The Ultimate Guide to Edits: Meta’s CapCut Rival for Short-Form Video Creation

Meta has launched a fresh video editing app tailored for content creators, named Edits. Designed to rival ByteDance’s CapCut, a popular tool for short-form video editing, this app aims to capture a share of the creator market.

The announcement of Edits came in January, shortly following the temporary removal of ByteDance’s CapCut from U.S. app stores during the brief TikTok ban. Despite CapCut’s reappearance since then, TikTok’s uncertain future in the U.S. has motivated Meta to take advantage of any potential gaps with the introduction of its Edits application.

This guide offers a comprehensive look at the app, outlining its features and comparing it to CapCut.

Getting Started with Edits

The Edits app can be downloaded on both iOS and Android devices. After launching the app, users will be asked to log in using their Instagram account.

The app features five main tabs: Ideas, Inspiration, Projects, Record, and Insights. The Ideas tab lets creators note down video ideas and organize their reels, while the Inspiration tab showcases trending audio and popular reels.

Users can manage and save their ongoing editing projects in the Projects tab and upload videos directly from their phone’s camera rolls. The Record tab allows users to create content within Edits itself. Lastly, the Insights tab presents analytics on performance metrics such as views, reach, and follower counts.

Green Screen: Easily change and edit your video backgrounds with a single tap.

Timeline: Precisely arrange and refine clips.

Captions: Automatically create captions in multiple languages.

Audio Library: Add tracks from Instagram’s vast music library to your videos.

Cutouts: Effectively isolate specific objects using precise tracking.

Animate: Convert still images into lively videos using AI.

Apply All: Apply filters, effects, transitions, and adjustments across all clips at once.

Timeline Frame Rate Selector: Modify your video’s frame rate for smooth playback.

Alignment Guides: Make sure important video elements are properly positioned and visible when shared.

Beat Markers: Use auto-detected markers to synchronize clips, text, and overlays with audio during edits.

Filters: Choose from a selection of 30 filters to enhance your video’s aesthetics.

Transitions: Select from 30 transition effects for a seamless flow between clips.

Teleprompter: Record while effortlessly following your script.

Restyle: Use AI to alter your video’s style and appearance with preset options.

Keyframes: Animate the position, rotation, and scale of your clips effectively.

Cut Silences: Automatically eliminate unwanted silent sections from your reels.

Import Audio from Files: Directly add unique sounds to your edits.

Clip Preview: Preview clips in real-time while recording from the camera.

How Does Edits Compare to CapCut?

While both Edits and CapCut excel in short-form video editing, they feature several key differences.

CapCut offers a wider array of advanced editing functionalities, including AI capabilities, compared to the newer Edits app. However, Meta is expected to enhance Edits in the future, adding more sophisticated functionalities. Moreover, CapCut has a more extensive music library than Edits.

Another difference is that Edits does not currently have a subscription model, unlike CapCut. Although CapCut has a free version, some of its advanced features are gated behind a subscription. For now, Edits is free, but its future updates may introduce paid features, as noted by Instagram head Adam Mosseri.

Additionally, CapCut is accessible via web platforms, whereas Edits is currently limited to mobile devices. This could change in the future.

Update: This story originally published in May and is updated regularly to include new information.