A Complete Guide to Edits: Meta’s Alternative to CapCut for Short-Form Video Editing

Meta has introduced a new video editing app called Edits, designed for creators. This app is set to rival ByteDance’s CapCut, a popular short-form video editing tool favored by creators.

The announcement for Edits came in January, coinciding with the temporary withdrawal of ByteDance-owned CapCut from U.S. app stores due to the TikTok ban. Although CapCut has since become available for download again, TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain. As a result, Meta is ready to capitalize on any potential absence of CapCut with its new Edits app.

This guide has been created to assist you in navigating the app and discovering its features, along with a comparison to CapCut.

Getting Started with the App

Edits is available for download on both iOS and Android. After downloading, you’ll need to log in with your Instagram account.

Once logged in, you’ll see five main tabs: Ideas, Inspiration, Projects, Record, and Insights. The Ideas tab lets creators write down video concepts and save reels in a collection, while the Inspiration tab helps in discovering trending audios and popular reels.

The Projects tab is designated for storing and reviewing ongoing video projects, allowing uploads from your device’s camera roll.

The Record tab enables users to film their video content directly within Edits.

Finally, the Insights tab provides an overview of the content’s performance, showcasing metrics such as views, reach, and follower counts.

Green Screen: Easily swap and edit video backgrounds with just one tap.

Timeline: Arrange and manipulate clips with precision.

Captions: Automatically generate captions in multiple languages for your videos.

Audio Library: Add music from Instagram’s expansive library to your edits.

Cutouts: Isolate specific objects with accurate tracking.

Animate: Transform static images into animated videos using AI.

Apply All: Apply filters, effects, transitions, and adjustments to all clips simultaneously.

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

Alignment Guides: Ensure important elements are visible and accurately position text, emojis, or other graphics in your videos.

Beat Markers: Utilize auto-detected beat markers for seamless alignment of clips, text, and overlays with audio during editing.

Filters: Choose from 30 unique filter options to give your videos a distinctive look.

Transitions: Pick from 30 different transitions to smoothly connect various video clips.

Teleprompter: Easily follow your script while recording.

Restyle: Use AI to alter your video’s visual style using preset options.

Keyframes: Animate clips’ position, rotation, and scaling.

Cut Silences: Automatically eliminate unnecessary silence from your reels.

Import Audio from Files: Integrate your own sounds directly into your edits.

Clip Preview: Preview clips while filming directly from the camera.

Share Drafts to DMs: Collaborate by sharing Edits drafts through Instagram Direct Messages.

How Edits Differs from CapCut

While both Edits and CapCut provide effective short-form video editing tools, they have notable differences.

CapCut features a broader range of editing capabilities, including more advanced AI tools compared to Edits. This may be attributed to Edits being a newer application; Meta is expected to enhance Edits with additional sophisticated features over time. Moreover, CapCut has a more extensive music library than Edits.

Another key distinction is that Edits currently does not offer a subscription model, while CapCut does. Although CapCut has a free version, many advanced features require a subscription. Edits is free for now, but this could change in the future, as Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, has indicated that upcoming versions might include paid features.

Additionally, while CapCut can be accessed on web platforms, Edits is limited to mobile for the time being. This may also change in future updates.

Update: This article was first published in May and is regularly updated with new insights.