CapCut pricing at $9.99 monthly sounds reasonable until you realize you’re not sure what you’re actually paying for. You’ve been editing on free, hitting limitations, and wondering if Pro fixes them.
Those watermarks on certain effects? Gone with Pro. Manual captions take 45 minutes per video? AI does it instantly with Pro. But will you actually use these features enough to justify the cost?
This guide walks through everything you need to know about CapCut pricing—what’s free, what costs money, and, most importantly, whether upgrading makes sense for your specific situation.
Key Takeaways
- CapCut Pro costs $9.99/month or $89.99/year, saving you $30 with annual billing.
- Free version caps at 1080p; Pro unlocks 4K export, AI captions, and no watermarks.
- Buy directly from CapCut’s website to avoid App Store’s $2-3 monthly markup fees.
- 7-day free trial lets you test all Pro features before committing to subscription.
CapCut Pricing Plans
Understanding CapCut’s pricing structure is straightforward once you see it laid out. There are two main options: completely free forever, or Pro with two payment plans. Let’s break down what each one costs and what you’re getting.
CapCut Free vs Pro Comparison
This table shows the main differences at a glance. The details matter, but this gives you a quick overview of what changes when you upgrade.
| Feature | Free | Pro |
| Monthly cost | $0 | $9.99 |
| Yearly cost | $0 | $89.99 |
| Export quality | 1080p max | 4K + HDR |
| Watermarks | Sometimes | Never |
| Auto-captions | Type manually | AI does it |
| Background removal | Basic/limited | High quality, unlimited |
| Cloud storage | Runs out fast | 100GB |
| Premium templates | Some locked | All available |
| Effects library | Partial | Everything |
| Export speed | Standard | Priority |
| Color grading | Basic sliders | Professional tools |
| Commercial use | Unclear | Fully licensed |
CapCut Free
- Free. Limited editing features.
CapCut Pro
- Monthly Price: $9.99/month
Cancel whenever you want. Good for specific projects or testing things out before committing long-term.
- Yearly Price: $89.99/year
One upfront payment for the whole year. Works out to $7.50/month. Saves you $30 compared to paying monthly.
Note: CapCut doesn’t offer a lifetime purchase. It’s subscription-only—monthly or yearly.
CapCut Regional & Platform Pricing Variations
CapCut’s website says “from just $9.99” because your actual price depends on where you live. Someone in Brazil pays around $6-7. Someone in Germany might see $11-12. Regional pricing adjusts for local purchasing power.
CapCut Pricing by Region
CapCut uses regional pricing to adjust costs based on local economic conditions and what people in different markets can reasonably afford. This isn’t random—it’s a deliberate strategy to make the software accessible globally while still being profitable.
Here are some real examples of how CapCut pricing differs by region:
Lower-cost regions:
- Brazil: Often around $6-7/month
- Turkey: Approximately $5-6/month
- Philippines: Around $6-7/month
- India: Roughly $6-8/month
Higher-cost regions:
- United States: $9.99/month baseline
- United Kingdom: Approximately £9.99 (roughly $12-13 USD after conversion)
- Germany: Around €10-11 (roughly $11-12 USD)
- Australia: Approximately AUD $15-16 (roughly $10-11 USD)
- Singapore: Around SGD $12-14 (roughly $9-10 USD)
Platform-Based Price Differences
Where you actually purchase your subscription can significantly affect how much you pay. This catches a lot of people off guard because the difference isn’t small.
Apple App Store (iOS):
- Apple takes a 15-30% commission on all subscription purchases made through their store
- CapCut passes this cost directly to users
- Monthly price is often $10.99-11.99 instead of the advertised $9.99
- Annual price gets similarly inflated to cover Apple’s cut
Google Play Store (Android):
- Google takes a similar 15-30% commission structure
- Prices are typically $0.50-2 higher than the website price
- The exact markup varies by region and subscription length
CapCut Website (Desktop):
- No middleman taking a commission
- Usually the cheapest option available
- Direct billing means lower processing fees
- Often exactly $9.99/month as advertised, sometimes even less in certain regions
The difference might seem small per month—maybe $2-3. But annually, that’s $24-36 extra you’re paying just because you subscribed through an app store instead of the website. Paying $11.99/month through the App Store versus $9.99/month through the website is $24 wasted per year.
