Adobe Photoshop Elements Review: Is It The Right Photo Editing Software For Your Team?
Best for SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise
Free Trial Available
Starts from $59.99 / One-Time Payment
Overview
Pricing
Features
Buyer feedback
Alternatives
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Spotsaas Analysis for Adobe Photoshop Elements
Adobe Photoshop Elements is a photo editing software widely used by individual content creators and marketing teams in small to medium-sized businesses. With a 4.3/5 rating from 1,360 reviews, it is broadly validated as a reliable tool for both beginners and enthusiasts.
The software offers a user-friendly experience with intuitive tools like guided edits and automation, making it accessible to users with varying skill levels. Its flexibility in tool usage and compatibility with multiple input methods further enhances its appeal. However, some users may find the initial interface overwhelming due to the richness of features available.
Quick facts about Adobe Photoshop Elements
What is Adobe Photoshop Elements?
Adobe Photoshop Elements is a digital photo editor to help to fix, organize and share images. Enjoy one-click auto fixes that let users instantly improve photos, then use simple yet powerful tools to adjust color, lighting and more. From easy sharing that lets user publish projects to mobile devices, social media sites and the Adobe Creative Cloud, it's a powerful tool for expression and creativity.
Pricing
Starts from $59.99 / One-Time Payment
Free Trial available
Best For
Suited for solo users, small teams, SMBs, and enterprise
Security & Compliance
Data residency:🇺🇸
Platform
Web + mobile app (iOS & Android)
Installed - Windows
Adobe Photoshop Elements Software Demo
Adobe Photoshop Elements was reviewed internally using user feedback, in-house testing, and market research to assess its performance, reliability, and user experience. Learn how we review products and our evaluation process.
Who should consider Adobe Photoshop Elements
- Use cases
- Photography enthusiasts, Small business marketing, Creative hobbyists
- Team types
- Individual content creators, Marketing teams in SMBs
- Company size
- 1-50 employees, 51-500 employees
- Workflow style
- Simple and streamlined
- Setup complexity
- Low
Why teams choose Adobe Photoshop Elements
User-friendly experience suitable for beginners and enthusiasts
Intuitive guided edits and automation tools
High flexibility and compatibility with multiple input methods
Is Adobe Photoshop Elements right for you?
Best for beginner to intermediate photo editing with guided automation tools.
Choose Adobe Photoshop Elements if
- You want easy one-click auto fixes combined with guided editing assistance.
- You are a photography enthusiast or small business marketer needing simple, flexible editing.
- You prefer a low-complexity setup with compatibility for multiple input methods.
Consider alternatives if
- You require advanced professional-grade editing features beyond basic enhancements.
- You need extensive marketplace integrations or automation for enterprise workflows.
What buyers should know before shortlisting Adobe Photoshop Elements
Photoshop Elements is designed for photo editing tasks that don't require Photoshop's full feature set. Before shortlisting, verify that it covers your specific needs: it lacks non-destructive editing (adjustment layers work differently than in Photoshop), has no support for CMYK color mode (limiting professional print work), and cannot open PSD files with advanced layer effects intact.
The guided edits and automation tools are useful for batch operations and quick adjustments, but they're templates rather than customizable workflows. Performance varies by system.
On older machines or with large image files (above 100MB), you may experience slowdowns during complex edits or when using multiple filters. Test this in a demo with your typical file sizes.
Check integration requirements carefully: Elements doesn't connect to Creative Cloud, so you'll manage files locally or through manual exports. If you need to move work between Photoshop and Elements, plan for potential compatibility issues with advanced layer types.
Pricing appears straightforward at a one-time purchase, but verify the current licensing model during your trial—Adobe has shifted between subscription and perpetual licenses. The software works well for social media graphics, basic photo retouching, and batch editing.
It's not suitable if you need CMYK output, non-destructive workflows, or seamless handoff to full Photoshop projects. Test the specific filters and tools you rely on during the free trial period to confirm they meet your output quality standards.
Adobe Photoshop Elements pros and cons
- Adobe Photoshop Elements pros
User-friendly experience suitable for beginners and enthusiasts
Intuitive guided edits and automation tools
High flexibility and compatibility with multiple input methods
- Adobe Photoshop Elements cons
Limited marketplace selection for additional apps and connectors
Initial intimidation due to feature richness
Ready to try it?
Get started with Adobe Photoshop Elements
Start your free trial — no credit card required.
Still comparing?
See how it stacks up
Compare Adobe Photoshop Elements side-by-side with top Photo Editing Software alternatives.
What is the pricing of Adobe Photoshop Elements?
