The Lumen5 Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Lumen5 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.
Lumen5
The Insider’s Guide
Turn blog posts, scripts and ideas into videos with AI
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among screen recording and video tools, read from Lumen5’s own pages.
Made by Lumen5 · checked Nov 12, 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
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Lumen5’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Lumen5’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 6 of the 84 other screen recording and video tools we grade
Lumen5 is a browser-based video maker that builds a first cut from a link, script or document. It combines templates, stock media, AI voices and AI-generated clips with brand kits. The free plan limits length and adds a Lumen5 outro, and a team tier adds approvals and SSO.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Lumen5, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, and the work is building and editing the video.
- 1
Best for turning blog posts into videos
Lumen5 builds a first-cut video from a link, script or document, with stock media, AI voices and brand kits.
- 2
Paid plans start at $19 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $19 per month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
5 videos per month, each up to 2 minutes long, with a Lumen5 branded outro.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Link, script and document to video
Start from a blog post URL, a script or a document and let AI assemble a first cut that can then be edited.
- 6
AI voices and clones
1,000+ AI voices come with the paid plans; Starter includes 1 voice clone and Pro includes 3.
- 7
Animation and AI clips
Paid plans include a yearly allowance of animation minutes for AI-generated clips and explainer-style videos.
- 8
A 2.0 GPA, above 6 of 84
That is against the other screen recording and video tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Lumen5 you would be making a video model, which you can rent by the second but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Lumen5 at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $19 per month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Lumen5
- Category
- Screen Recording & Video
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for turning blog posts into videos
Lumen5 builds a first-cut video from a link, script or document, with stock media, AI voices and brand kits. The free plan gives 5 videos a month up to 2 minutes with a Lumen5 outro, and the higher plans jump to $59 and $149.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | $19 a month billed yearly for Basic ($29 monthly), above the category's $12.99 middle but under $20. Starter is $59 and Pro $149. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A free plan with 5 videos a month, up to 2 minutes each, with a Lumen5 branded outro. |
| Features | C | Link and script to video, AI voices, animation minutes, stock media and brand kits. The listing shows gaps: animation and voice minutes are yearly allowances, and approvals and SSO need Team. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and the work is building and editing the video. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, with no integrations on record. |
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 Lumen5 is for
- Fits if you turn blog posts into short social videos
- Works for one person who wants AI voices over stock clips
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you can't have a Lumen5 outro, as free videos carry one
- Tight if you make longer videos, since free stops at 2 minutes
- Pricey if you want 1080p, which starts at Starter, $59
- Watch out: animation and AI voice minutes are yearly, and extra animation minutes are an add-on
- Not for you if you need approvals or SSO, which are Team plan only
Good to know
Good for
- Marketers turning blog posts into social videos
- Small teams that want branded video without an editor
- Companies that need approvals and SSO on a team plan
Worth knowing
- The Free plan caps videos at 2 minutes, 5 a month, and adds a Lumen5 outro.
- Animation and AI voice minutes are yearly allowances, not monthly, and differ by plan.
- Extra animation minutes are sold as an add-on beyond the plan allowance.
- Video approval, SSO and translations need the custom-priced Team plan.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$19
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Lumen5 has a free plan. Paid plans start at $19 per month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly).
Free
$0
5 videos a month, up to 2 minutes each, with a Lumen5 branded outro.
Basic
$19
per month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly)
Unlimited videos, no Lumen5 branding, custom colors, 12 animation minutes and 240 AI voice minutes a year.
Starter
$59
per month, billed yearly ($79 billed monthly)
1080p, 50M+ stock photos and videos, brand kit, 24 animation minutes, 720 voice minutes, 1 voice clone.
Pro
$149
per month, billed yearly ($199 billed monthly)
Shutterstock editorial media, custom watermarks and fonts, multiple workspaces, 60 animation minutes, 3 voice clones.
Team
Custom
Collaboration, video approval, SSO, translations and a customer success manager. Billed yearly, sold through sales.
The free plan
5 videos per month, each up to 2 minutes long, with a Lumen5 branded outro.
Read from lumen5.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 25% with yearly billing
Lumen5's pricing page labels the yearly option as saving 25% against monthly billing.
Stated on lumen5.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Turn blog posts, scripts and ideas into videos with AI. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, templates, video editing, video generation, text to speech, voice cloning.
