Adobe’s Creative Cloud now carries generative AI in nearly every app, but the features are not all equal. Adobe splits them into two tiers, standard and premium, and the tier decides how many generative credits each use costs. Understanding that split is the key to using the tools without burning through credits by accident.
This guide lists the generative AI features by application, exactly as Adobe classifies them, with the credit notes Adobe itself states. It covers Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Lightroom, InDesign, Firefly, the Substance apps, and Adobe Express, based on Adobe’s HelpX catalogue last updated October 1, 2026.
Standard Vs Premium: The Credit Rule
Standard and premium features differ primarily in functionality and credit usage. Most standard features use one credit per generation. A good example is Generative Fill using Adobe Firefly models in Photoshop, which costs one credit each time it runs.
Some standard features cost more than one credit because they require more power to run. Adobe does not hide this, but the exceptions are easy to miss, so this guide flags each one where it appears. If you have a Creative Cloud Pro, Firefly, or credits plan, you have unlimited access to standard generations.
Once you reach your monthly generative credit limit, you have two options: wait until your credits reset the next month, or purchase additional generative credits with Adobe Firefly or credit add-on plans. That reset cycle is worth planning around if you use the tools daily.
Premium features are the advanced tools, such as ones that can create videos, that need more power to run and therefore require more generative credits per use. Partner models from companies such as Google, OpenAI, and ElevenLabs are also categorised as premium. The number of credits used depends on model selection, output, and file size. Adobe’s own example makes the scale clear: generating five seconds of video uses fewer credits than translating ten minutes of video.
Photoshop: The Deepest Bench
Photoshop carries the widest generative AI bench of any Creative Cloud app. Its standard features are Generative Fill, Generative Expand, Generate Background, Generate Image (Text to Image), Generate Similar, Remove Tool, Generative Upscale, and Harmonize.
Three credit notes apply here. Remove Tool is currently not consuming credits. Generative Upscale powered by the Adobe Firefly model consumes more than one credit and is priced based on file output size. Harmonize is a standard feature but consumes five credits per generation, which makes it the most expensive standard tool in Photoshop.
Photoshop’s premium tier adds Generative Fill with Firefly Image 5 and Rotate Object, plus partner models used with Generative Fill: Google Gemini 3 with Nano Banana Pro, Google Gemini 3.1 with Nano Banana 2, FLUX.1 Kontext in pro form, and FLUX.2 pro. Three Topaz Labs tools are also premium: Generative Upscale with Topaz Labs, AI Denoise with Topaz Labs, and AI Sharpen with Topaz Labs.
The practical lesson is to check the model before generating. The same feature name can be standard with a Firefly model and premium with a partner model, and the credit cost follows the model, not just the feature.
Illustrator: Vectors, Patterns, Recolour
Illustrator’s standard features are Concept to Vector, Text to Vector Graphic, Text to Pattern, Generative Shape Fill, Generative Recolor, Generative Expand, Generative Expand for images, Remove Background, Prompt to Edit, and Rewrite. Remove Background is currently not consuming credits.
That standard set covers the core vector workflow: turning a concept or a text prompt into editable vector art, generating patterns, filling shapes with generated art, recolouring artwork, and expanding or editing it with prompts. For most illustrators, the standard tier is where daily work happens.
The premium tier adds Turntable, plus partner models across several features. Text to Vector Graphic can use GPT Image 4o, GPT Image 1.5, Gemini 3 with Nano Banana Pro, Gemini 3.1 with Nano Banana 2, and Imagen 4. Generative Shape Fill can use GPT Image 4o and Gemini 3.1 with Nano Banana 2.
Prompt to Edit can use GPT Image 4o, Gemini 3, and Gemini 3.1. Concept to Vector can use GPT Image, GPT Image 1.5, GPT Image 2.0, and Gemini 3.1.
The pattern is the same as Photoshop: partner models are the premium trigger. If you stay on Adobe’s own models, most Illustrator generation stays in the standard tier.
Premiere And Lightroom: Video Leads, Photo Follows
Premiere has no standard generative AI features at all. Its single entry is premium: Generative Extend, which extends video footage. That makes Premiere the clearest example of Adobe’s tiering logic, since video generation needs the most power and therefore sits entirely in the premium tier.
