DeviantArt is facing backlash amid major changes:
— ToonHive (@ToonHive) April 4, 2026
• Its mobile app has been discontinued
• Free downloads are now limited to 10 per week
• Users are being pushed toward CORE, a subscription also required for artists to sell on the platform pic.twitter.com/dO9Rv2I0dY
DeviantArt is facing growing backlash over a set of changes that have frustrated users across its community, with many now openly questioning where the platform is headed.
The most talked-about change is a weekly download limit that went into effect on March 9. Users who are not on a paid Core subscription can now download a maximum of 10 files per week, a sharp reversal from how the platform had worked for the past 25 years. DeviantArt’s team said in a post that 95% of users will not be affected, attributing the change to a small number of accounts that were downloading over 30,000 images a month.
That explanation has not gone over well. One post on the DeviantArt subreddit noted that even if 10,000 users were abusing downloads, that still represents less than 0.01% of DeviantArt’s claimed 110 million users. The platform is effectively restricting nearly everyone because of almost no one.
On top of the download cap, DeviantArt’s native mobile app has also been discontinued. The platform began directing users to its mobile browser experience back in 2024, but the combination of both changes landing close together gave a lot of people the same idea at the same time.
A post from @ToonHive laying out all three changes, including the Core requirement for artists who want to sell on the platform, pulled 1.4 million views on April 4.
“Wix paid $36M for deviantart in 2017,” one reply said. “Nine years and they’ve paywalled downloads on a site where artists shared work for free since 2000.”
A separate post from @GenoXLOID covering the same changes pulled close to a million views the same day, with replies warning MMD and 3D asset users to start backing up their files.
-Discontinuation of Mobile App and devs redirecting ppl to use the mobile browsers instead
— GenoX (@GenoXLOID) April 3, 2026
-Free Downloads being limited up to 10 at a week
-Other desperate attempts of getting users to buy CORE
Maybe DeviantArt might be shut down at any moment now cuz it's getting rly odd,,, pic.twitter.com/G33fOytAlB
Some of the anger traces back further. In 2022, DeviantArt launched DreamUp, an AI image generator built on Stable Diffusion, and initially set every piece of art on the platform to be opted into AI training by default. The backlash forced a policy reversal within days, but for a segment of the community, that was the turning point.
DeviantArt is currently running a 50% off promotion on Core memberships. Not everyone is reading that as a routine sale. One user even used the word “traitor” and laughed at the platform struggling.
I heard Deviantart is struggling, and desperately asking for people to start a core account & come back. lol
— 🏮Zakuga Art🏮 (@ZakugaMignon) April 9, 2026
Good die with adobe you traitor, I hope your company files for bankruptcy. Making a genAI out of the art we posted for years in support of your site deserves bankruptcy
Feel free to share your thoughts on DeviantArt in the comments below.
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Dwayne Cubbins
1462 Posts
For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
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