# Adobe Express vs Notely AI

The clearest difference is update cadence: Notely AI at every 2 days against Adobe Express's every 3 weeks. Notely AI also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Adobe Express's advantage is ratings volume (368K vs 7) and chart position (#13 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Adobe Express sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Notely AI sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notely AI holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Adobe Express has 368K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Adobe Express ships an update every 3 weeks, Notely AI every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Adobe Express | Notely AI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (368K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-express-create-anything/id1051937863/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notely-ai-instant-audio-notes/id6745149931/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **368K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 58.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#13** | — |
| Size | 188 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Twinstar Creatives](https://appshunter.io/developer/1378171714) |

## What reviewers say

### Adobe Express

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

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Grossing · Graphics & Design, #17 Top Free · 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


### Notely AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notely-ai-instant-audio-notes/id6745149931)

This app helps students and lifelong learners capture, transcribe, and master lecture content. It offers AI-powered transcription, smart note generation, and flashcard creation from audio recordings, photos, web links, and PDFs.

**Highlights:** Voice recording and playback, AI-powered transcription, AI-generated lecture summaries, Photo notes with OCR, Web link and PDF import, Auto-generated flashcards and quizzes, Integrated review interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notely AI Weekly Plan | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Notely AI Monthly Plan | $19.99 | per month |
| Notely AI Yearly Plan | $129.99 | per year |
| Notely AI Yearly Family Plan | $189.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Adobe Express free?

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

### Is Notely AI free?

Notely AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Adobe Express or Notely AI?

Notely AI is rated higher. Adobe Express averages 4.8 out of 5 from 368K ratings, while Notely AI averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do Adobe Express or Notely AI have ads?

Neither Adobe Express nor Notely AI shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Adobe Express or Notely AI?

Adobe Express ships an update every 3 weeks, and Notely AI every 2 days. Most recently, Adobe Express was updated on October 3, 2026 and Notely AI on September 10, 2026.

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