Adobe already has a monopoly on most design software, given it’s a staple in many creators’ workflows. They pay a lot of money each month for the Creative Cloud subscription, so it only makes sense for creators to consider using Adobe Creative Cloud Express.

There is a free version that offers lots of design options, and a premium version that offers even more. Intrigued yet? Let’s find out what Creative Cloud Express is all about.

What Is Adobe Creative Cloud Express?

Adobe Creative Cloud Express home

You can find Adobe Creative Cloud Express through Adobe’s website, where you can use it for free or pay a premium for added features. You don’t need a Creative Cloud subscription to use this program; however, if you happen to have one then you’ll have access to the premium version.

The name Adobe Creative Cloud Express may be slightly confusing. It mixes Adobe Creative Cloud with Adobe Photoshop Express, but it is a separate program that mixes the expertise of Adobe software into one simple program.

You may be wondering where this program came from. It seems to have appeared out of nowhere, but Creative Cloud Express is the revamped version of Adobe Spark, which is now defunct. Creative Cloud Express offers the same features as its former Adobe Spark, but with more focus on creating social media graphics for creatives and business owners.

Who Is Adobe Creative Cloud Express For?

ACCE What For page

Of course, there is nothing stopping anyone who is not a business owner or a creative designer from using Creative Cloud Express. This is a program for those who aren’t as focused on the input process care more about the output of their creative work.

Adobe has a 30-year history of creating design software, and with the rise of other free design software becoming available, a free Adobe product shouldn’t go amiss in your workload. You’re getting access to expert knowledge at the cost of nothing.

ACCE Templates

This program works best for those who use graphics for social media posts like Instagram Stories, YouTube thumbnails, or advertisements. And, much like Canva, Creative Cloud Express has a very intuitive working space, making it easy for anyone to pick up without any prior experience using design software.

For the occasional graphic you need to create or edit, Creative Cloud Express allows you the creative freedom to do what you need to do without the time-consuming aspect of downloading software, paying for software, or learning how to use the software.

It’s a great tool for anyone who needs to make slight image changes, like removing the background, cropping an image, or even saving it in a different format. Why should you pay a subscription fee just to do those minor things every now and then?

What Can You Do in Adobe Creative Cloud Express?

Edit a template in ACCE

While Adobe Creative Cloud Express is not an exact replica of any one particular Adobe program, there are a lot of things you can do with it that you may also find within other software in the Adobe range.

With the provided templates, you can easily and quickly create a multitude of social media posts, including those with animations or videos embedded. If you want to be more unique, you can design from scratch rather than editing an existing design template.

There is a small selection of fonts to use, but if you download any through Adobe Font to your computer, you can integrate those too. With your font choice, there are animation options for text, as well as standard color and style editing tools.

Creative Cloud Express offers filter options to enhance your photos or give them a stylistic effect, along with the typical enhancements and adjustments you’d find in Photoshop or Lightroom, such as contrast, brightness, saturation, sharpen, and so on. Although these aren’t very comprehensive, it’s enough to change your photos to suit certain design styles.

Dog background removed

The free version of Creative Cloud Express even offers a background removal tool—something that is often only found in premium versions of other software like Canva or Pixlr. It works well, and there is a restorative function if you need to rectify something, but it is only available with the premium subscription.

If you’re planning to use Adobe Creative Cloud Express as a business owner or brand owner, there is an embedded brand function in the software.

Although you can upload your brand logo, color, and font in the free version, you are only able to apply the brand assets to designs if you have a premium subscription, rendering it pretty useless otherwise. It may be good for you to visualize branding your designs, but until you pay the premium, it doesn’t seem very helpful.

Brand assests in Creative Cloud Express

Adobe Creative Cloud Express Membership

Creative Cloud Express is a free service that is separate from the Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. While the free version offers a lot, there is also a premium monthly subscription for $9.99.

You can access a free 30-day trial of the premium version before committing to the subscription. And, as mentioned before, if you already have an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, the premium of Creative Cloud Express is included.

Unlike Creative Cloud, the Creative Cloud Express premium is offered as a rolling monthly subscription, so you can opt out at any time.

With the premium version, you can edit or restore a background removal. This tool is great since the free version of the background removal tool isn’t always perfect, and the ability to change the selection means a perfect result every time.

Branding example

Being able to apply your brand to your designs is quick and easy with the premium version. One click of a button is all it takes. You can even apply more than one brand, for multiple businesses or uses.

For all your storage worries, the premium version offers 100GB of cloud storage, compared to the free version’s measly 2GB. You can also utilize Creative Cloud Libraries. Share your designs and assets and pick them up wherever you log in to your account.

A big plus for Creative Cloud Express premium is that you can convert to PDF and export in PDF as well as many other file types. Even from mobile.

And finally, the premium Creative Cloud Express subscription also gives you premium membership to four other Adobe programs: Adobe Premiere Rush, Adobe Photoshop Express, Adobe Spark Video, and Adobe Spark Page.

These four programs, along with Creative Cloud Express, give you access to much of Adobe’s software expertise, at only a fraction of the price of a Creative Cloud subscription.

Include Adobe Creative Cloud Express in Your Workflow

The premium version of Adobe Creative Cloud Express comes with many perks, but the free version is still a great tool for whatever design projects you’ve got going on. You’ll definitely want to include this software in your workflow, especially for adverts, socials, or a little creative experimentation.