For your team
UGC video editing for creators: CapCut by hand, or an AI editor that does it for you
UGC video editing means turning your raw clip into a short vertical video with captions, often in several versions. CapCut is the free way to do it by hand, and Captions and Cutroom do it for you.
In short
- UGC video editing means turning your raw clip into a vertical video with captions that a brand can run as an ad.
- Brands often ask for several versions of one video, each with a different hook, which means one edit per version.
- CapCut is free for editing by hand. Its auto captions are on Pro, at $19.99 a month.
- Captions ($24.99 a month) edits talking videos for you. VEED ($10 a month, yearly) adds subtitles, but you build each version.
- Cutroom edits and captions your clip for you. Each hook version is its own project, and four cost about $7 on Lite.
- CapCut, for editing by hand
- $0
- A month for VEED Creator, billed yearly, with unlimited auto subtitles
- $10
- Four Cutroom versions with different hooks, on the $19.99 Lite plan
- About $7
What brands expect from a UGC edit
Brands usually want a file they can upload straight to their ads account.
- A vertical 9:16 MP4 for TikTok, Instagram Reels and Facebook.
- Captions on screen, because many people watch with the sound off.
- No long pauses or ums, and the product shown clearly.
- Several versions with different hooks, meaning the first line or shot, so the brand can test them.
- Some briefs also ask for the raw clips, or a square or widescreen version.
Apps for editing UGC videos
CapCut and VEED leave most of the editing to you. Captions and Cutroom do most of it for you.
Apps UGC creators edit in
Prices as each company publishes them on the day shown. Plans change, so check before you buy.
| Tool | Best for | Editing approach | Platform | Pricing from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 CapCut | Editing by hand for free, on your phone or computer | You edit on a timeline, with templates and effects | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, web | Free; Pro $19.99/month (varies by region) |
 Captions | Editing talking videos on your phone | Pick an AI edit style and the app cuts and captions your video | iOS, Android, web | Free version; Max $24.99/month |
| Editing in the browser with auto subtitles | Edit on a timeline, or edit the transcript to cut the video | Browser, mobile app | Free plan; Creator $10/user/month, yearly | |
| Cutroom | Finished hook versions of the same script, one project per version | Upload your clip; it adds captions, stock clips and an opening headline, and you edit the text | Web | First video free; Lite $19.99/month |
- CapCut
- Best for
- Editing by hand for free, on your phone or computer
- Approach
- You edit on a timeline, with templates and effects
- Platform
- iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, web
- Pricing from
- Free; Pro $19.99/month (varies by region)
- Captions
- Best for
- Editing talking videos on your phone
- Approach
- Pick an AI edit style and the app cuts and captions your video
- Platform
- iOS, Android, web
- Pricing from
- Free version; Max $24.99/month
VEED
- Best for
- Editing in the browser with auto subtitles
- Approach
- Edit on a timeline, or edit the transcript to cut the video
- Platform
- Browser, mobile app
- Pricing from
- Free plan; Creator $10/user/month, yearly
Cutroom
- Best for
- Finished hook versions of the same script, one project per version
- Approach
- Upload your clip; it adds captions, stock clips and an opening headline, and you edit the text
- Platform
- Web
- Pricing from
- First video free; Lite $19.99/month
Prices and plans read from each vendor's own pricing page on 21 September 2026.
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
How to make several hook versions in Cutroom
Each finished video in Cutroom is its own project. You film one clip per hook and give each its own project.
- Four 30-second versions cost about $7 on the $19.99 Lite plan (about 440 credits).
- When the brand asks you to cut a line, film that version again. Cutroom cannot delete a line from the video.
- Upload the brand's product shots once, then highlight the words that name the product to place them.
Hook versions, one recording each
Film one clip per hook
A different opening each time, then the same script, up to 3 minutes
One project per hook
Upload each clip to its own project, 100 credits each
Check the text
Fix misheard words, and the captions follow
Export
About 10 credits per 30-second version
What Cutroom costs
Cutroom charges in credits: 100 to edit a video and 20 per minute to export it. A 30-second version costs about 110 credits.
- Your first video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It has a Cutroom watermark across the middle.
- The Lite plan removes the watermark, so the files are ready to send to a brand.
Cutroom plans and how many 30-second versions they cover
| Plan | Price | Credits | 30-second versions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, no card | Your first video | 1, with a watermark |
| Lite | $19.99 a month | 1,250 | About 11 |
| Basic | $39.99 a month | 2,500 | About 22, plus avatars and music |
| Premium | $79.99 a month | 5,000 | About 45 |
| Top-up | $39.99 once | 2,500 | About 22 more |
Plan: Free
- Price
- $0, no card
- Credits
- Your first video
- 30-second versions
- 1, with a watermark
Plan: Lite
- Price
- $19.99 a month
- Credits
- 1,250
- 30-second versions
- About 11
Plan: Basic
- Price
- $39.99 a month
- Credits
- 2,500
- 30-second versions
- About 22, plus avatars and music
Plan: Premium
- Price
- $79.99 a month
- Credits
- 5,000
- 30-second versions
- About 45
Plan: Top-up
- Price
- $39.99 once
- Credits
- 2,500
- 30-second versions
- About 22 more
What Cutroom cannot deliver
Check these against the brief before you use Cutroom for a job.
- It exports a finished MP4 only. There is no project file the brand can open and change.
- Every export is vertical 9:16. A square or widescreen version needs another editor.
- Clips can be up to 3 minutes, so a long unboxing has to be filmed in shorter parts.
- There is no colour grading or sound mixing. Music can be on or off, with a track and a volume.
- You choose from 7 fonts. A brand's own font file cannot be added.
Which app should you choose?
It depends on how much of the editing you want to do yourself.
Which app should you choose
Choose CapCut if you like editing by hand and want it free.
Choose Captions if you film and edit on your phone and want AI to cut and caption the video.
Choose VEED if you edit in the browser and need subtitles on every video, or in other languages.
Choose Cutroom if brands ask you for several hook versions and you want each one edited for you, one project per version. Your first video is free.
Questions people ask
- What app do UGC creators use to edit?
- Many use CapCut, because it is free and runs on a phone. Captions edits talking videos for you on your phone, VEED adds subtitles in the browser, and Cutroom makes the finished video from your clip.
- How do I make hook variations for a UGC ad?
- Film the same script once for each opening, then make one version per clip. In Cutroom, each clip is its own project. Each 30-second version costs under $2 on the Lite plan.
- Can I give the brand an editable project file?
- Not from Cutroom. You deliver a finished 9:16 MP4 with the captions in the video. If a brand needs a project file, edit that job in CapCut or Premiere Pro.
- Can I match a brand's caption style?
- Mostly. Pick one of 40 caption styles, then set the font, colour, size and position. You choose from 7 fonts, so a brand's own font file cannot be added.
- How much does UGC editing software cost?
- From free to about $25 a month. CapCut is free, VEED Creator is $10 a month billed yearly, Captions Max is $24.99 a month, and Cutroom's Lite plan is $19.99 for about 11 videos of 30 seconds.
Film the openings for your next brief and get the first version back finished. Your first video is free.