Comparison
Best app to make Instagram Reels: Edits for free, CapCut for full control
Edits, Instagram's own app, is free and exports with no watermark. CapCut gives you the most editing tools, and Cutroom edits reels of you talking for you.
In short
- The best app to make Instagram Reels is Edits, Instagram's free editor, or CapCut if you want more tools.
- InShot is a simple phone editor for quick trims with music. Canva is best for reels made from templates.
- Captions and Submagic add animated captions, b-roll and effects to a clip you already filmed.
- Cutroom turns one clip of you talking into a finished reel, with captions, b-roll and a hook.
- Edits is free. The other apps are free to try, with paid plans from $4.99 a month.
- apps compared, prices checked 21 September 2026
- 7
- for Edits, Instagram's editor, with 4K export and no watermark
- $0
- for a finished 30-second reel in Cutroom on the Lite plan
- Under $2
The best apps to make Instagram Reels at a glance
Here is what each app is best at, what it costs and what it leaves to you.
Seven apps to make Instagram Reels
Prices from each company's site or the US App Store on the date shown. Plans change, so check before you pay.
| Tool | Best for | Editing approach | Platform | Pricing from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edits | Free reels with no watermark, made for Instagram | Instagram's own phone editor, where you make the edits | iOS, Android | Free |
 CapCut | Reels with effects, templates and full control | A free editor where you make every edit, with templates | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, web | Free; Pro $19.99/month or $179.99/year (varies by region) |
| InShot | Quick trims with music on your phone | A phone editor where you make the edits, with auto captions | iOS, Android | Free with a watermark; Pro $4.99/month or $19.99/year (US App Store) |
 Canva | Reels made from templates in your brand look | A design tool with templates and a simple video editor | Browser, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac | Free plan; Pro US$144/year for one person |
 Captions | Animated captions and an AI edit on your phone | You pick an AI edit style and the app edits your video | iOS, Android, web | Free version; Basic $9.99/month (iPhone app); Max $24.99/month |
 Submagic | Captions, b-roll and effects added to a short clip | You upload a clip and it adds captions, b-roll and effects | Web | Free to try, no card; Starter $12/month billed yearly ($19 monthly) |
| Cutroom | Reels of you talking, edited for you | It edits your clip for you: cuts, captions, b-roll and a hook | Web | First video free, no card; Lite $19.99/month |
Edits
- Best for
- Free reels with no watermark, made for Instagram
- Approach
- Instagram's own phone editor, where you make the edits
- Platform
- iOS, Android
- Pricing from
- Free
- CapCut
- Best for
- Reels with effects, templates and full control
- Approach
- A free editor where you make every edit, with templates
- Platform
- iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, web
- Pricing from
- Free; Pro $19.99/month or $179.99/year (varies by region)
InShot
- Best for
- Quick trims with music on your phone
- Approach
- A phone editor where you make the edits, with auto captions
- Platform
- iOS, Android
- Pricing from
- Free with a watermark; Pro $4.99/month or $19.99/year (US App Store)
- Canva
- Best for
- Reels made from templates in your brand look
- Approach
- A design tool with templates and a simple video editor
- Platform
- Browser, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac
- Pricing from
- Free plan; Pro US$144/year for one person
- Captions
- Best for
- Animated captions and an AI edit on your phone
- Approach
- You pick an AI edit style and the app edits your video
- Platform
- iOS, Android, web
- Pricing from
- Free version; Basic $9.99/month (iPhone app); Max $24.99/month
- Submagic
- Best for
- Captions, b-roll and effects added to a short clip
- Approach
- You upload a clip and it adds captions, b-roll and effects
- Platform
- Web
- Pricing from
- Free to try, no card; Starter $12/month billed yearly ($19 monthly)
Cutroom
- Best for
- Reels of you talking, edited for you
- Approach
- It edits your clip for you: cuts, captions, b-roll and a hook
- Platform
- Web
- Pricing from
- First video free, no card; Lite $19.99/month
Prices and plans read from each vendor's own pricing page on 21 September 2026.
What is the difference between these apps?
