NERDY PICKS · VIDEO EDITING
Best Video Editing tools
Cut, caption and polish videos, or turn long videos into short clips.
Prices checked Oct 26, 2026
Which video editing tool should I start with?
If you want free, start with Descript, CapCut, Runway. Cut, caption and polish videos, or turn long videos into short clips. Below you'll find 34 tools with what each one does, the free plan and the cheapest solo plan in US dollars, checked Oct 26, 2026.
| Tool | What it does | Free plan | Paid from | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Descript | Edits video and audio by editing the transcript, like a document. | Yes | Hobbyist: US$24/month, or US$16/month on a yearly plan (US$192/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| CapCut | Free-to-start video editor with templates, captions and effects for social clips. | Yes | Pro: US$19.99/month, or US$15/month on a yearly plan (US$179.99/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Runway | Generates and edits video clips from text, images or existing footage with AI. | Yes | Standard: US$15/month, or US$12/month on a yearly plan (US$144/year) | Nov 1, 2026 |
| VEED | Browser-based video editor with auto subtitles, recording and AI tools. | Yes | Creator: US$25/month, or US$12.25/month on a yearly plan (US$147/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| OpusClip | Cuts long videos into short social clips automatically, with captions. | Yes | Starter: US$15/month | Oct 26, 2026 |
| invideo AI | Turns a text prompt or script into a finished video with stock footage, voiceover and music. | No | Starter: US$20/month, or US$10/month on a yearly plan (US$120/year) (promo) | Nov 1, 2026 |
| Pictory | Turns scripts, articles or long recordings into short branded videos with AI voices. | No | Starter: US$29/month, or US$25/month on a yearly plan (US$300/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Kapwing | Browser-based video editor with subtitles, resizing and AI tools for social content. | Yes | Pro: US$24/month, or US$16/month on a yearly plan (US$192/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Microsoft Clipchamp | Easy video editor from Microsoft with templates, recording and watermark-free exports. | Yes | Microsoft 365 Personal: US$9.99/month, or US$8.33/month on a yearly plan (US$99.99/year) | Oct 25, 2026 |
| Wondershare Filmora | Beginner-friendly desktop video editor with effects, templates and AI helpers. | Unclear | Basic (annual): US$4.17/month (promo) | Oct 30, 2026 |
| Pika | Makes short AI video clips and effects from text prompts or images. | Yes | Starter: US$10/month, or US$8/month on a yearly plan (US$96/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Luma Dream Machine | Generates realistic video clips and images from prompts with Luma's Dream Machine. | No | Plus: US$30/month, or US$25/month on a yearly plan (US$300/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Submagic | Adds eye-catching captions, zooms and B-roll to short videos automatically. | No | Starter: US$19/month, or US$12/month on a yearly plan (US$144/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Captions | Edits talking-head videos with AI captions, eye contact fixes and AI actors. | Unclear | Max: US$24.99/month | Oct 26, 2026 |
| DaVinci Resolve | Professional editing, color and audio software with a very capable free version. | Yes | DaVinci Resolve Studio: US$236 one-time | Nov 1, 2026 |
| Adobe Premiere | Adobe's pro video editor on desktop and mobile, bundled with Adobe Express Premium. | No | Premiere: US$34.49/month, or US$22.99/month on a yearly plan (US$275.88/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Vizard | Turns long videos into short captioned clips and can post them to social accounts. | Yes | Creator: US$29/month, or US$14.50/month on a yearly plan (US$174/year) | Oct 30, 2026 |
| Kling AI | Generates realistic AI video clips from text or images. | Yes | Standard: US$8.80/month, or US$6.60/month on a yearly plan (US$79.20/year) | Oct 30, 2026 |
| Leonardo.Ai | Generates images and short videos from prompts, with many styles and models. | Yes | Essential: US$12/month, or US$10/month on a yearly plan (US$120/year) | Oct 25, 2026 |