Link and script to video, AI voices, animation minutes, stock media and brand kits.
- Link, script and document to video
- Start from a blog post URL, a script or a document and let AI assemble a first cut that can then be edited.
- AI voices and clones
- 1,000+ AI voices come with the paid plans; Starter includes 1 voice clone and Pro includes 3.
- Animation and AI clips
- Paid plans include a yearly allowance of animation minutes for AI-generated clips and explainer-style videos.
- Stock media
- Stock photos and video clips are built in, and Pro adds Shutterstock editorial media.
- Brand kits
- Brand kits and video blueprints keep logos, colors and fonts consistent; Pro adds custom watermarks and fonts.
- Recording tools
- The feature menu lists in-app recording, screen recording and talking-head videos.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Lumen5 is made by Lumen5.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/84
Other screen recording and video tools it is graded above
Lumen5's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 6 of the 84 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 12.
Its paid plans start at $19 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 47 of the 62 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 43 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 85 screen recording and video tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Lumen5’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 15 of 84
- CFree plan and trialAbove 13 of 84
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 84
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 84
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 84
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 71 screen recording and video tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Lumen5 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 Lumen5 you would be making a video model, which you can rent by the second but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 66 of the 84 other screen recording and video tools grade higher. It costs $228 a year.
What you could make
- Templates: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A video model, which you can rent by the second but not make.
- A voice model, which you can rent by the minute but not make.
- A voice model trained on your recordings.
- A video editor.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on.
What this rests on. Lumen5’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 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Biteable, Renderforest, FlexClip, Wave.video and VEED
The 5 tools Lumen5 is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
Biteable
Free trial · from $15/mo
Template-based online video maker for work videos.
- Lumen5 has a free plan. Biteable does not, though it has a free trial.
- Lumen5 also covers video generation and voice cloning.
- Biteable also covers screen recording.
- 2.0GPA
Renderforest
Free plan · from $8/mo
AI video, image, audio and website maker with templates.
- Lumen5 also covers templates.
- Renderforest also covers image generation.
- 2.0GPA
FlexClip
Free plan · from $11.99/mo
Online video maker and editor with templates and AI tools.
- Lumen5 also covers video generation and voice cloning.
- FlexClip also covers screen recording.
- 2.0GPA
Wave.video
Free plan · from $16/mo
Video editor, hosting and live streaming in one browser tool.
- Lumen5 also covers video generation and voice cloning.
- Wave.video also covers webinars and multistreaming.
- 2.4GPA
VEED
Free plan · from $25/mo
Browser-based AI video generator and editor for social video.
- Only VEED lists iOS and Android apps.
- Lumen5 also covers video generation, text to speech and voice cloning.
- VEED also covers transcription, noise cancellation and screen recording.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
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 Lumen5 free?
Lumen5 has a free plan. 5 videos per month, each up to 2 minutes long, with a Lumen5 branded outro.
How much does Lumen5 cost?
Lumen5 lists 5 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Lumen5 work on?
Lumen5 is available on Web.
Does Lumen5 offer any discounts?
Lumen5 publicly lists the following: Save 25% with yearly billing.
Does Lumen5 have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Lumen5 is listed for Web.
Does Lumen5 have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Lumen5 is listed for Web.
Is Lumen5 open source?
Lumen5 is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Who makes Lumen5?
Lumen5 is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Lumen5?
The closest alternatives to Lumen5 in our directory are Biteable, Renderforest, FlexClip, Wave.video and VEED.
How does Lumen5 compare with other screen recording and video tools?
Lumen5's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 6 of the 84 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 12.
Is Lumen5 good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Lumen5 C for value for money. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4.
Could I make my own version of Lumen5?
To replace Lumen5 you would be making a video model, which you can rent by the second but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Lumen5’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Lumen5's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
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 Lumen5. Prices change, so check lumen5.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 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.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Lumen5, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/lumen5
- 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, "Lumen5: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/lumen5
Know someone choosing between screen recording and video tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/lumen5/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded screen recording and video tools after Lumen5, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Screen Recording & Video Insider's GuideEvery one of the 85 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 Lumen5’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. Lumen5 is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Lumen5. Prices and plans change: check lumen5.com before you buy.