Descript vs Kapwing

A spec-by-spec comparison of Descript and Kapwing: pricing, free tier, clip length, resolution, watermark, commercial use and API access.

DescriptKapwing
PricingFree plan · from $24/moFree plan · from $24/mo
Free tier60 media minutes/month, 100 one-time AI credits, 720p export10 credits, 720p exports up to 4 min, 30 export min/month, watermarked
Max clip lengthWeb-link exports up to 1 hr (Free/Hobbyist) or 3 hrs (Creator/Business)Exports up to 120 min on paid plans (4 min on Free)
Max resolution4K4K
Watermark on free planYesYes
Commercial use
Developer APIYes
Open sourceNoNo

Descript is a desktop and web editor that transcribes your recordings so you can cut video and audio by deleting words in a document. Its Underlord AI assistant handles tasks such as filler-word removal, Studio Sound cleanup, clip creation, dubbing and avatars. It suits podcasters, YouTubers and marketing teams who make talking-head or interview content.

Best for
  • Text-based editing: cut video by deleting transcript words
  • 4K watermark-free export from Creator plan
  • API, CLI, Zapier and MCP access for automation
Watch out for
  • Free plan capped at 720p with 100 one-time AI credits
  • Hobbyist plan limited to 1080p export
  • Usage metered by media hours and AI credits per editor
Visit Descript

Kapwing is a browser-based, collaborative video editor with AI tools for auto-subtitling, translation, text-to-speech, dubbing, lip sync, silence removal and resizing. Teams share a workspace with brand kits and real-time co-editing. It fits social media managers, educators and small marketing teams.

Best for
  • Pro plan exports 4K up to 2 hours with no watermark
  • Real-time collaboration and shared brand kits
  • Auto-subtitling up to 1,000 min/month on Pro
Watch out for
  • Free projects deleted after 3 days of storage
  • No free trial of paid plans
  • Voice clones and lip sync need Business ($50/mo annual)
Visit Kapwing

Specs last verified 2026-10-23 (Descript) and 2026-10-23 (Kapwing). See each tool page for sources.