Adobe

Adobe in brief

• Rank: #24 of 100 in America's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026; #6 of 17 in Technology & Digital.
• WCRC Power Score: 75.00 out of 100.
• Founded: 1982, by John Warnock and Charles Geschke.
• Owner: Adobe Inc., San Jose, California.
• Leadership: Shantanu Narayen, Chairman and CEO (Anil Chakravarthy becomes CEO on 1 Dec 2026).
• Latest revenue: $23.8bn revenue (FY2025, year to Nov, +10.5%), as per company filings.

What makes Adobe powerful

Adobe makes the software that much of the creative world works in, from Photoshop to the Express design app and the Firefly AI models. In September 2026 it reported 1 billion monthly active users across its creativity and productivity products. Its AI-first annual recurring revenue grew more than 150% year over year in the quarter to Aug. 28, 2026, a sign that customers will pay for AI features inside tools they already know.

Adobe is also pushing deeper into marketing for big brands. In April 2026 it completed its acquisition of Semrush, a search marketing software company. In June it launched Adobe Brand Visibility to help companies see how they appear in AI search. Products such as CX Enterprise, which combines creative tools, marketing and AI agents, round out a suite that lets a company plan, create and track content in one place.

Adobe said in September 2026 that its creativity and productivity products had reached 1 billion monthly active users.

Why Adobe ranks #24

Adobe ranks #24 with a WCRC Power Score of 75.0, a hair behind IBM and Delta and just ahead of Salesforce and John Deere. Its product and innovation strength is high, and its digital and financial strength is solid. IBM and Delta edge it on consumer trust earned over many decades. Adobe stays ahead of Salesforce and John Deere because its brand reaches individual creators as well as large companies.

The Achilles' heel

Adobe's subscription model is under pressure. Cheaper and free AI design tools give casual users reasons to leave, and the way Adobe kept customers has drawn legal fire. In March 2026 it agreed to a $150 million settlement of a US Justice Department lawsuit, filed in 2024, over early termination fees and hard-to-cancel plans. The deal combines a $75 million civil penalty with $75 million in free services. Adobe did not admit wrongdoing and said it disagreed with the government's claims.

The 2026 story

Adobe spent 2026 turning AI into revenue and preparing a leadership change. It settled the Justice Department subscription case in March. In April it closed the Semrush deal, and in June it launched Adobe Brand Visibility. On Sept. 3 it said Anil Chakravarthy, a senior Adobe executive, will become president and CEO on Dec. 1, 2026, with Shantanu Narayen moving to executive chair. On Sept. 10 Adobe reported record third-quarter revenue, up 13%, and 1 billion monthly active users.

Pillar profile

Adobe's full 50-parameter profile is published on its World's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026 page.

Versus its nearest rivals

Questions people ask

Also featured in

• Most powerful Technology & Digital brands
• America's 50 Most Valuable Brands
• American Global Powerhouses
• Most powerful brands in California

Key facts

Sources

• Annual report (Form 10-K) and financial results of Adobe Inc. filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission
• Company website, official announcements and press releases
• Published interviews and statements by the leadership
• WCRC Business Intelligence Unit research: consumer sentiment, ratings and reviews, search demand, media and social data