What is CapCut?
CapCut is a free video editor from ByteDance, the company behind TikTok. It's built for short vertical videos, with one-tap templates, auto captions, trending effects and transitions, text-to-speech voices, background removal and a big library of music and sound effects. It also handles longer and horizontal edits, with multiple tracks, keyframes, speed curves and chroma key.
Most of CapCut is free. CapCut Pro adds premium effects, more cloud storage and some AI tools for a monthly subscription. Exports from the free version have no watermark, but some templates add a short CapCut ending clip that you can delete before exporting.
Phone, desktop or browser
The mobile app for Android and iPhone is the fastest way to edit clips you've just filmed. The desktop app for Windows and Mac is better for longer projects and precise timing, and it takes advantage of a computer's processing power for 4K exports. CapCut's online editor runs in the browser for quick edits on a computer where you can't install software. Projects can sync between them through CapCut's cloud space when you're signed in.
Installing CapCut safely
Download CapCut from Google Play, the App Store or capcut.com only; the buttons above link to them. Search results are full of “CapCut Pro APK” and “CapCut mod” files that claim to unlock paid features. They're not from ByteDance, they often contain malware, and they can get your account blocked.
CapCut's availability depends on the country. In some regions, including India, CapCut isn't available in the app stores, and the store page will say it's not available in your country. In that case the app won't install from official sources there.
CapCut and TikTok
CapCut is linked to TikTok: you can sign in with your TikTok account, use templates you've seen on TikTok (tap Use template in CapCut on a TikTok video), and post finished videos straight to TikTok. Exports also work everywhere else, including Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and WhatsApp Status.
If you want to edit a TikTok or Reel you saved earlier, download it without the watermark first, using Download TikTok Video or Download Instagram Reels, then import the MP4 into CapCut.
What export settings should I use in CapCut?
CapCut's export screen has three settings worth knowing:
- Resolution: 1080p is the standard for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. 4K looks great but makes much bigger files that those apps compress anyway.
- Frame rate: match what you filmed, usually 30 fps, or 60 fps for smooth action.
- File size: if an export is too big to send, run it through Video Compressor instead of re-exporting at low quality.
Auto captions and templates
Auto captions are CapCut's most-used feature: tap Text → Auto captions and CapCut transcribes the speech in your video and adds timed subtitles that you can restyle and correct. They work in many languages and make videos watchable with the sound off, which is how many people scroll.
Templates are ready-made edits with music, cuts and effects already timed. You pick one, drop in your own clips or photos, and CapCut fits them to the beat. They're the fastest way to make a trend video, and each template shows how many clips it needs before you start.
What can I do when CapCut is slow or crashes?
Editing video is demanding, so phones run out of room quickly:
- Free up storage: CapCut caches effects and drafts. Settings → Clear cache frees space without deleting projects.
- Lower the preview quality while editing long projects, and export at the full quality at the end.
- Update the app and your phone's system: new effects often need the latest version.
- For long or 4K projects, switch to CapCut desktop, which handles them much better than a phone.
What are good CapCut alternatives?
If CapCut isn't available in your country, or you'd like something different, InShot and VN are popular free mobile editors. iMovie comes free on iPhone and Mac. On computers, DaVinci Resolve is a free professional editor, and Clipchamp is built into Windows 11. For quick fixes like trimming, compressing or turning a clip into a GIF, our browser tools need no install at all.
Sizing videos for each platform
Before you start editing, set the project's aspect ratio in CapCut's Format or Ratio menu, because changing it later can crop your shots. Use 9:16 for TikTok, Reels, Shorts and Stories; 16:9 for regular YouTube videos and TVs; 1:1 for square feed posts; and 4:5 for Instagram feed videos, which take up more of the screen than square ones. If you've already exported in the wrong shape, Crop Video can fix it in your browser.