Descript vs StreamYard

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

StreamYard

• Solo creators running interview shows without a production crew
• Streaming one broadcast to several social platforms at once
• Podcasters who record remote guests on separate tracks

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.

StreamYard

• The Free plan shows a StreamYard logo, limits monthly streaming hours and storage, and cannot stream live and record at the same time.
• Core and Advanced are for individual use only; companies are pointed to separate Business plans sold through sales.
• 4K local recordings, transcript downloads and On-Air webinars need the Advanced plan.
• StreamYard says plan prices can vary with promotions and renewal terms, and its 7-day money-back guarantee covers only the first charge.

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.

StreamYard

Browser studio with remote guests

Guests join from a browser or phone through a link, with no download or account. Up to 6 people fit on screen on the Free plan and 10 on paid plans.

Multistreaming

Send one stream to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Twitch and custom RTMP destinations at once: 3 destinations on Core and 8 on Advanced.

Local recordings

Each participant's audio and video are recorded on their own device as separate files and uploaded in the background, so a weak connection does not blur the result.

Show branding

Paid plans add logos, overlays, video clips, backgrounds, intro and outro videos and more than 16 custom layouts. Custom fonts need Advanced.

On-Air webinars and pre-recorded streams

StreamYard On-Air hosts live webinars that can be embedded on your own site. Pre-recorded videos can be streamed as if live: up to 2 hours on Core and 4 on Advanced.

Clips and repurposing

Trim and split recordings into short clips for Shorts and Reels inside StreamYard, which is free for all users. AI clips are part of the paid 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.

StreamYard

• Free$0

  Essential studio features with a StreamYard logo, streaming limits, limited storage, 2 hours of local recordings a month and 6 on-screen participants.

• Core$35.99

  per month, billed yearly ($44.99 billed monthly)

  1080p, no StreamYard logo, multistreaming to 3 destinations, 10 on-screen participants, unlimited streaming and recording, and 50 hours of storage.

• Advanced$68.99

  per month, billed yearly ($88.99 billed monthly)

  Everything in Core plus 4K local recordings, 8 multistream destinations, 15 backstage participants, On-Air webinars for 100 viewers and transcript downloads.

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.

StreamYard

• Annual discount

  22% off with yearly billing

  StreamYard's pricing page labels yearly billing as 22% off. Core is $35.99 a month billed yearly against $44.99 billed monthly, and Advanced is $68.99 against $88.99.