CapCut Hidden Costs You Need to Know
The subscription price isn’t the only cost. Several factors can increase your actual expenses, and some aren’t obvious until you’re already using the software regularly.
Cloud Storage: Pro includes 100GB—sounds generous until you actually use it. One hour of 4K footage eats 20-30GB. Managing multiple projects? You’ll hit that limit fast.
Extra storage costs:
- 10GB: $0.99/month extra
- 1TB upgrade: $14.99/month
Music Library Limitations: Yes, Pro includes commercial music rights. But the selection is limited and the quality isn’t always client-grade.
When CapCut’s library falls short, you’ll need:
- Epidemic Sound: $15-30/month
- Artlist: $16.60/month
- Soundstripe: $16.50/month
If you regularly create 4K content or need professional music, expect $40-55/month, not just $9.99. That changes the value equation significantly.
Know what you’re actually paying before committing.
CapCut Free Version: Features and Limitations
The free version does way more than most people expect from “free editing software.” But there are real walls you’ll eventually hit. Let’s walk through exactly what you can do for free, and where you’ll run into limitations that might push you toward Pro.
Core Features Available on Free
These are the editing tools you get without paying a cent. It’s actually a pretty solid toolkit for basic to intermediate editing needs.
Basic editing tools:
- Trim, cut, split: Standard editing to chop up your clips however you need
- Multi-layer timeline: Stack multiple video and audio tracks on top of each other
- Speed controls: Slow motion, speed up, freeze frames—all the tempo basics
- Aspect ratios: 16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for TikTok, 1:1 for Instagram posts, 4:5 for feeds
Creative elements:
- Text overlays: Add captions and titles (though some fonts need Pro)
- Transitions: Fade, wipe, zoom, slide—decent selection, but the fancy animated ones stay locked
- Filters: Vintage, cinematic, bright filters to match whatever vibe you need
- Audio library: Royalty-free music and sound effects you can use
- Templates: Trending TikTok templates (the ones with crown icons need Pro)
- Basic AI features: Face effects, some background removal (quality isn’t great, and you hit limits fast)
For most short-form social media content, these tools are enough. The limitations show up when you need more polish or specific advanced features.
CapCut Free Export Quality
Export quality is where free users feel the constraints most.
Resolution: Up to 1080p (some regions get 720p max). For TikTok, Reels, and Shorts, 1080p works perfectly fine—platforms compress everything anyway.
- Frame rate: Standard options. Adequate for social media.
- Video length: Unlimited. Edit 2-minute TikToks or 20-minute YouTube videos—no restrictions.
- Watermarks: CapCut adds an end card you can delete before exporting. Easy. But use Pro templates or certain effects? Watermarks get baked into your video permanently. Can’t remove them without upgrading. This catches people off guard.
Cloud Storage and Platform Access
The free version works across all your devices, but storage becomes an issue pretty quickly because the free version is limited.
For new projects, you’ll have to delete older ones to make room. Gets annoying when you want to keep multiple projects accessible.
If the free version is good enough for you except for the cloud storage thing, there’s a smart solution. Pay just $19/month and get a 100 GB storage, a client portal, project management tool, and more from Agency Handy.
Is CapCut Free Good Enough for You?
This depends entirely on what kind of content you’re making and where you’re posting it. Let’s break down where free works perfectly fine, and where it starts feeling restrictive.
