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 Photoshop, Illustrator, and Adobe Firefly. Adobe Firefly is a web app as well as what we call our family of responsible generative AI models developed with creators in mind. 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 plans include a monthly allocation of generative credits, which you can use to create generative AI content in various Creative Cloud apps. The number of generative credits included in each plan varies, and the amount of generative credits features use also depends on the type of feature and the type of plan you have a subscription 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 Firefly plan or Creative Cloud Pro plan, 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 generative AI 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. Additional Firefly plans also follow this renewal schedule based on when you added that 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 by visiting your Adobe Account anytime. Your monthly reset date is the day of the month on which you first initiated your plan.

Are Adobe Stock credits and generative credits the same thing?

No, Adobe Stock credits can't be used to generate content using Firefly-powered features. Only generative credits are used to generate content using Firefly-powered features. 

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

Generative feature types

What is the difference between AI and generative AI features?

AI features help Adobe applications work smarter by analyzing images and making adjustments like removing backgrounds. Generative AI takes this further by creating new content—it can generate entire images, extend photo boundaries, or transform your rough sketch into an animation in tools like Firefly. While regular AI assists your creative process, generative AI can become an active collaborator and accelerate your creative process from ideation to production.

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:

Standard generative AI features, like Generative Fill in Photoshop, use 1 credit per generation. If you have a Creative Cloud Pro or Firefly 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 add-on plans. Adobe will not charge you for additional credits unless you decide to buy more. 

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. The number of credits used will depend on the length of the output. 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 and select Creative Cloud plans like Creative Cloud Pro. You must be on a plan that includes premium features to use these features, with the exception that currently there is a limited number of free generations included with Creative Cloud plans. We currently do not support complimentary generations to partner models. 

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 (available globally)
• Adobe Express Premium plan (available globally)
• Creative Cloud Pro plan (available for individuals and teams in North America only)
• Creative Cloud Pro Plus plan (for teams in North America only)
• Creative Cloud for enterprise - Edition 4
• Creative Cloud for enterprise - Edition 4 with Premium Stock

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. 

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

Our generative AI features are evolving rapidly. This list will be updated as we add more features and services. We plan to offer a wider variety of resolutions, models, and mediums, including animation and 3D generative AI features in the future. 

How many generative credits do premium features use?

The following premium features deduct more than one credit for each generation. These features are only available on plans with access to premium features.

*Translate & Lip Sync is available only to users on select Creative Cloud for enterprise plans.

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

No. You only need a Creative Cloud subscription that has access to premium generative features, such as the Adobe Firefly plans or the Creative Cloud Pro plan in North America.

Will these credit costs change when future generative AI capabilities and functionalities come out?

Adobe might introduce new media types — for example, 3D and video — or higher resolution image and vector generation in the future that may incur additional generative credits per generation or additional costs. 

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

*These plans are no longer available.

Adobe Stock plans

Creative Cloud for education plans

The access type of the user will determine their experience on a Shared Device License-enabled device. For example: 

• A Named User License-entitled user will be able to use their full allotment of credits and have access to premium generative Al features when logged into a shared space/lab computer. 
• A user entitled with Shared Device Access will have 10 generative credits (as listed above), access to the Creative Cloud Desktop apps and basic services such as Adobe Fonts and Creative Cloud Libraries, and limited cloud storage. They will not have access to full Creative Cloud capabilities, including web or mobile applications, Adobe Express, or access to all generative AI features. 
• A user with no entitlement (the most basic, lab-only access) will only have access to the Creative Cloud desktop apps. Cloud services such as generative AI, Adobe Fonts, Cloud storage, etc., are not included. 

Creative Cloud for enterprise: VIP and VIP Marketplace 

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

Creative Cloud, Adobe Firefly, and Adobe Express free users

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. Please note that the number of credits 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, 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 if you’re based in North America. More info here. 

What are 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 Pro). 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 Illustrator and 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  Adobe Account. 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.

What happens if I use all my generative credits? 

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 Firefly Standard, Pro, or Premium 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.

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.

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

With unlimited access, you can use standard generative AI features as often as you like. Generative credits won’t be used or deducted, so you never 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.

I thought I had unlimited access to Firefly Video model in Firefly Premium plan. Why is it still deducting credits? 

Those plans have unlimited standard generations. Video generation is considered a premium feature, so it does use credits, just like other premium features. However, for a limited time, once you have run out of monthly generative credits, you can continue generating with Firefly Video Model on the Firefly web and mobile applications. We’re testing this approach and exploring ways to make this experience better going forward.

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

Generative credits aren't pooled and can't be shared across multiple users.

Can I use Firefly-generated outputs commercially?

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

For features that are in beta, you can use the 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. 

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