Comparison

Pulse vs ThumbLab

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pulse

Features
Read full description

Turn a 10-minute video into a 15-second highlight reel. On your phone. No upload, no signup, no waiting. Pulse turns long videos into short highlight reels using on-device AI. Pick a clip from your camera roll, watch Pulse work in real time, and share the moments worth keeping. No account. No upload. No cloud queue. WHAT IT DOES β€’ Pick β€” open any video on your iPhone with one tap (PHPicker, no Photos access prompt). β€’ Process β€” Pulse listens for excitement in the audio and watches for visually interesting frames, then fuses both signals into a hype score per moment. β€’ Highlights β€” get a stack of short clips, ranked by score, with auto-looping previews. Tap to share. WHY ON-DEVICE MATTERS Your videos never leave your phone. There is no server. There is no upload bar. There is no third party watching. Because everything runs locally on the Apple Neural Engine, Pulse is fast: a 10-minute video becomes highlights in about 20 seconds on iPhone 15 Pro and newer, around 30 seconds on iPhone 13/14, and under 60 seconds on iPhone 11/12. No cell-data tax. No "processing in the cloud" wait. LIQUID GLASS, BUILT FOR IOS Pulse uses iOS 26's Liquid Glass material system end-to-end. Highlight cards refract a blurred frame from your video; the timeline, the action bar, and every modal sit on Apple's translucent surface hierarchy. It looks like iOS because it is iOS β€” no cross-platform rewrap. FREE OR PULSE PRO Free includes: β€’ Up to 5 videos per month β€’ The single top highlight per video β€’ 720p export with a small watermark Pulse Pro unlocks: β€’ Unlimited videos β€’ Every highlight Pulse detects, not just the top one β€’ Original-quality export (passthrough β€” no re-encode, no quality loss) β€’ No watermark Pro is a simple subscription. The free tier is genuinely useful on its own, with no signup required. GREAT FOR β€’ Sports parents trimming game footage to the goals β€’ Gamers pulling clips from long screen recordings β€’ Vloggers finding the moments worth cutting to β€’ Travelers turning a long handheld pan into a shareable reel β€’ Anyone with a camera roll full of "I'll edit this later" COMPATIBLE WITH β€’ iPhone 11 and newer (A13 Bionic and up) β€’ iOS 26 and above β€’ Any video in your camera roll β€” MP4, MOV, HEVC, HDR KEYWORDS WE EARN HONESTLY Pulse is an automatic highlight maker, a clip extractor, an on-device video AI tool, and a private alternative to cloud-based highlight services. If you've been searching for an auto highlight app, a best-moments finder, a way to make a sports recap reel, or a way to turn long footage into short clips without sending it anywhere, you're in the right place. PRIVACY, IN ONE LINE Pulse needs read access to the videos you pick β€” that's it. No account. Your videos never leave your phone β€” no footage, frames, or personal information are ever uploaded. Models run on the Apple Neural Engine, locally. Built by Golazo Services LLC. Single developer, no investors, no growth team. Just a video tool that respects your iPhone and your time. SUBSCRIPTION & TERMS Pulse Pro is an auto-renewable subscription, offered monthly or yearly. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.golazoservices.com/privacy-policy/

About

ThumbLab

Features
Read full description

Make your next thumbnail the one people notice. Your video deserves more than a forgettable first impression. ThumbLab helps you create eye-catching YouTube thumbnails with bold headlines, your own photos, and designs that put your content in the spotlight. From travel vlogs and food videos to tech reviews and your next big idea, give viewers a reason to stop scrolling. CREATE YOUR LOOK Start with a ready-made template, add your photo, and make it yours. Remove your photo’s background, adjust your composition, and create a thumbnail that fits your video. MAKE EVERY WORD COUNT Turn a simple title into a bold headline. Customize fonts, colors, outlines, and shadows to make your message easy to spot. CHECK BEFORE YOU POST Preview your thumbnail in a mobile YouTube-style feed. See how your design looks at a smaller size and keep the important details clear. KEEP YOUR IDEAS READY Save projects on your device, revisit your favorites, and keep editing whenever inspiration strikes. Export at 1280 Γ— 720 to save or share your finished thumbnail. GET MORE WITH THUMBLAB+ Put yourself in the picture and give your next upload a personal touch. β€’ Personalize reference thumbnails by replacing a selected face with your own photo. β€’ Create up to 3 personalized thumbnails per day. β€’ Export at 2560 Γ— 1440 for a higher-resolution finish. β€’ Choose a weekly or monthly subscription. Templates and local editing are available for free. Your ThumbLab+ daily allowance resets at midnight UTC, and unused uses do not roll over. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled. Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings. Your next video starts with a first impression. Make it count. Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_A-GILBZ5cxXIbPnQNM9qx2nKH4N39c9qzGZotcfig4/edit?usp=sharing Terms of Use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1se0KPWUq-2eagXfJnanrV_6Z0tXI6rO6JfMSUUWBUQ4/edit?usp=sharing

Screenshots

Pulse3 screens
ThumbLab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: ThumbLab at 17.0 against Pulse's 26.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Pulse sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and ThumbLab sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
Pulse versus ThumbLab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPulseThumbLab
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size18 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGolazo ServicesAhmet Giray Ucar

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Pulse

Subscriptions2
  • Pulse Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Pulse Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
2 purchases

ThumbLab

Subscriptions2
  • ThumbLab+ Weekly$4.997 Days
  • ThumbLab+ Monthly$9.991 Month

Questions

Is Pulse free?
Pulse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ThumbLab free?
ThumbLab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pulse or ThumbLab have ads?
Neither Pulse nor ThumbLab shows ads.

Other comparisons