If you’re looking for an editing tool for your reels, two of the best options you have are CapCut and Edits by Instagram. 

Both are extremely popular and are great for beginners who just want to create simple reels. 

But the real question is…

Which one is better? 

Let’s take a deep-dive look at the features of both of these tools, so you can decide for yourself which one to get! 

TLDR – CapCut vs Instagram Edits Comparison Chart

In a nutshell…

If you prefer editing on a desktop, choose CapCut. Some people struggle to edit on their phones, and I get it. Working on a small screen with big thumbs can be challenging (even for me!). 

If you prefer editing on a phone, then Edits is the way to go. It’s designed specifically for creating short-form content on the phone and sharing it directly to Instagram. 

But with that said, let’s dive into the details!

	CapCut	Edits
Best For	Advanced creators and desktop editors	Phone-first creators who want fast, simple editing
Desktop App	Yes (Windows and Mac)	No
Mobile App	Yes (iOS and Android)	Yes (iOS and Android)
Pricing	Free (watermark)Pro ($9.99/month)	Free (no watermark)
Platform Integration	TikTok-native	Instagram/Reels-native
Templates	Yes	Select countries/regions only
Auto Captions	Yes	Yes
Analytics	No	Yes
Unique Advantage	Full desktop editing experience  Templates Advanced AI tools	Fastest path from phone to published Reel Advanced analytics for Instagram

What Are CapCut and Instagram Edits?

Before we dive deeper into the comparison, let’s take a quick look at what exactly these apps are:

CapCut is a free video editing app made by ByteDance (the same company behind TikTok). It’s available on iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac, and it has over a billion downloads globally. It started as a TikTok-adjacent editing tool and has grown into a full-featured video editor that a huge chunk of the online creator world uses. 

Edits (also known as “Instagram Edits”) is a standalone app that Instagram launched in early 2025. It’s completely separate from Instagram’s basic built-in editor and is designed specifically for Reels-style content. It’s phone-only, it’s free, and it was clearly built to compete with CapCut directly.

Both are great for editing short-form content, which is the most effective format today. 

The question is…which one should you use?

The Main Difference Between CapCut and Edits

While both of these apps share a LOT of features, there are some differences that make them stand out. 

For one, CapCut has a desktop editor. So if you’re someone who prefers a bigger screen for editing and using a mouse for precise cuts, CapCut is the better choice. You can also easily transfer your edits from your desktop to your phone using CapCut’s cloud storage (available for Pro only). 

CapCut also has templates you can grab. So if you’re someone who loves those well-edited viral reels, but don’t have the time to actually design one yourself, you can just grab a template and insert your clips instead.

Meanwhile, Edits allows you to publish directly to Instagram. This app is basically Instagram’s built-in editor on steroids with more font options, more adjustments, and it even allows you to publish at ultra-high (4k) quality. 

Edits also has advanced analytics (more advanced than Instagram’s native analytics), where you can see better engagement stats like your like rate, share, comment, and save rates (all of which are super important to get more views). 

CapCut – What It Does Best

Here’s a full breakdown of what makes Capcut great:

• Desktop App – CapCut is in a league of its own among free editing options. You get a multi-track timeline, precision cutting controls, keyframe animation, background removal, and a library of transitions and effects (both for free and Pro users). 

• Mobile Features – CapCut is still one of the strongest editing apps available. The template library is enormous (1,000+), the AI features work great on mobile, and the workflow is smooth. If you enjoy spending time designing unique reels, then CapCut definitely beats Edits. 

• Pricing – CapCut has a free tier that already does a lot, but it adds a quick watermark at the end of your exports (just a quick 2-second logo). You’ll need to pay for the Pro plan to have that removed. 

Overall, if you like digging in and editing reels well, then CapCut will be great. Especially if you don’t mind that quick watermark at the end. But if you just want to make simple edits by putting video clips together (and maybe adding auto captions), Edits might be the better choice for you. 

