Guide
Best text-based video editors: Descript, Riverside and 4 more
Descript is the best text-based video editor for long recordings, because you cut the video by deleting words in its transcript. Cutroom is best if you want one short clip back as a finished 9:16 ad.
In short
- The best text-based video editors are Descript, Riverside, VEED, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and Cutroom.
- A text-based video editor lets you cut a video by deleting words from its transcript.
- Descript is the best overall, because the whole editor is built around the transcript.
- Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve Studio use the transcript to build a first draft, and you finish it on a timeline.
- Cutroom edits your clip for you, and you fix the finished 9:16 ad in the transcript.
- tools compared
- 6
- to start on five of them
- $0
- the longest clip Cutroom accepts
- 3 min
The best text-based video editors at a glance
All six let you edit from the transcript, DaVinci Resolve only in its paid Studio version. They differ in what you get after that.
Text-based video editors compared
Prices and plans read from each vendor's own pricing page on 21 September 2026.
| Tool | Best for | Editing approach | Platform | Pricing from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long episodes and tutorials edited like a document | You edit the transcript and the video follows | Web, Mac, Windows | Free plan; Hobbyist $16/person/month, annual | |
 Riverside | Recording and editing remote interviews in one place | Records guests on separate tracks, then you edit by text | Web, Mac app, mobile apps | Free plan; Pro $24/month, annual |
| Transcript editing inside a browser editor | You delete text to cut, and use the timeline for everything else | Web browser, mobile app | Free plan; Creator $10/user/month, annual | |
| Professional edits that start with a first draft built from text | Full professional timeline with Text-Based Editing | Windows, Mac; iPhone and Android apps | $22.99/month, annual plan billed monthly | |
 DaVinci Resolve | Text editing and colour grading for a one-time price | Professional timeline; text-based editing in Studio | Mac, Windows, Linux | Free; Studio $295 one-time |
| Cutroom | Turning one clip of you talking into a finished 9:16 ad | Cutroom edits the video; you change it in the transcript | Web browser | First video free, no card; Lite $19.99/month |
Descript
- Best for
- Long episodes and tutorials edited like a document
- Approach
- You edit the transcript and the video follows
- Platform
- Web, Mac, Windows
- Pricing from
- Free plan; Hobbyist $16/person/month, annual
- Riverside
- Best for
- Recording and editing remote interviews in one place
- Approach
- Records guests on separate tracks, then you edit by text
- Platform
- Web, Mac app, mobile apps
- Pricing from
- Free plan; Pro $24/month, annual
VEED
- Best for
- Transcript editing inside a browser editor
- Approach
- You delete text to cut, and use the timeline for everything else
- Platform
- Web browser, mobile app
- Pricing from
- Free plan; Creator $10/user/month, annual
Premiere Pro
- Best for
- Professional edits that start with a first draft built from text
- Approach
- Full professional timeline with Text-Based Editing
- Platform
- Windows, Mac; iPhone and Android apps
- Pricing from
- $22.99/month, annual plan billed monthly
- DaVinci Resolve
- Best for
- Text editing and colour grading for a one-time price
- Approach
- Professional timeline; text-based editing in Studio
- Platform
- Mac, Windows, Linux
- Pricing from
- Free; Studio $295 one-time
Cutroom
- Best for
- Turning one clip of you talking into a finished 9:16 ad
- Approach
- Cutroom edits the video; you change it in the transcript
- Platform
- Web browser
- Pricing from
- First video free, no card; Lite $19.99/month
What is a text-based video editor?
A text-based video editor makes a transcript of everything you say. You edit the words, and the video changes to match.
- It is also called transcript-based editing. Both names mean the same thing.
- It works best for videos where someone talks, such as podcasts, interviews, tutorials and talking-head ads.
- It works poorly for footage without speech, such as gameplay, music videos or product shots.