Adobe Photoshop Elements Pricing Plans
Adobe Photoshop Elements reviews and ratings
Buyer sentiment
Overall positive sentiment highlights ease of use and flexibility, tempered by concerns over performance and export limitations.
What buyers like
- Ease of use
- Guided edits and automation
- Flexibility and input compatibility
Common complaints
- Limited marketplace apps
- Performance issues
Are you using Adobe Photoshop Elements?
What users are saying
AU
Anonymous User
12/19/23
"Blend deisigns easier"
What do you like best about Photoshop Elements? Most of the designs carried out by me are created using Photoshop, a great tool to use for creating a ...
Read more
AU
Anonymous User
12/12/23
"PS Elements Review"
What do you like best about Photoshop Elements? Ease of use. The full version of PS is too complicated. This is easier to use and works great for ...
Read more
AA
Ar. Armand R
12/11/23
"Presentation created from Photoshop"
What do you like best about Photoshop Elements? It is very helpful to edit and render my images in Photoshop it looks like photorealistic. What do you ...
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ME
Mahmoud e
11/28/23
"Photoshop Elements (Unleashing Creativity) Powerfully Simple Editing for Stunning Results"
What do you like best about Photoshop Elements? Adobe Photoshop Elements offers a user-friendly yet powerful photo editing experience. With features ...
Read more
MM
Mattia M
09/12/23
"Great tool for Art"
What do you like best about Photoshop Elements? Extreme flexibility in the usage of the tool. Availability and compatibility with multiple input ...
Read more
TB
Taylor B
08/30/23
"Photoshop: A Photos Best Friend"
What do you like best about Photoshop Elements? Photoshop elements is great for all of your editing needs. You don't have to be a photoshop pro to use ...
Read more
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What are the features of Adobe Photoshop Elements?
Auto Select is a powerful software feature that simplifies the user's workflow by automatically selecting the best option based on certain c…
Batch editing is a powerful software feature that allows users to make changes to multiple files or data sets at once. It is a time-saving t…
Built-in templates are pre-designed layouts or formats that are incorporated into software applications to help users create documents, pres…
Cloud storage is an online data storage service that allows users to access and store their data remotely on the internet. It offers a flexi…
Collaborative editing is a powerful feature that allows multiple users to work together on a single document or project in real-time. This f…
Effects and filters are powerful tools available in most software programs that allow users to enhance their photos, videos, and other visua…
Enhancement tools are features within software that let users improve and modify their digital creations. One core function is adjusting vis…
The import-export option is a commonly used feature in software that allows users to easily transfer data between different applications or…
Remove objects is a software feature that allows users to easily delete or remove objects within a digital file or image. This feature is co…
Social media integration is a marketing method that allows you to augment your current branding and marketing efforts using social media pla…
The Text Tool is a crucial feature found in various software programs that allows users to input, edit, and format text within their project…
Transform tools are sophisticated features that allow users to modify or manipulate an existing object in various ways. These tools are comm…
Adobe Photoshop Elements security and data handling
Key compliance certifications and security features for IT and security teams evaluating Adobe Photoshop Elements.
Developer & data
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Adobe Photoshop Elements Support Options
Frequently Asked Questions About Adobe Photoshop Elements
Common questions buyers ask before choosing Adobe Photoshop Elements.
Adobe Photoshop Elements is a Photo Editing Software. Adobe Photoshop Elements offers Text Tool, Transform tools, Remove objects, Enhancement Tools, Effects and Filters and many more functionalities.
Adobe Photoshop Elements is a strong fit if: You want easy one-click auto fixes combined with guided editing assistance.; You are a photography enthusiast or small business marketer needing simple, flexible editing.. Consider alternatives if: You require advanced professional-grade editing features beyond basic enhancements.; You need extensive marketplace integrations or automation for enterprise workflows..
Buyers commonly note the following limitations of Adobe Photoshop Elements: Limited marketplace selection for additional apps and connectors; Initial intimidation due to feature richness; Performance issues such as CPU heating.
Some top alternatives to Adobe Photoshop Elements includes Adobe Premiere Pro, PhotoEditor SDK, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Express and Photo Editor Online.
Adobe Photoshop Elements offers Free Trial, One-time license pricing models
The starting price of Adobe Photoshop Elements is $59.99One-Time Payment
Ready to try it?
Get started with Adobe Photoshop Elements
Start your free trial — no credit card required.
About the reviewer
Rajat Gupta is the founder of Spotsaas. Over the past two years, he has reviewed 2,000+ tools across CRM, HR, AI, and finance — applying hands-on product research and a background in commerce and the CFA program to evaluate software through a business and ROI lens. His goal: help teams make software decisions they won't regret.
Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].