Descript vs Loom
We give Descript a 3.2 GPA and Loom a 3.6, out of 4.0. Loom grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Descript
Audio and video editor that works by editing the transcript
Loom
Screen and camera recorder for shareable video messages
How we grade them
| 3.2GPADescriptVery good | 3.6GPALoomExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BHobbyist is $16 per person a month billed annually, or $24 monthly, for 10 media hours, 400 AI credits and 1080p export with no watermark. That's about typical for video tools here. 4K needs Creator at $24. And every plan is metered, so heavy months can run dry. | BBusiness is $18 per user a month billed monthly, and the pricing page says paying annually saves up to 17%. That buys unlimited storage, recordings up to 6 hours and HD. About typical for video tools here, if a touch above the middle. The AI features cost more, at $24. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free plan needs no credit card and gives 60 media minutes a month. But exports are 720p with a watermark, and the 100 AI credits are a one-time grant. Good for a proper try, tight for real work. | BStarter is free with transcriptions in 50+ languages and up to 50 members. But it stops at 25 videos per person, 5-minute screen recordings and 720p. Fine for the odd walkthrough. Tight if you record every day. |
| Features | AEdit the transcript and the audio or video follows. Studio Sound removes background noise, filler words get cut, and Underlord carries out editing tasks for you. It records your screen, records remote guests in Rooms, makes short clips, and adds captions and translation. The whole job, in depth. | AScreen and camera recording, trimming and stitching, transcripts and captions in more than 50 languages, comments, reactions and viewer insights. Meetings record with no length limit. On Business + AI it writes summaries and chapters and can fill in a Jira bug report from a recording. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. If you can edit a document you can make a cut, which beats learning a timeline. Keeping an eye on media hours and AI credits is the fiddly part. | A4.8 from about 19,000 App Store ratings. Record from the desktop app, the Chrome extension or your phone, and what comes out is a link. Nothing for the viewer to install. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Mac and Windows, with an API and hooks into Zapier, Zoom, YouTube and podcast hosts like Buzzsprout and Transistor. But there are no mobile apps: phones, iPads and Chromebooks aren't officially supported. The desktop app needs macOS 14 or Windows 11. | AMac, Windows, iPhone, Android and a Chrome extension, and it connects to Jira, Confluence, Slack, Google Workspace, Salesforce and Figma. No Linux app is listed. |
| Best for | editing podcasts and videos by editing the words | quick screen recordings you share as a link |
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: Descript and Loom. How we grade
Where they differ
- Descript starts at $16 per person / month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly). Loom starts at $18 per user / month, billed monthly.
- Only Descript lists a web app.
- Only Loom lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Loom lists a browser extension.
- Descript also covers noise cancellation.
- Loom also covers screenshots.
At a glance
| Descript | Loom | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $16 per person / month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly) | $18 per user / month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | 60 media minutes per month, a one-time 100 AI credits and 720p export with a watermark. No credit card required. | Starter plan: up to 25 videos per person, 5-minute screen recordings, 720p quality, unlimited meeting length, transcriptions in 50+ languages and up to 50 members. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of Business + AI; the workspace drops to the free Starter plan afterwards |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Descript | Atlassian |
| Price read from | descript.com | loom.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Descript
- Podcasters and video creators who prefer editing a transcript to a timeline
- Cleaning up interview and talking-head recordings with AI tools
- Turning long recordings into short captioned clips
Loom
- Teams sharing quick recorded walkthroughs instead of scheduling a call
- Jira and Confluence users who want video tied into Atlassian tools
- Occasional recorders who can work within 25 short videos on the free plan
Worth knowing
Descript
- The Free plan is limited to 60 media minutes a month, a one-time 100 AI credits and watermarked 720p exports.
- Paid plans cap monthly usage too: 10 media hours and 400 AI credits on Hobbyist, 30 and 800 on Creator, 40 and 1,500 on Business.
- Hobbyist covers 1 person; Creator scales to a team of 3 and Business to 5, each person billed separately.
