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Having used the free version of Adobe Express for many years, I tested the premium edition to see if upgrading was worthwhile. Here are my thoughts, with a full list of pros and cons. I’ll also discuss the key differences between both.
The Differences Between Adobe Express and Adobe Express Premium
Before I assess my favorite and least favorite things about Adobe Express Premium, let’s look at the differences between to the free and premium versions. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but you’ll find the ones I think will be the most useful to you below.
1. AI Generation Credits
I’ve spoken multiple times about how not every creative software needs AI, but I don’t mind the AI features in Adobe Express for the most part. you’re able to generate templates and several other things with the app; upgrading to Adobe Express Premium will give you 250 monthly credits.
Comparatively, the free version of Adobe Express only allows 25 monthly AI credits. If you want to see how Firefly’s features in the Adobe Express mobile app work, check out this article on what happened whenI tried Adobe Express’s AI Firefly features.
2. Templates, Assets, and Fonts
To be honest, I was disappointed with Adobe Express’s free suite of templates. You don’t get a huge number to choose from, and in my opinion, Canva is a better alternative. However, upgrading to Adobe Express Premium allowed me to try some of the paid options.
After I upgraded to the paid version, I received access to all of the app’s templates. My available fonts also increased from 1,000 with the free plan to over 25,000, and I gained access to over 200 million Adobe Stock images (compared to 500,000+ with the free edition). You can also use more Adobe Stock videos and sound effects, though the music offerings stay the same.
3. Editing Features
While I wasn’t the biggest fan of the free templates in Adobe Express, I do think that the app excels in its editing features. For this reason, I believe Express is one ofthe Adobe mobile apps worth using. After upgrading to Premium, I could use advanced animation in my videos.
Adobe Express Premium also gave me PNG exporting and the option to bulk resize images. As a result, I coulddo more cool things in Adobe Express.
Adobe Express Premium Pricing
Adobe Express Premium costs $9.99/mo if you want to pay month to month. However, you can get two months for free with an annual subscription (which costs $99.99/yr).
Teams that want to use Adobe Express Premium can get a Teams membership instead. This costs $4.99 per person per month on a rolling monthly subscription. The annual version costs $49.99 per person, per year.
Download:Adobe Express foriOS|Android(Free, in-app purchases available)
What I Liked About Adobe Express Premium
Overall, I felt like Adobe Express Premium was a better purchase than when I tried Premiere Rush Premium. It represented good value for money, and here’s why I think that.
1. More Fonts and Other Assets
One of the best things about Adobe Express is that you get access to a broader range of fonts, meaning that you have more options to customize your designs than with the free version. I would still say that Canva has a better selection in this respect, but if you like the other features in Adobe Express, keeping everything in one place is a worthwhile trade-off.
I also liked the extended suite of templates I received in Adobe Express Premium. I had more flexibility to create the designs I wanted, and thanks to the branding kits you’re able to use, it was easier to customize everything based on my needs. Canva has a brand kit in its free plan, too; you might want tocompare Canva and Adobe Express’s free plansbefore subscribing to either.
2. Access to Better Editing Features
While I didn’t use many of the editing features in Adobe Express Premium, I liked having access to a broader suite of tools. I was able to get more creative and also liked that I could export in PNG.
To be honest, you’ll get plenty of useful editing tools without subscribing to Adobe Express Premium. you’re able to alsotry using Photoshop Express Premiumand see if that’s a better choice for your requirements.
3. Significant Storage Increase
Unlike my photos, I would rather not store all of my designs in my camera roll after using them. However, I may still want to access them later. This is where Adobe’s cloud storage comes in—and I enjoyed having a bigger storage allowance compared to the free version of Express.
If you create a lot of content, upgrading to Express Premium might be a good idea. Besides getting more storage, you can also schedule your posts for multiple social media accounts if you need to.
4. No Content Watermarks
If you use premium content in the free version of Adobe Express, you’ll notice a watermark. You will undoubtedly agree with me that this is annoying if you wish to share your designs with others; it’s the main reason whyI’m not yet ready to switch to Unfold, Squarespace’s Canva alternative. But like the paid version of Unfold, you can remove watermarks in Adobe Express.
After subscribing to Adobe Express Premium, you’ll no longer see the watermark. And compared to the free plan, you’ll have no premium image limits.
What I Disliked About Adobe Express Premium
While my experiences with Express Premium were largely positive, I didn’t like everything about it.
1. The Lack of Unlimited Generative AI Credits
I would recommend directly using Adobe Firefly if you need more credits and then importing your creations into Adobe Express. Alternatively, you can use Adobe Express for things that aren’t so easy to use in Firefly and vice versa.
While we’re at it, I also didn’t like how hard it was to find many of the AI features in the Adobe Express app.
2. No 24/7 Support (Unless You Get the Teams Plan)
While you can use the resources on Adobe’s website if things go wrong, it would be much easier if you had access to someone when you needed it. You should think about whether Adobe Express is the right option if this is a deal-breaker for you.
So… Is Adobe Express Premium Worth Paying For?
I think that Adobe Express is a comprehensive upgrade to the free version, and if you already use the free edition, it might be a worthy investment. I thought that Adobe Express Premium represented reasonable value for money, and if you get two people on your plan, the Teams subscription is a worthwhile purchase.
I also liked that you’re able to easily use Adobe Express Premium with other Adobe apps, such as Lightroom, making it worthwhile if you don’t want to break apart from Adobe’s ecosystem, and it’s also handy for small teams. Its AI features are also better than other similar apps, and the templates are better than the free version’s, too, but they still lag behind Canva in my opinion.