| Krea | Creates and upscales AI images and videos, including live sketch-to-image. | Yes | Basic: US$9/month, or US$5.25/month on a yearly plan | Oct 26, 2026 |
| OpenArt | Creates AI images, characters and short videos using many models in one place. | Unclear | Starter: US$14/month, or US$13/month on a yearly plan (US$156/year) | Nov 1, 2026 |
| Riverside | Records remote interviews in high quality, with each guest on a separate track, then edits them. | Yes | Pro: US$29/month, or US$24/month on a yearly plan (US$288/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Fliki | Turns scripts, blog posts or slides into narrated videos with AI voices. | Yes | Standard: US$28/month, or US$21/month on a yearly plan (US$252/year) | Nov 1, 2026 |
| Designs.ai | Suite of AI tools for logos, graphics, videos and voiceovers. | No | Go: US$9.90/month, or US$8.30/month on a yearly plan (US$99/year) | Oct 30, 2026 |
| Artlist | Stock music and footage library plus AI tools for video, images, voiceover and songs. | Yes | AI Starter: US$19.99/month, or US$11.99/month on a yearly plan | Oct 25, 2026 |
| HeyGen | Makes videos of realistic AI presenters, or your own digital twin, reading your script in many languages. | Yes | Creator: US$29/month, or US$24/month on a yearly plan (US$288/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Hedra | Generates expressive talking-character videos from an image and audio. | Unclear | Basic: US$20/month | Oct 26, 2026 |
| LipDub AI | Re-syncs a speaker's lips to new audio or translated dubbing. | Unclear | Core: US$29/month, or US$24.67/month on a yearly plan (US$296/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Rask AI | Translates and dubs videos into other languages with the speaker's cloned voice. | No | Creator: US$39/month, or US$28/month on a yearly plan (US$329/year) | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Topaz Labs | AI tools that upscale, sharpen and clean up photos and videos. | No | Topaz for Web - Image Personal: US$12/month, or US$9.08/month on a yearly plan (US$109/year) (promo) | Nov 1, 2026 |
| Steve AI | Turns scripts or blog posts into animated and avatar videos. | Yes | Basic: US$20/month, or US$10/month on a yearly plan (US$120/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Envato Elements | One subscription for unlimited royalty-free music, stock footage, photos and templates. | No | Core: US$33/month, or US$16.50/month on a yearly plan (US$198/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Mixkit | Library of free stock music tracks for videos. | Yes | Free | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Glif | An AI creative agent that makes images, videos, audio and ads from a brief using 100+ models, including a cast of ready-made AI characters. | No | Starter: US$10/month | Nov 1, 2026 |
Guides for this job
- Best AI video tools for beginners (2026): Nine beginner-friendly editors compared on free-plan watermarks, cheapest paid plans and the job each does best.
All 34 tools
Descript
Edits video and audio by editing the transcript, like a document.
Free plan: Yes: 60 media minutes/month, 720p export, 5 GB storage.
Paid from: Hobbyist: US$24/month, or US$16/month on a yearly plan (US$192/year)
Discounts: Save up to 35% with annual billing; education and nonprofit pricing by application form.
Cheaper or similar: CapCut, VEED, OpusClip · cheaper Descript alternatives
Checked Oct 26, 2026
CapCut
Free-to-start video editor with templates, captions and effects for social clips.
Free plan: Yes: Free editor available; exact free limits not confirmed on the pricing page.
Paid from: Pro: US$19.99/month, or US$15/month on a yearly plan (US$179.99/year)
Discounts: none listed
Cheaper or similar: Descript, VEED
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Runway
Generates and edits video clips from text, images or existing footage with AI.
Free plan: Yes: One-time 125 credits (not monthly).
Paid from: Standard: US$15/month, or US$12/month on a yearly plan (US$144/year)
Discounts: 20% off with yearly billing. Limited time: 25% off Kling 4.0 generations on Standard, Pro and Max until Nov 30, 2026.