The biggest difference is how much of the editing you do yourself.
Who does the editing in each app
| App | Who does the editing | Runs on | Price to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edits | You | Phone | Free |
| CapCut | You | Phone, computer, browser | Free; Pro $19.99 a month |
| InShot | You | Phone | Free; Pro $4.99 a month |
| Canva | You, from a template | Browser, phone, computer | Free; Pro US$144 a year |
| Captions | An AI edit style, then you | Phone, web | Free; Basic $9.99 a month |
| Submagic | Submagic adds captions and effects to your clip | Web | Starter $12 a month, billed yearly |
| Cutroom | Cutroom, then you check it | Web | First video free; Lite $19.99 a month |
App: Edits
- Who does the editing
- You
- Runs on
- Phone
- Price to start
- Free
App: CapCut
- Who does the editing
- You
- Runs on
- Phone, computer, browser
- Price to start
- Free; Pro $19.99 a month
App: InShot
- Who does the editing
- You
- Runs on
- Phone
- Price to start
- Free; Pro $4.99 a month
App: Canva
- Who does the editing
- You, from a template
- Runs on
- Browser, phone, computer
- Price to start
- Free; Pro US$144 a year
App: Captions
- Who does the editing
- An AI edit style, then you
- Runs on
- Phone, web
- Price to start
- Free; Basic $9.99 a month
App: Submagic
- Who does the editing
- Submagic adds captions and effects to your clip
- Runs on
- Web
- Price to start
- Starter $12 a month, billed yearly
App: Cutroom
- Who does the editing
- Cutroom, then you check it
- Runs on
- Web
- Price to start
- First video free; Lite $19.99 a month
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
Apps where you edit the reel yourself: Edits, CapCut and InShot
These three give you the tools, and you make every cut. They suit montages, trends and product videos as well as talking reels.
- Edits is Instagram's own editor, and it is free. It adds captions for you, exports in 4K with no watermark and shows you trending audio.
- CapCut has the most tools: templates, effects, transitions and speed changes. It runs on your phone, your computer and in a browser, and auto captions need Pro.
- InShot is the simplest. You trim, add music and text, and export. Free exports carry a watermark, and Pro is $4.99 a month.
Apps that do part of the editing: Canva, Captions and Submagic
These three start the edit for you, from a template or from a clip you already filmed.
- Canva gives you a reel template. You swap in your clips, colors and logo, and export.
- Captions records you on your phone and adds animated captions. On Max, $24.99 a month, AI Edit cuts the video and adds b-roll.
- Submagic adds captions, b-roll and sound effects to a clip you upload, and auto zooms on Pro. Starter covers 15 videos a month, up to 2 minutes each.
Prices and free plans
Edits is free with no paid plan. The others are free to try, and InShot has the cheapest paid plan.
Free plan and first paid plan
From each company's site or the US App Store, checked 21 September 2026. Prices change, so check before you pay.
| App | Free plan | First paid plan |
|---|---|---|
| Edits | Free, with no watermark | None: the app is free |
| CapCut | Yes: the standard editor, 8K export | Pro: $19.99 a month or $179.99 a year |
| InShot | Yes, with a watermark and ads | Pro: $4.99 a month, $19.99 a year or $49.99 once |
| Canva | Yes | Pro: US$144 a year, or $18 a month in the iPhone app |
| Captions | Yes: trimming, transitions, some media | Basic: $9.99 a month in the iPhone app. Max: $24.99 a month |
| Submagic | Free to try, no card | Starter: $12 a month billed yearly ($19 monthly), 15 videos |
| Cutroom | Your first video, no card, within 7 days, with a Cutroom mark | Lite: $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits |
App: Edits
- Free plan
- Free, with no watermark
- First paid plan
- None: the app is free
App: CapCut
- Free plan
- Yes: the standard editor, 8K export
- First paid plan
- Pro: $19.99 a month or $179.99 a year
App: InShot
- Free plan
- Yes, with a watermark and ads
- First paid plan
- Pro: $4.99 a month, $19.99 a year or $49.99 once
App: Canva
- Free plan
- Yes
- First paid plan
- Pro: US$144 a year, or $18 a month in the iPhone app
App: Captions
- Free plan
- Yes: trimming, transitions, some media
- First paid plan
- Basic: $9.99 a month in the iPhone app. Max: $24.99 a month
App: Submagic
- Free plan
- Free to try, no card
- First paid plan
- Starter: $12 a month billed yearly ($19 monthly), 15 videos
App: Cutroom
- Free plan
- Your first video, no card, within 7 days, with a Cutroom mark
- First paid plan
- Lite: $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits
Which app should you use to make Instagram Reels?
