5 Best YouTube Thumbnail Makers in 2022 [Windows, Mac]

If you want to get more views on your YouTube videos, one of the easiest ways is to use better thumbnails.

With hundreds of videos covering the same topic, a good thumbnail is the only way to get yours picked over the rest. Your YouTube video thumbnails should give viewers a quick snapshot of what your videos are about while grabbing their attention when searching or browsing on YouTube.

This article will delve into the best thumbnail makers available and provide step-by-step instructions for making your own eye-catching thumbnails.

• Top 3 YouTube Thumbnail Makers Snapshot
• Why Do You Need Great YouTube Thumbnails?
• 5 Best Thumbnail Makers
1. PhotoDirector - Best Overall Thumbnail Maker
2. PicMonkey - Best Online Tool
3. Canva - Best for Teams
4. Fotor - Best for Adding Emojis
5. Pixlr - Best for Different Skill Levels
• Best YouTube Thumbnail Maker Comparison Chart
• How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube on Windows and Mac
• Best Practices for YouTube Thumbnails
• Download the Best YouTube Thumbnail Maker for Free
• YouTube Thumbnail Makers FAQs

Top 3 YouTube Thumbnail Makers Snapshot

1. PhotoDirector - Best Overall

Edit photos, create thumbnails, and more through an incredible mix of tools and design packs, each ready to turn your images into inspiring works of art. More Info >

2. PicMonkey - Best Online Tool

Online photo editor with templates for logos, banners, thumbnails, etc. More Info >

3. Canva - Best for Teams

Online tool for people and teams needing to design thumbnails, logos, social media content, and more. More Info >

Why Do You Need Great YouTube Thumbnails?

A thumbnail is a still image that should convey what your video is about. It is the first impression a viewer gets of your video and can mean the difference between having only a few clicks or thousands. 

A good thumbnail will give your video a professional look and make people want to watch it. It will clearly explain your video and make it more enticing to watch.

You may have the best content on a subject, but the person with the best thumbnail will win the click battle. Your thumbnail can make or break your video. 

YouTube will automatically generate a thumbnail if you don’t upload a custom one. 

Have you ever paused a movie and then laughed at the horrible expression on the actor’s face? That’s probably what you will look like if you let YouTube pick a random image from your video. You aren’t going to like it, and viewers aren’t either.   

YouTube even released a statement that said 90% of their best-performing videos have custom thumbnails.

5 Best Thumbnail Makers

1. PhotoDirector - Best Overall Thumbnail Maker

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

Thumbnail Creation: 10 / 10

Easy to Use: 10 / 10

Additional Tools: 10 / 10

Key Features

• Huge selection of constantly updated features
• Lots of tutorials and guided edits
• AI-powered editing tools

PhotoDirector is a powerful, time-saving photo editing software with more than 1,900 special effects and templates for your YouTube thumbnail design. With its guided editing modules, you can add visual effects and do photo touch-ups in seconds—no need for editing experience. Even the most novice of editors can create stunning thumbnails. 

PhotoDirector also includes millions of stock photo options from Shutterstock and iStock, so you can easily add elements and imagery to your thumbnails. Plus, add text effects, overlays, and stickers, so your thumbnails look unique and professional. There are even AI tools like Sky Replacement and Object Detection to remove backgrounds quickly.

Download PhotoDirector for free and start making thumbnails that grab viewers' attention.

2. PicMonkey - Best Online Tool

Compatibility: Web Browser

Thumbnail Creation: 10 / 10

Easy to Use: 9 / 10

Additional Tools: 9 / 10

Key Features

• User-friendly
• Packed with features

PicMonkey is an online YouTube thumbnail maker by Shutterstock, and comes with over 100 professionally designed YouTube thumbnail templates. Customize your youtube thumbnail from a template or create a design from a blank canvas and add frames, overlays, filters, text, etc. PicMonkey also comes with beautification tools and effects like Ombre and Zombify.