Cheaper or similar: CapCut, VEED
Checked Nov 1, 2026
VEED
Browser-based video editor with auto subtitles, recording and AI tools.
Free plan: Yes: Watermark, 720p export, 10-minute exports, 2 GB storage.
Paid from: Creator: US$25/month, or US$12.25/month on a yearly plan (US$147/year)
Discounts: Roughly half off with annual billing; education pricing via sales.
Cheaper or similar: CapCut, OpusClip
Checked Oct 26, 2026
OpusClip
Cuts long videos into short social clips automatically, with captions.
Free plan: Yes: 60 credits/month, watermark on exports.
Paid from: Starter: US$15/month
Discounts: Save up to 50% with annual billing (Pro plan).
Cheaper or similar: CapCut
Checked Oct 26, 2026
invideo AI
Turns a text prompt or script into a finished video with stock footage, voiceover and music.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Starter: US$20/month, or US$10/month on a yearly plan (US$120/year) (promo)
Discounts: Limited-time 50% off annual plans (plus 30 days of unlimited image models); Max plan 10% off monthly ($135, renews at $150).
Cheaper or similar: CapCut, Pictory, Kapwing
Checked Nov 1, 2026
Pictory
Turns scripts, articles or long recordings into short branded videos with AI voices.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Starter: US$29/month, or US$25/month on a yearly plan (US$300/year)
Discounts: Save up to 40% with annual billing.
Cheaper or similar: invideo AI, Kapwing
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Kapwing
Browser-based video editor with subtitles, resizing and AI tools for social content.
Free plan: Yes: 10 credits, watermark, 720p exports, 5 GB storage.
Paid from: Pro: US$24/month, or US$16/month on a yearly plan (US$192/year)
Discounts: Save 33% with annual billing.
Cheaper or similar: CapCut, VEED
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Microsoft Clipchamp
Easy video editor from Microsoft with templates, recording and watermark-free exports.
Free plan: Yes: Free plan with watermark-free exports.
Paid from: Microsoft 365 Personal: US$9.99/month, or US$8.33/month on a yearly plan (US$99.99/year)
Discounts: Premium features come with Microsoft 365 Personal or Family; 1-month free trial of Microsoft 365.
Cheaper or similar: CapCut, Kapwing
Checked Oct 25, 2026
Wondershare Filmora
Beginner-friendly desktop video editor with effects, templates and AI helpers.
Free plan: Unclear: Free download exports with a watermark (per the store page); limits not confirmed.
Paid from: Basic (annual): US$4.17/month (promo)
Discounts: Perpetual license option listed.
Cheaper or similar: CapCut, DaVinci Resolve
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 30, 2026
Pika
Makes short AI video clips and effects from text prompts or images.
Free plan: Yes: Free plan with 0 monthly credits (credit packs only) and no commercial license.
Paid from: Starter: US$10/month, or US$8/month on a yearly plan (US$96/year)
Discounts: Save 20% with annual billing; credit packs from $25.
Cheaper or similar: Runway, Luma Dream Machine, Kling AI
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Luma Dream Machine
Generates realistic video clips and images from prompts with Luma's Dream Machine.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Plus: US$30/month, or US$25/month on a yearly plan (US$300/year)
Discounts: Cheaper with yearly billing.
Cheaper or similar: Pika, Kling AI, Runway · cheaper Luma Dream Machine alternatives
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Submagic
Adds eye-catching captions, zooms and B-roll to short videos automatically.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Starter: US$19/month, or US$12/month on a yearly plan (US$144/year)
Discounts: Yearly billing saves $84 per member on Starter.
Cheaper or similar: OpusClip, CapCut, Vizard · cheaper Submagic alternatives
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Captions
Edits talking-head videos with AI captions, eye contact fixes and AI actors.
Free plan: Unclear: Not stated on the pricing page.
Paid from: Max: US$24.99/month
Discounts: Enterprise bulk credit discounts.
Cheaper or similar: CapCut, Submagic
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
DaVinci Resolve
Professional editing, color and audio software with a very capable free version.
