While many apps have the same issues I faced with CapCut, I was able to find my new favorite — along with a few other recommendations.

When I set out to find the best video editing app for me, I didn’t really expect it to be Edits. After all, the last app Meta released to compete with another service — Threads — proved to be underwhelming and lacked a lot of the features that people wanted to see replicated from Twitter.

But Edits is actually really impressive — standing on its own even while trying to reproduce CapCut’s success. First of all, Edits is completely free, which is something that will attract a lot of users (and which caught my interest). But my hopes were conservative as I remember the early days of trying to use Instagram’s video editing tools only to have the app constantly freeze or crash, even when dealing with just a few short clips.

Edits, however, did not disappoint. I was able to easily stitch together clips, add transitions, add audio, and record a voiceover without there being any issues. Another essential feature for me is the ability to generate captions from voiceovers — a feature that is often missing or locked behind a paywall in other free video editing apps. But Edits includes this feature and allows you to edit captions in a number of ways.

While there aren’t many generative AI features, I actually prefer this. I would rather have fewer high-quality filters and effects to choose from than a bunch of AI features I’ll never use. I don’t feel like I’m being bombarded with features and prompts when I edit a video in Edits. Rather, I can focus on the features that matter the most to me.

Importantly, Edits does not apply a watermark or force you to pay to remove it. Nor does it only allow you to share your video to Instagram profile. This means it’s a versatile tool that you can use for videos for a range of social media sites.

Other notable features include the ability to add a green screen effect, overlays, custom text, and stickers. When it comes to adding music, Edits provides many licensed tracks that you can use (though which won’t save if you download your video rather than sharing it to Instagram.

So is Edits simply a CapCut clone? I’d argue that it goes further than the app that inspired it. This is thanks to some really impressive features, like the transitions. For example, the Dissolve transition blends two clips together in an almost surreal way — as if it’s merging clips rather than just a simple transition. Dissolve is my favorite transition, but there are plenty of slick options to choose from.

Another area where Edits stands out is its export quality. Free apps usually cap the export resolution at around 1080p, sometimes even 720p. But Edits allows you to export at a 4K resolution up to 60fps.

I was also impressed by the cutout feature, which can detect an object in your video and add it as an overlay to your clip. This feature includes object tracking, meaning that even if your object is moving, the cutout can adapt to it. This allowed me to create some fun mashups of videos of my cats.

What drawbacks does Edits have?

Edits avoids the pitfalls of many free video editing apps, but this doesn’t mean that it’s without its flaws. First off, it requires an Instagram account to use. I already use Instagram, so it wasn’t much of a tradeoff for me.

Another drawback is that exporting videos, even when using a flagship Android device and only using a resolution of 1080p, is slower than I would like. But it’s not so slow that I feel like it’s a dealbreaker. Unlike Instagram, Edits doesn’t include templates either.

For me, the biggest drawback is that it’s a Meta app. This means that there’s no guarantee that it won’t eventually become monetized. Being the product of a major company means that Edits has many resources at its disposal, but Meta also has a track record of turning free products into ones that have ads. I hope that Edits will remain among the best new apps for Android without adding in any major caveats.

Despite Edits being a great app for me, it might not be the right fit for you. In that case, you might want to consider one of these alternatives:

• InShot: If you’re looking for more AI features and more similarity with CapCut, then it’s worth trying out InShot. While certain features are paywalled, the premium plan is more affordable than most others and there’s also the option to buy the app as a once-off purchase. You can also get temporary access to premium features by watching an ad. For example, I watched a 30 second ad to remove the watermark from my video.
• Adobe Express: Adobe Express has a great balance of free features, while also including the ability to edit photos and create designs. The UI can be a bit clunky though and the workflow for adding captions isn’t very intuitive, but the app doesn’t include intrusive ads or watermarks.
• VN: VN has plenty of free features and gives you the ability to buy credits for AI features, which is more affordable than a recurring subscription. While you can use credits to generate captions in the cloud, switching to the option to process the captions locally allows you to use the feature for free. A major bonus is that it doesn’t add a watermark.
• YouCut: YouCut is from the same company as InShot, but allows you to export without a watermark. You can also watch ads for premium features.
• LightCut: If you want a mostly automated experience for editing videos, LightCut is a good free option. It can automatically trim clips and apply filters to your video, but it lacks other features such as automatic captions.

Among these apps, you’ll likely find a good option that suits your needs. For me, Edits remains my favorite, since templates and AI features aren’t central to my workflow.