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Adobe Firefly keeps prices low and editing sharp
Adobe Firefly starts at $8.49 a month, with a generous free tier and stronger editing tools, but its video editor and avatars still lag.
Image: TechRadar
Adobe Firefly is shaping up as one of the cheaper ways to generate AI images and video, with paid plans starting at $8.49 per month and a free tier that still includes a surprisingly broad set of tools. In TechRadar’s testing, the standout was not video editing but how much Adobe has improved Firefly’s core generation and editing workflow.
The free plan allows a limited number of image and video generations each day rather than a strict monthly cap. TechRadar says Adobe also avoids putting major editing features behind a paywall: even free users get access to Generative Fill, Background Removal, AI Markup, video upscaling, text-based editing, and audio tools including soundtrack generation, speech, and text-to-avatar.
Paid tiers scale from Standard at $8.49 per month with 2,000 credits, to Pro at $16.99 with 4,000 credits, Pro Plus at $29.38 with 10,000 credits, and Premium at $118.93 with 50,000 credits. On the lower tiers, generated videos are capped at five seconds.
Firefly Boards and editing tools
TechRadar says the most compelling feature is Firefly Boards, an infinite-canvas workspace for brainstorming with a team using uploaded or AI-generated images. Firefly also supports more than 10 video, audio, and image models, plus features such as Generative Expand, Generative Fill, and Generative Remove.
Adobe has also overhauled the interface. Firefly now supports follow-up prompt editing, so users can refine an image iteratively, and selection-based editing, which lets them change only a chosen part of an image or video.
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TechRadar was especially positive about the Select tool, which helps avoid unwanted edits elsewhere in the frame. The prompt enhancement feature also stood out for making generated results more accurate.
Where Firefly still falls short
TechRadar found Firefly’s outputs accurate but a bit slower than rivals such as Fliki or Kapwing. In image tests, it handled object replacement and removal well, including swapping a steel pot for a wooden one and removing carrots without distorting the cutting board.
Its AI video generation also impressed TechRadar with strong prompt adherence and vivid color.
The weaker points are AI avatars and video editing. Adobe’s trimming, arranging, and refinement tools remain in beta, and its AI assistant currently supports only one conversation at a time. Firefly also supports prompts in more than 100 languages and translations in more than 20 languages, while integrating directly with Photoshop and Illustrator—a useful edge for existing Adobe users.
Computing Editor
Tomas lives in the terminal. He covers chips, laptops, and operating systems with a focus on performance and efficiency. He reads kernel changelogs the way other people read fiction, and he's always on the hunt for the perfect mechanical keyboard switch. If it processes data, Tomas has an opinion on it.
via TechRadar
