A Descript alternative that edits by text on your device

Descript edits video like a document: you change the transcript and the video follows. It adds AI voices, multitrack transcription and live collaboration, and keeps your media in the cloud. Shycut edits by transcript too, but in your browser on your own device, with no account, no monthly media hours and no watermark.

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Shycut · Descript

Topic	Shycut	Descript
Where the work happens	In your browser, on your device. Nothing is uploaded.	In its Mac, Windows or web app; media is transcribed on Descript’s own servers or by Rev, then stored on Amazon S3 or Google Cloud.
Account	None.	A Descript account; the Free plan needs no credit card.
Watermark	Never.	On exports from a Free drive.
Free plan limits	None set by a server; original resolution, videos up to about an hour work well.	60 media minutes a month, 720p exports, 1 GB uploads, 5 GB cloud storage, 100 AI credits once.
Price	Free. There is no paid plan.	Hobbyist from $16/month billed yearly ($24 monthly); Creator and Business cost more.
Edit by transcript	Delete words from the transcript and they are cut from the video; select them again to bring them back.	Its core way of editing, with transcription in 25 languages and speaker labels.
Filler words and pauses	Held “um” and “uh” sounds and pauses cut once switched on; crutch words like “you know” listed for you to cut or keep.	Remove Filler Words (“um”, “ah”, “like”, repeated words) and Shorten Word Gaps, both limited on Free.
Auto captions	On your device, no monthly limit; as spoken, or written in English from another language.	Animated captions, unlimited on every plan; caption translation limited on Free.
AI voices	Not offered.	Text to speech, voice clones and Regenerate; limited on Free.
Collaboration	Not offered; projects stay on your device.	Comments and live collaboration; more seats on Creator and Business.
Use of your uploads	Nothing is uploaded.	The terms (25 February 2025) let Descript train its models on what you put into and get from its AI tools unless you opt out; sharing transcripts is off by default.
Platforms	Any current browser on a computer or phone; installable.	macOS 14 or Windows 11 and later, or Chrome, Edge and Opera; not supported on mobile browsers or tablets.

Checked on 26 October 2026 · Product names belong to their owners. Their details come from their own public pages on the date above and can change; check their site before you decide.

When Descript is the better choice

If you make podcasts or interviews with several speakers on separate tracks, Descript labels who is talking and keeps the tracks apart. It can also fix a word with an AI copy of your voice, record remote guests and let a team comment and edit together. Shycut does none of that.

If you already pay for Descript and use its AI voices or shared projects every week, the time it saves you may be worth more than a free tool.

When Shycut is the better choice

If what you need from Descript is the editing itself (cut words from the transcript, take out the “um”s and the pauses, add captions), Shycut does that in your browser. The recording never leaves your device, so a draft, a client call or a video with people in it stays with you.

There is nothing to count: no media hours, no AI credits, no 720p cap, no watermark. Shycut can also hide faces and license plates, resize for Reels or Shorts and balance the sound, all on your own device.

Questions

Can I edit a video by its transcript in Shycut?

Yes. Shycut writes the speech down on your device, then you select words and tap Cut (or press Delete) to cut them from the video. Struck-through words can be selected and brought back, and clicking a word plays from there.

Does Shycut have AI voices like Descript?

No. Shycut doesn’t generate or clone voices; it only cuts what was said. For the sound it reduces wind and noise and brings loudness to the social media standard.

Which languages can Shycut transcribe?

Turkish, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic and Dutch; the language is detected, or you choose it. Captions can also be written in English from another language, but to edit by words the transcript has to be as spoken.

Is there anything to download first?

The speech model, once: about 100 to 300 MB, depending on the model you choose. It stays on your device, so the next transcript starts right away.

Your video stays with you.

Open Shycut, drop the video in and export. Free, with no account, and your video never leaves your device.

Open Shycut