By task AI tools for video editing and voiceovers

Two jobs, two tools

Editing what you recorded. Descript transcribes your video or audio and lets you edit it like a document. Delete a sentence in the transcript and the video is cut to match.

Making a voice from a script. ElevenLabs reads your text aloud in a generated voice. You get an audio file to put under slides, a screen recording or a short video.

What the free plans cover

From each company's pricing page, checked Nov 11, 2026.

The two limits beginners miss

The watermark. Descript's free exports carry one. That's fine for practice. For a business page or a client, you'll want a paid plan. Hobbyist was listed at $16 a month billed annually or $24 month to month.

The license. ElevenLabs lists a commercial license from the Starter plan up, at $6 a month after a $1 first month. If the audio is going into an ad, a product video or a channel that earns money, read the license terms on the ElevenLabs site before you publish.

A first project

1. Write a 100-word script. A chat assistant on a free plan can help you tighten it.
2. Record yourself reading it, or generate the voice with ElevenLabs.
3. Bring the recording into Descript. Delete the stumbles and pauses in the transcript.
4. Export it and watch it on your phone, which is where most people will see it.

Settle the script before you generate any audio. On ElevenLabs every new version spends credits, and on Descript every extra minute counts against your 60.

Which to pick

• You talk to the camera: Descript.
• You'd rather not be on mic: ElevenLabs for the voice, then any editor for the picture.
• You're making videos for a business: budget for the paid plan on both, because of the watermark and the license.

Frequently asked questions