ByteDance's free video editor for phone, desktop and web, packed with AI tools
Free plan · paid from $19.99/month
The Best AI video editors and clip makers in 2026
- 10 apps ranked
- Updated Oct 2026
- Researched from official sources
AI video editors cut the slow parts of editing: they caption your videos, remove silences, let you edit by deleting words from a transcript and turn long recordings into short clips for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. Some are full editors with AI added, others are clip makers built just for repurposing. We checked the leading ones and ranked them with the same published rubric.
Our top picks
Fast browser-based editor with transcript editing, Smart Cut, clips and dubbing
Free plan · paid from $16/month
Edit video by editing the transcript, with the Underlord AI co-editor
Free plan · paid from $16/month
The full ranking
10 apps, best first- 1
CapCut
Best forSocial creators who want a free, full-featured editor on every device
ByteDance's free video editor for phone, desktop and web, packed with AI tools
Mobile appFree plan · paid from $19.99/month
Pros & cons
- Generous free plan
- Apps on every platform
- Huge template and effects library
- Very easy to learn
- Its terms give CapCut a broad, perpetual licence to content you upload
- Best AI tools sit behind Pro
- Android rating is low (3.6)
8.3/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 2
Kapwing
Best forSocial and marketing teams who want a fast, collaborative editor in the browser
Fast browser-based editor with transcript editing, Smart Cut, clips and dubbing
Web onlyGroup planningFree plan · paid from $16/month
Pros & cons
- Feels like a desktop app in a browser
- Real-time collaboration
- Broad set of AI tools
- Social safe-zone guides for TikTok and Instagram
- Free plan is 720p with a watermark
- Advanced AI generations use credits
- No mobile apps
7.9/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 3
Descript
Best forPodcasters, YouTubers and teams who edit talking-head video
Edit video by editing the transcript, with the Underlord AI co-editor
Web onlyFree plan · paid from $16/month
Pros & cons
- Editing by transcript is fast and intuitive
- Underlord handles multi-step edits from a prompt
- Strong audio clean-up
- Works in the browser or as a desktop app
- Editor slows down on complex projects
- AI credits are shared across all features
- No mobile editing app
7.8/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 4
Wondershare Filmora
Best forHobbyists who want a full desktop editor with AI help at a low yearly price
Affordable desktop video editor with 20+ AI tools, from smart clips to denoising
Mobile appFree plan · paid from $49.99/year
Pros & cons
- Cheap yearly plans
- Proper timeline editor plus AI tools
- Lots of tutorials
- Desktop and mobile apps
- Slower on lower-end computers
- Most AI tools use credits
- Free exports are watermarked
7.8/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 5
OpusClip
Best forPodcasters and streamers who want lots of short clips from long videos
AI clip maker that finds the best moments in long videos and turns them into shorts
Mobile appFree plan · paid from $15/month
Pros & cons
- Fast route from long video to posted shorts
- Usable free plan
- Good-value annual Pro plan
- Highly rated iPhone app
- Built-in editor is unreliable for fine-tuning
- Android app rated only 2.6
- Best features need Pro
7.7/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 6
Riverside
Best forPodcasters and interviewers who record and edit in one place
Podcast and video recording studio with text-based editing and Magic Clips
Mobile appFree plan · paid from $24/month
Pros & cons
- Recording, editing and clipping in one tool
- Clips export up to 4K
- Mobile apps for recording
- Free plan includes Magic Clips
- Editing is less flexible than full editors
- Free recording is a one-off 2 hours
- Pricier than pure editors if you don't record there
7.7/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 7
Adobe Premiere
Best forProfessional editors who need precise control plus time-saving AI
Industry-standard editor with Firefly AI tools like Generative Extend and Object Mask
Mobile appFrom $22.99/month
Pros & cons
- Most powerful editor in this list
- Generative Extend fixes short clips and awkward cuts
- Works with Photoshop and After Effects
- Now has well-rated mobile apps
- Subscription only, and the priciest here
- Steep learning curve
- Only 25 generative credits on the single-app plan
7.4/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 8
VEED
Best forMarketers and creators who want quick captioned videos in the browser
Browser video editor known for auto-subtitles, translation and quick social edits
Mobile appGroup planningFree plan · paid from $147/year
Pros & cons
- Strong auto-captioning
- Easy browser-based collaboration
- Lots of quick AI fixes
- Doesn't replace a professional editor
- Free exports are watermarked
- Credit limits on AI features
7.4/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 9
Captions
Best forCreators who film and edit talking videos on their phone
Phone-first AI editor for talking videos, with animated captions, dubbing and AI shorts
