So, I use CLIP STUDIO for my art, right? And the first version I ever bought was the perpetual license, CLIP STUDIO PAINT PRO Ver. 1.
Like, right after I bought it, Ver. 2 came out, and now we’re even at Ver. 4. I was, like, totally stressing about whether to upgrade or not. Turns out, I’m still rocking 1.13 on my main PC, lol. But on my tablet, I’m using an activation code from the CELSYS shareholder benefits, so I’m running two accounts rn.
If you’re wondering, “What’s CELSYS?”—basically, for us artists, they’re the peeps who make and sell CLIP STUDIO.
So, what’s the deal with their shareholder benefits? You get an activation code for a 6-month, one-device plan of CLIP STUDIO PAINT EX.
As of April 2025, if you’re paying the regular monthly price, it’s ¥980/month. So, you’re getting ¥5,880 worth of free stuff every six months. (Ignoring the free trial, obvs)
Plus, CELSYS stock also pays dividends, so you get some extra cash on top.
In 2024, they paid out ¥12 per share for both halves of the year. So, if you own 100 shares, that’s an extra ¥2,400 per year (pre-tax).
Sounds like you can get Clip Studio EX for free forever if you just hold the stock, right? But here’s the catch—the benefit conditions for 2025 got way stricter, so it’s kinda hard to recommend now.
Benefit Conditions
Up until last year, the conditions for getting CELSYS benefits were: “Be listed on the shareholder registry as of June 30th and December 31st each year, and own 100 shares (one unit) or more of their stock.” But from this year, it’s changed to: “Be listed on the shareholder registry as of June 30th and December 31st each year, and own 200 shares (two units) or more of their stock.”
Super bummer, right? Now you need, like, double the cash to qualify.
I was holding CELSYS stock just for the benefits under the old conditions, so I only had 100 shares, duh.
I knew from this year I’d need 200 shares, so I bought more last month, bringing my total to 200. I’ll be eligible for the next benefit check on June 30th. But I can’t really recommend CELSYS stock to anyone who doesn’t already own 200 shares.
The Whole “Hurdle’s Too High” Thing
This might not be a problem for rich peeps, but as of April 6, 2025, CELSYS stock is ¥1,123. So, buying 200 shares would set you back ¥224,600.
Before, you only needed 100 shares, and the stock price was below ¥1,000. It was, like, a reasonable amount.
Now, maybe because their business is booming, the stock sometimes goes over ¥1,200. Even though you get about ¥16,560 per year (12 months of Clip Studio EX, ¥12 dividend, 200 shares, pre-tax), asking someone to drop ¥220,000 just for that is kinda wild.
I’m gonna keep using Clip Studio as long as I’m doing digital art, so I don’t think it’s a bad deal for me. But I can’t really recommend it to others.
You could buy 200 shares early in June or December, get the benefits, and then sell them. But since it’s the stock market, you could end up losing money if the stock price drops when you sell. (Especially since it often drops after the benefits are distributed).
Stock trading is your own risk, and I definitely don’t recommend it if you get stressed out by stock price fluctuations.
If you own 200 shares, a ¥100 drop in the stock price means a ¥20,000 loss in your assets.
FYI, I actually lost money from buying more shares.
Why I Wrote This Post
The reason I wrote this post, even though it’s hard to recommend, is just to say that it’s a total win for artists. Plus, I wanna show my support for CELSYS and hope they keep killing it. So, I’m holding CELSYS stock as a kind of “donation.”
Looking at the current digital art tool scene, there’s a ton of competition with paid and free software like CLIP STUDIO, Photoshop, ibisPaint, MediBang Paint, and Procreate (iPad). But Clip Studio seems to be way ahead of the pack.
Clip Studio’s been crushing it with their updates, and I gotta mention that you can always use the latest version by using the activation code from the shareholder benefits.
I’m not rich at all, and I’d even say I’m kinda broke, but I’m gonna keep cheering for CELSYS.
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