The free version works perfectly for:
- TikTok videos (1080p is standard there)
- Instagram Reels (same, platform compresses anyway)
- YouTube Shorts (short-form doesn’t need 4K)
- Casual YouTube videos where 1080p quality is sufficient for your audience
- Personal stuff—family videos, vacation clips, hobby projects
- Learning video editing before you’re ready to invest money
The free version gets frustrating fast when you’re making:
- YouTube videos where 4K matters
- Client work that needs to be watermark-free
- Content where AI features would save you tons of time
- Anything requiring professional polish with premium effects that are locked behind Pro
The free version is way more capable than iMovie or most other free mobile editors out there.
CapCut Pro Version: Features and Limitations
The CapCut Pro subscription unlocks everything—no more crown icons blocking features, no more “upgrade to use this” messages. Each feature serves a specific purpose for creators who’ve outgrown the free version’s limitations.
Let’s see exactly what you’re paying for and whether these features justify the cost for your situation.
CapCut Pro Export Quality (4K and HDR)
Export quality is one of the biggest differences between free and Pro. This affects how your finished videos look on different platforms and whether they meet professional standards.
- 4K resolution: Export at 3840×2160 for YouTube and professional client work
- HDR support: Better color range and contrast for premium-looking content
- 60fps export: Smooth motion for action shots, gaming content, anything with fast movement
- Zero watermarks: Clean exports no matter which templates or effects you use
The 4K export alone is worth it for many YouTubers. YouTube’s algorithm favors 4K content in recommendations. Clients expect 4K for professional work. And honestly, your videos just look better and won’t feel dated in two years.
CapCut Pro AI Tools
These AI features are massive time-savers. They’re what make Pro worth it for creators who edit frequently, because they cut your editing time significantly.
- Auto-captions: AI transcribes your speech in multiple languages automatically. This alone saves 30-60 minutes per video if you’re doing talking-head content, tutorials, or vlogs.
- Background removal: One click removes backgrounds without needing a green screen. Works on people and objects. Saves you buying a green screen setup ($50-200) and the hassle of setting it up every time you shoot.
- Motion tracking: Lock text or effects to moving objects in your video. Keeps graphics attached to things even when they move around the frame.
- Camera tracking: Smooth movement tracking for stable effects that follow camera motion naturally.
- Vocal isolation: Pull vocals out of audio tracks, or remove them entirely. Useful for music videos or podcast content.
- Remove flickers: Fixes lighting issues and strobing that makes footage look amateurish.
- AI color correction: Automatic color grading suggestions to make your footage look better instantly.
- Object tracking: Follows specific items through scenes automatically, no manual keyframing needed.
These AI tools are what separate Pro from free more than anything else. They don’t just make your videos look better—they save massive amounts of time.
Premium Asset Library
Pro unlocks CapCut’s entire collection of creative assets. No more seeing crown icons on the good stuff.
- All effects unlocked: Every transition, filter, and visual effect they offer
- Premium templates: Access to trending templates marked with the Pro crown (these drive views on TikTok and Reels)
- More fonts: Professional typography options beyond the basic set
- Stock footage: Built-in stock video and images you can use
- Extended music library: More royalty-free tracks, all cleared for commercial use
- Stickers and graphics: Full collection of overlays and animated elements
The premium templates matter more than you’d think. Trending templates on TikTok and Reels can seriously boost views. Having immediate access to them while they’re trending makes a difference.
Storage and Performance
These features affect your workflow efficiency—how smoothly you can work and whether you can collaborate with others.
- 100GB cloud storage: Store your projects, assets, and backups across all your devices. Never run out of space or have to delete old projects to make room for new ones.
- Priority rendering: Your videos jump ahead in the queue and process way faster. Instead of waiting 10-15 minutes for a video to export, you might wait 3-5 minutes.
- Cross-platform sync: Start editing on your phone during your commute, then finish on your computer at home. Everything syncs automatically through the cloud.
- Auto-save to cloud: Much less worry about losing work from crashes or mistakes. Your progress saves continuously.
For solo creators, these are convenience features. For teams or anyone editing across multiple devices, they’re essential.
