--- title: "Descript vs CapCut" description: "Descript vs CapCut: spoken-word production or visual social editing. Compare prices, free-plan allowances and product features." url: https://exemplary.ai/compare/descript-vs-capcut facts_as_of: 2026-10-01 publisher: "Exemplary AI (https://exemplary.ai)" --- # Descript vs CapCut Spoken-word production or visual social editing ## At a glance Descript uses transcript-based editing for interviews, podcasts and explainers. CapCut uses a timeline for social videos with footage, music and effects. ## Prices, limits and features Guide updated 2026-10-01. Descript: prices and features as of September 2026; CapCut: prices and features as of October 2026. Descript vs CapCut: Prices, limits and features | Feature | Descript | CapCut | | --- | --- | --- | | Free plan | Yes (60 minutes (1 hr) / month of media, 100 AI credits (one-time), 720p export with watermark, 5GB cloud storage, uploads up to 1 GB. A real free plan, not a trial ("Do I need to enter a credit card to try Descript? No"). The 100 AI credits are one-time, not monthly.) | Yes (Free editing tools are documented; feature-specific quotas were not confirmed.) | | Paid plan pricing | Hobbyist: US$24/mo, or US$16/mo billed yearly (Per person/month, in USD. Usage is metered in two pools: media minutes (any upload or recording, transcribed or not) and AI credits (Underlord, Studio Sound, translation, generative media). Allowances reset each billing cycle and unused minutes/credits do not roll over. Top-ups are available on Creator and Business only (not Free or Hobbyist).) | — | | Languages | 25 languages (transcription) | 20+ languages (automatic captions) | | AI clips from long video | Yes ("Create clips" AI tool (1-20 clips, 10 s to 5 min each). Pricing table: "Repurpose media: Create clips, highlights" is Limited on Free, included on Hobbyist and up; uses AI credits.) | Yes | | Transcription | Yes (Text-based editing on every plan; transcription is metered as media minutes.) | Yes | | Subtitles / captions burned in | Yes ("Dynamic captions: Automatically create animated captions for your videos", unlimited on every plan.) | Yes | | Translation | Yes (Translate captions and Dub speech: Limited on Free, included Hobbyist and up; lip-sync Creator and up; translation proofread Business and Enterprise only. Uses AI credits.) | — | | Speaker labels | Yes ("Detect 8+ speakers" on every plan; automatic speaker detection and labelling.) | — | | YouTube timestamps / chapters | Yes (Markers/Add Chapters AI tool; "Copy chapters for YouTube" copies a formatted chapter list for the video description (YouTube ignores chapter metadata in files). Add chapters is Limited on Free.) | — | | Audiograms | Yes (Waveform layers: "Add an animated audio visualizer for audiograms or podcast clips.") | — | | Public API | Yes ("API access is available for all paying users at no additional cost." Usage draws from plan media minutes and AI credits. Page says it is in early access.) | — | | Mobile app | No (Help center: "Descript is not officially supported on mobile browsers or tablet devices like Chromebooks or iPads." Desktop apps are macOS and Windows, plus Descript for Web.) | Yes | | Team workspaces | Yes (Shared drive with a general workspace; Creator scales to 3 editors, Business to 5. Custom workspaces are Enterprise-only.) | — | ## Descript plan allowances - **Media minutes per editor:** 60 minutes / month (Free) - **Media minutes per editor:** 600 minutes (10 hrs) / month (Hobbyist) - **Media minutes per editor:** 1800 minutes (30 hrs) / month (Creator) - **Media minutes per editor:** 2400 minutes (40 hrs) / month (Business) - **Max upload file size:** 1 GB (Free) - **Max upload file size:** 10 GB (Hobbyist) - **Max upload file size:** 20 GB (Creator) - **Max upload file size:** 50 GB (Business) - **Video export resolution:** 720p (watermarked) (Free) - **Video export resolution:** 1080p (Hobbyist) - **Video export resolution:** 4k (Creator and Business) - **Web-link video export duration:** 1 hour (Free and Hobbyist) - **Web-link video export duration:** 3 hours (Creator and Business) - **Cloud storage:** 5GB (Free), 100GB (Hobbyist), 1TB (Creator), 2TB (Business) - **Seats:** 1 (Free, Hobbyist), 1-3 (Creator), up to 5 (Business) ## CapCut plan allowances Plan allowances vary by subscription. ## Where Descript wins - A full text-based video and podcast editor (edit the video by editing the transcript) with Mac and Windows desktop apps, remote recording and screen recording, well beyond a transcription or clipping tool. - Caption translation into 61 languages and AI dubbing into 30 languages, with lip-sync from the Creator plan. - Large uploads: files up to 10 GB on Hobbyist ($16/mo billed yearly) and up to 50 GB on Business. ## Where CapCut wins - Timeline editing, templates and desktop/mobile apps suit hands-on video editing. - AI highlights combine with subject tracking and further clip editing. ## Try it on your own material Try removing filler words from an interview and making a music-led montage. Check how each editor handles both tasks, then verify project handoff and any paid assets in the export. ## Create more from every recording Exemplary AI turns a recording into a transcript in 99 languages, short clips, subtitles, audiograms and written content, all in one workspace. The Free plan includes 200 one-time credits; paid plans offer additional credits and features. [Try Exemplary AI](https://exemplary.ai/signup) [Explore plans](https://exemplary.ai/pricing) ## Before you subscribe ### How do Descript and CapCut differ? Descript uses transcript-based editing for interviews, podcasts and explainers. CapCut uses a timeline for social videos with footage, music and effects. ### How should I test these tools before subscribing? Try removing filler words from an interview and making a music-led montage. Check how each editor handles both tasks, then verify project handoff and any paid assets in the export. ### When were these prices and features updated? The page was updated October 1, 2026. Descript's facts are dated September 2026; CapCut's facts are dated October 2026. Prices vary by billing period, currency and tax. [Explore every comparison](https://exemplary.ai/exemplary-ai-alternatives) > Exemplary AI is a browser-based AI tool that turns long videos and recordings into short captioned clips, transcripts in 99 languages, subtitles, translations into 116 languages, and written posts such as summaries, blog posts and YouTube chapters. It is built for YouTubers, podcasters and marketing teams; the Free plan includes 200 one-time credits with watermarked video exports. Pricing: https://exemplary.ai/pricing