Instagram is about to launch Edits to compete with CapCut

CapCut, along with TikTok, was banned and unbanned within 12 hours, and its future remains uncertain. Instagram saw this as the perfect opportunity to launch Edits, a blatant copy of CapCut. So how does it compare to CapCut?

Edits are expected to be completely free.

Many people don't mind paying for a service, but that doesn't mean they'll miss out on a similar tool for free—even if it's not as good as the paid one. Instagram head Adam Mosseri recently announced their brand new editing app, Edits, via Instagram, but the app hasn't launched yet. It's currently available for pre-order on the Apple App Store, with an Android version said to be coming soon.

According to the app's description and the Price section of its App Store listing, Edits is a completely free video editor. While it's unclear whether it will remain that way after launch (according to Adam Mosseri, it's expected to be in February), it's still a relief to know that.

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Sure, CapCut's free plan offers a lot of features, but many essential features (especially for creators or anyone posting content for an audience) require a subscription, like exporting videos without a watermark. The worst part is that CapCut keeps pushing more and more of its free features into paid ones.

At the time of writing, CapCut offers two individual plans: Standard and Pro , along with a Teams collaboration plan. The Standard plan costs $9.99/month or $89.99/year, while the Pro plan costs $19.99/month or $179.99/year.

Why pay so much when there are other free editing apps and Edits promises to offer the same features for free?

Edits for Instagram creators

This probably comes as no surprise, but the Edits app is clearly aimed at Instagram creators. For example, the app's App Store listing specifically mentions that you can easily share videos to Instagram in 1080p resolution. Is it a little odd that the app would emphasize Instagram here, especially since Adam Mosseri claims that Edits is aimed at 'other platforms, not just Instagram'?

What's even more noteworthy is the dedicated live insights dashboard that the app plans to include. If you share a video created with Edits as an Instagram Reel, you'll be able to track how your video is performing, see what factors influence whether your reel is recommended or not, get a breakdown of your follower and non-follower engagement, and even plan future content based on what's working well.

Edits has advanced features, but that's not necessarily a good thing

If you're not a content creator or influencer in any sense, your editing skills probably aren't very good.

The last thing anyone wants is to spend hours trying to figure out how to edit a simple 30-second clip for Instagram Stories. That's exactly why people still stick to creating short-form videos with CapCut. The app's interface is incredibly simple and easy to use.

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It's too early to say for sure whether Edits will be as easy to navigate as CapCut, but it doesn't feel like it will be. That's because it has more advanced features and aims to be 'a full creative toolkit,' according to Adam Mosseri.

According to Adam, Edits will have dedicated tabs for inspiration, idea tracking, camera, and live dashboards. Meanwhile, CapCut has three tabs: Edit, Templates, and Me.

According to Edit's App Store listing, the app will have advanced camera settings, like controlling frame rate and dynamic range. Meanwhile, CapCut's camera doesn't have advanced settings, perfect for a dedicated editing tool.

We'll only know how user-friendly Edits is when it launches, but given Meta's track record of turning simple apps into messy nightmares (like Instagram), it's fair to assume Edits will follow a similar path.

Edits wants to do more than just compete with CapCut

As discussed above, Edits aims to be a 'full creative suite' that goes beyond video editing. The app seems to be on its way to becoming an all-in-one platform for creators and influencers, with features like live insights panels.

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On the other hand, CapCut has always focused on providing a simple editing process that can be used by both creators and regular users.

Overall, people are really excited to see what Edits will be like. Hopefully, it will surpass CapCut while still remaining user-friendly.

Marvin Fry

Update 26 January 2025