AI YouTube thumbnail generator
AI YouTube Thumbnail Generator
Generate 16:9 YouTube thumbnails from a text idea, your photo or a reference thumbnail — then fix details with words or in the editor. Built for creators who publish every week.
Reserved when you start. Returned automatically for any image that fails.
What the generator does
Thumbora is an AI tool made specifically for YouTube thumbnails. You describe the video — the title, the idea, the words for the thumbnail — and it writes a detailed prompt for Google’s Nano Banana image models, then delivers several 16:9 options to compare.
Unlike a general-purpose image generator, every step is tuned for thumbnails: the aspect ratio, short readable text, a clear focal point and room for the video length in the bottom-right corner.
Four ways to start
- From text — just the idea and the headline.
- From your photo — an identity profile keeps your likeness as closely as the model allows.
- From a reference — borrow the composition, colors or lighting of thumbnails you like; the result is a new image.
- Redesign — upload your current thumbnail and get a stronger version of it.
Fix details without starting over
Thumbnails rarely come out perfect on the first try. With AI edit you describe a change — “make the text yellow”, “replace the background with a stadium” — and get a new version. In the editor you adjust text and layers by hand. Every version stays in the project.
Visible, fair pricing
Each image costs a fixed number of credits that you see before you generate — currently 10 credits per image with Nano Banana 2.1 at the base resolution. If an image fails, the credits are returned automatically. New accounts get 30 free credits to try it out.
See pricing for plans, credit packs and the cost of every model.
Tips for better results
- Name one main subject and one emotion.
- Keep the text on the image to two to four words.
- Generate two to four options and compare them at a small size.
- Use sharp, well-lit photos for identity profiles.
More in our thumbnail design guide.
Styles for every genre
Demo composition drawn in code by the Thumbora team — not an AI generation.
Questions
Is the AI thumbnail generator free?
New accounts receive free credits to try Thumbora; the current amount is shown on the pricing page. After that you can choose a plan or buy a credit pack.
Can it put my face on the thumbnail?
Yes. Create an identity profile from a few clear photos of yourself. The model uses them as references and keeps the likeness as closely as it can. You confirm consent for every face upload.
Which resolution does it generate?
1K, 2K or 4K depending on the model and your plan, always in 16:9. YouTube recommends 1280×720, and you can export at 1280×720 or 2560×1440.
Does it copy other people’s thumbnails?
No. References guide the composition, colors or lighting, and the model creates a new image. Don’t upload or request logos, characters or people you don’t have the rights to use.
Can I use the thumbnails commercially?
Yes, you can use the images you create for your own channels and your clients’, subject to our Terms and to the rights in anything you upload. Note that AI-generated images may have limited copyright protection in some countries.
Generate your first thumbnail
Free credits on sign-up. No card needed.