The CapCut Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about CapCut in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
CapCut
The Insider’s Guide
Video and photo editor with effects, auto captions and AI tools
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among screen recording and video tools, read from CapCut’s own pages.
Made by Bytedance Pte. Ltd. · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05After you payGetting your money back, getting out, and getting help
- 06The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 07Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 08About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from CapCut’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on CapCut’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 38 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade
CapCut is a video and photo editor from ByteDance for phones, tablets and desktop computers. It pairs a multi-track timeline with effects, filters, a music library and automated tools such as auto captions, text-to-speech and background removal. The apps are free to download, and Standard and Pro subscriptions are sold as in-app purchases.
To get you started, here are 10 things to know about CapCut, taken from its own pages and our grades.
People say it's far quicker to get going with than the professional editors, and the ready-made templates do a lot of the work.
- 1
Best for short videos edited on your phone
Much of it is free, but the paywall keeps moving: App Store reviewers say effects they used for free are now in Pro.
- 2
Paid plans start at $9.99 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $9.99 per month for Standard, as a US App Store in-app purchase.
- 3
There is a 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.
- 4
It runs on 4 platforms
iOS, Android, macOS and Windows.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
Auto captions and text-to-speech
Speech recognition turns dialogue into subtitles, and text-to-speech reads text in multiple languages and voices.
- 8
Refunds: no set window
CapCut's help centre says subscriptions are virtual goods and that purchases generally do not support refunds. The terms are a shade kinder, offering the money back within 14 days if you have not used a single premium feature, which is not much use once you have edited anything.
- 9
A 2.8 GPA, above 38 of 52
That is against the other screen recording and video tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 10
Keep it
To replace CapCut you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
CapCut at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $9.99 per month for Standard, as a US App Store in-app purchase
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Free trial of premium features before subscribing; the store listings do not state its length
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Bytedance Pte. Ltd.
- Category
- Screen Recording & Video
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.6 on the App Store, 1,123,118 ratings
The report card
Best for short videos edited on your phone
CapCut is a video editor for short clips, the TikTok, Instagram and YouTube kind, with a multi-track timeline, effects, auto captions and a music library on phone and computer. Much of it is free, but the paywall keeps moving: App Store reviewers say effects they used for free are now in Pro. The listings never say what Standard at $9.99 adds, and keyframes and chroma key sit in Pro at $19.99.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Standard is $9.99 a month as a US App Store in-app purchase, which is exactly the middle for video tools here, with Pro at $19.99 and a year at $89.99. And the store listings never say what Standard adds to the free version, so you're paying on trust. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free to download, and one person could genuinely live on it: multi-track editing, effects, filters, background removal and a music library. The walls are real though. 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. |
| Features | B | A multi-track timeline, speed from 0.1x to 100x, keyframes, chroma key, stabilization, auto captions, text-to-speech, background removal, hundreds of effects and 4K 60fps export. The short-video job is covered, as Filmora and Clipchamp cover it. |
| Ease of use | B | 4.61 from about 1.1 million App Store ratings, just shy of our top mark. People say it's far quicker to get going with than the professional editors, and the ready-made templates do a lot of the work. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and Windows, so phone and computer both, and it shares straight to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. The listing shows no web version and no API. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who CapCut is for
- Fits if you make short videos for TikTok, Instagram or YouTube
- Works for editing on your phone, with a desktop app for the longer projects
Who it is not for
- Skip it if a moving paywall winds you up, as reviewers say effects they used for free are now in Pro
- Tight if you caption a lot on the free desktop app, which allows 1 auto caption a month in the US
- Pricey if all you're missing is keyframes or chroma key, since those sit in Pro at $19.99 a month on the US App Store
- Watch out: the store listings never say what Standard at $9.99 a month adds, or how long the trial runs
- Not for you if you want to edit in a browser or through an API, as the listing shows neither
Good to know
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
What people say
- 4.6on the App Store, from 1,123,118 ratings
What they like
- Ready-made templates and a wide choice of effects and filters are what reviewers keep coming back to when they say why they use it.
- Commenters describe it as an editor with a low barrier to entry, easier to get going with than the professional video tools.
- Reviewers and a commenter praise how much of the editor can be used without paying.
What they don’t
- Reviewers who rate it highly still complain that effects and transitions they used for free have been moved into the paid Pro plan.
- Several reviewers report glitches, such as a storage warning that would not clear, blank thumbnails in the media picker or the reverse tool picking the wrong clip.
10 App Store reviews, all of four or five stars, from October 2023 to February 2026, and about 15 Hacker News comments from May 2025 to February 2026
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$9.99
A month to start. There is a free plan too
CapCut has a free plan. Paid plans start at $9.99 per month for Standard, as a US App Store in-app purchase.
And the store listings never say what Standard adds to the free version, so you're paying on trust.
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.
The 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.
