InVideo vs CapCut vs Pictory
Compared 2026-10-20 using published specs and documentation.
InVideo, CapCut and Pictory all advertise as AI video tools, but they do three different jobs. InVideo writes and renders a video from a prompt in your browser. CapCut is a timeline editor for footage you already have, with AI features on top. Pictory converts an article or URL into a finished video. Because all three meter AI usage in credits, a price comparison only means anything once you convert credits into finished output. Pricing below is from each vendor's own pricing page, checked 16 October 2026.
Spec-by-spec
| Feature | InVideo | CapCut | Pictory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core workflow | Prompt-to-video in the browser, plus a full editor | Timeline editor for footage you already have, on desktop, web and mobile | Article, URL or long video to short video |
| Entry AI tier | Plus - $17/mo, billed $200 a year ✔ | Pro - $19.99/mo | Starter - $25/mo billed annually ($29 monthly) |
| AI credits per month | 750 | 1,200 ✔ | 100 (1,200 a year) |
| Storage at entry tier | 20 GB | 1 TB ✔ | 5 GB |
| Stock media at entry tier | 100 iStock assets a month, plus Storyblocks | Built-in CapCut template and media library | 5M clips from Getty Images and Storyblocks |
| Free tier | None listed on the current pricing page | Yes - basic editing and free templates ✔ | Yes - limited, with watermark |
| AI avatars and voice clones | 4 on Plus, scaling to 200 on Elite ✔ | Voice cloning available on Pro | Custom avatars from Professional, $35/mo |
| Brand kits | Not listed on the pricing page | Team plan only | 1 on Starter, up to 10 on Team ✔ |
| Export | Unlimited, no watermark on every paid tier ✔ | Watermark removed on Pro | No watermark on every paid tier |
| Annual discount | 15% off Plus through Generative, 10% on Elite | Not published | Up to 40% off on annual billing |
Sources: InVideo · CapCut · Pictory — official pricing pages, verified 2026-10-20.
What each tool actually does
None of these three is a drop-in replacement for another, and that is the most important line on this page.
- InVideo starts from a prompt. You describe the video, pick a workflow, and it assembles script, voiceover, stock and clips into a finished cut - then opens the editor if you want to hand-tune. The whole thing runs in a browser tab.
- CapCut starts from footage. It is a non-linear editor: you drag clips onto a timeline, trim, grade and add effects. AI features - auto captions, background removal, motion tracking, AI image and video generation - sit on top of that timeline.
- Pictory starts from words. Paste a blog URL or a YouTube link and it chunks the text into scenes, matches stock clips and voices the narration. It is built for repurposing existing content into many short videos.
If your raw material is a camera roll, CapCut is the only one that fits. If your raw material is an idea you can describe, InVideo is the only one that fits. If your raw material is an article, Pictory is the only one that fits.
Pricing, verified 16 October 2026
InVideo AI
| Plan | Annual price | Credits/mo | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plus | $17/mo ($200/yr) | 750 | 20 GB |
| Max | $85/mo ($1,000/yr) | 3,900 | 100 GB |
| Generative | $170/mo ($2,000/yr) | 8,000 | 2 TB |
| Elite | $900/mo ($10,800/yr) | 42,500 | 10 TB |
Source: invideo.io/pricing. All paid tiers include unlimited watermark-free exports and access to 200+ models including Seedance 2.5, Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0, Nano Banana Pro and ElevenLabs music. iStock allowance runs 100, 200, 1,000 and 5,000 assets per month on the four tiers respectively.
CapCut
| Plan | Price | AI credits/mo | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Basic tools, free templates | - |
| Pro | $19.99/mo | 1,200 | 1 TB |
| Ultra | $79/mo | 8,645 | 1 TB |
Source: capcut.com/pricing. The page states that displayed pricing is for reference only and asks you to sign in to see final pricing, taxes and offers, so treat these as published list prices. CapCut lists up to 240 seconds at 720p, or 600 seconds at 480p, from Pro's credits with Seedance 2.0 Mini.
Pictory
| Plan | Annual price | Users | AI credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $25/mo ($29 monthly) | 1 | 1,200 a year |
| Professional | $35/mo ($59 monthly) | 1 | 12,000 a year |
| Team | $119/mo ($199 monthly) | 3+ | 28,800 a year |
| Enterprise | Custom | 10+ | Custom |
Source: pictory.ai/pricing. Pictory advertises up to 40% off on annual billing, and annual plans include a consultation with a video-creation expert that it values at $210.
The credit math that decides your bill
Credits are the unit all three charge in, and the allowances are not comparable: the vendors do not publish a common price per credit, they publish what their own credits buy.
| Entry plan | Credits | What the vendor says that buys |
|---|---|---|
| InVideo Plus, $17/mo | 750 | 300 Nano Banana Pro images, or 600 Nano Banana 2 generations |
| CapCut Pro, $19.99/mo | 1,200 | Up to 240 seconds at 720p, or 600 seconds at 480p, on Seedance 2.0 Mini |
| Pictory Starter, $25/mo | 100 a month | 2,000 images, 12.5 minutes of video, or 40 minutes of avatar video |
InVideo quotes images per credit, CapCut quotes seconds of generated video, Pictory quotes a mixed basket. There is no way to rank the three on AI value per dollar from published numbers alone - the credit economies are not interoperable.
