Adobe Releases App- and Web-Based Creative Cloud Express

If you've always gazed longingly at Adobe's suite of creativity apps but were turned off by their steep learning curves and exorbitant cost, you're in luck.

The company just surprise-released Adobe Creative Cloud Express, a riff on their popular Creative Cloud service package. Express includes simplified versions of the tools found in Photoshop, Acrobat, Illustrator, and more.

Adobe Creative Cloud Express brings some new ideas to the table to enhance the workflow for new users, including AI effects, a huge font library, and customizable templates. The service is available via web browsers or as a dedicated app for Android and iOS users. 

"We all know that a creative idea can strike at any time," said chief product officer Scott Belsky at a virtual news conference attended by Lifewire. "We created a unified set of easy-to-use, yet powerful, web and mobile apps that provide everything you need with just a few clicks."

Express is squarely aimed at those looking to perform graphic design feats without jumping through hoops. The software fully automates many common tasks like removing backgrounds, resizing videos and images for social media sites, and swapping out assets while retaining the effects and filters from an original image.

Creative Cloud Express users can also easily collaborate with their more advanced counterparts, as the newly released app syncs seamlessly with the Creative Cloud Suite. The two share assets, fonts, and design templates.

The app is free to start, but a $10/month premium tier grants access to Adobe Stock images and related features. Existing Creative Cloud subscribers can join the Express premium tier at no extra cost.