CapCut
Free-first editor with a growing set of AI video features
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Facts checked · Nov 2026 — the pricing, free-plan and watermark facts on this page were checked against CapCut's official pages. See how we verify and the listing changelog.
Price alerts for CapCut
AI video tools change prices and credit rules without warning — Kling has raised prices roughly 3× before. Get emailed when CapCut's price, credits or free plan changes.
Our verdict
Best for short-form creators who want one editor for phone, desktop and web that is genuinely capable for free — with paid AI generation layered on top when you need it.
CapCut at a glance
| Starting price | Free core editor; Pro plan available |
| Pricing type | Freemium |
| Free plan | Yes |
| Free export allowed | ✓ |
| No watermark on free export | ✓ |
| Category | AI Video Editors |
What CapCut really costs
Editing in CapCut is not metered. The meter only starts when you generate with its AI models on a paid plan, and CapCut's pricing page is unusually explicit about the rates: on Pro, Seedance 2.0 Mini at 480p is listed from $0.007 per second for the first month, and Seedance 2.5 from $0.12 per second. Pro's 1,200 monthly credits are the pool those generations draw on, and extra credits can be bought.
The cards below use the cheapest listed route — Seedance 2.0 Mini at 480p at its first-month starting rate of $0.007 per second — so one finished minute is 60 × $0.007 = $0.42 of generation if the first take is the keeper. Treat that as a floor, not a typical bill: higher resolutions and the stronger Seedance 2.5 model (from $0.12 per second, or $7.20 per minute at that rate) cost far more, and the starting rates are first-month figures.
$0.42
Per finished minute, Seedance 2.0 Mini 480p, 1 generation
$0.84
Per finished minute at 2 generations (one retake)
$1.26
Per finished minute at 3 generations (two retakes)
Derived from CapCut's official pricing page, checked Nov 2026: Seedance 2.0 Mini at 480p from $0.007/sec (first-month starting rate on Pro). 60 seconds × $0.007 = $0.42. Rates vary by model, resolution and region, and promotional first-month rates should not be budgeted as permanent.
What is CapCut?
CapCut is ByteDance's editor for short-form video, available on mobile, desktop and the web. For a large share of social creators it is simply the default finishing tool: clips generated or filmed elsewhere come here to be captioned, trimmed, styled and exported. Its own AI layer has grown around that core — auto captions, background removal, script-to-video and access to ByteDance generation models priced in credits on the paid plans.
The unusual thing about CapCut is how much of the editor is free. Our verified data records that core editor exports are generally watermark-free, which is rare at this scale. The paid tiers are therefore not mainly about unlocking the editor; they buy premium templates and effects, cloud storage, and a monthly pool of AI credits for generation features. That split is worth understanding before paying: many users who only edit will never need Pro, while users generating with its AI models will feel the credit pool immediately.
How CapCut works
- 1Install the app or open the web editor and start a project — the core editor is free and needs no plan to export.
- 2Import footage you filmed or generated elsewhere, or start from a template if the format is familiar.
- 3Edit on the timeline: trim, split, add transitions and text. This is CapCut's home ground and where it is fastest.
- 4Add auto captions and any AI touches — background removal or effects — noting that some AI and template features vary by region and plan.
- 5If you generate with CapCut's AI models on a paid plan, watch the credit cost per generation before you confirm it.
- 6Export. Core editor exports are generally watermark-free; check any specific AI or template feature you used, as those can vary.
Core features
Full video editor on three platforms
Mobile, desktop and web versions cover the same job: multi-track timeline editing for short-form video. Most rivals in this catalogue do one platform well; CapCut's reach is why it became the default.
Auto captions
Automatic subtitles for spoken video, styled for social feeds. For talking-head and short-form creators this single feature saves more weekly time than any other in the app.
AI script-to-video tools
Turn a script into a drafted video inside the editor. Availability of specific AI features varies by region and plan, per our listing notes, so check what your account actually offers.
AI generation credits on paid plans
CapCut's pricing page puts Pro at 1,200 monthly AI credits and lists per-second starting rates for its Seedance models. Generation is metered separately from editing — editing your own footage does not spend these credits.
Effects, templates and transitions library
A very large library of templates and effects, with the premium end unlocked on paid plans. Templates are a big part of CapCut's speed for repeat formats like product posts and trends.
Cloud storage on paid plans
Pro and Ultra each list 1 TB of storage on the pricing page, which matters once projects and generated assets pile up across phone and desktop.
The free plan — the full truth
CapCut's free plan is the strongest free offer in this batch, and unusually, that is a verified statement rather than a marketing one. Our truth data records two facts: free exports are allowed, and core editor exports are generally watermark-free. The editor itself — the timeline, captions workflow, effects and templates you start with — is free to use and free to export from.