3. Canva - Best for Teams

Compatibility: Web Browser

Thumbnail Creation: 9 / 10

Easy to Use: 9 / 10

Additional Tools: 9 / 10

Key Features

• Easy drag-and-drop interface
• Collaboration feature to work with a team
• Free version offers many features, and paid options are marked

Canva is a graphic design app with over 1 million graphics, templates, images, and fonts to use in your thumbnail creations. It offers thumbnail templates categorized by type, like music, food, travel, beauty, and tutorial. Other features include stock photos, illustrations, lines, shapes, frames, grids, and text. Plus, you can save your brand’s color palette, and the YouTube saving option makes your image the correct size and format.

4. Fotor - Best for Adding Emojis

Compatibility: Web browser, Windows, Mac

Thumbnail Creation: 8 / 10

Easy to Use: 8 / 10

Additional Tools: 7 / 10

Key Features

• Good for beginners
• Fast processing speed

Fotor is a cloud-based image design software with YouTube thumbnail templates for any scenario. It makes adding text, stickers, and emojis to your video thumbnails quick and easy. It also has editing features like the RGB spectrum curve, which gives you total control over the colors and tone of your thumbnail.

5. Pixlr - Best for Different Skill Levels

Compatibility: Web Browser, Windows, Mac

Thumbnail Creation: 7 / 10

Easy to Use: 6 / 10

Additional Tools: 6 / 10

Key Features

• Customizable interface
• Design tools

Pixlr is a cloud-based photo and design editor with stylish social media templates. Add overlays, stickers, shapes, and change colors to customize a template, or start with a blank canvas. Pixlr has a Quick and Easy mode plus an Advanced Editor to cover every experience level of designers.

Best YouTube Thumbnail Maker Comparison Chart

How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube on Windows and Mac

Here’s how to make a thumbnail using PhotoDirector on Windows and Mac: 

1. Import your photos using the Import button at the bottom of the Library tab. 
2. Select the photo you want to use as your thumbnail and open the Edit tab. 
3. Open the Guided Tools (magic wand icon on the right side), scroll down the left menu, and choose Background Removal under Improve/Remove.

4. Under Select a brush: use the Auto select the most prominent object or brush tool to highlight the image's background. 

5. Choose Remove unselected area and click Apply.
6. If needed, use the brush tool to fine-tune the edges.

7. Add a color board to create a solid color background. 


You can skip this step if you have an image you would like to add underneath your cutout. Simply layer the cutout above the background image after step 8 and before step 9.

8. Click OK to save changes to the image and continue editing.
9. Click on the Text icon (the letter T) from the menu on the right. 

10. Click on your image where you would like the text box and write in your text. 

Use the Text Menu to change your text's font, color, size, and style. 

Move the Text box around and play with your text settings until you're happy. 

11. Click Save/Share in the bottom left corner. 

Best Practices for YouTube Thumbnails

Here are some golden rules for making eye-catching thumbnails:

1. Add Bold Titles

Even the most beautiful image will cause viewers to scroll by if there isn’t a title. A photo of the Grand Canyon won’t tell you that the video is about “The 10 Best Sites to See in the US,” “The 5 Best Holes in the Ground,” or “Travel Tips for Visiting Arizona.”

Most people are scrolling through YouTube videos on their smartphones, meaning the thumbnails will be tiny. Make sure titles are bold, clear, and contrast with the background. The easier to see, the better.

2. Be Accurate

Omit “click-bait” with nothing to do with your actual video. If too many people click on your video and immediately turn it off, YouTube will stop featuring your video. It will also damage your brand and cause people not to click on your videos in the future.

3. Be Consistent

If you are trying to grow your brand, a consistent color scheme, font, and logo will help fans easily find your videos.

4. Use the Right Thumbnail Size

Your thumbnail will be viewed on big-screen TVs and smartphones, so make sure it looks good on any size screen. That means starting big and letting the device scale down and not vice-versa. 

YouTube guidelines state that thumbnails should be 1280 x 720p, with a minimum of 640p.

Download the Best YouTube Thumbnail Maker for Free

The best tool for creating custom thumbnails is PhotoDirector. It has professional tools used by graphic designers and professional photographers. In addition, it includes guided edits and templates plus tutorials to make it easy for beginners. 

PhotoDirector offers more effects, templates, and stock images than any other thumbnail maker, which means thumbnails made with it will stand out from the crowd. It constantly adds new features, keeping it up-to-date with the hottest trends.    

Download PhotoDirector to create a free YouTube thumbnail.