Adobe is putting on hold its plan to discontinue Adobe Animate following intense backlash from its customers after it announced plans to shut down the 2D animation software amid an increased focus on its investments in AI.
“We are not discontinuing or removing access to Adobe Animate. Animate will continue to be available for both current and new customers, and we will ensure you continue to have access to your content,” the company wrote in a post on Wednesday.
Adobe’s Monday announcement about discontinuing Animate was met with incredulity, disappointment, and anger, and users aired concerns about the lack of alternatives that mirror Animate’s functionality.
The company changed its tune on Wednesday, saying there would no longer be a “deadline or date by which Animate will no longer be available.”
“Adobe Animate is in maintenance mode for all customers. This applies to individual, small business, and enterprise customers. Maintenance mode means we will continue to support the application and provide ongoing security and bug fixes, but we are no longer adding new features. Animate will continue to be available for both new and existing users - we will not be discontinuing or removing access to Adobe Animate,” it said.
One customer, posting on X, had asked Adobe to at least open source the software rather than abandon it. Commenters on the thread responded with angst, saying things like, “this is legit gonna ruin my life,” and, “literally what the hell are they doing? animate is the reason a good chunk of adobe users even subscribe in the first place.”
On Monday, the company updated its support site and sent emails to existing customers announcing that Adobe Animate would be discontinued on March 1, 2026. Enterprise customers would continue to receive technical support through March 1, 2029, to ease the transition, the company said at the time. Other customers would have support through March of next year.
Adobe explained its decision to discontinue the program in an FAQ, saying, “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. 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.”
Reading between the lines, it seemed as if Adobe was saying that Animate no longer represents the current direction of the company, which is now more focused on products that incorporate AI technologies.
What’s surprising is that Adobe couldn’t even recommend software that would fully replace what customers are losing with Animate. Instead, it said customers with a Creative Cloud Pro plan can use other Adobe apps to “replace portions of Animate functionality.”
For instance, it suggested that Adobe After Effects can support complex keyframe animation using the Puppet tool, and Adobe Express can be used for animation effects that can be applied to photos, videos, text, shapes and other design elements.
There were hints that Adobe was headed in this direction when no mention was made of Animate at the company’s annual Adobe Max conference. Plus, no 2025 version of the software was released.
Before switching to “maintenance mode,” Abode had intended for the software to continue to work for those who have it downloaded. Typically, Adobe charged $34.49 per month for the software, which dropped to $22.99 with a 12-month commitment. The annual prepaid plan was available for $263.88. Now, the company says it will be available to new users, as well.
Some users have been recommending other animation programs to use as a replacement, including Moho Animation and Toon Boom Harmony.
Updated, Feb. 4, 2026, to note that Adobe reversed its decision and announced the software would be placed in maintenance mode instead of discontinued.
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