This makes the program ideals for beginners just starting in video editing.
The best part is that there’s no subscription pricing model. Premiere Elements will only cost you a one-time fee of $99.99. This gives you access to the current version of Premiere Elements for life with no subscription fee required.
The only downside to this pricing is that it doesn’t give you access to upgrades, as in subscription models. Thankfully, there is a discount to upgrade these apps if you need a better version in the future. The deal isn’t too big, but it’s still valid.
Photoshop Elements is perfect for hobbyists. It offers just enough powerful tools for a beginner without overwhelming. Those not used to video editing can easily use this software for creating home movies of weddings, vacations, and graduations.
There’s another bundle to consider as well. The other one-time fee Adobe program is Adobe Photoshop Elements. This program essential follows the same format as Premiere Elements by being a consumer-grade and stripped-down version of Photoshop.
Both Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements can be purchased together for a one-time purchase of $149.99. This package is ideal for those who need Photoshop to create still or motion graphics for their videos. Just as with the Premiere Elements plan, there’s a discount for upgrading both apps as well.
Given the power of both programs, the Elements bundle may be a cheaper substitute for the complete Creative Cloud plan. You’ll have access to just enough core components for developing graphics and video with programs that won’t take too long to master.
| Product | Regular Price |
|---|---|
| Adobe Creative Cloud | $52.99/month |
| Adobe Premiere Pro | $20.99/month |
| Adobe Premiere Elements | $99.99 (one-time) |
What are your Options?
The choice ultimately comes down to either skill and budget. If you’re on a budget and not as skilled at video editing, Premiere Elements is the option to go with. It’s not a heavy investment, and the interface is easy enough to understand without much time required to learn.
Though mostly aimed at non-editors, Premiere Elements can be capable of delivering high quality video for professional projects. If you’re editing some simple ads for a small business or introductory videos for a YouTube channel, Premiere Elements is capable of handling such projects.
For the basics of video editing, Premiere Elements is perfectly suitable for those who don’t need the most advanced of tools. The program can edit footage, add in transitions, and even a few special effects. This is a good choice for hobbyists considering the low cost.
If you’re a professional seeking the best quality of videos, it’s recommended to go with Premiere Pro under the subscription plan. It has everything you need to deliver videos worthy of being played on the biggest screen. The color-grading features alone are worth the price.
The complete Creative Cloud package is only recommended for professional editors and videographers. If you know your videos will require some visual effects, you’ll need After Effects to handle that. It’s costly but worth the price for industry-standard applications to create industry-quality videos.
Frequently asked questions
Adobe Premiere Pro comes under the Creative Cloud subscription plan. The app costs $20.99 monthly under the annual commitment plan, with the month-to-month plan being a bit more. You can also get this app and all Creative Cloud apps with the complete Creative Cloud package that costs $52.99 a month.
While Premiere Pro isn’t completely free, there is a free seven-day trial. You can try out the program for a week to become accustomed to its editing workflow. If the application seems appealing, you can purchase a subscription fee for Premiere Pro or spend a one-time fee for buying Premiere Elements.
Final Cut is an exclusive program to Macintosh computers and isn’t available on PCs. For this reason, it’s hard to recommend Final Cut for those who are not working on a Mac. Premiere, however, works on both PC and Mac environments. While Premiere is not as brisk ins speed as Final Cut on Mac, the multi-platform model is far more convenient and makes the program easier to use. The interface is also much easier to get used to in Premiere.
Premiere Pro comes under the Creative Cloud subscription licensing. This subscription gives you access to the latest version and future versions as they are released. In addition to keeping the program updated, previous versions of the program can also be downloaded. The subscription gives you access to all of this as well as Adobe’s support for the app.
Mark McPherson has been working as a video editor and content writer for over ten years. His background started in animation and video editing before shifting into the realm of web development. He also branched out into content writing for various online publications. Mark is an expert in video editing, content writing, and 2D/3D animation.