Free plan: Yes: Full free version of DaVinci Resolve; Studio adds extra features.
Paid from: DaVinci Resolve Studio: US$236 one-time
Discounts: Studio currently 20% off: $236, was $295.
Cheaper or similar: CapCut, Microsoft Clipchamp
Checked Nov 1, 2026
Adobe Premiere
Adobe's pro video editor on desktop and mobile, bundled with Adobe Express Premium.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Premiere: US$34.49/month, or US$22.99/month on a yearly plan (US$275.88/year)
Discounts: Creative Cloud Pro 50% off for the first 3 months for new subscribers ($34.99/month, regularly $69.99).
Cheaper or similar: DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, Descript · cheaper Adobe Premiere alternatives
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Vizard
Turns long videos into short captioned clips and can post them to social accounts.
Free plan: Yes: 60 credits/month (1 credit = 1 minute of video).
Paid from: Creator: US$29/month, or US$14.50/month on a yearly plan (US$174/year)
Discounts: 50% off with yearly billing.
Cheaper or similar: OpusClip, Submagic
Checked Oct 30, 2026
Kling AI
Generates realistic AI video clips from text or images.
Free plan: Yes: Basic plan free forever ($0), with credits for logging in.
Paid from: Standard: US$8.80/month, or US$6.60/month on a yearly plan (US$79.20/year)
Discounts: New subscribers, monthly billing: 30% off the first month on every paid plan (Standard US$6.99 vs US$10, then US$8.80/month; Pro US$25.99 vs US$37). Yearly billing labeled '34% Off'.
Cheaper or similar: Pika, Luma Dream Machine, Runway
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 30, 2026
Leonardo.Ai
Generates images and short videos from prompts, with many styles and models.
Free plan: Yes: 150 tokens per day.
Paid from: Essential: US$12/month, or US$10/month on a yearly plan (US$120/year)
Discounts: Up to 20% off with yearly billing.
Cheaper or similar: Recraft, Ideogram
Checked Oct 25, 2026
Krea
Creates and upscales AI images and videos, including live sketch-to-image.
Free plan: Yes: Free plan at $0/month with limited usage.
Paid from: Basic: US$9/month, or US$5.25/month on a yearly plan
Discounts: Save 40% with annual billing.
Cheaper or similar: Leonardo.Ai, Ideogram
Checked Oct 26, 2026
OpenArt
Creates AI images, characters and short videos using many models in one place.
Free plan: Unclear: 'Start for free' offered; free plan limits not listed.
Paid from: Starter: US$14/month, or US$13/month on a yearly plan (US$156/year)
Discounts: Up to 27% off annual; 50% off Kling 4.0 generations on Wonder/Pro until Nov 20. Unlimited Flux 3 720p videos on Wonder ended Oct 31, 2026.
Cheaper or similar: Leonardo.Ai, Krea
Checked Nov 1, 2026
Riverside
Records remote interviews in high quality, with each guest on a separate track, then edits them.
Free plan: Yes: Free plan available (limits not detailed).
Paid from: Pro: US$29/month, or US$24/month on a yearly plan (US$288/year)
Discounts: Up to 20% off yearly plans; 14-day free trial.
Cheaper or similar: Async, Descript
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Fliki
Turns scripts, blog posts or slides into narrated videos with AI voices.
Free plan: Yes: 3 credits per month, 720p videos with watermark.
Paid from: Standard: US$28/month, or US$21/month on a yearly plan (US$252/year)
Discounts: A Halloween code (FLIKIHALLOWEEN40, 40% off annual plans) was shown in late Oct 2026; it was not visible on the pricing page on Oct 31 and is treated as ended.
Cheaper or similar: Listnr, invideo AI
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Nov 1, 2026
Designs.ai
Suite of AI tools for logos, graphics, videos and voiceovers.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Go: US$9.90/month, or US$8.30/month on a yearly plan (US$99/year)
Discounts: Plus plan 50% off until Dec 30.
