The job postings show Google is recruiting software engineers in Bengaluru specifically to build the iOS version. The original Android app debuted in the U.S. and seven other markets in September 2023, then expanded to 13 more markets by February 2024.

YouTube Create provides free mobile video editing tools designed for content creators, offering features like stickers, GIFs, and effects for both YouTube Shorts and longer-form videos. Google developed the app after consulting with 3,000 creators to ensure it met their needs.

The app is Google’s attempt to compete with ByteDance’s popular CapCut editor. But exclusive Sensor Tower data shared with TechCrunch shows YouTube Create is quite far behind CapCut and another established competitor, InShot.

The competition isn’t even close. In the second quarter of this year, CapCut and InShot have been downloaded 66 million and 21 million times, respectively, on Android devices. In contrast, YouTube Create has seen fewer than 500,000 downloads this quarter and just 4 million downloads since its launch.

The user engagement gap is even more pronounced. CapCut boasts more than 442 million monthly active users on the Android app in Q2, while InShot claims 92 million. YouTube Create lags far behind with fewer than 1 million monthly active users.

Image Credits:Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

On iOS — the platform YouTube Create is now targeting — the competition is just as fierce. CapCut leads with 194 million monthly active users in Q2, followed by InShot with 25 million. Meanwhile, CapCut and Instagram’s Edit have dominated iOS downloads this quarter, with 28 million and 7 million downloads, respectively.

Despite lagging in the numbers, YouTube Create shows some momentum, with a 28% year-over-year increase in monthly active users in Q2, outpacing a 9% rise for CapCut and a 7% decline for InShot, per the Sensor Tower data.

“While boasting solid user growth on a year-over-year basis, YouTube Create has struggled to keep up with some of its larger, more established peers such as CapCut, with the latter having more than 10x the number of monthly active users,” said Abe Yousef, a senior insights analyst at Sensor Tower.

YouTube Create may be building a more loyal user base, Yousef suggested. Rising active user numbers alongside declining downloads could indicate that people who previously tried the app are returning to use it regularly.

“CapCut coming out many years ago, coupled with the fact that it’s seamlessly integrated with its sister app, TikTok, likely plays into this material size difference with YouTube Create,” said Yousef.

Still, YouTube Create is facing some retention issues. Its 90-day retention rate — the percentage of users who downloaded the app and still use it 90 days later — was roughly 1% in Q1, far below CapCut’s 7% and InShot’s 4%.

Engagement metrics highlight the gap, too. Users spend an average of 38 minutes per month on YouTube Create, compared to 62 minutes for CapCut users. CapCut users also open the app more often, averaging 23 sessions monthly versus 11 for YouTube Create.

Geographically, YouTube Create’s user base is diversifying. India represented 67% of total monthly active users on YouTube Create in the second quarter of last year, but that share has dropped to 51% this quarter as the app gains traction elsewhere. Still, YouTube Create appears to be gaining stickiness in India, with daily-to-monthly active user ratios improving from 9% last year to, so far, 12% this year.

In addition to India, Indonesia has emerged as YouTube Create’s second-largest market, representing 21% of its global monthly active users. Germany (5%), Brazil (4%), and the U.K. (3%) round out the top markets.

The app is showing particularly strong growth in several other markets, too, with year-over-year monthly active user increases of 119% in Spain, 91% in South Korea, 89% in France, and 71% in Singapore.

“An iOS release of YouTube Create could absolutely help the platform grow its market share, though fierce competition in the space both from other social media-backed video editing platforms and native video editors will persist,” Yousef said.

Google did not respond to requests for comment.