Lightroom’s standard features are Generative Expand and Generative Remove, with Generative Remove currently not consuming credits. Those two cover the common photo-editing needs: extending a canvas and removing an unwanted object.
Lightroom’s premium tier is video-heavy. It includes Generate Video with Firefly, Generate Video with Google Veo, Generative Upscale with Topaz Gigapixel, and AI Sharpen with Topaz Sharpen. A photographer who only edits stills may never touch the premium tier, while anyone generating video from photos will meet it immediately.
InDesign: Layout, Text, And A Beta
InDesign’s standard features are Generative Expand, Text to Image, Alt Text, and Generative Fill in beta. Those cover extending page elements, generating images for layouts, writing alternative text, and filling areas generatively.
InDesign’s premium entry is Rewrite, with a useful exception. The Fit Text option consumes one credit per generation, but all other Rewrite options are free to use. No credits are deducted when you use the tone options, other text refine options, or generate text using a prompt.
The beta version of InDesign adds Check document as a standard feature, with a specific credit note on the premium side. One generative credit is charged per table summary generated or per distinct copy inconsistency fixed. Once a copy inconsistency is charged, fixing its remaining inconsistencies will not charge additional credits.
Adobe Firefly: The Fullest Catalogue
Adobe Firefly, the standalone generative AI app, has the fullest catalogue of all. Its standard features are Generative Expand, Generative Fill, Generate Template, Scene to Image, Text to Vector, and Text to Image. One caution applies: certain models used with Text to Image can classify it as a premium feature, and Adobe gives Firefly Image 4 Ultra as the example.
Firefly’s premium tier is long. It includes Text to Video, Image to Video, Translate Video, Translate Audio, Text to Sound Effects, Voice to Sound Effects, Text to Avatar, Generate Music, and Generate Speech. It also includes the Firefly video editor in beta, Prompt to Edit in beta, and Production tools for removing backgrounds, colour grading, and cropping.
Three more premium entries complete the list: Custom Models in beta, Lip Sync which is enterprise only, and partner models such as OpenAI GPT Image Generation, Google Imagen 3 and Veo 2, and FLUX Pro 1.1. Firefly is therefore the app where the standard-to-premium boundary matters most, because nearly every media type beyond still images sits in premium.
Substance And Express: 3D And Quick Design
Substance Sampler’s standard features are Text to Texture, Text to Material, and Text to Pattern, with Text to Material and Text to Pattern currently not consuming credits. It has no premium features listed.
Substance Stager’s standard features are Scene to Image and Text to Background, with Text to 3D as a premium feature that is currently not consuming credits. Substance Viewer’s standard feature is Scene to Image, with Text to 3D again premium but currently not consuming credits. The 3D generation tools are therefore premium in name but free at the moment, which is worth knowing before they start charging.
Adobe Express, the quick-design app, has a broad standard set: Generate Image, Generate Similar, Generate Template, Insert Object, Remove Object, Resize with Expand, Rewrite, Caption Writer, Generate Text Effects, Generate Presentation, Clip Maker, and AI Assistant in beta. Generate Text Effects, Generate Presentation, and Clip Maker are currently not consuming credits.
Express has one premium feature: Generate Video. That matches the pattern across the whole catalogue, where video generation is consistently the premium trigger.
Retirements And Notes Worth Knowing
One live change affects partner models. Google is deprecating Gemini 2.5 with Nano Banana starting October 2, 2026, and Adobe says apps will begin removing service starting September 10. Anyone with workflows built on that model should check Adobe’s generative AI model retirement information and move to a current model.
Enterprise customers get one notable exception. For eligible enterprise customers, Firefly Custom Models on Firefly Image Model 4 and Firefly Custom Models on Firefly Image Model 5 are currently treated as standard generative features rather than premium ones.
Photoshop users have a built-in way to track all of this. The Generative Credit Usage panel in Photoshop shows which generative AI features are available in your plan, their credit requirements, and your credit balance. Checking that panel before a large generation run is the simplest way to avoid surprises.
The legal treatment of AI-generated content is moving too. Courts have already held a platform liable for false claims carried in its AI answers, as covered in the German court ruling on AI Overviews and AI Mode. Anyone publishing AI-generated creative work should expect disclosure and accuracy to matter more, not less, from here.
