Video editing apps like CapCut have become extremely popular with the rise of video-first social media content. CapCut has 200 million active users as of 2023, according to Time, and it's a favorite among creators. It's versatile, has free and paid plans and it's compatible with social media giant TikTok. But the ByteDance-owned editing app could be banned alongside its sister app TikTok this week.
TikTok has been through a long and convoluted legal battle, with the US government arguing the app is a threat to national security. In January, the US Supreme Court upheld the bipartisan-passed divest-or-sell law signed by former President Biden. Immediately following President Trump's inauguration, an executive order gave the company a 75-day stay. That holding period expires this week, on Saturday, April 5. And while President Trump has said a deal to sell the app will be made before Saturday, TikTok and CapCut's futures in the US are still uncertain in the meantime.
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That's why now is a good time for video editors and creators to explore other editing programs. Whether you're looking for a beginner-friendly program or want to level up your skills, there are good options available. These third-party editing apps are especially useful if you're planning on sharing a video on multiple platforms -- editing in TikTok means you can't save the video without a watermark, for example.
We've rounded up some of the best options below depending on your budget, skill level and operating system. Here are some alternative video-editing programs to use if CapCut gets banned.
Apple's pro video editing program is exclusive to iPad and Mac users, but if that's you, Final Cut Pro is definitely an option worth considering.
Final Cut Pro 11 was just updated in November 2024, and it came with a few new AI-enabled tools. Magnetic masking, now available, helps isolate specific objects for editing, and it now offers caption transcription and can handle spatial video editing. While it can easily handle basic video editing, it's designed as a more professional program. But for creators already adept in the basics from CapCut, Final Cut Pro offers a lot more advanced features that can help you level up your skills and content.
The cheapest way to use Final Cut Pro is on an iPad for $5 per month (or $49 annually), and you can deactivate and reactivate your subscription as needed. If you're more comfortable editing on a Mac, you're going to have to cough up a one-time payment of $300, but it does include all future software updates.
If you've ever looked at Adobe Premiere Pro and immediately gotten overwhelmed by the number of panels and windows, Premiere Rush might be a good option for you. It's a kind of Premiere Pro Lite, with the added benefit of being free. You can use it on your phone through the mobile app or as a desktop app.
Premiere Rush is designed for creating social videos, including an in-app camera for you to shoot with. Its editing capabilities are basic but inclusive, so it's likely everything you need. You can also easily record voiceovers as well as import audio. Overall, it's a solid option for people looking for video editing power without spending any money.
CNET spoke with Veed.io's CEO and co-founder Sabba Keynejad last summer, who described the platform as one meant for "the-up-and-comer, the person just trying to get started." The AI startup's beginner-friendly features include subtitle generation, translation abilities, AI avatar and voice creation, and the typical video-editing tools.
Veed.io does offer a free plan, but its strict limits on many features might prod you to upgrade to the paid plan ($12-$29 per month depending on the plan), especially if you're editing a lot of content. Free videos are also automatically watermarked, so you'll need to upgrade to remove them.
Splice is what I would call a very beginner-friendly program. It walks you through how to use the tools and doesn't overload you with features. With Splice, you can manually edit your clips or you can choose to let the app do the work for you and create an AI compilation. I created a couple of these AI compilations, which basically just combined all my clips into one timeline. I eventually found myself wanting to return to the manual editing tools for more hands-on control, but I appreciated that Splice offered the automatic option for folks who want to do less editing work.
This app is great for people who just want the basic tools to trim and combine clips, along with a large stock music library you can access. If you want more advanced editing features, I would recommend Premiere Rush or Final Cut Pro. You get a 7-day free trial before you have to upgrade to the Pro version of Splice for $10 per week or $70 annually.
While it's not currently available, Instagram is launching a free video editing app. It's called Edits, and it is, frankly, going to be a CapCut copycat. Edits was supposed to release in the Apple app store on March 13, but it isn't available yet. Now, the page says it could be available as late as April 30. Instagram said an Android app currently in development but didn't specify when it could come.
According to head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, Edits will also include an in-app camera, along with a full suite of creative tools, including captions. You'll also be able to share drafts of your videos with friends via DM and track your engagement, similar to Instagram insights. While I'm reserving final judgment until I can test it out myself, it's likely going to be a solid option.
For more, check out some of our expert filming tips and favorite filming equipment.
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