Quick verdict: CapCut Pro still costs $19.99/month or $179.99/year after the price doubled from $9.99 in 2025. The free tier remains one of the strongest in video editing — 1080p exports with no watermark on standard edits and free basic captions. The two things that changed in 2026: a new mobile-only Standard tier and the fact that AI credits now only exist on the web version. And the June 2025 Terms of Service license clause — the one granting CapCut a perpetual license over your uploads including drafts — has never been walked back. If privacy matters to you, read that section before paying.
CapCut went from the internet’s favorite free editor to a subscription business in stages, and the price doubled along the way. If your pricing knowledge comes from a 2024 YouTube video, nearly all of it is stale. Here is what every CapCut tier actually costs and includes right now, verified October 2026.
CapCut plans at a glance
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Beginners, Shorts/Reels/TikTok, simple YouTube videos |
| Standard (mobile-only) | ~$9.99/mo (third-party reports) | Mobile creators wanting Pro-lite features |
| Pro | $19.99/mo or $179.99/yr | Serious creators needing AI features, 4K, 1 TB cloud |
| Ultra | $79/mo | Heavy AI users, AI video generation at scale |
| Teams | $12.49/seat/mo (promo) | Small teams sharing a brand kit |
Note: Teams plans are purchasable via the web only. Mobile checkout prices can differ — always confirm at checkout.
Free: still excellent, with honest limits
The free tier is why CapCut has its reputation: 1080p exports, no watermark on standard edits, and free basic auto-captions. That is a combination almost no competitor gives away — see how it compares in our free no-watermark editors roundup.
The limits you should actually know about: free cloud storage ended in August 2024, premium stock assets and templates carry a watermark on the free plan, and anything branded “Pro” in the effects library is locked. But for straight editing — cuts, captions, transitions, basic color — free CapCut remains the best value in the business.
Pro at $19.99: what the doubled price buys
CapCut Pro doubled from $9.99 to $19.99 per month in 2025, and in 2026 the price has held steady. For that you get:
- 1,200 AI credits per month — this is the real currency of Pro. Credits power AI background removal, AI captions, script-to-video, avatar tools and the rest.
- 1 TB cloud storage and 4K exports.
- Commercial-use rights and the full premium asset library.
- The annual plan at $179.99/year works out to about $15/month — meaningful savings if you pay monthly.
One trap to flag: AI credits are web-only in 2026. The desktop and mobile apps don’t show or consume credits the same way, and unused monthly credits don’t roll over. Top-ups run roughly $4.99 per 100 credits, and subscription credits die if you downgrade. Treat credits as a monthly budget, not a bank.
The mobile-only Standard tier (don’t confuse it with the free plan)
CapCut launched a mobile-only Standard tier in 2026 (their April help article confirms it exists; reported prices cluster around $9.99/month, monthly billing only). It sits between free and Pro for phone-first creators.
Confusingly, CapCut’s own help guides sometimes use the word “Standard” to mean the free plan. When you see “Standard” in a guide, check whether it means free or the paid mobile tier — they are different products.
Ultra at $79/month: for AI power users
Ultra is the top rung: 8,645 AI credits per month plus quotas on Seedance, CapCut’s AI video generator. This is for creators generating AI video at volume — if you’re not burning through Pro’s 1,200 credits every month, Ultra is overkill.
The ToS clause that still hasn’t been walked back
In June 2025, CapCut’s Terms of Service drew attention for granting the company a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, sublicensable license over your content — including your face and voice, and including drafts you never publish — that survives account deletion. As of the latest reporting (August 2026), that clause has never been walked back or narrowed. We’ve flagged this in every CapCut piece since, including our Descript vs CapCut comparison. It doesn’t affect the pricing math, but for client work or anything with other people’s faces, it’s the single biggest reason some creators pay for an alternative instead.
Refunds and cancellation
CapCut’s official terms offer a 14-calendar-day full refund on purchases made directly through capcut.com — but only if you never used the Premium features. Subscriptions bought through Apple or Google go through those stores’ refund policies. Cancelling keeps Pro active until the end of the billing period, and you need to cancel at least 24 hours before renewal.
One more caution from user reports: switching between trial tiers mid-trial can cancel the trial and trigger a full-price charge. Pick one tier and let the trial run its course.
Who should buy / who should skip
Buy Pro ($19.99) if: you edit daily, use AI features (background removal, script-to-video, avatars) weekly, need 4K or commercial-use rights, or want the 1 TB cloud project storage.
Skip Pro if: you’re editing Shorts with basic captions and transitions — free covers that; or if the ToS license clause is a dealbreaker for your client work.
Consider Ultra ($79) only if: you consistently exhaust Pro’s 1,200 monthly credits on AI generation.
FAQ
Is CapCut really free with no watermark?
Yes — on standard edits. 1080p exports with no watermark is genuinely free. Premium templates, stock footage and effects stamp a watermark unless you’re on Pro.
Did CapCut really double its price?
Yes. Pro went from $9.99 to $19.99 per month in 2025, and the new price held through 2026. Older guides quoting $9.99 are stale.
Can I use CapCut free for YouTube?
Yes, and many beginners should — our beginner YouTube editors guide covers where it fits and when to outgrow it.
What happened to CapCut Commerce Pro?
It was renamed to Pippit AI, a separate e-commerce product. Its current pricing couldn’t be verified at the time of writing.
How much does CapCut Pro cost in 2026?
CapCut Pro costs $19.99 a month, or $179.99 a year, on web checkout — double the old $9.99 monthly price. That buys 1,200 AI credits a month, premium templates, 1 TB of cloud storage and 4K export. Ultra, for AI power users, is $79 a month with 8,645 credits. App-store subscriptions run a little higher than web checkout, and the mobile-only Standard tier is reported at around $9.99 a month with no annual option. Prices vary by region and promotion — confirm on capcut.com/pricing before buying.
Prices and plan details verified October 14, 2026. CapCut changes tiers frequently — confirm the current price at checkout before subscribing.