Mobile appFree plan · paid from $24.99/month
Pros & cons
- Excellent animated captions
- Many AI tools in one phone app
- Highly rated on iPhone
- Reviewers report audio sync failures and crashes
- Android and web versions lag the iPhone app
- Free plan has no AI credits
7.3/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 10
Submagic
Best forShort-form creators who want punchy, captioned clips with minimal effort
AI short-form editor for viral captions, auto-cuts, B-roll and clips
Web onlyFree trial · from $12/month
Pros & cons
- Very fast one-click results
- Caption styles made for social video
- Cheap annual Starter plan
- Short video length limits on cheaper plans
- Little independent testing
- Web only, no mobile app
7.1/10★★★★★Visit ↗
Compare at a glance
Scroll sideways on mobile| # | App | Free plan | Paid from | iOS | Android | Web | Edit quality | Ease of use | Features | Value for money | Platforms | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  CapCut | Yes | $19.99/month | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8.5 | 10 | 8.3 |
| 2 |  Kapwing | Yes | $16/month | — | — | ✓ | 7.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 7 | 7.9 |
| 3 |  Descript | Yes | $16/month | — | — | ✓ | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 7.8 |
| 4 | Wondershare Filmora | Yes | $49.99/year | ✓ | ✓ | — | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 7.8 |
| 5 |  OpusClip | Yes | $15/month | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 7.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7 | 7.7 |
| 6 |  Riverside | Yes | $24/month | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 7.5 | 8.5 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7.7 |
| 7 |  Adobe Premiere | No | $22.99/month | ✓ | ✓ | — | 9 | 6 | 7.5 | 6 | 8 | 7.4 |
| 8 |  VEED | Yes | $147/year | ✓ | — | ✓ | 7 | 8.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 7 | 7.4 |
| 9 |  Captions | Yes | $24.99/month | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 6.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 8.5 | 7.3 |
| 10 |  Submagic | Trial | $12/month | — | — | ✓ | 6.5 | 8.5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7.1 |
Head to head
12 comparisons
For developers
Make AI video editing tools? Get yours reviewed here.
People compare AI video editing tools on this page before they choose. Paste your website after checkout and we'll research, score and publish your listing.
- Full profile page
- Scored with the same rubric
- Reviewed within 2 working days
- Included in comparisons
How we rank AI video editors
Every tool was checked on 7 October 2026 against its own website, pricing and app-store listings, plus independent 2025–2026 reviews. Each gets five scores out of 10, weighted into an overall score.
Ties are broken by the edit quality score. To be listed, a tool has to edit video you supply, using AI for jobs like captions, cutting, clipping or clean-up, rather than only generating new video from prompts. The list is open: developers can submit an app, and we review it with the same rubric.
Features are scored half by our editors and half by this published checklist, ticked only where the app's own pages or app-store listing confirm it:
- Automatic captions with styles
- Turns long videos into short clips automatically
- Edit video by editing the transcript
- Removes silences and filler words automatically
- AI translation and dubbing into other languages
- Adds AI-generated or stock B-roll automatically
- AI audio clean-up and noise removal
- Editing apps for iPhone and Android
- Free plan exports without a watermark
Rankings are editorial. Companies can't pay to change a score or a position, and any paid placement is labelled Featured.
Reviewed by Tech Arcade editors · Updated Oct 7, 2026
- Edit quality30%
- Ease of use20%
- Features20%
- Value for money20%
- Platforms10%
Quick answers
What is the best AI video editor?
In our October 2026 comparison, CapCut scored highest: it's free to start, runs on phones, desktop and the web, and packs in AI captions and effects. Descript and Kapwing are the strongest choices for editing by transcript, and Filmora is the best value desktop editor.
What is the best AI tool for turning long videos into short clips?
OpusClip is the specialist for finding viral moments in long videos, with a usable free plan. Riverside's Magic Clips is ideal if you record podcasts there, and Submagic, Kapwing and Captions also make clips with animated captions.
What is the best free AI video editor?
CapCut's free plan is the most generous, with a full editor on every platform. Descript, Kapwing, OpusClip and Riverside also have free plans, but they add watermarks or limit exports.
Can I edit a video by editing the text?
Yes. Descript, Kapwing, Riverside, Filmora and Adobe Premiere all let you cut video by deleting words from its transcript. Descript was built around this idea and does it best.
Do companies pay to be on this list?
No. Rankings come from the published rubric and can't be bought. Developers can pay for a Featured spot above the ranking; it's always marked Sponsored and never changes scores or positions.
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