Disclosure: some links on this page may be affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the disclosure.
By the toolist.ai editors. Researched from vendor pages and hands-on tests published by others, not hands-on tested by toolist.ai. Updated October 15, 2026.
Best editors tools
AI video editors cut, caption and clean up footage you already have. Descript edits video by editing its transcript and suits talking-head video and podcasts, VEED is known for styled subtitles, Kapwing suits teams editing together in the browser, CapCut is free to start for quick social video, and Riverside records remote interviews and podcasts and edits them by transcript. Captions edits talking-head shorts filmed on an iPhone for you: AI Edit adds captions, B-roll and music in one pass. Paid plans start at $4.99 a month for the reduced Captions Lite on Android, $9.99 for CapCut Standard and Captions Basic, $24 for Descript and Kapwing, and $35 for Riverside Pro ($24 a month billed yearly); Captions' AI Edit starts with Max at $24.99.
Quick picks
- CapCut: best for fast TikTok, Reels and Shorts edits on any device
- Captions: best for turning talking-head footage into finished vertical videos on an iPhone, with AI avatars when you cannot film
- Descript: best for editing talking-head video and podcasts by editing the transcript
- Kapwing: best for teams editing short social videos together in the browser
- Riverside: best for recording remote interviews and podcasts, then editing and clipping them in one place
- VEED: best for social videos that need well-styled subtitles, edited in the browser
Compared
| Tool | Cheapest paid plan | Price per unit, calculated | Basis | Prices checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CapCut | Standard ($9.99 a month) | – | Researched | 2026-10-16 |
| Captions | Basic ($9.99 a month) | $0.050 per credit | Researched | 2026-10-16 |
| Descript | Hobbyist ($24 a month) | $2.40 per hour of media | Researched | 2026-10-16 |
| Kapwing | Pro ($24 a month) | $0.024 per AI credit | Researched | 2026-10-16 |
| Riverside | Pro ($35 a month) | $0.039 per minute of uploaded video | Researched | 2026-10-16 |
| VEED | Creator ($12 a month, billed yearly) | – | Researched | 2026-10-16 |
Listed in alphabetical order: we do not rank tools we have not tested ourselves. Price per unit divides each cheapest plan's monthly price by what it includes. Units differ between tools, so read the unit before comparing two rows.
Filter every tool by price and free plan in the tool directory, or price your own month in the AI cost calculator.
How to choose
- Talking-head, interview or podcast footage: pick an editor that cuts by transcript. Descript is built around it; VEED, Kapwing and Riverside offer it too. If you also record the conversation, Riverside records each guest on their own device and cuts clips from it with Magic Clips. For short videos filmed on an iPhone, Captions' AI Edit cuts the clip and adds captions, B-roll and music in one pass.
- Watch the meters: Descript counts media hours and AI credits, while VEED and Kapwing charge their AI tools in credits; Riverside records, edits and exports without limit on paid plans but caps downloads of separate tracks and uploads of outside video (15 hours a month each on Pro), and gives a one-off balance of AI credits that does not renew. Captions spends credits on every AI feature, even on projects you never export (AI Edit takes 10 to 40 credits a project, and Max includes 500 a month).
- Check refunds: Kapwing has none after you upgrade, VEED only within 14 days if unused, Descript within 48 hours of the invoice, Riverside within 24 hours of a monthly Pro or Grow plan or 14 days of a yearly one, and Captions not at all unless the law requires it.
- Several people editing the same video: Kapwing has real-time collaboration in the browser.
Read more
- CapCut review
- Captions review · pricing
- Descript review · pricing
- Kapwing review · pricing
- Riverside review · pricing
- VEED review · pricing
- Descript vs CapCut
- VEED vs Kapwing
Other categories: avatar video, text to video, clips, script to video, voice, image, writing, coding. All lists: best-of lists.