Mike introduces the topic of seeking alternatives to Adobe software.

• Mike acknowledges recent issues within the Adobe community that have led users to consider cancelling Creative Cloud subscriptions.
• He points out that he will not reiterate the whole story but will focus on alternatives to Adobe products.

Discussion of various alternatives to Adobe Photoshop.

• Affinity Photo is presented as the top alternative to Photoshop, offering a one-time purchase option, though it lacks some features.
• Krita is suggested for digital drawing but not for image manipulation, making it a partial alternative.
• GIMP is introduced as the polarizing open-source alternative to Photoshop, with an upcoming UI overhaul.
• Photopea is an online Photoshop clone with a surprising feature set, running entirely in a browser.
• Other alternatives like Clip Studio Paint, PaintShop Pro, and Canva are briefly mentioned.

Exploration of various alternatives to Adobe Illustrator.

• Affinity Designer is praised for its daily usage in thumbnail and graphics work, with some features surpassing Illustrator.
• Inkscape is the prominent free vector graphics application with ongoing UI improvements.
• CorelDRAW is a veteran player with a subscription cost similar to Adobe's.
• VectorStyler and Vector (VCT) are newer vector graphics options with distinct features and pricing.

Reviewing alternatives to Adobe Substance Designer and Painter.

• Material Maker is a node-based material creation software that's free and open-source.
• InstaMat is a commercial node-based creation system for making 3D materials.
• Quixel Mixer, 3D Coat, and Armorpaint are highlighted for texturing and painting on 3D objects.
• Marmoset Toolbag is a versatile tool offering real-time rendering, texturing, and baking tools.

Presenting different software alternatives to Adobe Animate.

• OpenToonz is an open-source 2D animation software used by Studio Ghibli.
• Blender is introduced as a multi-functional tool that can also handle 2D animation.
• Toon Boom Harmony is a professional-grade animation software with a steeper price tag.
• Synfig Studio, Tahoma 2D, and Moho are other 2D animation software alternatives mentioned.

Exploring photo post-processing software alternatives to Lightroom.

• Luminar Neo is recommended for its ease of use and powerful editing features.
• Darktable and RawTherapee are free and open-source alternatives for photo post-processing.

A look at video editing and special effects software alternatives.

• DaVinci Resolve is the go-to for many ex-Premiere users, offering color correction and node-based effects.
• Final Cut Pro is the preferred tool for Mac users in video editing.
• Cadenlive and HitFilm are presented as other viable video editing options.
• Natron and Nuke are suggested for compositing and motion graphics, potentially as After Effects substitutes.
• Camtasia is highlighted for its ease in creating tutorials and infographic content.