Trying it first
Free trial of premium features before subscribing; the store listings do not state its length
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 5, 2026.
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Standard Monthly Subscription”, against $9.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 10.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | ₱ 250.00 | $3.98 | 60% less |
| Turkey | ₺199,99 | $4.07 | 59% less |
| Indonesia | Rp 75ribu | $4.19 | 58% less |
| South Africa | R99.99 | $6.05 | 39% less |
| Canada | $13.49 | $9.48 | 5% less |
| Australia | $14.99 | $10.46 | about the same |
| Germany | 11,99 € | $13.44 | 34% more |
| United Kingdom | £10.99 | $14.53 | 45% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: macOS, Windows, iOS and Android
Video and photo editor with effects, auto captions and AI tools. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, video editing.
The short-video job is covered, as Filmora and Clipchamp cover it.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- TikTok
- YouTube
CapCut is made by Bytedance Pte. Ltd.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
38/52
Other screen recording and video tools it is graded above
CapCut's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 38 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 40 of 52) and worst on value for money (C, above 10).
Its paid plans start at $9.99 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 19 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. CapCut’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 10 of 52
- BFree plan and trialAbove 40 of 52
- BFeaturesAbove 26 of 52
- BEase of useAbove 20 of 52
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 15 of 52
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 46 screen recording and video tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. CapCut is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace CapCut you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 38 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade. It costs $119.88 a year.
What you could not
- A video editor.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. CapCut’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Refunds
After you pay
Getting your money back, getting out, and getting help
What happens once you have paid: whether you can get your money back, how to leave, and how to reach a person when something goes wrong. Each is graded from CapCut’s own terms and help pages.
Refunds and cancelling
Ordinary · checked Oct 18, 2026
CapCut's help centre says subscriptions are virtual goods and that purchases generally do not support refunds. The terms are a shade kinder, offering the money back within 14 days if you have not used a single premium feature, which is not much use once you have edited anything. Most people pay through the App Store or Google Play anyway, and then the store decides. Cancelling is yours to do, wherever you bought it, so this lands on the ordinary C.
- Refund window
- No set window
- How you cancel
- Yourself, in settings
- Getting your money back
The terms say a subscription can be cancelled with a full refund within 14 calendar days of starting it, with or without a reason, provided you have had no usage of the premium services in any form since subscribing, and that you ask through the ticket page. The help centre is harder, calling subscriptions virtual goods that generally are not refunded. Apple and Google purchases follow store rules.
Stated on capcut.com- How to cancel CapCut
The terms say that to stop being charged you must cancel through your Apple ID account, your Google account or your CapCut account, whichever took the payment, before the end of the current subscription period. The refund help article points web and desktop subscribers to the payment management or transaction history section, and to the support team or the payment provider if no cancellation option is shown.
Stated on capcut.com- What you keep afterwards
The terms say a cancelled subscription keeps working until the end of the period already paid for. They also say cloud storage is suspended automatically once a premium or cloud space subscription ends, that CapCut will use commercially reasonable efforts to warn you first, and that you should move drafts, photos and other material out of cloud storage before it expires to avoid losing them.
Stated on capcut.com- Renewals
The terms say a subscription taken on an automatic renewal arrangement renews for another period of the same length and is charged at the start of each term unless cancelled first. The help centre adds that CapCut Pro and CapCut Teams are set to auto-renew, that forgetting to cancel at least 24 hours before the renewal date means a charge and a new billing cycle, and it suggests setting your own calendar reminder.
Stated on capcut.com
In your favour
- The terms do give 14 days and a full refund if you cancel without having used a premium feature.
- You cancel it yourself, in whichever account took the payment, with nobody to write to.
- A cancelled subscription keeps running to the end of the period you already paid for.
Watch out for
- The help centre says subscriptions are virtual goods and that purchases generally are not refunded.
- The 14-day refund in the terms is void the moment you use any premium feature.
- Pay through the App Store or Google Play and the store, not CapCut, decides any refund.
- Miss the cancellation by less than 24 hours before renewal and you are charged for another cycle.
Customer support
Ordinary · checked Oct 18, 2026
There is a help centre worth reading and a ticket page to write to, and CapCut points you at both for billing and refund questions. What there isn't is any statement of when anyone is working or how long a reply takes, on any plan, free or paid. Articles plus a form with no promises attached is where most apps sit, and it is a C.
Ways to get help
Contact form or ticket
A customer service ticket page, headed Chat with us, which the terms give as the way to ask for a refund and the help centre gives as the way to reach the support team about cancellations and billing. No hours or reply time are stated on it.
Stated on capcut.comHelp centre
The CapCut help centre, open without signing in, with articles grouped into payment and billing, account settings, the interface, AI features, templates and troubleshooting across the mobile, desktop and web versions.
Stated on capcut.com
Not listed on CapCut’s pages: live chat, phone.
