Generative credits FAQ

Wondering what generative credits are, how many you have in your account, and how you can use them? We've got you covered.

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Frequently asked questions

Generative credit basics

What are generative credits?

Generative credits are like tokens you can use to generate high-quality image, vector, video, and audio outputs. They can be used with features in most Creative Cloud products, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Lightroom, and Adobe Firefly. Learn more about Adobe’s approach to generative AI with Adobe Firefly.

What is the purpose of generative credits?

Generative credits provide a way to reflect the additional cost and value of our generative features and give you a way to keep track of how you use them. Additionally, they help to ensure smooth and consistent performance of our products and features across all users, given their additional processing power needs.

How do I get generative credits?

Creative Cloud subscription plans include a monthly allocation of generative credits, which you can use to create generative AI content across various Creative Cloud apps. The number of generative credits included in each plan varies, and the number of generative credits features used depends on the type of feature and the type of plan you are subscribed to.

Learn more about how many credits are included in each plan or how to purchase additional credits.

Are there different types of generative credits?

No, Adobe only has one type of generative credit. They are used on premium or standard generative AI features, depending on the level of access your plan has. 

If you have a Creative Cloud Pro, Firefly, or credits plan, you have unlimited access to standard generations. Your credits are only spent on premium generative features, as you have unlimited access to standard features.

How are generative credits consumed?

Credits are consumed when using features powered by Firefly or our partner models upon generation. For example, generating an image using Text to Image on the Firefly website will consume generative credits.

When do my generative credits renew?

For paid subscriptions, generative credits renew monthly on the billing date of which you started your plan. 

For free plans, generative credits are allocated upon first use of a Firefly feature (e.g., using Text to Image). These credits expire one month from allocation. For example, if used on the 15th, credits expire on the 15th of the next month. In subsequent months, credits are again allocated upon the first use of a Firefly feature and expire one month from the new allocation date, providing a full month for each set of credits.

Do generative credits roll over month to month?

No, generative credits do not roll over to the next month. Your generative credit balance will reset to your allocated amount on a monthly basis.

You can find your monthly reset date in your Account Menu anytime. Your monthly reset date is the day of the month on which you first initiated or were assigned your plan.

Are Adobe Stock credits and generative credits the same thing?

No, Adobe Stock credits can't be used on generative features. Only generative credits can be used on generative features across Firefly and Creative Cloud products.

Adobe Stock credits are used to license content from the Adobe Stock website.

Are premium generative AI features the same as Adobe Express premium features? 

No, they are different. You can find a complete list of premium generative features which use generative credits below. For more information on Adobe Express premium features, visit the Adobe Express Premium page. 

Generative feature types

What are standard and premium generative AI features?

Generative credits are like tokens at an arcade, so while a pinball machine might use one token, the adventure game that uses a virtual reality headset might use multiple tokens. This is how standard and premium generative features work — standard features, our pinball machines, use fewer generative credits since they use less power, while complex premium features, like virtual reality games, use more.

Standard features

Most standard generative AI features, like Generative Fill using Adobe Firefly models in Photoshop, use 1 credit per generation. Some standard features will exceed 1 credit per generation as they require more power to run. Refer to the table in Generative AI features by application for a list of standard and premium features. 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 can either wait until your credits reset the next month or purchase additional generative credits with Adobe Firefly or credit add-on plans.

Premium features

Premium generative AI features are advanced tools, like ones that can create videos, that need more power to run and thus require more generative credits per use. Partner models such as Google, OpenAI, ElevenLabs, Topaz, and more are also categorized as a premium feature. The number of credits used will depend on the model selection, output, and file size. For example, generating 5 seconds of video will use fewer credits than translating 10 minutes of video.

Premium features are accessible through Adobe Firefly plans, credit plans, and select Creative Cloud plans like Creative Cloud Pro. You must be on a plan that includes premium feature access to use your credits on them. Free users will be able to explore premium features with a limited number of complimentary generations.

Learn more about all the standard and premium generative features available in your Creative Cloud applications.

Do all plans include access to standard and premium generative features?

No, most Creative Cloud plans do not include access to premium generative features. Currently, the only Creative Cloud plans that include access to both are:

• Adobe Firefly plans 
• Adobe Express Premium plan 
• Creative Cloud Pro plan
• Creative Cloud Pro Plus plan 
• Creative Cloud for enterprise - Edition 4
• Creative Cloud for enterprise - Edition 4 with Premium Stock
• Adobe Firefly credit add-on plans
• Photography 1TB
• Lightroom 1TB

If your plan does not include premium generative feature access and you’d like to generate more after using your complimentary generations, you can purchase a Firefly plan, which also includes unlimited access to standard feature generations across all Creative Cloud apps. 

