Descript

Descript is an audio and video editor where you edit by editing text. It transcribes your recording, and deleting a word from the transcript removes it from the media. Around that core idea it adds AI tools for removing filler words, cleaning up audio, creating AI voices and avatars, translating and dubbing, and recording your screen. It is popular with podcasters, YouTubers, course creators and teams that edit talking-head video.

Quick facts

• Made by: Descript, a company based in San Francisco, founded in 2017
• Free plan: Yes, with 60 media minutes a month, 100 one-time AI credits and watermarked 720p exports
• Paid plans: Hobbyist, Creator and Business, plus custom Enterprise
• Works on: The Descript desktop app for Mac and Windows, and on the web
• Pricing last checked: October 2026, using several recent published sources. Prices are shown per person, and annual billing is cheaper, so confirm on Descript’s official pricing page.

What Descript is best at

• Text-based editing: cut, reorder and tidy a recording by editing the transcript, which feels like editing a document.
• Clean-up tools: filler-word and pause removal, and audio enhancement for rough recordings.
• Voice and video AI: AI voices, voice cloning for your own voice with consent, eye-contact correction and green-screen removal.
• Translation and dubbing: turn a video into other languages on higher plans.
• Screen recording and collaboration: record tutorials and share projects with a team.

Plans and pricing

Two meters set your real limit: media hours (how much recording you can process) and AI credits (how much you can use the AI tools). The free plan’s credits are a one-time grant, not monthly, and top-ups are reported to be available only on Creator and Business. Confirm all figures on Descript’s official page.

Best for

• Podcasters, YouTubers and course creators who edit mostly speech.
• Marketing and training teams that produce talking-head and screen-recorded video.
• Anyone who finds a timeline editor intimidating and prefers editing text.

Less suited to

• Complex film editing, colour grading or heavy effects work, where a traditional editor is stronger.
• Heavy use of AI features on a small plan, since credits can run out quickly.
• Any use of voice cloning without the speaker’s clear consent.

How to get started

1. Create a free account and upload a short recording to see the transcript-based editing.
2. Remove filler words and pauses, and listen back before you accept the changes.
3. Try audio enhancement on a noisy clip and compare it with the original.
4. Export a short test at the quality you need to see how the plan limits affect you.
5. Choose a paid plan by estimating your monthly media hours and AI credit use.

Prompt ideas to copy

Remove filler words and long pauses, then tighten this recording to about ten minutes without cutting any key points.

Write a 100-word episode description and five chapter titles with timestamps from this transcript.

Find the three most quotable moments in this interview and mark each as a possible short clip.

Rewrite this script paragraph so it is easier to say aloud, keeping the same meaning.

Limitations and things to watch

• Automatic edits and transcripts can contain mistakes, so review them before publishing.
• AI credits and media hours are separate limits, and heavier AI use can exhaust credits first.
• Only clone a voice or create a digital likeness with the person’s consent.
• Plans, credit amounts and prices change often.

Alternatives

Compare ElevenLabs for voices and dubbing, HeyGen for avatar video, and Runway for generative video and editing.