In 2026, AI has seriously shaken up video editing. The biggest game-changer? Turning long-form content into viral short clips. AI tools now find the best moments, reframe for vertical, add captions, and cut dead air automatically. We put 15 AI-powered video editors to the test to see which one is right for you.
Prices are listed in USD for month-to-month plans. Annual plans are almost always cheaper.
How We Tested
We tested the editors with four types of videos: a 10–30 minute talking-head video, 15–60 second short-form clips, a multi-camera podcast, and a product review. We rated them on six criteria: automatic editing quality, caption accuracy, processing speed, ease of use, depth of AI features, and overall value for money.
Clipping Long Videos into Shorts
There are dedicated services just for this task.
Opus Clip
Built specifically for this purpose. It automatically finds the most engaging segments and gives each clip a virality score. In our test, it generated six clips from a six-minute video in just three minutes. It works best with dialogue-heavy content like podcasts, interviews, and talking-head videos. It struggles more with videos where the visuals are the main focus. There's a free plan, with paid options including Starter for $15 and Pro for $29.
Vizard.ai
Great for podcasts and webinars. It detects the current speaker, keeps them in frame when reframing to vertical, and identifies quote-worthy phrases. The free plan provides 60 credits per month, with paid plans starting at $29 (or about $14.50/month if paid annually).
Descript
Works differently: you edit the text transcript, and the video edits follow suit. Delete a phrase, and it's gone from the video. A separate feature removes repeated takes, which worked with about 90% accuracy in our test. It saves hours on interview edits. There's a free plan, with paid tiers including Hobbyist for $24, Creator for $35, and Business for $65.
Captions
| Service | Accuracy in Test |
|---|---|
| Veed | 97% |
| Descript | 95–97% |
| CapCut | 94–96% |
| Kapwing | 93–95% |
Veed
Came out on top for accuracy. Even with a strong accent, a five-minute clip only needed 3 corrections, while others required 15–25. It can also translate captions into over a hundred languages. There's a free plan, with paid options including Lite for $19 and Pro for $49.
Kapwing
Proved to be the fastest: it transcribed a five-minute video in just 45 seconds, compared to 2–3 minutes for its competitors. The Pro plan costs $24.
Whichever service you choose, always proofread your captions before publishing.
All-in-One for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts
CapCut
Our test winner for the best overall editor. The free version is generous: auto-captions, background removal, voice isolation, matching edits to a music beat, thousands of templates with trending effects, and exporting without a watermark. It works on both mobile and desktop with project syncing. Paid plans include Standard for about $9.99 (mainly for mobile) and Pro for $19.99 across all devices.
Clipchamp
The best completely free option. It's the only editor where all AI features are available for free, with no watermarks or limits on the number of exports. It removes noise and pauses, offers text-to-speech, and generates captions. Advanced features like 4K exports, premium stock assets, and a brand kit are included with a Microsoft 365 subscription.
Canva
A great fit if you're creating videos for a brand and need to maintain a consistent style, thanks to its brand kit for colors and fonts, plus ready-made templates. The Pro plan costs about $18.
Professional Software
For complex projects, there's heavy-duty software.
DaVinci Resolve
Its free version is more powerful than many paid programs. It boasts best-in-class color correction, voice isolation, object removal, and motion tracking. The Studio version is a one-time purchase of $295. It has a steep learning curve.
Adobe Premiere Pro
Costs $34.99/month on a month-to-month basis or $22.99/month with an annual subscription, and it remains the industry standard. Its AI Reframe feature for converting to vertical is widely considered the best.
Final Cut Pro
It's Mac-only and costs $299.99 as a one-time purchase. You can also get it as part of the Apple Creator Studio subscription for $12.99/month, bundled with other Apple apps. It can isolate a moving person from their background.
Runway
Less of an editor and more of a generator: it creates video from text or images, extends frames, and syncs lips. Plans include Standard for $15, Pro for $35, and Max for $95. It's useful for creative inserts.
What to Choose
| Task | Tool |
|---|---|
| For Beginners | Clipchamp: free, no watermark, simple |
| Short-form social videos | CapCut |
| Clipping long videos into shorts | Opus Clip, Vizard.ai, Descript |
| Podcasts | Descript for editing, Vizard.ai for clips |
| Accurate captions | Veed |
| Marketing and brand consistency | Canva |
| Professional work | Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve |
Test Winners: Best Overall: CapCut; Best Free: Clipchamp; Best Pro: Premiere Pro; Best for Clipping: Opus Clip; Best for Captions: Veed; Best Value: Canva Pro; Best for Mac: Final Cut Pro; Best Free Pro Tool: DaVinci Resolve.
Will AI Replace Video Editors?
Not yet. AI excels at repetitive tasks: generating captions, cutting pauses, and finding highlights. But decisions about pacing, emotion, and storytelling still belong to a human.