CapCut
AI video editor with auto-captions, text-to-video, and AI avatars across web, desktop, and mobile
CapCut is ByteDance's video editor pairing a full timeline with AI tools — auto-captions, text-to-video, background removal, and AI avatars. The editor itself is free. In 2026 CapCut split paid plans into Standard at $9.99/month and Pro at $19.99/month ($179.99/year), with a Team plan at $24.99/user/month. Best for social and short-form creators who want AI editing inside one app.
What is CapCut?
CapCut is a video editor from ByteDance that combines a conventional multi-track timeline with a deep set of AI tools. You can cut and arrange clips by hand, then lean on AI for the tedious parts: auto-captions transcribe and style your dialogue, text-to-speech narrates a script in synthetic voices, background removal isolates a subject without a green screen, and text-to-video generates footage from a written prompt. The same project opens on web, desktop, and mobile, so an edit started on a phone can be finished on a laptop.
The editor is free and exports without a watermark for most features, which is a large part of why it became the default tool for social and short-form creators. Paid plans gate the heavier capabilities — 4K export, more cloud storage, and a larger monthly allowance of “AI points” that meter the credit-based AI tools. In 2026 CapCut restructured its plans: the old Pro tier became Standard at $9.99/month, and a new Pro tier at $19.99/month bundles the full AI toolkit, 1,200 monthly AI points, 4K export, and 1TB of storage. A Team plan at $24.99/user/month adds shared assets and collaboration.
Who is it for?
CapCut fits anyone producing a steady stream of social video who wants editing and AI generation in a single app rather than stitching together a separate editor, captioner, and voiceover tool. The free tier is enough for casual editing; the AI-heavy workflows are what push creators toward Pro.
- Short-form social creators editing TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts who want auto-captions and templates that match each platform’s format.
- Solo marketers and small brands producing product clips, ads, and explainers with AI voiceovers and background removal instead of a studio.
- Faceless and volume content channels that rely on text-to-video and text-to-speech to publish frequently.
- Mobile-first editors who start on a phone and occasionally move to desktop or web to finish, keeping one synced project.
How much does CapCut cost?
Starting price: $9.99/mo · Free tier: yes · Model: freemium
Price history tracked from June 2026
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Full editor on web, desktop, and mobile · Watermark-free exports for most features · Basic AI tools with low monthly limits |
| Standard | $9.99/mo | Renamed older Pro tier · Higher export and storage limits than Free · Access to the AI toolkit on a smaller credit allowance |
| Pro | $19.99/mo | $179.99/year on annual billing · 4K export · Full AI toolkit with 1,200 monthly AI points · 1TB cloud storage |
| Team | $24.99/user/mo | Everything in Pro per seat · Shared assets and collaboration · Centralized team billing |
What are CapCut's key features?
- Auto-captions with multi-language transcription and caption styling
- Text-to-video generation from a written prompt
- Text-to-speech and AI voice narration
- AI background removal without a green screen
- 1,200 monthly AI points on Pro for credit-metered AI tools
- 4K export and 1TB cloud storage on Pro
- Large template and effects library for fast social-format edits
- Cross-platform projects synced across web, desktop, and mobile
What people use CapCut for
- 01 Editing TikTok, Reels, and Shorts with auto-generated captions synced to speech
- 02 Turning a script or article into a narrated video using text-to-speech voices
- 03 Removing or replacing a video background without a green screen
- 04 Repurposing one long video into multiple short clips for social distribution
- 05 Adding AI avatars and voiceovers to product or explainer videos
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Capable free tier covers most manual editing without any subscription | AI tools are metered by AI points (1,200/month on Pro); heavy text-to-video use can exhaust them before month-end |
| Web checkout for Pro ($19.99/month) is cheaper than the iOS/Android in-app price (~$21.99-$22.99) | No fixed global USD price — CapCut varies pricing by region, device, and promotion, so the $9.99/$19.99 figures can differ at checkout |
| One app spans web, desktop, and mobile with synced projects | Owned by ByteDance; some organizations restrict it for data-governance reasons |
| Deep template and effects library speeds up social-format editing | No public API for programmatic or automated editing |
What are the best CapCut alternatives?
Captions is the closest CapCut alternative in our directory: it covers the same category (AI Video), starts at $9.99/mo, has a free tier.
Ranked by category overlap with CapCut, then free-tier availability, then lowest verified starting price — computed from our verified data, never from sponsorships.
| Alternative | What it is | Starting price | Free tier | Price verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captions | AI video creation app for talking-head and social content, with AI avatars (Mirage) and a chat-based editor | $9.99/mo | yes | Jun 20, 2026 |
| Runway | AI video generation platform for cinematic clips, world simulation, and conversational video agents | $12/mo | yes | Jun 11, 2026 |
| Opus Clip | AI video repurposing tool that turns long videos into short, captioned vertical clips ranked by predicted virality | $15/mo | yes | Jun 20, 2026 |
| Descript | Text-based video and podcast editor with AI transcription, voice cloning, and filler-word removal | $16/mo | yes | Jul 3, 2026 |
How people make money with CapCut
- Short-form editing service on Fiverr or Upwork — TikTok/Reels editors use CapCut templates and auto-captions to charge per-clip rates, and the Team plan scales batch work across multiple clients
- Faceless content channels — combine text-to-video and AI text-to-speech to produce volume YouTube Shorts or affiliate videos monetized via AdSense and sponsorships
Frequently asked questions
Is CapCut free?
Yes. The core editor is free across web, desktop, and mobile with watermark-free exports for most features. Paid Standard ($9.99/month) and Pro ($19.99/month) plans unlock higher-resolution export, more cloud storage, and larger monthly AI-points allowances.
How much does CapCut Pro cost?
CapCut Pro is $19.99/month or $179.99/year on web checkout. On iOS and Android the in-app price is higher (around $21.99-$22.99/month) because of app-store fees. CapCut notes that prices vary by region and promotion.
What is the difference between Standard and Pro?
Standard ($9.99/month) is the renamed older Pro tier. The 2026 Pro tier ($19.99/month) adds 4K export, the full AI toolkit, 1TB cloud storage, and 1,200 monthly AI points.
Does CapCut have AI video generation?
Yes. CapCut can generate video from a text prompt, add AI voiceovers via text-to-speech, auto-caption clips, and remove backgrounds without a green screen. These AI tools draw on the monthly AI-points allowance.
Is there a CapCut team plan?
Yes. The Team plan is $24.99 per user per month and adds shared assets, collaboration, and centralized billing on top of Pro features.
Can I use CapCut commercially?
Yes, CapCut content can be used commercially, though you should review the current license terms for bundled music and stock assets. Some organizations restrict CapCut internally because it is owned by ByteDance.
Public signals
- "OpenCut: The open-source CapCut alternative" — 447 points on Hacker News, Jul 13, 2025