CapCut vs Wondershare Filmora
We give CapCut a 3.6 GPA and Wondershare Filmora a 2.8, out of 4.0. CapCut grades higher on the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CapCut
Video and photo editor with effects, auto captions and AI tools
Wondershare Filmora
Desktop and mobile video editor with AI tools and a stock library
How we grade them
| 3.6GPACapCutExcellent | 2.8GPAWondershare FilmoraGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BStandard is $9.99 a month and Pro is $19.99, as US App Store in-app purchases, with a yearly subscription at $89.99. That's about what video tools here typically start at. But the store listings don't say what Standard adds to the free version, so we can't call it a bargain. | B$49.99 a year, or $79.99 once, is cheap for an editor that does this much. But AI credits, the stock library and the phone apps are all extra. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree to download, with basic editing, effects, filters and background removal. But the limits bite. On the desktop app in the US, auto captions get 1 free use a month, and the Windows listing marks keyframes, chroma key and stabilization as Pro only. | CUse it for as long as you like, but every video you export carries a Filmora watermark. Fine for learning. No good for posting. |
| Features | AA multi-track timeline, speed from 0.1x to 100x, keyframes, chroma key, stabilization, auto captions, text-to-speech, background removal and hundreds of effects. Exports go up to 4K 60fps. That's the whole job, from the first cut to captions and music. | AMulti-camera editing, motion tracking, colour curves, a screen recorder, captions in 27 languages and a pile of AI tools. More than most beginners will touch. |
| Ease of use | A4.6 from about 1.1 million App Store ratings. Commenters call it easier to get going with than the professional video tools, and reviewers keep coming back for the ready-made templates. | BBuilt to be simple, and one reviewer who never learned Premiere says it's easy. But the phone app's reviews mention freezes, and the plans take some decoding. |
| Platforms and integrations | AiPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and Windows, so phone and desktop are both covered. It shares straight to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. | CWindows and Mac, plus separate apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. But a desktop licence doesn't cover the phone apps, and there's no web or Linux version. |
| Best for | short videos edited on your phone | beginners making YouTube and social videos |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CapCut and Wondershare Filmora. How we grade
Where they differ
- CapCut starts at $9.99 per month for Standard, as a US App Store in-app purchase. Wondershare Filmora starts at $49.99 per year (Basic), or $79.99 one-time for a perpetual license.
- Wondershare Filmora can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Wondershare Filmora also covers transcription, noise cancellation, templates and screen recording.
At a glance
| CapCut | Wondershare Filmora | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.99 per month for Standard, as a US App Store in-app purchase | $49.99 per year (Basic), or $79.99 one-time for a perpetual license |
| Free plan | Free to download with a range of free tools. On the desktop app, auto captions get 1 free use a month in the US, audio extraction gets 9, and the advanced editing set is marked Pro only. | Free edition: all basic editing features and export, but exported videos carry a watermark. AI Mate is limited to 15 uses a day and the asset library is a small subset of the paid one. |
| Free trial | Free trial of premium features before subscribing; the store listings do not state its length | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Bytedance Pte. Ltd. | Wondershare |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | filmora.wondershare.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
CapCut
- Short-form video for TikTok, Instagram and YouTube
- Editing on a phone or tablet, with desktop apps for longer projects
- Adding captions, effects and music without separate tools
Wondershare Filmora
- Hobbyists and YouTube creators who want a desktop editor with built-in templates
- Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
- Tutorial makers who record the screen and edit in the same app
Worth knowing
CapCut
- Prices shown are US App Store in-app purchases; what CapCut charges on the web or in the desktop app may differ.
- The US App Store also lists a yearly subscription at $89.99 and monthly subscriptions at $7.99 and $19.99 without naming their plan.
- On Windows, free auto captions are capped at 1 use a month in the US, UK, France, Germany and China, and up to 6 a month elsewhere.