Editing video by editing text
Upload the recording
Any talking video
Get a transcript
Every word written out
Delete or move text
Like a document
The video follows
No searching through a timeline
Export
The finished video
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
How these text-based editors differ
The six tools use the transcript in three different ways.
- Descript, Riverside, VEED, Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve export any shape and length you recorded.
- Cutroom exports a 9:16 MP4 from one clip of up to 3 minutes, and nothing else.
How each tool uses the transcript
| How it uses the transcript | What you do | Tools |
|---|---|---|
| The transcript is the main editor | You cut by deleting and moving text | Descript, Riverside, VEED |
| The transcript builds a first draft | You finish it on a professional timeline | Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve Studio |
| The video is edited for you | You correct it in the transcript | Cutroom |
How it uses the transcript: The transcript is the main editor
- What you do
- You cut by deleting and moving text
- Tools
- Descript, Riverside, VEED
How it uses the transcript: The transcript builds a first draft
- What you do
- You finish it on a professional timeline
- Tools
- Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve Studio
How it uses the transcript: The video is edited for you
- What you do
- You correct it in the transcript
- Tools
- Cutroom
Features compared
This is what the transcript does in each tool, what else the AI does, and the main tradeoff.
Text-based video editors: features
| Tool | What the transcript does | Other AI tools | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Descript | It is the whole editor | An AI assistant (Underlord), Studio Sound, filler-word removal | You add b-roll and make the vertical version |
| Riverside | Cut the recording by deleting text | Magic Clips, show notes, filler-word and silence removal on Pro | Built for recording first; the free plan stops at 720p |
| VEED | Cut, copy or move text and the video follows | Filler words and silences removed, subtitles, AI b-roll on paid plans | You build the finished video on the timeline |
| Premiere Pro | Builds a first draft from text you select | AI voice cleanup, AI that adds up to 2 seconds to the start or end of a clip, caption translation | You finish each video by hand on the timeline |
| DaVinci Resolve | Text-based editing in Studio only | An AI mask that picks out a person, and voice isolation, in Studio | Text editing needs Studio, and it takes a long time to learn |
| Cutroom | Fix words, delete lines, place clips on a phrase | Cuts, b-roll, captions and a hook | One clip of up to 3 minutes, 9:16 only |
Tool: Descript
- What the transcript does
- It is the whole editor
- Other AI tools
- An AI assistant (Underlord), Studio Sound, filler-word removal
- Tradeoff
- You add b-roll and make the vertical version
Tool: Riverside
- What the transcript does
- Cut the recording by deleting text
- Other AI tools
- Magic Clips, show notes, filler-word and silence removal on Pro
- Tradeoff
- Built for recording first; the free plan stops at 720p
Tool: VEED
- What the transcript does
- Cut, copy or move text and the video follows
- Other AI tools
- Filler words and silences removed, subtitles, AI b-roll on paid plans
- Tradeoff
- You build the finished video on the timeline
Tool: Premiere Pro
- What the transcript does
- Builds a first draft from text you select
- Other AI tools
- AI voice cleanup, AI that adds up to 2 seconds to the start or end of a clip, caption translation
- Tradeoff
- You finish each video by hand on the timeline
Tool: DaVinci Resolve
- What the transcript does
- Text-based editing in Studio only
- Other AI tools
- An AI mask that picks out a person, and voice isolation, in Studio
- Tradeoff
- Text editing needs Studio, and it takes a long time to learn
Tool: Cutroom
- What the transcript does
- Fix words, delete lines, place clips on a phrase
- Other AI tools
- Cuts, b-roll, captions and a hook
- Tradeoff
- One clip of up to 3 minutes, 9:16 only
Prices and free plans
Five of the six let you start for $0. Premiere Pro has a 7-day trial instead.
