Key takeaways
- Edits video and audio by editing the text of the transcript.
- Best for: Teams that edit podcasts or recorded meetings, Owners who want to cut video without a timeline editor.
- Pricing: Free plan, paid plans from From $16 per person per month for Hobbyist, as listed, as listed on November 6, 2026.
- Business data: Descript says its current production AI models do not use user data.
What Descript does
Descript turns your recording into a transcript and lets you edit the media by editing the words. Paid plans add AI tools, higher quality exports and more media hours. A small business uses it for podcasts, training videos and webinar clips.
Who it’s for
A good fit for
- Teams that edit podcasts or recorded meetings
- Owners who want to cut video without a timeline editor
Not a good fit for
- Businesses that want avatar-based videos from a script alone
- Teams that need free exports without a watermark
Descript pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | $0, with a watermark on exports |
| Hobbyist | $16 per person per month, as listed |
| Creator | $24 per person per month, as listed |
| Business | $50 per person per month, as listed |
There is a free plan. As listed on Descript’s pricing page on November 6, 2026. Prices change, so check the live page before you buy.
Key features
- Text-based editing
- Included on every plan including Free.
- Transcription
- Free includes transcription in 25 languages.
- Underlord and AI tools
- Creator gets full access and Hobbyist gets limited access.
- Translation and dubbing
- Business adds these in 30 or more languages.
How to get started with Descript
- Open the Descript drive view and click New project in the top-right corner.
- Choose the type of project to create.
- From inside an open project, you can also use the menu icon in the top left and choose File, then New, then Project.
Steps based on Descript’s own documentation. Menus change, so follow the live page if they differ.
Full walkthroughHow to Set Up Descript for Your TeamAccounts, team invites, admin and data settings, connecting your apps, and three tasks to try first.Business data and privacy
Descript says its current production AI models do not use user data. It says internal research models use only data from users who opted in, and you can turn sharing off in app settings. Enterprise drives have sharing off by default.
Source: Descript’s own documentation.
Descript alternatives
Canva
by Canva
An easy design app for social posts, flyers, slides and more.
Best for Owners who design their own social posts and flyers
Free plan, paid plans from Pro: US$144 per year for one person
Adobe Express
by Adobe
A design and video app with Adobe Firefly AI features.
Best for Businesses that already use Adobe products
Free plan, paid plans from $9.99 per month for Premium
Synthesia
by Synthesia
Makes videos with AI avatars from a script.
Best for Businesses that make training or how-to videos
Free plan, paid plans from $19 per month billed monthly, or $14 per month billed yearly for Starter
HeyGen
by HeyGen
Creates avatar videos and translates them into many languages.
Best for Businesses that want a custom avatar of themselves
Free plan, paid plans from $29 per month, or $24 per month billed annually, for Creator
Descript: common questions
Does Descript have a free plan?
Yes. The free plan includes text-based editing and transcription, but exports carry a watermark.
Does Descript train AI on my recordings?
Descript says its production models do not use user data. It says research models use only data from users who opted in.
Sources
Read on November 6, 2026. Vendors change prices and menus, so check the live page before you buy.
About the author
Andy Kang, AI Partner Team. Andy Kang writes the AI directory for AI Partner Team, which sets up and builds AI tools for small businesses alongside managed IT. Each page is written from the vendor’s own pricing, help and trust pages, and shows the day those pages were checked.
- Facts come from the vendor’s own website and help docs, linked on every page.
- Each page shows the date we last read those sources.
- We do not score or rank tools. We say who each one suits and who it does not.
- If a vendor does not publish a price, we say so instead of guessing.