Clipchamp vs CapCut (2026): Free Plans and Prices
Vorec Team · 2026-10-24 · About 6 min read
If you want a free editor that exports clean 1080p video with no watermark, Clipchamp is the safer pick; CapCut is the better fit if you edit short-form video on your phone and want premium templates and AI credits. Clipchamp's free plan lists watermark-free exports up to 1080p and a built-in screen, camera and voice recorder, and its Premium features come with Microsoft 365 Personal ($9.99 a month) or Family ($12.99 a month). CapCut's free exports may or may not carry a watermark depending on features and app version, and the US App Store listed Standard at $9.99 and Pro at $19.99 a month on 2 October 2026. Facts come from Clipchamp's pricing page read 24 October 2026, Microsoft's consumer plan prices read 23 October 2026, CapCut's help pages and US App Store listing read 2 October 2026, and CapCut's web pricing page read 24 October 2026. We did not test either product, and "not checked" means our reads do not cover it. Vorec, which publishes this page, is mentioned briefly near the end.
Side-by-side
| Clipchamp | CapCut | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, with a personal Microsoft account | Yes |
| Free export | Watermark-free, up to 1080p | Watermark depends on features and app version |
| Recorder | Screen, camera and voice recorder on Free | Voice recorder listed among tools; screen recording not checked |
| AI tools on Free | AI video and audio editing tools listed as included | Some AI features use credits; included credits on Free not checked |
| Paid route | Premium via Microsoft 365 Personal or Family | Standard, Pro (App Store); Pro, Ultra, Teams (web) |
| Paid price shown | Personal $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr; Family $12.99/mo or $129.99/yr | US App Store, 2 Oct: Standard $9.99/mo, Pro $19.99/mo, unlabelled $89.99 yearly |
| Top export | Up to 4K UHD on Premium | Not checked |
| Brand kit | Premium: single brand | Teams plan (web pricing page) |
| Storage | Content backup on OneDrive | Pro, Ultra and Teams list 1 TB on the web page |
Is Clipchamp free?
Yes. Clipchamp's pricing page, read 24 October 2026, says you sign in with a personal Microsoft account and need no payment or download. The free column includes AI video and audio editing tools, trimming and cropping, animated text, the screen, camera and voice recorder, audio-only export, OneDrive backup and watermark-free video exports up to 1080p.
Two limits matter. Free uses free stock assets, filters and effects, and our Clipchamp pricing breakdown notes that a free user cannot export a project containing premium assets. If you drop a premium clip into a project, you either upgrade or remove it.
What does Clipchamp Premium cost?
Clipchamp does not sell a standalone paid plan on its pricing page. Premium features, which add 4K UHD exports, premium stock, premium filters and a brand kit for one brand, come with Microsoft 365:
| Microsoft 365 plan (read 23 Oct 2026) | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | $9.99 | $99.99 |
| Family | $12.99 | $129.99 |
Microsoft also lists Microsoft 365 Premium at $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year, but Clipchamp's page names only Personal and Family as the Premium route. Business plans were not verified for this page.
If you already pay for Microsoft 365 Personal or Family for Word, Excel and OneDrive, Clipchamp Premium costs you nothing extra.
What does CapCut cost?
CapCut does not publish one universal price. Its help page says the amount depends on region, device and promotions. The clearest public dollar figures are from the US App Store listing we read on 2 October 2026:
| Plan | US App Store, 2 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|
| Standard Monthly | $9.99 |
| Pro Monthly | $19.99 |
| Yearly Subscription | $89.99 (plan not labelled) |
When we checked the App Store page again on 24 October, it no longer showed in-app prices publicly, so these figures are dated 2 October.
CapCut's web pricing page, read 24 October 2026, showed four plans: Free, Pro, Ultra and Teams. Prices appeared in a local, non-US currency with the note that displayed pricing is for reference only and you should sign in to see final pricing, so we do not quote them. The page listed 1,200 monthly AI credits on Pro, 39,361 monthly AI credits on Ultra, and per-seat Teams pricing with a brand kit, with 1 TB of storage on all three paid plans. Full details are in our CapCut pricing guide.
CapCut's help pages describe Standard as aimed at mobile and casual use, and Pro as cross-platform with premium assets and advanced AI. The 7-day Pro trial asks for a payment method on the web.
Clipchamp or CapCut for YouTube?
For long-form YouTube video, Clipchamp's free plan has a clear advantage on paper: watermark-free 1080p exports with no subscription. If you need 4K, Premium through Microsoft 365 Personal is $9.99 a month.
CapCut can work for YouTube too, but on the free plan whether you get a clean export depends on which features and templates you use. If you rely on premium templates, budget for Pro.
Clipchamp or CapCut for TikTok and short-form?
CapCut's plans are built around templates, AI credits and features like its Seedance video generation listed on Pro and Ultra. Its Standard tier is positioned for mobile editing. If you edit vertical clips on your phone and want trending templates, CapCut is the more natural fit. Clipchamp's site also lists TikTok and Instagram Reels pages.
Which to choose
Choose Clipchamp if you are on Windows or already pay for Microsoft 365 Personal or Family, you want a free editor with predictable watermark-free 1080p exports, or you need a simple screen and webcam recorder in the same tool.
Choose CapCut if short-form social video is your main output, you edit on mobile, or you want a larger pool of AI credits and premium templates and are fine confirming your price on the Upgrade screen.
Consider neither if your video is a software walkthrough and the hard part is the narration, not the editing. Our Camtasia vs CapCut and Descript vs CapCut comparisons cover editors built more for screen and voice work, and the VEED alternatives list covers more browser editors.
Quick answers
Is Clipchamp free?
Yes. Clipchamp's pricing page, read 24 October 2026, lists a free plan with watermark-free exports up to 1080p, AI editing tools and a screen, camera and voice recorder. You need a personal Microsoft account.
Is CapCut free?
CapCut has a free plan. Whether a free export carries a watermark depends on features and app version, according to its help pages.
Is Clipchamp better than CapCut?
For clean free exports and Microsoft 365 users, Clipchamp is the simpler choice. For short-form mobile editing with templates and AI credits, CapCut fits better.
How much is CapCut Pro compared with Clipchamp Premium?
On the US App Store on 2 October 2026, CapCut Pro was $19.99 a month. Clipchamp Premium comes with Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year (read 23 October 2026).
Where Vorec fits
Clipchamp and CapCut are general video editors. Vorec is narrower: it turns screen recordings into narrated software tutorials. You record with its macOS recorder (an AI agent can drive the capture through the CLI) or upload a recording you already have, including one made in Clipchamp. Vorec drafts narration from what happens on screen and generates the voiceover, so you need no microphone. The editor adds cursor-follow zoom, click auto-zoom and freeze-sync, which holds a frame while the narration finishes, and the same capture produces a written step-by-step guide.
Vorec starts with a free trial with no credit card required (current allowances on the pricing page), covering 3 projects with watermarked 1080p exports. Paid plans are Starter at $9 a month or $86 a year, Pro at $24 a month or $230 a year, and Business at $59 a month or $566 a year. For social clips or vlogs, use Clipchamp or CapCut.
Record your screen without talking and get AI narration matched to every step. Start your free trial, no card needed. Trial includes up to 3 projects; exports carry a watermark.