Adobe Firefly runs on generative credits, and the way they work is confusing. Some features cost nothing, some cost 10 credits, and a short video clip can burn through hundreds in one go.
This guide explains every Firefly plan in 2026, what each feature costs in credits, how many credits come with your Creative Cloud plan, and how to stretch them. All numbers come from Adobe’s own help pages (last updated 27 October 2026).
- Firefly plans: Standard $9.99 (2,000 credits), Pro $19.99 (4,000), Pro Plus $49.99 (10,000), Premium $199.99 (50,000) per month.
- Every paid Firefly plan includes unlimited standard generations. Credits are only spent on premium features like video and partner models.
- Creative Cloud Pro ($69.99/month) includes 4,000 premium credits plus unlimited standard generations.
- Typical costs: Firefly Image 5 = 10 credits, Image 4 Ultra = 20, 1080p video = 100 credits per second.
- Free: Generative Remove in Lightroom and the Photoshop Remove Tool cost no credits.
- Credits do not roll over, and failed generations are refunded.
What Are Generative Credits?
Generative credits are Adobe’s currency for AI features. Every time you generate an image, a video clip or audio with a premium feature, Adobe takes a set number of credits from your monthly allowance.
Adobe now splits generations into two groups:
- Standard generations: everyday image features. On paid Firefly plans and Creative Cloud Pro these are unlimited.
- Premium generations: video, audio, the newest image models, partner models (third-party models inside Firefly) and custom models. These cost credits.
Your credits reset every month on your billing date. Unused credits do not roll over to the next month.
Firefly Plans and Prices in 2026
These are the standalone Firefly plans, billed monthly in US dollars. Prices in other regions differ and may include tax.
| Plan | Price per month | Premium credits | Standard generations | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firefly Standard | $9.99 | 2,000 | Unlimited | Images plus a few short video tests |
| Firefly Pro | $19.99 | 4,000 | Unlimited | Regular creators making some video |
| Firefly Pro Plus | $49.99 | 10,000 | Unlimited | Weekly video work, partner models |
| Firefly Premium | $199.99 | 50,000 | Unlimited | Studios and heavy video users |
Need more credits mid-month? Adobe sells add-on credit packs in sizes of 2,000, 4,000, 7,000, 10,000 and 50,000 credits. They are handy for one big project, but a plan upgrade is usually cheaper if you run out every month.
Credits in Creative Cloud and Other Adobe Plans
You may already have credits without a Firefly plan. Here is what each Adobe plan includes per month:
| Adobe plan | Monthly premium credits | Unlimited standard? |
|---|---|---|
| Creative Cloud Pro ($69.99/month) | 4,000 | Yes |
| Creative Cloud Standard | 25 | No |
| Photoshop single app | 25 | No |
| Photography plan 1 TB | 1,000 | No |
| Firefly mobile and web plan | 750 | No |
| Lightroom plan | 250 | No |
| Adobe Express Premium | 250 | No |
The big gap is clear. Creative Cloud Standard and Photoshop single app include only 25 credits, which is about two Firefly Image 5 images. If you use Photoshop’s Generative Fill a lot, Creative Cloud Pro or a Firefly plan on top makes more sense.
For a tour of what those AI tools do inside Photoshop, see my Photoshop AI features guide.
How Many Credits Each Feature Costs
This is the table most people need. Costs come from Adobe’s generative credits FAQ.
| Feature | Credit cost |
|---|---|
| Firefly Image 5 (per image) | 10 |
| Firefly Image 4 Ultra (per image) | 20 |
| Generate Video, 1080p | 100 per second |
| Generate Video, 720p | 50 per second |
| Generate Video, 540p | 20 per second |
| Generative Extend (Premiere Pro, video) | 75 to 175 per second |
| Generate Sound Effects | 10 per generation |
| Generate Soundtrack (music) | 20 per minute |
| Generate Speech | 10 to 20 per 1,000 characters |
| Translate Video / Audio | 5 per second |
| Train a custom model | 500 |
| Generate with a custom model | 20 per generation |
| Partner models (third-party) | Varies by model, shown before you generate |
| Generative Remove (Lightroom), Remove Tool (Photoshop) | 0 (free) |
The app shows the credit cost on the Generate button before you press it. Get into the habit of checking it, especially with partner models, which can cost much more than Adobe’s own.
What You Get for Free
Firefly has a free tier. You can sign in with a free Adobe account and try generations on the Firefly website and mobile app, with a small allowance that Adobe shows inside the app.
A few things are worth knowing about free use:
- Free credits expire one month after they are given to you.
- Free use is for testing. Premium models and longer video quickly need a paid plan.
- Generative Remove in Lightroom and the Remove Tool in Photoshop never use credits, even on cheaper plans.
- Failed generations are refunded automatically, so an error does not cost you.
How Far Your Credits Actually Go
Here is a rough guide to what each monthly allowance buys if you spend it on one thing only. Real use is usually a mix.
| Credits | Image 5 images | Image 4 Ultra images | 1080p video | 720p video |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 (CC Standard) | 2 | 1 | 0 seconds | 0 seconds |
| 250 (Lightroom, Express) | 25 | 12 | 2.5 seconds | 5 seconds |
| 2,000 (Firefly Standard) | 200 | 100 | 20 seconds | 40 seconds |
| 4,000 (Firefly Pro, CC Pro) | 400 | 200 | 40 seconds | 80 seconds |
| 10,000 (Pro Plus) | 1,000 | 500 | 100 seconds | 200 seconds |
| 50,000 (Premium) | 5,000 | 2,500 | 500 seconds | 1,000 seconds |
Remember that standard generations are unlimited on paid Firefly plans and CC Pro. So if you mainly make images with standard features, you may barely touch your credits.