But CapCut only takes care of your editing stuff. If you have more than 5 clients, be sure to get a project management tool to organize your projects and tasks.
Additional Pro Features
These round out the Pro package with professional-grade tools that serious creators need.
- Advanced color grading: Pro-level color wheels and curves for precise control
- Keyframe animation: Precise control over how things move and when effects trigger
- Green screen (chroma key): Professional background replacement for studio-quality shots
- Commercial usage rights: Legal coverage to use CapCut Pro for business and client work
The commercial usage rights matter if you’re doing paid work. You’re legally covered to use Pro features and assets for client projects and monetized content.
CapCut Pro: Monthly vs Annual Plan
The math is simple, but the decision depends on how you use CapCut. Here’s how to think about it.
Going monthly at $9.99 means you’ll spend $119.88 over a year. The yearly option is $89.99 upfront—that’s $30 saved. Not huge money, but it adds up.
Go with the monthly CapCut Pro subscription when:
- You’re just testing Pro to see if the features actually help your workflow
- You only edit for specific seasons or projects (holiday content, summer campaigns, wedding season)
- You want the flexibility to cancel anytime without feeling like you wasted money
- You’re not sure how long you’ll need these features
- You’re working on a single big project and might not need Pro after
Go with the yearly CapCut Pro subscription when:
- You edit multiple videos every week consistently
- Video editing is part of how you make money (even a side income)
- You know you’ll use these Pro features all year long
- You want to save that $30 and not think about monthly charges
- You’re building a YouTube channel or offering client services
Some creators grab the monthly plan for one wedding video or product launch, use Pro features for that project, then cancel. Works perfectly for them.
But if you’re posting TikToks three times a week or running a YouTube channel? The yearly plan pays for itself fast, just in time saved from AI features.
Why CapCut Pro Pricing isn’t Always $9.99
You might see different prices online and wonder if something’s wrong. Nothing’s wrong—CapCut adjusts pricing based on several factors.
Why CapCut Pricing Varies
Different prices online? Nothing’s wrong—CapCut adjusts pricing based on your location and where you buy.
- Location: Regional pricing adjusts for local markets. Philippines might see $6.99. Germany might see $11.99. Same subscription, different price.
- Platform fees: iOS App Store and Google Play take 15-30% cuts. CapCut passes that cost you. Buying through their website is often $1-3 cheaper monthly.
- Taxes: Local sales tax or VAT gets added on top.
- Currency: Non-US prices get converted to local currency. Exchange rates fluctuate, so monthly costs might shift slightly. Annual subscriptions lock in the price for the full year.
This explains why people report completely different CapCut Pro prices online. Same subscription, different variables.
CapCut Pro Monthly vs Annual Cost
The subscription works across every platform—phone, computer, tablet, browser. One payment gets you access everywhere with full sync.
| CapCut Pro | $9.99 (Monthly) | $89.99 (Yearly) |
| Payment Duration | Pay per month | Pay 1 year upfront |
| Ideal for | Short-time projects | Regular projects |
| Pro Features | Pro features for a month | Pro features for a year |
Monthly: $9.99 Pay as you go. Cancel whenever you want. Good for testing Pro out or working on specific project-based work where you only need Pro features temporarily.
Yearly: $89.99 Works out to $7.50/month. Saves you $29.89 compared to paying monthly for twelve months. Best option if you’re editing regularly and know you’ll use these features all year long.
Is CapCut Pro Worth It?
Let’s do the actual math on whether the CapCut Pro subscription pays for itself. This helps you make a practical decision based on real value, not just features lists.
- Time savings calculation: Auto-captions save 30-60 minutes per video. If you’re making 4 videos a month, that’s 2 hours saved monthly. If your time is worth more than $5/hour (and it should be), the CapCut Pro subscription pays for itself in efficiency alone. That’s 24 hours saved per year—three full workdays.