The qualifiers matter, though. Our listing notes that some AI and template features vary, and CapCut's paid plans exist precisely to sell what free lacks: premium templates and effects, 1 TB of storage, and monthly AI credits for generation. CapCut's pricing page also describes a 7-day free trial of Pro for new users. So the honest summary is: editing is free in a way that is hard to beat; generating with CapCut's own AI models is a paid, credit-metered activity.
- • Core editor exports are generally watermark-free (verified) — some AI/template features vary
- • Free plan includes basic editing tools and free templates, per CapCut's pricing page
- • AI generation runs on credits, which are a paid-plan pool (1,200/month on Pro)
- • AI feature availability varies by region and plan, per our listing notes
- • The interface changes frequently, per our listing notes — workflows move around
CapCut pricing plans
| Plan | Price | Credits included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Core editor with basic tools and free templates; exports generally watermark-free | Editing and finishing short-form video at no cost |
| Pro | $19.99/month | 1,200 AI credits/month, all premium templates and Pro features, 1 TB storage | Creators who also generate with CapCut's AI models and want the premium library |
| Ultra | $79/month | 8,645 AI credits/month, everything in Pro plus exclusive AI features, 1 TB storage | Heavy generators whose monthly output would drain Pro's credit pool |
| Teams | $12.49/month per seat | 1,200 AI credits/month per seat, Pro features for all seats, brand kit, 1 TB storage | Small teams who need consistent branding across several editors |
Plans and credit figures are from CapCut's official pricing page, checked Nov 2026. The page lists monthly figures; plan availability and features may vary by region and platform, as CapCut itself notes.
Pros
- + The free editor is genuinely capable, with generally watermark-free core exports
- + Best-in-class mobile editing experience in our listing's assessment
- + Huge template and effects library speeds up repeat formats
- + Captions, editing and generation live in one familiar app
- + Paid generation rates are published per second, so costs are predictable
Cons
- − AI generation features vary by region and plan — your account may differ
- − The interface changes frequently, which breaks muscle memory
- − AI credits are a separate meter that heavy generators will feel
- − Not built for strict enterprise admin and compliance controls
Best for
- ✓ Short-form creators finishing videos for social platforms
- ✓ Creators who generate elsewhere and need a free, fast finishing editor
- ✓ Mobile-first editors who occasionally work on desktop or web
- ✓ Teams on the Teams plan who need a shared brand kit
Not ideal for
- ✕ Teams needing strict enterprise admin and compliance controls
- ✕ Anyone who needs a stable, unchanging professional interface
- ✕ Users who want generation without a credit meter
CapCut alternatives
See all alternatives →If you want generation with more directing control than CapCut's in-app models, Runway is the first alternative in this category of our catalogue: it is a generation studio with real editing tools, priced from $12/month billed annually, though its free exports are watermarked where CapCut's core exports generally are not. Vizard is the better pick when your raw material is long recordings that need cutting into clips automatically. Descript wins when the video is mostly speech and you would rather edit the transcript than the timeline. All three appear below with their own verified facts.
Runway
Runway is one of the most complete creative AI video platforms, combining text and image-to-video generation with editing tools such as background changes, relighting and object removal. It is aimed at creators and teams who want generation and post-production in one workspace rather than a single-purpose generator.
Vizard converts long recordings into multiple short, captioned clips, detecting speakers and highlights automatically. It is popular with marketing teams, coaches and agencies that produce shorts from webinars, podcasts and meetings in bulk.
Descript
Descript records, transcribes and lets you edit video by deleting words from the transcript. Its AI tools remove filler words, clean studio sound and generate captions, making it a favourite of podcasters and talking-head creators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CapCut free?
The core editor is free and, per our verified data, its exports are generally watermark-free. Paid plans add premium templates and features, 1 TB of storage and a monthly pool of AI credits for generation. CapCut's pricing page also mentions a 7-day free trial of Pro for new users.
Does CapCut watermark free videos?
Core editor exports are generally watermark-free — that is a verified fact in our data. The qualifier is real, though: some AI and template features vary by region and plan, so check the specific feature you used before assuming a given export is clean.
How much does one CapCut AI video cost?
Editing costs nothing extra. Generation is metered: CapCut's pricing page lists Seedance 2.0 Mini at 480p from $0.007 per second on Pro (a first-month starting rate), which is about $0.42 per finished minute at one generation, and Seedance 2.5 from $0.12 per second — about $7.20 per minute. Model and resolution decide the bill.
CapCut or VEED?
CapCut is stronger as a free creative editor, especially on mobile. VEED is a browser editor aimed at teams and marketing workflows. If you edit alone on a phone, CapCut; if your team collaborates in a browser, VEED.
Does CapCut Pro include AI video features?
Yes — CapCut's pricing page FAQ says Pro is built to support AI-powered creation, and the plan carries 1,200 monthly AI credits plus access to AI features. Exactly which AI features you get can vary by region and platform.
What is CapCut best used for?
Finishing short-form video: captioning, trimming, styling and exporting clips for social platforms, whether the footage was filmed on a phone or generated in another tool. Its AI generation is a useful extra inside that workflow, not the main event.