Edits, the new Instagram app that rivals CapCut

Edits is a standalone video editing app created by Instagram (Meta), designed especially for content creators. Edits was announced by Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, in mid January 2025. Coincidentally, it was the same day TikTok was banned in the United States. The app has now launched officially and can be downloaded for free on Android (Google Play Store) and iOS (App Store). Meta positions Edits as a direct competitor to CapCut, the well-known editor from ByteDance associated with TikTok.

Although it is integrated into the Instagram ecosystem, Edits works as an independent app focused on off platform creation. That means you can create videos in it and then share them wherever you want, including on Instagram itself, in an optimized way.

• High-quality editing with no watermark: lets you export 4K videos with no watermark at all, ready to be shared on any platform. Unlike some competitors, Edits does not add a logo or text to your video, not even on free exports.
• Organized projects and drafts: all your in-progress videos and drafts stay in a single place, which simplifies workflow and idea management. Inside the app, you can also save notes and inspiration for later reference, so you do not lose that creative spark.
• Pro-level capture and editing: you can record or import clips of up to 10 minutes in professional quality and start editing right away. The app lets you control resolution (up to 4K), frame rate and even dynamic range settings, and offers frame by frame trimming tools for precise edits.
• Built-in AI effects: includes AI features to enhance your content. For example, using artificial intelligence you can animate still photos (making static images move), create automatic subtitles for videos and even add or remove elements in a scene using advanced computer vision algorithms. (Note: at the moment, auto captions are only available in English, with support for more languages planned.)
• Green screen and cutouts (chroma key): similar to CapCut, Edits lets you replace video backgrounds using green screen effects or the Cutout tool to isolate people/objects and overlay them in another scene. This enables creative composites, putting your subject into any virtual environment or easily combining multiple video layers.
• Creative Instagram elements: the app ties into Instagram’s vast library of assets such as trending music and audio, interactive stickers, custom fonts, AR filters and sound effects. You can add stylized text, voice overs, video filters and popular stickers directly, taking advantage of everything that already exists on Instagram. This makes it easier to follow current trends on social, for example by using that viral Reels song without having to search for assets elsewhere.
• Built in audio enhancements: for video creators, sound is as important as visuals. Edits includes tools to clarify voices and remove background noise, automatically improving the captured audio quality. This helps your content sound cleaner and more professional, even when recording on a phone in less than ideal environments.
• Real time insights panel: a powerful differentiator in Edits is its detailed analytics on your videos. Through the Live Insights Dashboard, you can see metrics like views, engagement (likes, clicks) and even average watch time on your Reels, all updated in real time within the app. These data points, which are hard to access in the regular Instagram interface, help you understand what is working in your content and adjust your strategy as needed.

• Free and full-featured: all Edits features are 100% free, with no hidden paywall. You get access to advanced editing tools without a subscription, unlike CapCut which recently moved some premium features behind a paywall.
• No watermarks: videos exported from Edits do not receive any watermark or logo, even when shared outside Instagram. This is ideal for creators who publish across multiple platforms (YouTube Shorts, TikTok, etc.), allowing you to edit in Edits and post anywhere with a professional look.
• Native Instagram integration: since it is a Meta app, Edits connects directly to your Instagram account. That means easier uploads to Reels/Stories, access to the official licensed music library, fonts and IG stickers, and an insights dashboard showing detailed metrics for your published videos. This integration saves time and offers valuable data that other editors do not provide.
• Advanced tools (AI and more): Edits brings cutting edge features such as AI effects (animations, caption generation), chroma key with automatic subject cutout, manual camera controls (resolution, FPS, HDR) and precise frame by frame editing. It offers a level of control close to professional software, but in your hand.
• Focused on serious creators: the app is built for dedicated content creators, with features such as project/idea organization and (soon) cloud collaboration. If you produce video regularly and want quality plus insights, Edits serves those needs well in a focused way.

• Less appealing for casual use: because it does not (for now) have a big collection of ready made templates like CapCut, Edits may be less attractive to users who just want quick, generic edits. It expects a more manual and creative touch, focused on customization, which not every casual user wants, as Mosseri himself suggested.
• Smaller ecosystem and community: CapCut already has a huge user base (hundreds of millions) and an active community sharing templates and tips. Edits, being new, does not yet have that established community. It also lacks a desktop or web version, being limited to smartphones, which may be inconvenient for creators used to editing on a PC.
• Requires an Instagram account: to take full advantage of all features (especially music and publishing), you need a linked Instagram account. Users who do not use Instagram may find Edits less useful, since part of its edge comes from Instagram integration. CapCut, on the other hand, can be used regardless of whether you have TikTok.
• Language limitations at launch: some high-end features are still in an early stage and limited. For example, the AI auto caption tool currently only recognises English audio and will not transcribe other languages.
• New app still evolving: as a first release, Edits is likely to go through tweaks and bug fixes in its early versions. Some users have reported occasional bugs (such as issues with the Cutout tool on certain devices) and would like to see more features added in updates. So while it is promising, the app is still maturing and may not be as stable yet as a long standing rival like CapCut.

In summary, Edits arrives as a welcome and strategically important tool in the rivalry between Instagram and TikTok. For video creators, it offers a robust package that goes from advanced editing features to performance insights, without charging for any of it. Its main strengths are the direct integration with Instagram and the lack of barriers (no payment or watermark), which makes it extremely attractive for those who already produce Reels or want to start. On the other hand, you need to keep in mind that this is a new, evolving app aimed at a more “pro” audience and that it may not instantly replace every convenience some users enjoyed in CapCut.