VSCO’s Subscription-Based Shocker

The year 2012 (ah, what a distant memory) marked the launch of VSCO Cam, arguably one of the most popular photo editing applications of the decade. Now known exclusively as VSCO, the app maintains its sleek appearance and minimalist design, deviating from the norm of comment-riddled feeds across social media. Its functionality is reflected in its beauteous RAW photo capabilities, which are often more difficult to handle on a mobile phone. But no matter how elegant your RAW photos may look with the A4 filter, the more ‘sophisticated’ filters will always hide behind a perennial paywall. This capitalist conundrum extends into the video editing, border, prism, retro, and montage tools. With an annual, aggravating $19.99, you can unlock all these prized possessions! But is it worth it to invest in this subscription when Afterlight and Adobe Creative Cloud (which provides discounts for educational purposes) provide more gimmicks at comparable prices? I wager not. VSCO already has a breadth of amazing features in its free edition. The application’s ingenious collections of aesthetics and related images make downloading it worth the while. But the next time you want a pretty blur effect, find a better option for your $19.99!