7 Free Thumbnail Makers for YouTube Videos

Canva is one of the most versatile and intuitive design tools out there for all sorts of social media graphics and other types of designs. In addition to having a specific YouTube thumbnail template, you can use the tool to upload your own images to add them to your layout, add custom text, select icons to add from Canva's built-in library and so much more.

Once you've signed up for a free account, simply tap the More button beside the list of design options to see al options and scroll down until you get to the section labeled Social Media & Email Headers. This is where you'll find the YouTube Thumbnail template, which you can click on to start designing your own right away.

Compatibility:

• Web
• iPhone/iPad

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Fotojet is another free graphic design tool that looks and functions extremely similar to Canva, with a YouTube thumbnail layout of its own plus lots of great pre-made designs to choose from. Some pre-made designs are available to paying subscribers only, but there are lots that are free as well.

You can use Fotojet to upload your own images, add custom text, add clipart such as shapes or icons and last but not least, customize your background with different colors and designs. There are ads on the righthand side and bottom of the screen, which is perhaps the biggest downside to using this tool, but you can get rid of them by upgrading to Fotojet Plus.

Compatibility:

• Web
• Google Chrome Web Browser

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Adobe Spark is a free graphic design platform that's also pretty similar to Canva. Unlike Canva, however, you don't have pay to get access to Adobe Spark's pre-made thumbnail layouts. You can select one, customize it however you want and download it when you're done.

One thing you might notice about Adobe Spark is that its feature offering is pretty basic. There are no fun shapes or icons to add like there are in Canva, but you do get to customize your layout with your color palette, background components, text, and a few other basic options.

Compatibility:

• Web
• iPhone/iPad

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Snappa is a graphic design tool with both free and premium options that offers all sorts of social media templates, including one for making YouTube thumbnails. All you need to do is sign up for a free account before you can start browsing through some of the pre-made YouTube thumbnail layouts or use the blank template to create one from scratch.

Take advantage of Snappa's built-in library of visual icons or upload images yourself to use in your thumbnail. You can also customize the background, add effects, put custom text anywhere you want, create shapes and do so much more to make your thumbnail look exactly the way you want it to look.

Compatibility:

• Web

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For a super basic YouTube thumbnail maker tool, Panzoid's Backgrounder could be all that you really need. In the basic settings tab, you can select from the drop-down menu to make sure that your image has all the appropriate sizing and formatting for.

You can choose from a few pre-made layouts (or start one from scratch) and then move on to add and customize new layers. Layers include images you can upload yourself or custom text, plus the option to group layers so that they're easier to move around. As an added bonus, Backgrounder lets you generate a color gradient or a sunburst to make your thumbnail really pop!

Compatibility:

• Web

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The convenience of mobile devices and camera quality they have nowadays makes it easier than ever to record, edit, and upload videos using the. And for those who don't want to have to move to a desktop computer just to create thumbnail images, there are apps that can be used to make great looking thumbnails in just seconds on any compatible iOS device.

This app lets you upload your own photos to use as backgrounds and also has a selection of pre-made background layouts that you can choose from. From there you can crop your thumbnail image to fit the ideal YouTube thumbnail size and add optional filters, fonts, photos, and even stickers to make it look more eye-catching.

Compatibility:

• iPhone/iPad