Adobe has announced plans to discontinue Adobe Animate, its long-running 2D animation software, as the company deepens its focus on AI-driven creative tools.
In an update published on its support site on Monday and in emails sent to customers, Adobe said Adobe Animate will be officially shut down on March 1, 2026. Enterprise customers will continue to receive technical support until March 1, 2029, while other users will have access to support through March 2027.
A product with a long legacy
Adobe Animate has been part of the company’s creative suite for more than 25 years, playing a central role in web animation, interactive content, and digital storytelling. Its discontinuation marks the end of one of Adobe’s most recognisable animation products.
The announcement has triggered strong reactions from users, many of whom expressed disappointment and frustration over the decision. On social media, some customers urged Adobe to open-source the software rather than abandon it, while others warned the move could push creators away from Adobe’s ecosystem altogether.
Adobe’s explanation
In an FAQ published alongside the announcement, Adobe said Animate no longer aligns with the company’s evolving product strategy.
“Animate has been a product that has existed for over 25 years and has served its purpose well for creating, nurturing, and developing the animation ecosystem,” the company said. “As technologies evolve, new platforms and paradigms emerge that better serve the needs of the users. Acknowledging this change, we are planning to discontinue supporting Animate.”
While Adobe did not explicitly cite AI as the sole reason, the decision comes as the company significantly increases investment in AI-powered features across its Creative Cloud products, including generative design, video, and image tools.
No full replacement offered
One of the biggest concerns for users is the lack of a clear replacement. Adobe acknowledged that it does not currently offer a single product that fully replaces Animate’s functionality.
Instead, the company suggested that Creative Cloud Pro subscribers combine other tools to cover parts of Animate’s use cases. For example:
- Adobe After Effects for complex keyframe animation using tools like Puppet
- Adobe Express for simple animation effects applied to photos, text, and video
For many professional animators, these tools do not replicate Animate’s workflow, particularly for frame-by-frame animation and interactive content.
Signs the shutdown was coming
There were early signals that Adobe Animate’s future was uncertain. The software received little attention at Adobe Max, the company’s flagship annual conference, and Adobe did not release a 2025 version of the product.
Adobe also confirmed that users who already have Animate installed will still be able to run the software after discontinuation, though it will no longer receive updates.
Pricing and alternatives
Before the announcement, Adobe Animate was priced at $34.49 per month, reduced to $22.99 per month with a 12-month commitment. An annual prepaid plan cost $263.88.
In response to the shutdown, members of the animation community have begun recommending alternative tools, including Moho Animation and Toon Boom Harmony, both of which are widely used for 2D animation.
A broader shift at Adobe
The decision to retire Animate underscores a broader shift at Adobe toward AI-first creative products. As the company reallocates resources toward generative and automation-driven tools, legacy software that does not fit this strategy appears increasingly vulnerable.
For animators, particularly independent creators and small studios, the shutdown raises fresh questions about platform dependency and the long-term stability of subscription-based creative tools.
While Adobe sees the move as part of its evolution, many in the animation community view it as the loss of a foundational tool — and a reminder that even long-standing products are not immune to the AI pivot reshaping the creative industry.