For example, in Photoshop, subscribers to the Photoshop Single App, Photography 20GB, and Creative Cloud Standard plans will not be able to access premium features and will experience a paywall in the app when trying to use them (such as a partner model). To enable access, users will be shown options directly in the app and may choose to upgrade to the Creative Cloud Pro plan or purchase Firefly monthly credit add-ons.  

Why are there two types of generative features?

There are two types of generative AI features to reflect the differences in the energy cost of generation and value between them. 

Which generative AI features use generative credits?

You can find a complete list of features which use generative credits here.

Which generative AI features do not use generative credits?

The following generative AI features do not currently consume generative credits.

• Adobe Express: Generate Text Effects and Clip Maker
• Adobe Firefly on Apple Vision Pro: Text to Image
• Lightroom: Generative Remove
• Photoshop: Remove Tool
• Substance 3D Sampler: Text to Material and Text to Pattern
• Substance 3D Stager: Text to 3D
• Substance 3D Viewer (beta): Text to 3D

How many generative credits do premium features use?

Is there an additional cost to using partner models in Adobe products? 

Partner models are treated as premium features and use the generative credits included in your subscription.

You need to have an active Creative Cloud subscription with access to premium generative features, such as the Adobe Firefly plans or the Creative Cloud Pro plan.

Learn more about partner models and how generative credits apply to them.

Generative credits by plan

How many monthly generative credits do I get in my plan?

Creative Cloud plans include a plan-specific number of monthly generative credits.

Creative Cloud for individual plans

Creative Cloud mobile and web plans

Currently, Creative Cloud plans have limited complimentary generations to try premium features (For example, this includes 2 video generations and 40 seconds of video and audio clip translation).

Learn more about generative credits for Creative Cloud, Adobe Firefly, and Adobe Express free users.

Creative Cloud for teams plans

Adobe Firefly plans

Adobe Firefly credit add-on plans

Adobe Stock plans

Creative Cloud for education plans

Creative Cloud for enterprise: VIP and VIP Marketplace 

Creative Cloud for enterprise: Enterprise Term License Agreement (ETLA)

*These plans are no longer available.

Free users of Creative Cloud, Adobe Firefly, and Adobe Express

Users with an Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly, or Creative Cloud free membership are provided with a limited number of generative credits at no cost. These credits allow access to generative AI features for users to play, experiment, and create the extraordinary. The number of credits in a free plan is subject to change.

If I am on a plan that does not have access to premium generative features, can I try them out?

Yes. For the Creative Cloud plans that do not have access to premium generative features, Adobe is currently providing complimentary generations of these features for you to try them out. For example, you can currently get 2 free video generations and 40 seconds of video and audio clip translation. 

To generate more than what is currently included, beyond complimentary generations, you can add a Firefly Standard, Pro, or Premium plan or upgrade to Creative Cloud Pro. More info here. 

What are the Adobe Firefly Standard, Firefly Pro, and Firefly Premium plans?

Adobe Firefly plans unlock access to premium features for creating with advanced generative AI features in creativity and video applications (such as the Firefly web app or Premiere). This includes access to premium video and audio generative AI features such as  Generative Extend in Premiere and  Translate Video or Translate Audio in Adobe Firefly. Additionally, subscribers with a paid Firefly plan will receive unlimited access to standard image and vector generations, such as Generative Fill in Photoshop, where credits will not be deducted.

If I have multiple subscriptions, do my generative credits stack?

If you have multiple subscriptions, the total number of generative credits available is the aggregate of what is included in each plan. For example, if you subscribe to both Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop single app, you can use your generative credits for generative AI features in either application and even in Adobe Express or the Firefly web app. Your monthly generative credit allocation is the sum of each subscription’s allocation.

How do I check how many generative credits I have remaining?

You can view your generative credit count in your Account menu. A counter will show the number of monthly generative credits allocated to your account and the number of generative credits you have used in this cycle.

In the Photoshop Desktop app, you can use the new Generative Credits Usage   panel, our new centralized in-app destination to check generative credit balance and learn more about generative AI features and costs. 

You can access Generative Credits usage from multiple places within the Photoshop app. Just look for the icon:

• In the Photoshop editing space, in the top right section next to the Workspace selector.
• In the contextual task bar, when Generative AI features are active.
• In the Properties panel, when a Generative AI layer is selected.
• In the dialogs, under Generative AI features (for example, Generative Upscale, AI Sharpen, AI Denoise).