- Equipment savings: Background removal means you don’t need to buy and set up a green screen. That’s $50-200 in equipment you don’t need to purchase, plus saving space in your filming area and setup time for every shoot.
- Quality improvements: 4K export matters for YouTube’s algorithm (it actively favors higher quality content in recommendations), for professional client work, and for anything that should look premium.
- HDR and 60fps separate amateur content from stuff that looks legitimately professional. This can directly affect views and monetization.
- Professional requirements: No watermarks means client-ready work. You literally cannot send a video to a client with CapCut’s logo baked into it. If you do any paid work, this alone justifies Pro. For sharing drafts, getting feedback from clients, and manage revisions, you would need a professional client portal software for video editing.
- Better assets: Premium effects just look smoother, more polished, and less generic than free alternatives. They make your content stand out in feeds.
Does CapCut Offer A Free Trial Before Purchasing?
Don’t blindly subscribe. CapCut offers a 7-day free trial that lets you test everything before spending money. Smart move to use this, especially if you’re unsure whether the Pro features actually help your specific workflow.
What’s Included During the Trial
Everything in Pro unlocks for the full 7 days. No restrictions, no limited features. You get:
- 4K and HDR exports (test the quality difference)
- All AI features, including auto-captions, background removal, motion tracking
- Premium effects, templates, and assets (the ones with crown icons)
- 100GB cloud storage (see how cross-device sync works)
- Priority rendering (experience faster export times)
- No watermarks on any exports
Use this time strategically. Export a few videos in 4K to see the quality difference on your screen. Try auto-captions on talking-head content to see how much time it saves. Use background removal on your typical filming setup. Actually test the premium effects to see if they improve your videos noticeably.
By the end of 7 days, you should have a clear sense of whether Pro helps enough to justify $9.99/month for your specific workflow.
Conclusion
Think about your last five videos. Did you wish for any Pro feature while editing them? That’s your answer on whether CapCut pricing makes sense for you. Not what works for other creators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CapCut free?
CapCut is completely free. The free version is permanently free with access to core editing features, effects, and templates. Some advanced features and premium assets require a CapCut Pro subscription.
Can I cancel my CapCut subscription anytime?
CapCut subscriptions can be cancelled anytime through the platform used to purchase (iOS Settings, Google Play Store, or CapCut website). After cancellation, Pro features remain active until the end of the current billing period.
Do I lose my projects if I cancel CapCut Pro?
No. All projects remain accessible after cancellation. Videos already exported stay saved. Pro features become locked again, but existing work isn’t deleted. You can still view and edit old projects using the free version features.
Can I use CapCut Pro on multiple devices?
One CapCut Pro subscription works across all devices, including iPhone, Android phone, Windows PC, Mac, and web browser. Projects sync through cloud storage (100GB included with Pro). Log in to the same account on any device to access Pro features.
Is there a CapCut Pro lifetime price?
No. CapCut doesn’t offer any lifetime purchase option. Subscriptions are monthly ($9.99) or yearly ($89.99) only. No one-time payment for permanent access exists.
Will I lose my videos if I cancel my subscription?
Videos already exported remain saved permanently. They don’t get deleted or re-watermarked. Projects stored locally or in the cloud (within storage limits) stay accessible. Only lose access to Pro features for future editing.
Does CapCut Have Any Hidden Cost?
If you purchase any stuff from CapCut library be it images and videos that require extra payments, that would be considered as hidden costs. Otherwise, CapCut doesn’t have any hidden cost.
Does CapCut Pro work offline?
CapCut works offline for editing projects stored locally on the device. Cloud sync and downloading premium assets require an internet connection. Once assets are downloaded and projects are local, editing works without the internet. Exporting also works offline.
What’s the difference between CapCut free and Pro?
Main differences: CapCut Pro includes 4K export (free caps at 1080p), no watermarks on any assets, AI auto-captions, high-quality background removal, 100GB cloud storage (free is limited), premium effects and templates, priority rendering, and cross-device sync.
