CapCut is ByteDance's free-to-start, all-in-one video editor for desktop, mobile, and web that bundles traditional cutting and trimming tools with integrated generative AI features — an AI video generator, AI image generator, and AI music generator — aimed at creators making social content, ads, and brand videos without switching apps. Its official /pricing page currently returns a 404, so the plan details here come from CapCut's own Standard-vs-Pro comparison guide instead.
Who builds it
CapCut is developed by ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, and is built as a companion editor for short-form video creators as much as a general-purpose editor. The free Standard tier isn't a stripped-down trial — ByteDance frames it as covering "the essential basic necessities required for their creations without incurring any costs" — while Pro layers on premium assets and deeper AI workflows.
Core features
- Core editing toolkit — cutting, trimming, merging, and splitting are available on every tier, including Standard.
- AI video generator — turn prompts or source clips into new video content inside the same editor used for manual cuts.
- AI image and AI music generators — produce supporting visuals and soundtracks without leaving CapCut.
- Auto captions, background remover, motion tracking, noise reduction — automation features layered on top of manual editing.
- 8K export — both Standard and Pro users can save finished videos at up to 8K resolution, unusually high for a free-tier editor.
- Cross-platform availability — desktop, mobile, and web versions share the same project format.
Pricing
CapCut is freemium: the Standard plan is free and covers essential editing plus 8K export. Pro is CapCut's paid tier, priced at $19.99/month for individual users per CapCut's own Standard-vs-Pro guide; Pro's main value is unlocking premium templates, effects, and stock assets rather than raising the export ceiling, since Standard already exports at up to 8K. The comparison guide references a Creator Terms of Service and a License Agreement for usage terms but does not spell out commercial-use or watermark specifics on that page — check those linked documents directly if you need contractual certainty.
Who it's for
CapCut fits creators and small teams who want one app for editing plus generative AI add-ons — especially anyone already working in short-form or social formats, since ByteDance builds it alongside TikTok's own creator tooling. Because Standard already unlocks high-resolution export and core editing for free, Pro is the right upgrade mainly for people who specifically want premium templates, effects, or the deeper AI generation features gated behind it, not for people who just need a basic export.