VSCO is going after Adobe with a $500 Pro subscription service

VSCO is making a bigger push into professional photography with the launch of Studio Pro, a new editing app designed for photographers handling large volumes of images.

The app arrives alongside a new VSCO One subscription bundle. This subscription will cost $500 per year. As a result, it puts the app in direct competition with Adobe’s creative software ecosystem, which dominates the industry.

Available now on iOS, with a macOS version due later this year, Studio Pro is aimed at photographers who regularly work on projects such as weddings, sports events, portraits and school photography. Rather than focusing on casual edits, the app is built around streamlining larger workflows.

At launch, Studio Pro includes tools for batch editing, allowing users to apply adjustments across multiple images at once. It also offers a style-matching feature that can replicate the look of a reference image across an entire shoot. Furthermore, photographers can share finished work through VSCO Galleries. This gives clients a dedicated place to view and access images.

VSCO says this is only the beginning. Future updates are expected to add RAW photo support, more advanced export controls, aspect ratio adjustments and additional editing tools aimed at professional users.

The launch is closely tied to the company’s new VSCO One subscription, which bundles together its growing collection of photography tools and services. In addition to Studio Pro, subscribers will gain access to Capture, Galleries, Workspace, Sites, AI Lab and Canvas. They will also have access to VSCO’s Freelance Photographer mentorship programme.

The company is positioning VSCO One as an alternative to what it describes as the “fragmented” workflow many photographers currently deal with. In this fragmented workflow, editing, client communication, image delivery and portfolio management often require several different platforms.

At $500 annually, the subscription won’t be for everyone. However, the pricing places it broadly in line with an annual Adobe Creative Cloud Pro subscription. This makes it clear who VSCO is targeting.