- When people answer
Its pages do not say.
- How fast it says it replies
Its pages do not say.
- What depends on your plan
Its pages do not say.
In your favour
- The help centre is open to everyone and does cover billing, renewals and refunds in plain articles.
- The same ticket page is offered to free and paying users alike.
Watch out for
- No page says when support works or how quickly it aims to reply.
- No phone number and no stated live chat with a person on any plan.
- Nothing on these pages says that paying more buys faster help.
- For an App Store or Google Play subscription, billing questions go to the store instead.
What these two grades rest on. Read on 18 October 2026: CapCut's terms of service, its help articles on forgetting to cancel a subscription and on how a refund is handled, the payment and billing section of its help centre and its customer service ticket page. CapCut's site refuses readers in some countries, so these were read through a United States reader. Nobody here cancelled a plan or contacted its support. They are graded apart from the five that make the GPA. How we grade refunds and support.
Part 06 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Clipchamp, Wondershare Filmora, VEED, Kapwing and iMovie
The 5 tools CapCut is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Clipchamp
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Microsoft's browser-based video editor with a free plan.
- Only CapCut lists iOS, Android and macOS apps.
- Only Clipchamp lists a web app.
- Clipchamp also covers transcription, noise cancellation, templates and screen recording.
- 3.0GPA
Wondershare Filmora
Free plan · from $49.99/yr
Desktop and mobile video editor with AI tools and a stock library.
- Wondershare Filmora can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Wondershare Filmora also covers transcription, noise cancellation, templates and screen recording.
- 2.4GPA
VEED
Free plan · from $25/mo
Browser-based AI video generator and editor for social video.
- Only CapCut lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Only VEED lists a web app.
- VEED also covers transcription, noise cancellation, templates and screen recording.
- 2.4GPA
Kapwing
Free plan · from $16/mo
Online video editor with AI subtitles, dubbing and team workspaces.
- Only CapCut lists iOS, Android, macOS and Windows apps.
- Only Kapwing lists a web app.
- Kapwing also covers transcription, noise cancellation, templates and screen recording.
- 3.0GPA
iMovie
Free
Apple's free video editor for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
- Only CapCut lists Android and Windows apps.
- iMovie also covers templates.
Part 07 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
18
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is CapCut free?
CapCut has a free plan. Free to download with a range of free tools.
How much does CapCut cost?
CapCut lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does CapCut work on?
CapCut is available on iOS, Android, macOS and Windows.
How is CapCut rated?
CapCut's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1,123,118 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 7, 2026.
Is CapCut any good?
We have not tested CapCut, so this is what reviewers say. Often praised: Ready-made templates and a wide choice of effects and filters are what reviewers keep coming back to when they say why they use it.
Does CapCut have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. CapCut is listed for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows.
Is CapCut open source?
CapCut is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
What does CapCut integrate with?
CapCut's listing names TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.
Does CapCut have a free trial?
Yes. Free trial of premium features before subscribing; the store listings do not state its length.
Who makes CapCut?
CapCut is made by Bytedance Pte. Ltd.
What are the alternatives to CapCut?
The closest alternatives to CapCut in our directory are Clipchamp, Wondershare Filmora, VEED, Kapwing and iMovie.
Does CapCut give refunds?
The terms say a subscription can be cancelled with a full refund within 14 calendar days of starting it, with or without a reason, provided you have had no usage of the premium services in any form since subscribing, and that you ask through the ticket page.
How do I cancel CapCut?
The terms say that to stop being charged you must cancel through your Apple ID account, your Google account or your CapCut account, whichever took the payment, before the end of the current subscription period.
What happens to my data if I cancel CapCut?
The terms say a cancelled subscription keeps working until the end of the period already paid for.
How do I contact CapCut support?
CapCut's pages list these ways to get help: contact form or ticket and help centre.
How does CapCut compare with other screen recording and video tools?
CapCut's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 38 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 6.
Is CapCut good value for money?
ToolGPA grades CapCut C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $9.99 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 19 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of CapCut?
To replace CapCut you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from CapCut’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from CapCut's own App Store, Google Play and Microsoft Store pages on 5 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-25.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Bytedance Pte. Ltd. Prices change, so check capcut.com before you buy.
Part 08 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- CapCut, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/capcut
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "CapCut: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/capcut
Know someone choosing between screen recording and video tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/capcut/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded screen recording and video tools after CapCut, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Screen Recording & Video Insider's GuideEvery one of the 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, compared
- DaVinci Resolve Insider's GuideVideo editing, color, effects and audio post-production in one app3.4 GPA
- Zencastr Insider's GuideFree podcast recording, chat-based editing and hosting in one app3.4 GPA
- Cap Insider's GuideOpen-source screen recorder with instant share links and an editor3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what CapCut’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. CapCut is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Bytedance Pte. Ltd. Prices and plans change: check capcut.com before you buy.