Adobe closes its catalogue by pointing readers to Discord and the Adobe Firefly Community forum for inspiration, expert tips, and solutions to common issues. Those are community resources, not documentation, but they are where working users share prompt and workflow knowledge.
The Credit System In Detail
Generative credits are the currency of Adobe’s AI tools, and the catalogue only makes sense once the currency is clear. Every generation consumes credits, the amount depends on the feature, the model, and the output, and the monthly allowance depends on the plan. Standard generations are unlimited on Creative Cloud Pro, Firefly, and credits plans, which removes the counting problem for the most common tools.
For other plans, the monthly limit is the constraint. Once it is reached, the choice is to wait for the reset or buy additional credits through Adobe Firefly or a credit add-on plan. That decision should follow usage patterns: a user who hits the limit in the first week every month is on the wrong plan, while a user who hits it once before a deadline is better served by a one-off add-on.
The Photoshop Generative Credit Usage panel is the practical tool for managing this. It shows available features, their credit requirements, and the current balance in one place, which means there is no need to guess or to discover a cost after generating. Checking it before a large batch run is a small habit that prevents the most common credit surprise.
Choosing The Right Model
The single most important choice in Adobe’s catalogue is rarely the feature. It is the model. Firefly models keep most still-image work in the standard tier, while partner models from Google, OpenAI, and others move the same feature into premium. The output quality may justify the premium cost, but the cost should be a conscious choice rather than an accident of a default setting.
Partner models make sense when their strengths match the task. A photorealistic result, a specific style, or a capability Firefly does not offer can justify premium credits. For routine generation, such as backgrounds, expansions, and variations, the standard Firefly models usually deliver what is needed at a fraction of the cost.
Enterprise customers should also check their exception. Firefly Custom Models on Firefly Image Model 4 and Firefly Image Model 5 are currently treated as standard features for eligible enterprise customers, which changes the maths for teams training custom models. That exception is marked as current rather than permanent, so it is worth confirming before building a workflow on it.
How To Use The Tiers Without Wasting Credits
The catalogue points to a simple strategy. First, learn which tier each tool you use sits in, and which model it runs on, because the model often decides the tier. A feature that is standard on a Firefly model can become premium the moment you switch to a partner model.
Second, treat video generation as a budgeted activity. Every video tool in the catalogue is premium, and costs scale with output size and duration. Short tests before long renders will save more credits than any other habit.
Third, use the currently free tools while they are free. Remove Tool, Remove Background, Generative Remove, Text to Material, Text to Pattern, Text to 3D in the Substance apps, and the Express tools flagged as not consuming credits all cost nothing at the moment, but Adobe marks them as currently free rather than permanently free.
Finally, watch retirements. The Gemini 2.5 deprecation shows that partner models can leave the catalogue, and a workflow built on a retiring model needs a replacement plan before the removal date, not after it.
Finally, remember that creation is only half the picture. Once AI-assisted work is published, how AI surfaces treat it can be measured, and our guide to Search Console’s Generative AI Features Report explains how AI Overviews and AI Mode impressions are reported.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between standard and premium? Standard features are mostly one credit per generation and are unlimited on Pro, Firefly, and credits plans. Premium features need more power, cost more credits, and include video tools and partner models.
Do all Adobe apps have generative AI features? Nearly all of them do, with the notable exception that Premiere has only one, the premium Generative Extend. Photoshop, Illustrator, Firefly, and Express have the broadest sets.
Which features are currently free? Several tools are marked as currently not consuming credits, including Remove Tool in Photoshop, Remove Background in Illustrator, Generative Remove in Lightroom, and Text to 3D in the Substance apps. Adobe marks these as currently free, which means the status can change.
Why does the same feature cost different amounts? Because the credit cost follows the model and the output, not just the feature name. Partner models are premium, some standard features cost more than one credit, and video costs scale with duration and size.
Background
Adobe’s generative AI catalogue grew from Firefly, its own model family, into a system that also hosts partner models from Google, OpenAI, and others inside Creative Cloud apps. The standard and premium split is how Adobe prices that range: its own still-image tools mostly cost a single credit, while video and partner-model tools cost more.
The catalogue changes as models arrive and retire, so the tier of a given tool is worth rechecking rather than assuming. Our topics index gathers the full range of our coverage.
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