# Adobe Express vs Thumbnail Design Maker

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Thumbnail Design Maker at 100% against Adobe Express's 58%. Thumbnail Design Maker also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). Adobe Express's advantage is ratings volume (367K vs 15) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Adobe Express sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Thumbnail Design Maker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Adobe Express holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Adobe Express has 367K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 58% of Adobe Express's written reviews are positive against 100% of Thumbnail Design Maker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Adobe Express | Thumbnail Design Maker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (367K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-express-create-anything/id1051937863/reviews)** | [4.5 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thumbnail-design-maker-cover/id1564684675/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **367K** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | 58.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | — |
| Size | 188 MB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Jignesh Gabani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1562334892) |

## What reviewers say

### Adobe Express

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-express-create-anything/id1051937863)

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Free · Graphics & Design, #14 Top Grossing · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Create professional marketing and business materials with ease. This app offers intuitive tools for video editing, photo enhancement, background removal, and QR code generation. Maintain brand consistency with customizable templates and brand kits.

**Highlights:** Video editing with templates, music, and effects, AI-powered photo editing and object manipulation, One-tap background removal for photos and videos, Branded QR code generation, Brand kit for consistent visuals, PDF editing and conversion

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Adobe Express Mobile | $4.99 | per month |
| Express Subscription - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Adobe Express Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Adobe Express Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Adobe Design Mobile : Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Adobe Express Mobile - Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Adobe Express - Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Adobe Express Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Adobe Express Premium - Annual | $99.99 | per month |
| Adobe Design Mobile: Yearly | $149.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Quick and efficient
- 💡 Vast collection of templates and design options
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 🚀 Seamless cross-platform sync

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Subscription model limits free features
- 🔒 Watermark issues with free version
- 🐛 Syncing and file management problems
- 👎 Cluttered and confusing UI after recent update

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes when using certain features
- Disappearing fonts and design elements
- Issues with exporting high-quality images
- Inconsistent behavior across mobile and desktop versions

**Requested features**

- Add more customization options for text, shapes, and layouts
- Improve alignment and resizing tools
- Introduce a search function for templates and design elements
- Allow offline editing and local file storage
- Provide better organization and management of projects and assets


### Thumbnail Design Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thumbnail-design-maker-cover/id1564684675)

Create professional YouTube thumbnails, Facebook covers, and channel art with a wide range of customizable templates and editing tools. Enhance your content's appeal and increase engagement with visually striking designs, even without prior design experience.

**Highlights:** 500+ customizable templates, Create YouTube thumbnails and banners, Design Facebook covers and channel art, Text editors, font styles, and stickers, HD quality saves, Background removal tool (premium)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription | $6.99 | per month |
| 3 Months Subscription | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Adobe Express free?

Adobe Express is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Thumbnail Design Maker free?

Thumbnail Design Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Adobe Express or Thumbnail Design Maker?

Adobe Express is rated higher. Adobe Express averages 4.8 out of 5 from 367K ratings, while Thumbnail Design Maker averages 4.5 from 15 ratings.

### Do Adobe Express or Thumbnail Design Maker have ads?

Neither Adobe Express nor Thumbnail Design Maker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Adobe Express or Thumbnail Design Maker?

Adobe Express ships an update every 3 weeks, and Thumbnail Design Maker every 3 weeks. Most recently, Adobe Express was updated on September 24, 2026 and Thumbnail Design Maker on September 9, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*