It depends on what your reels show, and how much editing you want to do yourself.
Which app should you use to make Instagram Reels
Choose Edits if you post mainly to Instagram and want a free editor with no watermark.
Choose CapCut if you want the most editing tools and templates, on your phone or your computer.
Choose InShot if you want quick, simple trims with music.
Choose Canva if your reels are graphics and text in your brand colors.
Choose Captions if you film yourself on your phone and want animated captions and an AI edit.
Choose Submagic if you already film short clips and want captions and effects added for you.
Choose Cutroom if you talk on camera and want each reel edited for you. Your first video is free.
Where Cutroom fits
Cutroom is for reels where you talk to the camera. You upload one clip and get a finished reel back in about a minute.
- You upload one clip of you talking, up to 3 minutes long.
- Cutroom adds captions, puts b-roll over the things you mention and adds a hook at the start. On the Punch and Native styles, it also shortens the pauses.
- You change the reel in the transcript: fix a misheard word, or highlight a phrase to place a clip.
- A 30-second reel costs 110 credits. Lite is $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits, which is about 11 reels.
- It cannot make montages or trend videos without talking. Use Edits, CapCut or InShot for those.
- Your first video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite removes it.
Edit the reel by editing the transcript
There is no timeline. Change the words and the reel follows.
B-rolls · 5
1
2
3
4
5Most face serums make one big promise, then quietly do nothing. This one has three ingredients, works in ten days, and costs less than your coffee habit. If your skin doesn’t change, you get every cent back.
highlight = b-roll · struck out = already cut
▸ 0:07 / 0:26 · shot 1 of 5
- 1B-roll on the exact wordsReal footage, placed where showing beats telling.
- 2The opening headlineWritten from what you said. Pick one it drafted, or write your own.
- 3Captions in 40 themesPick a theme, then its font and colour.
- 49:16, ready to exportExport renders one vertical MP4.
Questions people ask
- What is the best app to make Instagram Reels?
- Edits, Instagram's own app, is the best free choice: it adds captions and exports in 4K with no watermark. CapCut is best if you want more tools and templates. Cutroom is best for reels of you talking that you want edited for you.
- What is the best free app for Instagram Reels?
- Edits. It is free, made by Instagram, and exports with no watermark. CapCut's standard editor is also free, but its auto captions need Pro. InShot is free with a watermark on your exports.
- Can I make Instagram Reels on my computer?
- Yes. CapCut and Canva run in a browser and on Windows and Mac, and Cutroom and Submagic are websites. Edits and InShot are phone apps. Captions also has a web version.
- Does Cutroom export the right size for Reels?
- Yes. Cutroom exports a vertical 9:16 MP4 with the captions in the video, which works for Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. It does not make wide videos or separate caption files.
- Can I make good reels without talking on camera?
- Yes. Montages, text on screen, product shots and trend videos need no talking. Edits, CapCut, InShot and Canva are built for those. Cutroom is the wrong app there, because it edits from what you say.
- How much does a reel cost in Cutroom?
- A 30-second reel costs 110 credits: 100 to edit it and 10 to export it. Lite is $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits, which is about 11 reels, under $2 each. Your first video is free.
- Are app prices different in the App Store?
- Sometimes. CapCut says its Pro price varies by region, device and promotions. Canva Pro is US$144 a year for one person, and the iPhone app also sells it at $18 a month. Check the price on the website before you subscribe in an app.
If your reels are you talking, upload one clip and get a finished reel back. Your first video is free.