Time was Adobe shipped popular software products on media such as CDs and packed them up in a nice box one picked up at the store. Or, for the less scrupulous, it was a matter of downloading a cracked software version.

But with the ability to now sell products like Photoshop using the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, Adobe’s users pay a subscription for access and use. The SaaS model creates a significant barrier for new users to integrate and adopt Photoshop into their workflows, seeking alternatives that are “good enough” and free, though usually with upsells of premium features and versions. Now Adobe is experimenting with this “freemium” approach with its popular Photoshop, trialing a free version of the graphic editing program in Canada.

First reported by The Verge, Adobe aims to lower the price and hardware barriers of entry with a basic web version of Photoshop that retains core functionality but hopefully whets users’ appetite for the fully-featured software.