Adobe’s consumer photo and video range gets its annual refresh with the twin release of Adobe Photoshop Elements 2025 and Adobe Premiere Elements 2025 for Windows and macOS.

Alongside the usual slew of new features, tools and improvements comes one nasty sting in the tail: a non-renewable 3-year license after which the programs’ editing facilities will stop working. The program’s trial length has also been reduced to just seven days from the previous 30-day period.

Adobe explains how its three-year license will work in its FAQ: "The licence is for a full 3-year term, with no monthly or annual recurring subscription fees required. The licence is non-renewing — it expires 3 years after redemption at which time the Editor will no longer be accessible, but the Organiser will continue to be accessible indefinitely."

Previous versions of the software didn’t come with any such limits, and it’s sure to generate controversy among those who expect to retain full control over a program after purchasing a full license as opposed to a subscription.

The news overshadows what would have otherwise been a slew of noteworthy new tools and features. Photoshop Elements 2025 gains two new AI-powered tools, including a guided edit Remove tool that gives users the ability to simply 'brush' away unwanted objects by dragging the mouse roughly over them.

The tool also debuts an AI-powered Depth Blur filter for adding depth of field to photos, along with non-AI tools like a smart automatic selection tool for changing the colour of specific objects and a tool for combining different elements from various photos.

Adobe Premiere Elements 2025 meanwhile unveils a new White Balance tool for adjusting colour and brightness across entire scenes. It also allows users to quickly change a scene’s colour scheme from a series of presets, plus offers more templates and controls for creating titles.

Elsewhere, the Timeline has been simplified by grouping video and audio tracks together, adding a new Quick Tools menu and giving users the option of locking individual tracks to protect them from accidental changes.

Both Adobe Photoshop Elements 2025 and Adobe Premiere Elements 2025 are available as fully featured 7-day trial downloads for PCs running Windows 10 22H2 or later as well as Macs running macOS 13 or later.

You can purchase two-computer, three-year term licenses of Adobe Photoshop Elements 2024 or Adobe Premiere Elements 2024 for just $99.99 each or pick up both apps in a single bundle for just $149.99. Upgrade pricing is also available for $79.99 and $119.99 respectively. When the three-year term expires, the programs’ editing capabilities will be disabled, but the organiser tools will remain working.