Cheaper or similar: Canva, Looka
Checked Oct 30, 2026
Artlist
Stock music and footage library plus AI tools for video, images, voiceover and songs.
Free plan: Yes: Free samples of AI voiceovers, images, a video and music.
Paid from: AI Starter: US$19.99/month, or US$11.99/month on a yearly plan
Discounts: Save 40% with annual billing.
Cheaper or similar: Epidemic Sound, SOUNDRAW
Checked Oct 25, 2026
HeyGen
Makes videos of realistic AI presenters, or your own digital twin, reading your script in many languages.
Free plan: Yes: Free plan: 3 watermarked videos a month, up to 1 minute each.
Paid from: Creator: US$29/month, or US$24/month on a yearly plan (US$288/year)
Discounts: Yearly billing shown as '2 months free'.
Cheaper or similar: Synthesia, Elai.io
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Hedra
Generates expressive talking-character videos from an image and audio.
Free plan: Unclear: Not shown on the page as read.
Paid from: Basic: US$20/month
Cheaper or similar: HeyGen, D-ID
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
LipDub AI
Re-syncs a speaker's lips to new audio or translated dubbing.
Free plan: Unclear: Not shown on the page as read.
Paid from: Core: US$29/month, or US$24.67/month on a yearly plan (US$296/year)
Discounts: Yearly billing saves 15%.
Cheaper or similar: Rask AI, HeyGen
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Rask AI
Translates and dubs videos into other languages with the speaker's cloned voice.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Creator: US$39/month, or US$28/month on a yearly plan (US$329/year)
Discounts: Yearly billing labeled 'Save up to 25%' (Creator US$28/month billed US$329 yearly vs US$39 monthly).
Cheaper or similar: LipDub AI, HeyGen
Checked Oct 31, 2026
Topaz Labs
AI tools that upscale, sharpen and clean up photos and videos.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Topaz for Web - Image Personal: US$12/month, or US$9.08/month on a yearly plan (US$109/year) (promo)
Discounts: 'Limited time offer - save up to 50%' (no end date): Topaz for Web - Image US$12/month (shown against US$19) or US$109/year (shown against US$199); Topaz Photo US$99.50 for the first year (50% off, then US$199/year).
Cheaper or similar: Let's Enhance, VanceAI
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Nov 1, 2026
Steve AI
Turns scripts or blog posts into animated and avatar videos.
Free plan: Yes: Free plan with watermarked videos and limited downloads (third-party listings; not shown on the official page when rendered).
Paid from: Basic: US$20/month, or US$10/month on a yearly plan (US$120/year)
Discounts: Yearly billing is cheaper.
Cheaper or similar: Vidnoz AI, Synthesia
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Envato Elements
One subscription for unlimited royalty-free music, stock footage, photos and templates.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Core: US$33/month, or US$16.50/month on a yearly plan (US$198/year)
Cheaper or similar: Epidemic Sound, Artlist
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Mixkit
Library of free stock music tracks for videos.
Free plan: Yes: Free music downloads.
Price: Free
Cheaper or similar: Epidemic Sound, Artlist
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Other jobs
FAQ
What's the best free video editing tool?
19 of the 34 video editing tools here have a free plan, including Descript, CapCut, Runway, VEED. Start with the one whose job description matches yours, and check the free-plan limits in each card before you commit.
What's the cheapest paid video editing tool?
Of the prices we could confirm, Wondershare Filmora is cheapest: its Basic (annual) plan is US$4.17/month (promo). Next is Krea: its Basic plan is US$9/month, or US$5.25/month on a yearly plan. Prices are in US dollars before tax, checked Oct 30, 2026.
How do you check these prices?
We read each tool's official pricing page (or the maker's own help pages) in US dollars before tax, and note the date. If a price isn't shown clearly, we leave it blank rather than guess.
Want to spend less? Tick the tools you pay for in the Nerdy Savings calculator.