Two rules do hold across all three: unused credits expire, and regeneration costs credits again. InVideo states in its FAQ that editing or downloading something already generated is free, but re-rolling a generation costs credits once more. If your workflow regenerates often, budget top-ups rather than assuming the monthly allowance covers you.
Where each pricing page is opaque
- CapCut publishes plan prices but gates the detailed feature list behind sign-in, and its own page says the displayed price is for reference only. Third-party reviews also report that app-store billing runs $2-3 more per month than the web subscription, because Apple and Google take a commission and pass it on. If you are committing to Pro, buy through the browser.
- InVideo publishes credits per plan but not a credit price per video model. Its FAQ adds that model and agent prices are subject to change without prior notice, so the credits you bought this month may not buy the same output next month.
- Pictory publishes the most, but quotes AI credits per year instead of per month. Starter's 1,200 credits look competitive next to CapCut's 1,200 until you notice one figure is annual and the other monthly - Pictory delivers 100 credits a month.
Honest trade-offs
InVideo - pros
- Lowest entry price at $17/mo
- Unlimited watermark-free exports on every paid tier
- 200+ models behind one login, including Veo 3.1 and Kling 3.0
- Runs entirely in the browser, nothing to install
InVideo - cons
- Fewest credits of the three at entry tier (750)
- No free tier on the current pricing page
- Credits do not roll over
- Model and agent prices can change without notice
CapCut - pros
- Genuine free tier for basic editing
- 1 TB of storage on Pro
- Most credits at the closest price point: 1,200 for $19.99
- Mobile and desktop from one subscription
CapCut - cons
- Pricing page gates feature detail behind sign-in
- App-store subscriptions cost more than web
- Prompt-to-video is a feature, not the whole product: you still cut a timeline
Pictory - pros
- Only one of the three built around article and URL to video
- Brand kits from the entry tier, up to 10 on Team
- 5M to 18M stock clips depending on tier
- Video summarisation of long videos from Professional
Pictory - cons
- Fewest credits per month of the three (100 on Starter)
- Custom avatars and voice cloning start at Professional, $35/mo
- Cheapest tier has the smallest AI pool of all three entry plans
Who each one is for
- InVideo - marketers and small teams producing a steady stream of short videos from a browser, without an editor or a camera. Typical use: product explainers, ad variations, social content cut from a written brief.
- CapCut - solo creators and agencies who already film or source their own footage and need a fast editor on both phone and desktop. Social-first: TikTok, Reels and Shorts cuts.
- Pictory - content operations that already have a library of articles, webinars or long videos and need to cut them into shorts at volume. Brand kits from the entry tier make it the cleanest fit for a team with a consistent visual system.
Our verdict
There is no single winner here, because the three tools start from different raw material: an idea, a camera roll, or an article. But if you want one default recommendation for a marketer working from a browser, it is InVideo.
At $17/mo it is the cheapest entry of the three, and the only one of the three that turns a written brief into a finished cut without touching a timeline. It also gives unlimited watermark-free exports on every paid tier and access to 200+ generation models behind one login. The trade-off is real, so price it before you sign: 750 credits is 37% fewer than CapCut Pro for $2.99 more, and InVideo does not publish a credit price per video model, so the same credits may buy less next month.
CapCut wins on raw AI value per dollar - 1,200 credits, 1 TB of storage and a genuine free tier for $19.99/mo - and it is the correct call if your footage already exists. Pictory is the only correct answer for turning a blog post into a video, and its brand kits make it the most team-friendly of the three; just read its credit column as annual, not monthly.
Practical sequence: start on CapCut free for editing, test InVideo Plus for a month if you want prompt-to-video, and only pay for Pictory if you have a real pile of existing articles to convert.
★★★★½ 4.5/5
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheapest to start with - InVideo, CapCut or Pictory?
InVideo Plus at $17/mo billed annually is the lowest entry price. CapCut Pro is $19.99/mo and Pictory Starter is $25/mo billed annually, $29 monthly.
How many AI credits do you get at the entry tier?
InVideo Plus: 750 per month. CapCut Pro: 1,200 per month. Pictory Starter: 1,200 per year, which is 100 per month.
Are CapCut and InVideo credits the same thing?
No. Each vendor prices credits against its own models: InVideo quotes images per credit, CapCut quotes seconds of generated video, Pictory quotes a mixed basket. There is no way to compare the three directly from published numbers.
Do unused credits roll over?
No, on all three. InVideo states in its FAQ that unused credits do not roll over, and CapCut and Pictory both describe credits as periodic allowances rather than a balance.
Can I use CapCut for free?
Yes. CapCut has a free tier with basic editing tools and free templates. Pro at $19.99/mo removes watermarks and adds the AI toolkit, 1 TB of storage and 1,200 monthly credits.
What is Pictory actually good for?
Converting an article, URL or long video into shorter videos at volume. It adds brand kits from the entry tier, which the other two do not offer at their entry price.
Do I need a camera or my own footage for InVideo?
No, that is InVideo's main point. It generates footage or pulls stock clips from your prompt. CapCut assumes you have footage to edit on a timeline.
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