What does Descript do?
Descript is a video and audio editor that transcribes your recording so you edit the video by editing the text. The Free plan gives 1 media hour a month; paid plans start at $24/mo ($16/mo billed yearly). Good for podcasters and YouTubers; skip it if you only need text-to-speech or heavy cinematic editing.
- Text-based editing. Delete words in the transcript and the matching video and audio are cut.
- Underlord. An AI co-editor you chat with that turns a raw recording into an edited cut; each message and tool run uses AI credits.
- Studio Sound. Removes background noise and improves voices in one step.
- Filler word removal. Removes ums, uhs and retakes in one click.
- AI voices and voice clones. Stock AI speakers (25+ on Hobbyist and Creator, 60+ on Business) plus custom voice clones on paid plans.
- Green Screen and Eye Contact. AI effects that remove the background and keep your gaze on the camera; both use AI credits.
- Clips. Turns long videos into short clips for social media.
- Remote recording and translation. Record remote guests in Rooms and translate videos into other languages.
Who is Descript for?
Descript is a good fit if you're a video creator, a blogger or a business owner, and you need help making voiceovers.
How much does Descript cost?
Descript starts at $24/mo. It also has a free plan. We checked this on Oct 10, 2026 on the official pricing page.
- Starts at
- $24/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Not offered on the pricing page
Hobbyist, billed monthly, with 10 media hours and 400 AI credits a month, watermark-free 1080p export and custom voice clones. $16/mo billed annually.
Descript plans compared
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 1 media hour a month, 100 AI credits once, 720p export with watermark, 5GB cloud storage, limited Underlord and voice clones |
| Hobbyist | $24/mo | $16/mo | 10 media hours and 400 AI credits a month, 1080p export without watermark, custom voice clones, 100GB storage; no top-ups |
| Creator | $35/mo | $24/mo | 30 media hours and 800 AI credits a month, 4K export, full Underlord access, unlimited stock library, 1TB storage, top-ups available |
| Business | $65/mo | $50/mo | 40 media hours and 1,500 AI credits a month per editor, 4K export, up to 5 seats, 2TB storage, priority support, top-ups available |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom pricing, custom media minutes and AI credits, SSO/SCIM, SOC 2 Type II, custom legal terms |
Prices are per person per month in USD, read from a US connection on the Descript pricing page (re-checked Oct 22, 2026). The page lists a monthly and an annual price for each plan and says annual billing saves "up to 35%": Hobbyist $24 or $16, Creator $35 or $24, Business $65 or $50. Media hours count every file you upload or record in Descript, whether or not you transcribe it; AI credits are spent by AI features such as Underlord, Studio Sound, filler word removal, Green Screen, Eye Contact and AI voices or avatars. Descript's help center says unused media minutes and AI credits do not roll over to the next billing cycle. Only Creator and Business can buy top-ups: AI credits from 350 for $35, and media hours from 5 hours for $25; top-ups expire 12 months after purchase and are non-refundable. The Free plan needs no credit card. Students, educators and nonprofits can request special rates through a form.
Checked Oct 10, 2026 on Descript's pricing page. Prices change often, so confirm before you buy.
Descript pros and cons
What stands out
- Free plan with 1 media hour a month and no credit card required
- Edit video and podcasts by editing the transcript
- Paid plans from $16/mo billed yearly, all without watermark
- Creator includes 4K export, 30 media hours and 800 AI credits a month
- One app covers recording, editing, noise removal and AI voices
Watch out for
- Free exports are 720p with a watermark
- Hobbyist can't buy extra media hours or AI credits; top-ups start on Creator
- Unused media minutes and AI credits do not roll over
- Media hours count all uploaded and recorded media, even if you don't transcribe it
- Underlord chats and AI effects draw from the same credit pool
Based on Descript's own pages, not hands-on testing.
What are the alternatives to Descript?
We list 3 other AI Voice & Audio tools: ElevenLabs, Murf AI, Synthflow. Each one below shows its starting price and when you might pick it instead.
Compared in
Descript FAQ
How much does Descript cost?
Hobbyist is $24/mo billed monthly or $16/mo billed yearly. Creator is $35 or $24, and Business $65 or $50 per person. Enterprise is custom pricing. Prices checked Oct 22, 2026.
Is Descript free?
Yes, there is a Free plan with no credit card required. It includes 1 media hour a month, 100 one-time AI credits and 720p export with a watermark.
Which Descript plan removes the watermark?
Every paid plan. Hobbyist exports at 1080p; Creator and Business export at 4K.
What are Descript media hours and AI credits?
Media hours count the audio and video you upload or record, transcribed or not. AI credits are used by features like Underlord, Studio Sound, Green Screen and AI voices. Both reset each billing cycle and unused amounts do not roll over.
How much is Descript monthly vs annual?
Annual billing lowers the per-month price: Hobbyist $16 vs $24, Creator $24 vs $35, Business $50 vs $65. Descript says annual saves up to 35%.
Can I buy more Descript AI credits?
Only on Creator and Business. Top-ups start at 350 AI credits for $35 or 5 media hours for $25, are used after your monthly allowance and expire 12 months after purchase.
Is Descript good for podcasting?
It fits podcasters who want to record remote guests, clean up audio with Studio Sound and cut filler words from the transcript. Check that 10 media hours a month on Hobbyist covers all your raw recordings, since every upload counts.
Descript vs ElevenLabs or Murf for AI voice?
Descript is an editor with AI voices built in. If you only need text-to-speech, ElevenLabs starts at $6/mo and Murf at $29/mo billed monthly. See our ElevenLabs vs Murf comparison and Descript alternatives.
Sources and how we checked
- Official pricing page, checked Oct 10, 2026
- Official website
- Descript help: media minutes and AI credits (read Oct 22, 2026), checked Oct 22, 2026
- Descript help: top-ups (read Oct 22, 2026), checked Oct 22, 2026
- Descript homepage, checked Oct 22, 2026