Video is where credits vanish. Each try counts, and you rarely get the shot on the first attempt. Plan for three to five attempts per usable clip.
How to Check Your Credit Balance
- Firefly website: open firefly.adobe.com, sign in, and click your profile picture or the credits icon at the top. It shows the credits left and the reset date.
- Adobe account page: go to account.adobe.com, open Plans, and look for the generative credits section.
- Inside Photoshop or Premiere Pro: the credit cost appears on the Generate button, and a low-balance message appears when you are close to zero.
- Before each premium generation: read the number on the button. Partner models and video show their exact cost there.
How to Save Credits
- Draft video at 540p (20 credits per second), then render the winner at 1080p. Testing at 1080p costs five times more.
- Keep clips short. Generate 3-5 seconds and extend only the takes you like.
- Use Image 5 before Image 4 Ultra. At 10 credits it is half the price.
- Use the free Remove tools for clean-up instead of Generative Fill when you just need to erase something.
- Write precise prompts. Fewer retries means fewer credits.
- Check partner model costs before you pick one. Use them for specific looks, not for drafts.
- Time big jobs before your reset date. Credits do not roll over, so use what you have left first.
Which Plan Should You Pick?
| You are… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A Photoshop user doing occasional Generative Fill | Photography 1 TB or CC Pro | 25 credits on CC Standard runs out fast |
| Making social images, little video | Firefly Standard ($9.99) | Unlimited standard images plus 2,000 credits |
| Making short videos every week | Firefly Pro or Pro Plus | 4,000-10,000 credits covers drafts plus finals |
| Using the full Adobe suite daily | Creative Cloud Pro ($69.99) | All apps plus 4,000 credits and unlimited standard |
| A studio or agency producing video | Firefly Premium ($199.99) | 50,000 credits, about 8 minutes of 1080p |
Adobe says its own Firefly models are trained on licensed content and public domain material, which is why many businesses choose it for commercial work. Partner models may have different terms, so check them for client projects.
Firefly vs Free Local Alternatives
If you have a decent graphics card, you can generate images and video locally with no credits at all. The trade-off is setup time and hardware.
| Adobe Firefly | Local (ComfyUI, open models) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $9.99-$199.99 per month | Free software, you pay for the GPU and power |
| Limits | Monthly credits | None, only your hardware speed |
| Setup | None, works in the browser | Install, models and custom nodes |
| Hardware | Any computer | A GPU with 8-16 GB+ VRAM for good results |
| Commercial safety | Adobe’s licensed training data | Depends on each model’s licence |
| Integration | Built into Photoshop, Premiere, Express | Separate tool, export to your editor |
Want to try the local route? Start with how much VRAM you need for AI, then set up the nodes in my must-have ComfyUI custom nodes list. No GPU? Renting a cloud GPU for a few hours can still be cheaper than a big credit plan.
Troubleshooting Credit Problems
“You have run out of generative credits”
You have used this month’s premium credits. Standard features still work on paid Firefly plans and CC Pro. For premium ones, wait for your reset date, buy an add-on pack, or upgrade the plan.
My credits did not reset
Credits reset on your billing date, not on the 1st of the month. Check the date on account.adobe.com. If it has passed, sign out of Firefly and back in, and contact Adobe support if the number still has not changed.
My plan says unlimited but credits went down
Unlimited covers standard generations only. Video, audio, Image 4 Ultra, partner models and custom models are premium and always use credits.
A generation failed but I lost credits
Adobe refunds failed generations automatically. Give it a few minutes, then refresh the balance. If the credits do not come back, report it to Adobe support with the time of the failure.
Generative Fill is greyed out in Photoshop
Check that you are signed in, that your plan includes credits, and that your Photoshop is up to date. Generative features also need an internet connection and are not offered in every region or for every account type, such as some school accounts.
My Take
For images, Firefly is now good value because paid plans include unlimited standard generations. The $9.99 Standard plan is plenty for most people who make social graphics or thumbnails.
For video, credits are the real cost. Budget about 500 credits per finished 5-second 1080p clip, more with retries. Draft at 540p and only upgrade the winners.
If you already pay for Creative Cloud Standard, those 25 credits are a taster, not a working allowance. Either move to CC Pro or add a small Firefly plan.
FAQ
How much does Adobe Firefly cost?
Firefly Standard is $9.99/month, Pro $19.99, Pro Plus $49.99 and Premium $199.99. Each includes unlimited standard generations plus 2,000 to 50,000 premium credits.
Is Adobe Firefly free?
There is a free tier with a small allowance for trying Firefly on the web and mobile. Free credits expire after a month, and premium features need a paid plan.
How many credits does a Firefly image cost?
Firefly Image 5 costs 10 credits per image and Image 4 Ultra costs 20. Standard generations are unlimited on paid Firefly plans and Creative Cloud Pro.
How many credits does Firefly video cost?
100 credits per second at 1080p, 50 per second at 720p and 20 per second at 540p. A 5-second 1080p clip costs 500 credits.
Do Firefly credits roll over?
No. Monthly credits reset on your billing date and unused ones are lost.
How many generative credits come with Creative Cloud?
Creative Cloud Pro includes 4,000 premium credits and unlimited standard generations. Creative Cloud Standard and the Photoshop single app include 25 credits.
Does Generative Remove use credits?
No. Generative Remove in Lightroom and the Remove Tool in Photoshop are free.
Can I buy extra Firefly credits?
Yes. Add-on packs come in 2,000, 4,000, 7,000, 10,000 and 50,000 credit sizes, available from your Adobe account or inside Firefly.
