After the rollback, Adobe cancels the shutdown of Adobe Animate and puts the app into ‘maintenance mode’
Adobe is halting its plans to discontinue Adobe Animate following massive backlash from its customers after it announced plans to shut down the 2D animation software amid an increased focus on its investment in AI.
“We are not discontinuing or removing access to Adobe Animate. Animate will continue to be available to current and new customers, and we will ensure that you continue to access your content,” the company wrote in a post Wednesday.
Adobe’s announcement on Monday about discontinuing Animate was met with disbelief, disappointment, and anger, and users expressed concern about the lack of alternatives to Animate’s functionality.
The company reversed course on Wednesday, saying there would be no “deadline or date when 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 that we will continue to support the application and provide ongoing security and bug fixes, but we are not adding new features. Animate will continue to be available to both new and existing users – we will not stop or remove access to Adobe Animate,” said Adobe.
One customer, posting to X, had asked Adobe to at least open source the software rather than abandoning it. Commenters on the thread responded with outrage, saying things like, “this legalization is going to ruin my life,” and, “what the hell are they doing? animate is the reason adobe users sign up in the first place.”
On Monday, the company updated its support site and sent emails to existing customers announcing that Adobe Animate will be discontinued on March 1, 2026. Enterprise customers will continue to receive technical support until March 1, 2029, to make the changes, the company said at the time. Some customers will receive support in March next year.
Adobe explained its decision to stop the program in the FAQ, saying, “Animate has been a product that has been around for more than 25 years and has served its purpose of creating, maintaining, and improving the animation ecosystem. As technology advances, new platforms and paradigms emerge that better serve the needs of users. We agree to deny this plan.”
Reading between the lines, it seems that Adobe is saying that Animate no longer represents the company’s current direction, which is now more focused on products that incorporate AI technology.
Surprisingly, Adobe couldn’t even recommend software that could fully replace what customers lost with Animate. Instead, it said customers with a Creative Cloud Pro plan can use other Adobe apps to “modify parts of Animate’s functionality.”
For example, he suggested that Adobe After Effects can support keyframe animation using the Puppet tool, and Adobe Express can be used for animation effects that can be used in photos, videos, text, animations and other design elements.
There were indications that Adobe was looking into this case when there was no mention of Animate at the annual Adobe Max conference. Also, no 2025 version of the software has been released.
Before switching to “maintenance mode,” Abode intended the software to continue working for those who downloaded it. Normally, Adobe charges $34.49 per month for the software, which drops to $22.99 with a 12-month commitment. An annual prepaid plan was available for $263.88. Now, the company says it will be available to new users, too.
Some users have recommended other animation programs to use instead, including Moho Animation and Toon Boom Harmony.
Updated, Feb. 4, 2026, to note that Adobe has reversed its decision and announced that the software will be placed in maintenance mode instead of being discontinued.
