Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

PicCollage vs Photoshop Express Photo Editor

PicCollage 4.8★ · Free + IAP 65
Winner Tie
Photoshop Express Photo Editor 4.7★ · Free + IAP 65

PicCollage is better for users primarily focused on creating collages with a wide range of free decorative elements, while Photoshop Express Photo Editor is better for more general photo editing with professional-grade tools, despite both apps facing criticism for increasing paywalls.

Full reviews: PicCollage · Photoshop Express Photo Editor

Both PicCollage and Photoshop Express Photo Editor are popular photo editing apps, but recent updates have led to significant user frustration over increased paywalls and reduced free features. PicCollage excels in collage creation and ease of use, while Photoshop Express offers more robust photo editing capabilities, though both struggle with reliability and subscription model issues.

Head to head

Features (Collage vs. Photo Editing) tieR4R5R8R14
PicCollage PicCollage is highly praised for its collage-making capabilities, offering a wide variety of free stickers and backgrounds, and is considered the best for collages by many users R4R5R8R14. However, some users note it's primarily for collages and not video editing R5.
Photoshop Express Photo Editor Photoshop Express Photo Editor is valued for its photo editing tools, offering various options and edits . Users appreciate its ability to do quick edits and apply filters . However, the app has been criticized for increasingly pushing AI features, making manual editing difficult, and removing useful tools like 'Combine Photos' .
Ease of Use edge: PicCollageR8R11R20R27
PicCollage PicCollage is frequently described as easy to use, intuitive, and user-friendly, with many users appreciating that it requires no tutorials R8R11R20. Some users, however, find it not easy for non-tech individuals or wish for clearer instructions R27.
Photoshop Express Photo Editor Photoshop Express Photo Editor is generally seen as intuitive and easy for quick edits . However, some users find it not user-friendly, especially when trying to perform specific tasks like object removal, due to a lack of guidance .
Reliability and Performance tieR3R4R45R59
PicCollage PicCollage users report critical issues such as collages being inexplicably deleted R4 and the app being laggy or kicking them off R45R59. One user also mentioned issues with transferring a paid account to a new phone R3.
Photoshop Express Photo Editor Photoshop Express Photo Editor suffers from frequent crashes, freezing, and issues with saving work, leading to lost progress R61R76R82R86. Users also report problems with fonts not downloading or being missing and images importing rotated .
Price and Value (Free vs. Paid) tieR1R6R10R12
PicCollage PicCollage faces widespread criticism for its aggressive monetization. Many users report that features previously free, including the ability to save collages even with a watermark, now require a subscription R1R6R10R16. The annual subscription is noted as expensive, at £34.99 R12R35.
Photoshop Express Photo Editor Photoshop Express Photo Editor is also heavily criticized for moving previously free features behind a paywall and introducing large watermarks on saved photos for non-subscribers R88. Users feel the free version is too limited and that the premium features are not unique enough to justify the cost R64.
Customer Support and Account Management tieR3R35R37R64
PicCollage One user reported significant frustration trying to transfer a paid account to a new phone without success, even after following instructions and watching videos R3. Another user struggled to get a refund after forgetting to cancel a free trial and being charged £34.99, noting difficulty finding contact info R35R37.
Photoshop Express Photo Editor Users of Photoshop Express Photo Editor have reported issues with account management, such as being unable to delete their account and problems with credits not being restored for premium subscribers . One user also mentioned potential charges for canceling a subscription R64.
Pick PicCollage if

you primarily want to create fun, creative collages and value an intuitive, easy-to-use interface for this specific purpose R5R8R11R20.

Pick Photoshop Express Photo Editor if

you need a more general photo editor with a range of tools for quick edits and filters, and are willing to pay for a subscription to access advanced features without watermarks .

Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of recent negative reviews, primarily concerning the shift of previously free features behind paywalls and the introduction of watermarks for non-paying users. This skews recent sentiment negatively, despite higher lifetime ratings. The free-vs-paid asymmetry is prominent, with many free users expressing frustration over limitations that paying users might not encounter or accept as part of a subscription.

