If you’re a small business owner or marketer, you know the pain of trying to whip up ads that sell — fast and without emptying your wallet. Many dive straight into Photoshop, the classic tool for crafting ads. But here’s the catch: Photoshop demands time, skill, and patience.

The learning curve can feel like climbing a mountain, and every ad can take hours or days to get just right. Meanwhile, AI ad generators like Mintly are shaking things up. Mintly promises to cut your ad creation time from hours to seconds using smart automation and proven templates.

But should you stick with Photoshop for full creative control, or jump to Mintly to speed things up and boost your return? This article cuts through the noise with a clear, head-to-head comparison of Mintly and Photoshop. By the end, you’ll know exactly which tool suits your ad design needs best.

Mintly stands out as a specialized AI ad generator designed to clone high-performing ads from top brands using Meta’s Ad Library data. Instead of starting from scratch, Mintly lets you pick winning ad layouts and instantly recreate them with your own product images and logos intact. This means your ads look authentic and professional without the usual design hassle.

Mintly automates ad creation so you can generate static ads in just 15 to 30 seconds and short video ads in 2 to 8 minutes — a massive time saver compared to manual design. It offers over 2,000 templates, an AI image generator for stylized visuals, smart copywriting tools, and short-form video creation, all aimed at speeding up your workflow and lowering costs. But here’s the thing: Mintly isn’t about deep manual customization.

It focuses on speed and data-driven templates rather than letting you tweak every pixel. That’s why many Shopify and Amazon sellers turn to Mintly to quickly launch ads that get noticed and save money on design. This is why brands choose Mintly for fast, scalable AI ad creation that beats generic AI generators by preserving your product’s real look and style.

Photoshop remains the industry-standard manual image editor, prized for its unmatched creative control and versatility. When you want to craft custom, high-fidelity ads that reflect every detail of your brand’s identity, Photoshop is hard to beat. It excels in photo editing, layering, retouching, and complex graphic design tasks that go far beyond basic ad creation.

Recent updates, including a free mobile app aimed at younger creators, make Photoshop more accessible, but it still demands a steep learning curve and significant time investment to master. Pricing starts at $20.99/month for the Single App plan, with other bundles available for photographers and creatives According to a Reuters report. Agencies and professional designers rely on Photoshop for precision brand ads on platforms like Meta and Instagram, where every pixel counts.

But beware: Photoshop requires skill and patience, and it’s not designed for quick, automated ad production or testing. If you underestimate the time and expertise needed, your campaigns could stall.

Mintly’s pricing is simple and volume-focused, perfect for businesses that need lots of ads fast. Its tier-based subscription starts at $19/month for 100 ads (Starter), $49/month for 300 ads (Growth), and $199/month for 1,200 ads (Scale). This pay-per-ad style pricing lets you scale without hiring expensive designers.

Photoshop, on the other hand, charges a flat subscription fee: $20.99/month for the Single App plan and $14.99/month for the Photography Plan, with Creative Cloud bundles available. But here’s the catch — Photoshop’s pricing doesn’t include AI or automated ad creation tools. You pay for the software, but not for faster ad production.

If you want to create ads in volume quickly, Mintly offers a clear cost advantage, especially since ads made with Mintly cost roughly $0.20 each versus $20+ on freelance platforms. Photoshop’s value shines for creatives who want full control, but it’s a pricier and slower route for marketing teams needing fast, automated ad creation. The ROI question boils down to your needs: Mintly’s AI marketing generator saves time and cost with volume, while Photoshop’s manual approach depends on your skill and workflow speed.

Here’s where Mintly and Photoshop part ways. Mintly is an AI ad creator built for speed and proven success. It clones top ads from Meta’s Ad Library in under a minute, letting you pick from thousands of templates and instantly generate static or short video ads.

Mintly also includes AI smart copywriting and an image generator that stylizes visuals automatically. Photoshop, in contrast, is a manual design tool where every element — from layers to effects — requires your input. It supports any image or video format but lacks built-in automation for ad creation.

Photoshop’s strength lies in detailed photo editing and complex design workflows, but it needs external tools for automation or video editing. Mintly integrates seamlessly with Facebook Ads, Instagram, and Meta Ads platforms by producing ready-to-use ad formats, while Photoshop outputs general files you must upload and configure manually. Mintly’s focus on cloning proven ads means you can test winners faster, but it’s not meant to replace custom branding work that Photoshop supports fully.

For marketers wanting speed and data-backed templates, Mintly outperforms generic AI generators and manual design alike. Photoshop remains the go-to for high-touch, unique brand visuals.

Mintly’s automated ad creation is designed for simplicity. Its three-step workflow — upload your product image, select a template, and generate your ad — requires almost no design skills or agency help. Even beginners can create effective ads quickly.