- The Windows listing marks keyframe animation, optical-flow slow motion, chroma key and stabilization as Pro only.
Wondershare Filmora
- The free edition adds a watermark to every exported video.
- Individual plans are single-user, and Wondershare directs business use to its Team & Business plan.
- A Perpetual license covers one platform and only updates within Filmora 16; later major versions cost extra.
- The full Creative Assets library is a separate add-on (7 days free, then $19.99 a month), and desktop licenses do not cover the mobile apps.
Key features
CapCut
- Multi-track timeline editing
- Trim, split and merge clips on a multi-track timeline, change speed from 0.1x to 100x with speed curves, and freeze a frame.
- Keyframes, chroma key and stabilization
- Keyframe animation, optical-flow slow motion, chroma key and stabilization. The Windows listing marks this set as available in the Pro version only.
- Auto captions and text-to-speech
- Speech recognition turns dialogue into subtitles, and text-to-speech reads text in multiple languages and voices.
- Background removal and AI video
- Removes backgrounds automatically. The App Store listing also describes an AI video feature that turns text or images into video.
- Effects, filters and music
- Hundreds of effects such as Glitch, Blur and 3D, filters that are updated weekly, and a library of music clips and sound effects.
- Export and sharing
- Choose the export resolution, with 4K 60fps and smart HDR supported, then share the video to social media platforms.
Wondershare Filmora
- Timeline editing
- A magnetic timeline with multi-camera editing, keyframe animation, motion and planar tracking, and rough-cut tools that remove pauses or cut from the transcript.
- AI generation and analysis
- Generate video from text, images or audio, extend clips, and let AI Media Analysis tag people, scenes and speech so shots are easier to find. Most AI tools spend Filmora AI credits.
- Captions and voice tools
- Speech-to-text covers 27 languages and text-to-speech 28. Captions sit on dedicated subtitle tracks with dynamic styles, and audio tools reduce background noise.
- Screen recorder
- Captures the screen, camera, microphones and system audio at the same time and keeps each source separate for editing afterwards.
- Color correction and cleanup
- Color tools include HSL, RGB curves, 3D LUTs and a Color Mask for grading selected areas. Cleanup tools stabilize shaky shots and reduce noise.
- Creative assets
- Templates, effects, titles, transitions, music and stock media. The free edition lists 1,500+ effects and filters against 18K+ on paid plans.
Plans
CapCut
Free$0
Basic editing, effects, filters and background removal. Auto captions and audio extraction have monthly free-use caps on the desktop app.
Standard$9.99
per month, as a US App Store in-app purchase
Sold in the app as "Standard Monthly Subscription". The store listings do not say what it adds to the free version.
Pro$19.99
per month, as a US App Store in-app purchase
Sold in the app as "Pro Monthly Subscription". The Windows listing marks its advanced editing features as available in the Pro version only.
Wondershare Filmora
Free$0
Basic editing features and export with a watermark, 15 AI Mate uses a day and a smaller set of effects, titles and stock media.
Basic$49.99
per year, billed yearly
One user on Windows and Mac: watermark-free 4K export, 1 GB of cloud storage and version upgrades. AI features are paid for with credits bought separately.
Advanced$59.99
per year, billed yearly
Everything in Basic plus 1,000 Filmora AI credits a month and 10 GB of cloud storage. Shown as a discount from a crossed-out $69.99.
Perpetual$79.99
one-time payment, for Windows or Mac
One platform only, updates within Filmora 16, a one-time grant of 1,000 AI credits and 1 GB of cloud storage.
Ways to pay less
CapCut
No public discounts listed.
Wondershare Filmora
- Lifetime license
Perpetual license for a one-time $79.99
A single payment buys a license for Windows or Mac with all updates to Filmora 16. Upgrades to future major versions are not included.
- Education
Discounted plans for students and teachers
Filmora's education store offers student plans at an educational discount to students and teachers who verify with an education email address or academic documents.