Text-based video editors: price and main limit
Yearly means the monthly price when you pay for a year up front.
| Tool | Free option | Paid from | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Descript | 60 minutes a month, 720p, watermark | $16/person/month yearly, $24 monthly | Priced per person |
| Riverside | 2 hours of multi-track recording | Pro $24/month yearly, $29 monthly | Free plan stops at 720p, with a watermark |
| VEED | Free plan with the text editor | Creator $10/user/month, yearly | Priced per user |
| Premiere Pro | 7-day trial, no free plan | $22.99/month, yearly plan billed monthly | You finish each video on the timeline |
| DaVinci Resolve | Free version, up to Ultra HD at 60fps | Studio $295 once | Text editing only in Studio |
| Cutroom | First video free, no card, 7 days | Lite $19.99/month | One clip up to 3 min, 9:16 only |
Tool: Descript
- Free option
- 60 minutes a month, 720p, watermark
- Paid from
- $16/person/month yearly, $24 monthly
- Main limit
- Priced per person
Tool: Riverside
- Free option
- 2 hours of multi-track recording
- Paid from
- Pro $24/month yearly, $29 monthly
- Main limit
- Free plan stops at 720p, with a watermark
Tool: VEED
- Free option
- Free plan with the text editor
- Paid from
- Creator $10/user/month, yearly
- Main limit
- Priced per user
Tool: Premiere Pro
- Free option
- 7-day trial, no free plan
- Paid from
- $22.99/month, yearly plan billed monthly
- Main limit
- You finish each video on the timeline
Tool: DaVinci Resolve
- Free option
- Free version, up to Ultra HD at 60fps
- Paid from
- Studio $295 once
- Main limit
- Text editing only in Studio
Tool: Cutroom
- Free option
- First video free, no card, 7 days
- Paid from
- Lite $19.99/month
- Main limit
- One clip up to 3 min, 9:16 only
Descript
Descript is built around the transcript. Delete a sentence and the video is cut, and move a paragraph and the scene moves with it.
- Descript is best for creators and podcasters who publish long recordings every week.
- Underlord, Descript's AI assistant, makes a shorter first version of your recording. Studio Sound cleans the audio, and filler words go in one click.
- It also cuts clips from long videos, and a team can review and comment.
- The free plan gives you 60 minutes a month at 720p, with a watermark.
- Hobbyist costs $16 per person a month billed yearly, or $24 month to month, for 10 hours a month at 1080p.
- Creator costs $24 per person a month billed yearly, for 30 hours a month, 4K and unlimited stock footage.
- You still add the b-roll and make the vertical version yourself.
Riverside
Riverside records remote interviews and lets you edit the recording as text.
- Riverside is best for shows with remote guests that want recording and editing in one subscription.
- Each guest is recorded on a separate local track, so the quality does not depend on the call.
- It makes Magic Clips and show notes from the same recording.
- The free plan gives you 2 hours of multi-track recording in 720p, with a watermark.
- Pro costs $24 a month billed yearly, or $29 month to month, with no watermark, up to 4K video and 48kHz audio.
- On Pro, it also removes filler words and silences, cleans up the audio and adds AI b-roll.
VEED
VEED puts transcript editing inside a full browser editor. Delete, copy or move text and the video follows.
- VEED is best for marketers who want text editing, subtitles and a timeline in one browser tab.
- It removes filler words in one click, and removes short or long silences with a setting.
- You can export any part of the transcript as its own clip, and download the transcript as TXT, VTT or SRT on paid plans.
- The text editor is on the free plan. Creator costs $10 per user a month billed yearly, and Pro costs $21.
- You still build the finished video by hand.
Premiere Pro
Premiere Pro makes a transcript of everything said in your video when you import it. You build a first draft by selecting text and pasting it into your timeline.
- Premiere Pro is best for editors who already work in Adobe and want a faster first draft.
- It has professional colour and audio tools, AI that cleans up voices, and team review through Frame.io, Adobe's review tool.
- Its AI can also add up to 2 seconds to the start or end of a clip that is too short.
- It makes captions from the transcript and translates them into 18 languages.