Photoshop, by contrast, has a steep learning curve. Its complex interface and manual photo editing tools demand time and training to use well. While Photoshop’s recent free mobile app update makes it more accessible to younger creators, it still requires significant effort to produce polished ads.

Mintly users often praise its streamlined, user-friendly process that balances ease with professional results, according to reviews on Product Hunt. Photoshop offers unmatched flexibility but at the cost of slower workflows, especially for non-experts. If you want fast, automated ad creation without a learning headache, Mintly is the clear winner.

But if you enjoy hands-on design and have the skills, Photoshop’s flexibility is hard to beat.

When it comes to ad performance, Mintly’s data-driven approach gives it an edge. By cloning proven high-converting ads from top brands, Mintly helps you launch campaigns with higher click-through rates and conversions — especially on platforms like Facebook Ads and Amazon storefronts. Plus, Mintly’s speed-to-market is unbeatable: you can create an ad in 15 to 30 seconds, compared to hours or more in Photoshop.

Photoshop excels at crafting bespoke visuals that stand out with unique brand flair, but the final performance depends heavily on the designer’s skill and how much testing they do. Mintly offers an average reported return on ad spend (ROAS) that reflects its automation benefits, while Photoshop’s results vary widely based on expertise. The key difference is that Mintly’s template-based testing and cloning help marketers avoid guesswork, while Photoshop is more about creative experimentation.

Keep in mind Mintly’s focus is on physical product ads, whereas Photoshop supports a wider range of ad types and formats. For quick, consistent, and proven ad performance, Mintly is the smarter choice.

If you’re an eCommerce seller on Shopify, Etsy, or Amazon, needing fast, cost-effective ads without a full design team, Mintly is your go-to AI advertising generator. It helps you create high-quality ads quickly and affordably, letting you focus on scaling your business. Photoshop fits best for agencies, professional creatives, or campaigns demanding detailed brand customization and full control over every design element.

Consider your budget, time, skill level, and ad formats — Mintly shines for volume and speed with static and short video ads focused on physical products, while Photoshop offers broader format versatility and complex design options. Some marketers find a hybrid approach useful: start with Mintly’s templates for quick launches, then polish or customize further in Photoshop if needed. Just don’t pick Photoshop expecting quick ad volume; Mintly’s AI automation is built for that.

Choosing the right tool depends on your specific ad creation needs and resources.

Here’s the bottom line: Mintly wins if you want speed, cost efficiency, automation, and proven ROI for fast-paced ad campaigns on Meta Ads, Facebook, and Instagram. Its AI-powered cloning of top-performing ads and easy workflow make it the fastest path to ads that convert, especially for small businesses and eCommerce brands. Photoshop remains unbeatable for creative freedom, detailed image editing, and complex ad art that requires expert designers and manual effort.

Your choice boils down to your business needs: Mintly for automated, data-backed ad generation that scales quickly; Photoshop for manual, high-touch design where every detail matters. If you’re looking for quick wins and scalable ad creation, start with Mintly’s affordable plans and see how it beats manual design workflows for ads today.

Q: How does an AI ad generator like Mintly work?

A: Mintly clones high-converting ads from major brand templates using AI and Meta’s Ad Library data. It quickly generates static and video ads with minimal input, making it easy to create effective ads fast.

Q: What platforms support AI-generated ads from Mintly and Photoshop?

A: Mintly directly supports Facebook Ads, Instagram, Meta Ads, and Shopify by producing platform-ready ad formats. Photoshop outputs general files usable on any digital platform but requires manual upload and setup.

Q: Can AI ads created by Mintly outperform human-created Photoshop ads?

A: Mintly’s AI-driven templates often deliver higher CTR and ROAS faster because they clone proven winners. Photoshop ads depend on the designer’s skill and testing, so results vary more.

Q: How much does AI ad generation with Mintly cost compared to Photoshop?

A: Mintly offers subscription tiers starting at $19/month based on ad volume, making it cost-effective for many ads. Photoshop costs $20.99/month for the Single App but doesn’t include AI or automated ad tools.

Q: Are there limitations to rely solely on Mintly’s AI for all ad campaigns?

A: Mintly excels with physical product ads and high-volume needs but offers less manual customization than Photoshop, which is better for unique branding campaigns.

If you want to create ads fast without hiring expensive designers and focus on proven ad formats, Mintly is your best bet. It saves you time and money while maintaining your product’s authentic look. For detailed, custom brand work where every pixel matters, Photoshop remains the go-to tool.

But for most eCommerce sellers and marketers aiming for quick, scalable ad creation, Mintly beats manual design hands down.

Ready to speed up your ad creation and boost your marketing ROI? Get Started with Mintly today and see how AI beats manual design for ads.

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