- There are no mobile apps: phones, iPads and Chromebooks are not officially supported, and the desktop app needs macOS 14 or Windows 11.
Loom
- The free Starter plan is capped at 25 videos per person, 5-minute screen recordings and 720p quality.
- Auto-summaries, auto-chapters and filler-word removal need Business + AI or Enterprise.
- Business plans are billed per Creator, and Enterprise is sold on annual subscriptions only.
- No Linux app is listed; recording is offered on Mac, Windows, Chrome, iOS and Android.
Key features
Descript
- Text-based editing
- Recordings are transcribed automatically, and deleting or rearranging words in the transcript makes the same cut in the audio or video.
- Underlord AI co-editor
- An AI assistant that carries out editing tasks on a project. Its use draws on the plan's AI credits.
- Studio Sound and filler-word removal
- Studio Sound uses AI to remove background noise, and filler words can be detected and cut from a recording.
- Screen recording and Rooms
- Record your screen inside Descript, or use Rooms to record remote guests.
- Clips, captions and translation
- Turn long recordings into short clips, add captions and subtitles, and translate content into dozens of languages.
- AI voices and Eye Contact
- Create a clone of your voice or use stock AI voices, and correct gaze with Eye Contact. These AI features consume AI credits.
Loom
- Screen and camera recording
- Record the screen, the camera or both from the desktop app, the Chrome extension or the mobile apps, then share the video as a link.
- Basic editing
- Trim recordings, stitch clips together and add backgrounds, text, arrows and box overlays.
- Transcripts and captions
- Transcriptions and closed captions in more than 50 languages, included on the free Starter plan.
- Comments and viewer insights
- Viewers can respond with comments, emoji reactions and tasks, and creators can see who watched. Engagement insights and calls-to-action are paid features.
- Loom AI
- Business + AI and Enterprise add auto-summaries, auto-chapters and filler-word removal. An AI bug report feature fills in Jira work items from a recording.
- Meeting recordings
- Meetings can be recorded without a length limit, including on the Starter plan.
Plans
Descript
Free$0
60 media minutes per month, 100 one-time AI credits and 720p export with a watermark.
Hobbyist$16
per person / month, billed annually ($24 monthly)
1 person, 10 media hours and 400 AI credits per month, and 1080p export without a watermark.
Creator$24
per person / month, billed annually ($35 monthly)
Up to 3 people, 30 media hours and 800 AI credits per month, and 4K export without a watermark.
Business$50
per person / month, billed annually ($65 monthly)
Up to 5 people, 40 media hours and 1,500 AI credits per month, and 4K export.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom pricing with single sign-on, SCIM provisioning and dedicated support.
Loom
Starter$0
Up to 25 videos per person, 5-minute screen recordings, 720p quality and up to 50 members.
Business$18
per user / month, billed monthly
Unlimited storage, recordings up to 6 hours, HD recording, custom branding, engagement insights and calls-to-action.
Business + AI$24
per user / month, billed monthly
Everything in Business plus Loom's AI features, including auto-summaries, auto-chapters and filler-word removal.
EnterpriseCustom
Annual contracts through sales with SSO, SCIM, custom data retention and advanced security controls.
Ways to pay less
Descript
- Annual discount
Save up to 35% with annual billing
Descript's pricing page says annual plans save up to 35% over monthly. Hobbyist is $16 per person per month billed annually versus $24 billed monthly.
- Education
Education plan from $8 per editor / month
Students, educators and administrators at accredited institutions can apply for Hobbyist features at $8 per editor per month paid annually, or $12 paid monthly.
- Nonprofit
Nonprofit plan from $8 per editor / month
Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) or equivalent charitable status can apply for the same rate: Hobbyist features at $8 per editor per month paid annually, or $12 paid monthly.
Loom
- Annual discount
Save up to 17% with annual billing
Loom's pricing page says you can be billed monthly but save 17% if you pay annually.
- Education
Up to 75% off for education
Verified teachers, professors and students at accredited institutions can get up to 50% off premium plans for general academic use, or 75% off for classroom use.