Frequently asked

Can I save my creations for free in PicCollage?
No, many recent reviews indicate that PicCollage no longer allows users to save collages without a subscription, even with a watermark, which was a feature previously available R1R10R16R31.
Does Photoshop Express Photo Editor add watermarks to free edits?
Yes, Photoshop Express Photo Editor now adds a large watermark, often a square saying 'Instant Edit', to photos saved from the free version, which cannot be removed without a paid subscription R88R92R106R120.
Are there many free features in PicCollage?
While PicCollage still offers some free stickers and backgrounds, many users report that a significant number of desirable options and core functionalities, including saving, are now locked behind a VIP or premium subscription R4R6R12R15.
Is Photoshop Express Photo Editor reliable on mobile devices?
Many users report that Photoshop Express Photo Editor frequently crashes, freezes, or experiences glitches, especially on iPhone and iPad, leading to lost work and frustration R61R76R82R86.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R4] PicCollage 2/5 · US Deleted all my collages (TWICE): The good: Lots of free stickers, backgrounds, etc- but includes watermark. Pretty intuitive, can save, duplicate, and edit images. The bad: I use this app to make templates for posts that I edit and use again. TWICE the app has inexplicably deleted ALL my collages- not after an uninstall or update, no warning, just gone and not recoverable. Considering switching
  2. [R5] PicCollage 5/5 · US ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: Honestly this is really good at making Collages. I have tried so many apps for picture editing, and this one is by far the best one. I would totally recommend it. But the only thing is, if you're making videos of pictures, this app is usually only for collages, (as you can see in the name.) So, I would recommend CapCut if you're making it with pictures.
  3. [R8] PicCollage 5/5 · US Fun, easy to use and works well.: I’ve made some of these for friends and they’re frame worthy. Good ap.
  4. [R14] PicCollage 5/5 · US Lots of fun.: You can be very creative and original.
  5. [R11] PicCollage 5/5 · US Love it: I love this app. It’s very user friendly!
  6. [R20] PicCollage 5/5 · US Easy & works great: No tutorials - pretty intuitive and very functional
  7. [R27] PicCollage 3/5 · GB I wish: I wish it was like more easier to discover I only found out through my friend, I also wish it shows more clear instructions to make you’re own collage but I love it and it’s great for quirky little profile pictures
  8. [R3] PicCollage 3/5 · US I love pic collage but…: I love PicCollage, but no matter what I do I cannot transfer my paid account over to my new phone. Very frustrating. I followed everything it said to do and watch YouTube videos even. I am using Canva for most things now and may have to cancel my membership.
  9. [R45] PicCollage 2/5 · GB Ok…: It just keeps kicking me off and not working so it’s 2 stars
  10. [R59] PicCollage 2/5 · GB Not happy: Very laggy not impressed Very annoyed with it
  11. [R1] PicCollage 1/5 · US Cheap: Used to be a great app but now you can’t even save a collage without having a subscription. I’ve used this app for years and sadly will be deleting to find something better :/
  12. [R6] PicCollage 3/5 · US $$: Nothing fun to use. Almost every option is locked. I hate when they say try for free and you spend time editing and then it says buy now😩
  13. [R10] PicCollage 1/5 · US You can no longer save or download collages: Every time I try to save/download my collage or edit, all of a sudden it wants me to subscribe to their damn premium in order to see it! Not a good look. I used to love this app and use it all the time until yall decided to get greedy…💔
  14. [R12] PicCollage 3/5 · GB Good except from two things: Pick college is really good except from two things all the good collages you have to pay for And it is £34.99 a year WHAT !!!!!! And if you want to have a bit of fun on the app you can press the enchanted video and photo editor, but you can only use it three times if you haven’t got the premium templates which is where you have to pay and when I tried to use the encha
  15. [R35] PicCollage 1/5 · GB need refund: I did a free trial and I wasn’t able to cancel it in time so now £34.99 has come out of my bank account , I’d like a refund for this please I cannot find contact info for you
  16. [R37] PicCollage 1/5 · GB Forgot to cancel subscription: I forgot to cancel my subscription and no way to get my money back ( cancelled it the same day after it took my money)
  17. [R64] Photoshop Express Photo Editor 1/5 · US Money grab and bad tools: Don’t bother using this app if you arnt going to buy a subscription. Even with the subscription, the tools are very finicky and don’t deliver good results just mid. Very frustrating. Also be careful if you buy a subscription because they might try to charge you $100+ for canceling, completely motivated by making an extra buck where they can
  18. [R16] PicCollage 1/5 · GB Money hungry!: Used to be able to get none subscription features that would allow you to save with a watermark. Now you can’t even save the collage!
  19. [R31] PicCollage 1/5 · GB Bad: This app asked me to subscribe I said no. I then made a collage and I couldn’t save it or screenshot it!
  20. [R88] Photoshop Express Photo Editor 1/5 · US Watermark: upset and disappointed. I loved the app and use it several times/day. I cannot use it with the logo watermark on it. To remove it you are forced to pay a very high subscription. A once loved app, now forced to look elsewhere
  21. [R92] Photoshop Express Photo Editor 5/5 · US Stupid Instant Edit Square: If you use the free version, they put a square on your photo that says Instant Edit and you can't remove it . I have tried everything to remove it and was unsuccessful. I have used the paid version and it's great but I lost my job and had to cancel everything. I'm not happy !!
  22. [R106] Photoshop Express Photo Editor 2/5 · US Used to be a great app: This app used to be great, but then they took away many of the free features and made them cost money. In addition, now every photo you save from the app has a HUGE watermark on the bottom! Really sad how bad this app got
  23. [R120] Photoshop Express Photo Editor 3/5 · GB Was brilliant: Was my favourite photo editing app, but now they’ve started including a big watermark in the corner of your picture unless you buy the premium version… typical.
  24. [R15] PicCollage 3/5 · GB VIP: It is irritating that we can’t use vip stuff
  25. [R61] Photoshop Express Photo Editor 1/5 · US Doesn’t work: It undoes all my work with the fakest adjustments that can’t be undone even though they were just done. Ruining hours of tedious work.
  26. [R76] Photoshop Express Photo Editor 2/5 · US Crash: To pay for this app and have it crash half the time is ridiculous. Perform all these edits and it says error saving then crashes. All work lost.
  27. [R82] Photoshop Express Photo Editor 1/5 · US Terrible: This app keeps duplicating clips during editing. I’ve deleted it, replaced it and even started over (after an hour of work) and it’s still not working. I don’t do app reviews but that’s how much this has aggravated me for the amount of money we pay for this service. FIX IT!
  28. [R86] Photoshop Express Photo Editor 4/5 · US Editing photos: It’s a great app. The only t problem I have with it is that it freezes up and I have to restart to edit my photos. Other than that, I love editing with this app.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store