Instagram Edits – What It Does Best

Now let’s take a look at Edits by Instagram: 

• Easiest Editor – Edits was designed to be the easiest editor for putting clips together and sharing them on Instagram. The interface is super simple, just import your clips, trim them, arrange them, add music, add text, and you’re done. You won’t get overwhelmed by features with Edits because it’s SO simple.

• Linked to Instagram – Because Meta built it, the Instagram and Reels integration with Edits is seamless. It even allows you to publish higher-quality videos than if you use Instagram’s native editor! That’s why if your main purpose is posting on Instagram, Edits gives you the most native experience possible.

• Free – Edits is also completely free. Unlike CapCut’s free tier, Edits doesn’t add a watermark to your exports. 

The downside of Edits is that its template library is limited, and is only available in select countries (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland). That said, Edits plans to release templates to more regions in the future. Also, it can be more difficult to create fancier edits on Edits (like overlaying videos with each other). If you like getting creative, you might like CapCut’s features more. 

But again, if all you want is to trim clips together, add some text and audio, then publish on Instagram? It’s hard to beat Edits. 

Feature Comparison: Where Each Tool Wins

Desktop editing: CapCut wins by default. Edits doesn’t have a desktop app. 

Ease of use: Edits wins for beginners. Its stripped-down interface means fewer decisions and faster results for simple edits. CapCut is also accessible but has more to navigate.

Templates: CapCut wins. Templates are relatively new to Edits, and are only available in some countries, but CapCut has a massive library of 1,000+ templates to choose from. 

AI features: CapCut wins. Background removal, AI text-to-video, and AI-enhanced effects are all available in CapCut. Edits has auto captions, but is more basic overall. 

Pricing: Edits wins because it has no watermark. For people who just want simple edits and don’t like watermarks, the $9.99/mo price tag of CapCut can be a big turn-off. 

Platform integration: Depends on where you’re posting. CapCut allows you to post directly to TikTok (without having to save your video to your phone), while Edits lets you post directly to Instagram and Facebook. 

Speed to publish: Edits wins for phone-first creators with fewer steps, simpler workflow, direct Instagram connection. If your goal is to shoot-edit-post in under 20 minutes from your phone, Edits is the faster path.

Which One Should You Use?

Choose CapCut if:

• You want to edit on a desktop or laptop (use the CapCut desktop app, it’s free to download)
• You’re creating faceless content where editing quality matters
• You want advanced AI features like background removal or AI video generation
• You’re posting primarily to TikTok or a mix of platforms
• You’re willing to pay $9.99/month to remove the watermark and access pro features
• You want a tool that can grow with you as your content gets more sophisticated

Choose Instagram Edits if:

• You prefer editing on your phone and want a simple, fast workflow
• You’re posting primarily to Instagram Reels and want native platform integration
• You’re newer to video editing and want a low-friction experience with almost no learning curve
• You want a completely free tool with no watermark on your exports
• You want to shoot and publish quickly without spending a lot of time in an editing app

The answer really is that simple. Pick based on where you edit, not based on which app has more features.

Which Video Editor is Better?

The honest answer is that neither of these tools is objectively “better.” They’re built for different people doing different things. 

CapCut is the right choice for creators who want to edit on a desktop, need advanced AI features, or are creating content that requires more sophisticated editing. 

Instagram Edits is the right choice for creators who prefer editing on their phone, want the simplest possible workflow, and are posting primarily to Instagram. 

But the truth is, no matter which tool you choose, it won’t mean much if you don’t build a strong system for your content. 

Growing on Instagram isn’t about using the best tools; it’s about choosing the right niche, finding the right content ideas, and pumping them out quickly to grow your account as fast as possible. 

That’s why I created the AI content generator. 

With it, you get viral reel ideas, it writes scripts for you, and it can even edit videos for you! 

So if you’re looking for the fastest way to get your Instagram account up and running, check it out here.