Descript is a video and audio editor that lets you edit recordings by editing their transcripts. Its plans range from a limited free tier to an Enterprise plan with custom pricing. The right choice depends on how much media you handle, which AI features you use, and whether other people need seats.
For narrated explainers and product demos, explainroo is a free, open-source alternative. It uses an AI coding agent to create videos on your computer, so it suits a different job than Descript’s transcript-based editor.
Descript’s five plans and prices
Descript’s paid plans use two monthly allowances: media hours, which measure uploaded files and recordings whether or not Descript transcribes them, and AI credits, which measure use of AI features. If an allowance runs out, the related usage stops unless you add more. Paid plans offer top-ups, but Descript does not publish their prices. The free plan does not include top-ups. Check Descript’s current pricing page before subscribing for current prices and plan details.
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | About 60 minutes of media per month, 100 one-time AI credits, 720p exports with a watermark, one seat, and transcription in 25 languages. |
| Hobbyist | $16 per month with annual billing; monthly billing also available | 10 media hours and 400 AI credits per month, 1080p exports without a watermark, one seat, and 100 GB of storage. Includes Underlord, Descript’s AI editing assistant, plus tools such as Studio Sound, filler-word removal, clip creation, and AI speech with more than 25 stock voices. |
| Creator | $24 per month with annual billing; monthly billing also available | 30 media hours and 800 AI credits per month, 4K exports, up to three seats, and 1 TB of storage. Includes unlimited royalty-free stock, video generation, and web-link exports for videos up to three hours. Seats are billed separately. |
| Business | $50 per month with annual billing; monthly billing also available | 40 media hours and 1,500 AI credits per month, 4K exports, up to five seats, and 2 TB of storage. Adds Brand Studio tools, translation and dubbing in more than 30 languages, custom avatars, more than 60 stock voices, and priority support with a service-level agreement. Seats are billed separately. |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Custom media-hour and AI-credit allowances, Brand Studio guardrails, custom data-retention terms, single sign-on and user-provisioning options, audit logs, flexible billing, and a dedicated customer success manager. |
Plan details and included features are summarized in Descript’s plan comparison. Annual billing costs less than paying month to month; Descript advertises savings of up to 35%.
How to choose a Descript plan
The Free plan works for trying Descript or editing a small amount of media. Its exports include a watermark, and its 100 AI credits do not refill, so it is a limited option for ongoing work.
Choose Hobbyist for regular solo editing. Choose Creator if you need more media hours, 4K exports, or stock assets. It costs $8 more per month than Hobbyist with annual billing and includes three times the media hours and twice the AI credits. If other people need access, include separately billed seats in the cost of Creator or Business.
Business suits higher-volume work that needs features such as brand controls, dubbing, or custom avatars. Enterprise suits organizations that need custom usage limits or administrative and data-handling terms. If AI features are central to your work, estimate how often you will use them: Descript does not publish a fixed credit cost for each action, so exact usage costs are hard to budget.
When explainroo is a better fit
Descript edits existing recordings through a visual editor. You give a coding agent instructions for an explainer video or product demo. The agent writes a script and scene code, and explainroo renders the video on your computer. Its open-source kit is free under the MIT license.
Choose explainroo if you want a narrated video based on a topic, code, website, or screenshots and are comfortable asking an AI coding agent to make revisions. It does not edit existing camera footage, create talking avatars, or provide a drag-and-drop editor. Its narration is in English, and the coding agent itself is a separate service with its own pricing. Optional AI illustrations cost money per image; explainroo has no other per-video charges.
To try it, paste this prompt into a coding agent that can run shell commands:
Make me a short explainer video about [your topic]. Use explainroo for it: set up explainroo, read its AGENTS.md and follow the steps.The agent sets up explainroo and creates the video. After checking it, the agent gives you an MP4 file. See example videos and the explainroo documentation for details.