What happens if I use all my generative credits? 

For paid plans, generative credit counts reset each month based on the billing date of your plan. 

If you reach your plan-specific generative credit limit during a month, what happens next depends on your plan type:

• Paid Creative Cloud plan users may purchase a Firefly plan for additional credits to use on premium generative features. Firefly plans will also unlock unlimited access to standard generative features.
• Adobe Firefly Standard users may upgrade to Firefly Pro or Firefly Premium, or choose to buy an additional credit add-on plan for increased capacity. 
• Creative Cloud, Adobe Firefly, and Adobe Express free users can subscribe to a new paid plan to continue creating Firefly-powered assets.
• For business plans, reach out to your Account Manager or Partner.
• In Photoshop, you can purchase additional credits through the Generative Credits Usage panel.

What if I have the Adobe Firefly (Legacy) and Adobe Firefly Generative credits add-on plans?

As of February 12, 2025, the Firefly (Legacy) and Firefly Generative credits add-on plans will no longer be available for new purchases. Existing customers can continue to use and renew their current plans, with the monthly renewal day based on your original purchase date. 

Adobe Firefly (Legacy) and Adobe Firefly Generative credits add-on users will retain access to the monthly generative credits that come with their plan and can use them on standard generative AI features. To access premium video and audio generative AI features, users can upgrade to a new Firefly Standard, Pro, or Premium plan or purchase an Adobe Firefly credit add-on plan for 2,000, 4,000, 7,000, or 50,000 credits.

 What does “unlimited access” mean if that’s included in my plan?

With unlimited access, you can use generative AI features as often as you like. Generative credits won’t be used or deducted, so you don't have to worry about running out.

That said, to keep things running smoothly for everyone, we have guardrails in place to help prevent misuse like automatic scripting, account sharing, and reselling. More information can be found in our Terms of Use.

These protections help ensure against excessive generation requests and slower processing speeds. In rare cases, if usage patterns trigger those safeguards, you might see a temporary restriction on your use of generative AI features. We’ll inform you when this happens in-app. If you think there was a mistake, you can reach out to our support team.

What does it mean if I am able to queue beyond my credit limit? 

If you are a Firefly Premium user and exhaust your allotted credits, your video generations using the Text to video or Image to video features in Firefly are queued and processed in the background with an unspecified completion time. In this state, you can continue generating videos, which will be available after a delayed timeframe.

You can queue up to 20 video generations at a time. If you attempt to generate a 21st video, you will receive an error message indicating that you have reached the limit. You will need to wait until one or more of your queued video generations are completed before trying again.

Are generative credits pooled in Creative Cloud for teams or enterprise plans?

Generative credits are not pooled or shared across users in Creative Cloud for teams or enterprise plans. However, ETLA customers on Creative Cloud for enterprise Edition 4 and Edition 4 with Premium Stock can purchase Shared Credits. Assigned users will automatically draw from this pool once their individual monthly credits are exhausted. Learn more about Shared Credits and contact your Adobe account team for details.

Can I use Adobe Firefly-generated outputs commercially?

For features without the beta label, you can use Adobe Firefly-generated outputs in your commercial projects. 

For features that are in beta, you can use the Adobe Firefly-generated outputs for your commercial projects unless explicitly stated otherwise in the product. However, for eligible teams and enterprise customers, beta outputs are not indemnified. Learn more about indemnification. 

How do Firefly generative credits work in higher education?

Because Firefly features rely on substantial computing power, access is managed through generative credits. These credits function like tokens and are used whenever you access generative AI features within Adobe applications.

Firefly Credits for higher education users

Firefly Credits give higher education users access to additional monthly generative AI capacity when their standard plan allotment isn’t enough. These optional addon credits are available in three tiers and support both standard and premium Firefly features.

Key points:

• Assigned per user: Firefly Credits are tied to individual users and cannot be pooled or shared institution-wide. 
• Eligibility: Available for Adobe Creative Cloud Pro Plus Named User Licenses purchased through an Adobe Enterprise Term License Agreement (ETLA) or the Adobe Value Incentive Plan (VIP). 
• VIP purchasing: In VIP, standalone credit packs must be purchased per user; each user requires their own separate pack. 
• Monthly refresh: Credits renew each month on the contract anniversary date, with costs prorated based on the remaining term. 
• No rollover: Unused credits expire each month—whether assigned or unassigned—and cannot be carried forward.

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