Adobe Firefly vs Microsoft Designer (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Adobe Firefly: it is first in our ranking of AI image and video generators, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.4.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Adobe Firefly grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Adobe Firefly
Adobe's image, video and audio generator, with partner models
Microsoft Designer
Microsoft's AI image generator and graphic design app
Which one is for you
Pick Adobe Firefly if
- Fits if you already work in Photoshop or Premiere and want the credits to work there too
- Works for commercial work where you care where the training data came from
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want leftover credits to carry over, since they reset each month
- Skip it if you need partner-model output covered, as Adobe's assurance is for its own models and IP indemnity is enterprise only
- Tight if video is the main job, as Standard stops at about 20 five-second clips
- Watch out: team plans cost the same per license but need an annual commitment
- Skip it if you want an iPad app or a Firefly desktop app, as the iOS app is iPhone only
Pick Microsoft Designer if
- Fits if you already pay for Microsoft 365 and want quick graphics
- Works for people who make posts, cards and invitations from templates
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't want a Microsoft account, because sign-in is required
- Tight if you rely on the free tier, since the allowance isn't stated
- Watch out: Microsoft says AI benefits are for the subscription owner only
- Watch out: usage is capped by plan, with standard use on Personal and Family
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAAdobe FireflyVery good | 2.4GPAMicrosoft DesignerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BStandard is $9.99 a month for 2,000 credits, right on this category's cheaper quarter. Standard image and vector features are unlimited, and the credits cover up to 20 five-second videos or 100 minutes of music. | CNo price is published for Designer alone, as AI use is tied to Microsoft 365 plans. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free daily allowance of image, video and audio generations, with models such as Nano Banana, that refreshes every day. The listing doesn't say how much it is. Paid plans also have a 7-day free trial. | CListed as free to start, but the free allowance wasn't confirmed on the pages we could read. |
| Features | AImages, video, audio and vectors: Generative Fill, object removal in video, music, speech, translation into 20+ languages and partner models. What rivals don't match is the same credits working in Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere, and Adobe's own models trained on licensed content. | CPrompt images, templates, background removal and generative erase. Image generation is capped, with standard use on Personal and Family and more on Premium and Pro. |
| Ease of use | B4.69 from about 10,800 App Store ratings, a hair under the 4.7 that earns an A. There's a lot on offer across image, video and audio, but nothing to set up. | BIt lives inside a Microsoft account many people already have. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, and the credits also work in Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Lightroom and Express. No Firefly desktop app of its own, and the iPhone app isn't listed for iPad. | BWeb, with links into Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, Word and SharePoint. |
| Best for | AI images and video inside Adobe's apps | quick graphics if you already use Microsoft 365 |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Adobe Firefly and Microsoft Designer. How we grade
Where they differ
- Adobe Firefly also covers video editing and video generation.
- Microsoft Designer also covers templates.
At a glance
| Adobe Firefly | Microsoft Designer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.99 per month for 2,000 credits, billed monthly | Not published |
| Free plan | Free daily generations across image, video and audio without a plan, including models such as Nano Banana and Luma Ray3.14. Limits refresh every day. | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of Standard, Pro and Pro Plus | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Adobe | Microsoft |
| Price read from | adobe.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Adobe Firefly
- Monthly credits reset on the billing date and do not roll over; video, audio and partner models all draw on them.
- Team versions of Pro, Pro Plus and Premium cost the same per license but need an annual commitment, billed monthly.
- Adobe's commercial-use assurance covers its own models; you are responsible for partner-model output, and IP indemnity is for enterprise plans.
- The iOS app is listed for iPhone only, not iPad.
Microsoft Designer
- The pricing and free allowance could not be confirmed from pages readable here, so no plans are listed.
- Microsoft says AI benefits are for the subscription owner only and cannot be shared with others.
- Image generation usage is capped by plan: Microsoft's table lists standard usage on Personal and Family and extensive usage on Premium and Pro.
- A Microsoft account sign-in is required to use it.
Key features
Adobe Firefly
- Image generation and editing
- Generate Image, Generative Fill and Generative Expand add, remove or extend content, and are unlimited on every paid plan.
- Video generation and editing
- Make clips from text or images, add or remove objects and swap backgrounds in existing video, and upscale footage with Topaz Astra.
- Audio tools
- Generate sound effects, music and speech, and translate audio or video into more than 20 languages.
- Partner models
- Models from Google, OpenAI, Flux, Luma, Runway and others run inside Firefly and draw on the same monthly credits.
- Firefly Boards
- Mood board and storyboard tools combine generated images, uploads, colors and fonts; paid plans include unlimited use of Firefly Boards.
- Credits across Adobe apps
- The same generative credits work in Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Lightroom and Adobe Express as well as the Firefly web and mobile apps.
Microsoft Designer
- Prompt-based images
- Generates images, icons, wallpapers, stickers, clip art and avatars from a written description.
- Design from templates and sizes
- Starts designs at set sizes for social posts, ads, flyers, brochures, invitations, postcards and Outlook, Teams and PowerPoint headers.
- Image editing
- Edit image, remove background, frame images and generative erase are listed on the home screen.
- Create from prompts
- Suggestion prompts show how to fill in subject, setting and style slots to steer a result.
- Microsoft 365 link
- Microsoft's support page names Designer among the apps whose AI usage is tracked against a Microsoft 365 plan.
Plans
Adobe Firefly
Free$0
A daily allowance of image, video and audio generations that refreshes each day.
Firefly Standard$9.99
per month for 2,000 credits, billed monthly
Unlimited standard image and vector features; credits cover up to 20 five-second videos or 100 minutes of music.
Firefly Pro$19.99
per month for 4,000 credits, billed monthly
Up to 40 five-second videos, plus Photoshop on web and mobile and Adobe Express Premium.
Firefly Pro Plus$49.99
per month for 10,000 credits, billed monthly
Up to 100 five-second videos, 33 minutes of video translation and 500 minutes of music a month.
Firefly Premium$199.99
per month for 50,000 credits, billed monthly
Unlimited use of the Firefly Video Model, plus credits for partner models and audio.
Creative Cloud Pro$69.99
per month, billed annually
The Creative Cloud suite of 20+ apps, which includes Firefly with 4,000 credits a month.
Microsoft Designer
Pricing could not be confirmed. See designer.microsoft.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Adobe Firefly or Microsoft Designer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Adobe Firefly starts at $9.99 per month for 2,000 credits, billed monthly, and Microsoft Designer has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Adobe Firefly or Microsoft Designer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Adobe Firefly has a free plan. Microsoft Designer does not.
Which platforms do Adobe Firefly and Microsoft Designer run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Adobe Firefly lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.