In June 2024, Adobe quietly updated its Terms of Service. Buried in the legalese was a clause granting Adobe the right to access user content — including files stored locally and synced through Creative Cloud — for purposes including "training machine learning models." The creative community erupted.
Designers who had trusted Adobe with decades of work suddenly realized they had no ownership guarantee over their own files. The backlash was swift: viral threads on Reddit, cancellation campaigns on Twitter, and a fundamental erosion of trust between Adobe and the professionals who built their careers on Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
The Problem: Proprietary Format Lock-in
But the Terms of Service controversy exposed a deeper issue that had been festering for years: format lock-in.
When you create a design in Photoshop, your work is stored as a .psd file. That file can only be fully opened in Photoshop. Want to access your own layers? Pay $22.99/month. Want to share your color palettes? They're trapped in .ase format, which only works inside Adobe's ecosystem. Want to hand off your XD prototypes? Your collaborators need Adobe XD.
This isn't a feature — it's a business model. Adobe doesn't just sell tools; it sells the inability to leave.
The real cost of Adobe Creative Cloud in 2025:
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| All Apps (annual, monthly billing) | 79.30 EUR/month |
| All Apps (annual, prepaid) | 921.15 EUR/year |
| All Apps (monthly, no commitment) | 118.96 EUR/month |
| Single App (e.g., Photoshop) | 26.43 EUR/month |
That's over 950 EUR/year for the privilege of accessing your own work in your own formats.
The Solution: Convert, Extract, and Migrate — Locally
Today we're announcing a set of tools designed specifically to help designers break free from Adobe's format lock-in. Every tool runs 100% in your browser. No uploads. No servers. No subscriptions.
PSD Tools
PSD to PNG Converter — Convert your Photoshop files to universal PNG format. Export the flattened composite or extract each layer as a separate PNG with transparency preserved. No Photoshop required.
PSD to SVG Converter — Transform your PSD designs into scalable vector SVG files. Choose between embedded bitmaps for self-contained files or external references for smaller file sizes.
PSD Layer Extractor — The tool Adobe doesn't want you to have. Browse all layers in any PSD file, preview them with thumbnails, select the ones you need, and download them as individual PNGs. All without touching Photoshop.
XD Tools
- XD to SVG Converter — Extract artboards and design elements from Adobe XD files as standard SVG. Your prototypes, freed from XD's proprietary format.
Color Palette Tools
ASE to CSS Palette — Convert Adobe Swatch Exchange files to CSS custom properties, SASS variables, LESS variables, or Tailwind config. Your brand colors, in the format the web actually uses.
ASE to GPL Converter — Convert ASE swatches to GIMP Palette format. Move your color palettes from Adobe to the open-source ecosystem (GIMP, Inkscape, Krita).
How It Works: Zero Upload Architecture
Every one of these tools uses client-side JavaScript to parse Adobe's proprietary formats directly in your browser. Here's what happens when you convert a PSD file:
- You drag your
.psdfile onto the tool - JavaScript reads the binary PSD format using the
ag-psdlibrary - Layers are rendered onto HTML Canvas elements
- Each canvas is exported as PNG or SVG
- You download the results
Your file never leaves your device. Not a single byte is transmitted over the network. There's no server to hack, no cloud storage to breach, no Terms of Service to worry about.
The #KitmulExodus
We're calling this the #KitmulExodus — a migration from Adobe's proprietary ecosystem to open formats that you actually own.
This isn't about hating Adobe. Photoshop is an incredible tool. Illustrator defined vector graphics. But your work is yours, and you shouldn't need a monthly subscription to access it.
The exodus is simple:
- Export your PSD files to PNG/SVG while you still have access
- Extract your layers — every icon, every component, every asset
- Convert your color palettes from ASE to CSS or GPL
- Store everything in open formats that any tool can read
Whether you keep your Adobe subscription or not, having your assets in open formats gives you freedom. Freedom to use Figma, Affinity, GIMP, Inkscape, Canva, or any tool that emerges tomorrow.
See the Full Comparison
We've built a detailed Kitmul vs Adobe comparison page showing exactly how our free, private tools stack up against Adobe's subscription model across 6 key dimensions: pricing, privacy, installation, file format freedom, PSD layer access, and color palette tools.
The bottom line: You don't need to pay 79.30 EUR/month to access your own creative assets. #KitmulExodus