- It costs $22.99 a month on a yearly plan billed monthly. There is no free plan, only a 7-day trial.
- You still build each video yourself on a professional timeline, from the b-roll to the sound mix and the export.
DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve is a professional editor with a free version. Text-based editing is in the paid Studio version.
- DaVinci Resolve is best for editors who would rather pay once than every month.
- The free version works up to Ultra HD at 60fps.
- Studio costs $295 once and adds text-based editing, an AI mask that picks out a person, and voice isolation.
- It covers editing, colour, visual effects and audio in one app, on Mac, Windows and Linux.
- It takes a long time to learn.
Cutroom
Cutroom edits the video for you first. Then you read the transcript and change what you want.
- Cutroom is best for founders and creators who film short clips and want each one back finished.
- You upload one clip of yourself talking, up to 3 minutes long.
- Cutroom cuts it, places stock video clips over the words they match, and adds captions in 40 styles and a hook. You can switch on music too.
- To place a clip, you highlight a phrase and a clip lands over exactly those words.
- To cut a line, you delete it and the video rebuilds around it. You can also fix a word it misheard.
- Your first video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark, and Lite at $19.99 a month removes it.
- Basic costs $39.99 a month and adds avatars and generated music. Premium is $79.99 a month.
- Cutroom exports 9:16 only, has no timeline and does not edit podcasts or webinars.
Which one should you choose?
It comes down to the recording you make most often.
Which text-based video editor to choose
Choose Descript if you edit long episodes or tutorials and want the transcript to be the editor.
Choose Riverside if you record remote guests and want to edit the same recording by text.
Choose VEED if you want transcript editing, subtitles and a timeline in one browser tab.
Choose Premiere Pro if you finish on a professional timeline and want a faster first draft.
Choose DaVinci Resolve if you want professional tools for a one-time price and can take the time to learn them.
Choose Cutroom if you film one short clip and want a finished 9:16 ad back that you correct in the transcript.
Questions people ask
- What is a text-based video editor?
- It is an editor that makes a transcript of your recording and lets you cut the video by editing that text. Delete a sentence and the matching video and audio go with it. Descript, Riverside and VEED work this way, and Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve Studio add it to a timeline.
- What is the best text-based video editor?
- Descript is the best for long episodes and tutorials. Riverside is best for remote interviews, VEED for browser editing with subtitles, and Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve Studio for professional timelines. Cutroom is best when one clip of you talking must come back as a finished vertical ad.
- Is there a free text-based video editor?
- Yes, with limits. Descript's free plan gives you 60 minutes a month with a watermark, and Riverside and VEED have free plans. DaVinci Resolve is free, but text editing needs Studio. Cutroom's first video is free, with no card, and carries a Cutroom mark.
- Does Premiere Pro have text-based editing?
- Yes. It makes a transcript of your video on import, and you build a first draft from text you select. You still finish on the timeline. Premiere Pro costs $22.99 a month on a yearly plan billed monthly, with a 7-day trial.
- Does Kapwing have text-based editing?
- Yes. In Kapwing you open the Transcript tab and delete text, and those parts of the video are cut. It works much like VEED's text editing, inside a browser editor, and Kapwing is free to start. Pro costs $16 per member a month, billed yearly.
- Is text-based editing the same as transcript-based editing?
- Yes. Both names mean the same method: the transcript controls the edit. Each company just picks one of the two names.
- Can a text-based video editor add b-roll and captions for me?
- Some can. Riverside Pro and VEED's paid plans add AI b-roll, and Descript, Riverside, VEED and Premiere Pro add captions. In Descript, Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve you place the b-roll yourself. Cutroom places stock video clips over the words they match, adds captions and a hook, and you move a clip by highlighting another phrase.
Upload one short clip of you talking and fix the finished ad from its transcript. Your first video is free.
Try for freeYour first video is free, no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99/month removes it