Instagram launches its CapCut clone, Edits

Instagram has launched Edits, a video editing app that’s intended to rival the TikTok-linked equivalent CapCut. First announced in January, Edits is available for free from today on iOS and Android.

Edits is described as a “video creation app designed for creators,” and includes tools for project management, tracking notes and ideas, and data on video performance. There are also advanced editing tools not found in the regular Instagram app, like AI animations created from static images, green screen replacement, and subject cutouts.

The editing features are remarkably similar to those in CapCut, a standalone video editing tool from TikTok owner ByteDance. Edits was first announced while TikTok and CapCut were both briefly unavailable on US app stores, adding to the sense that Instagram owner Meta sees CapCut as a direct competitor.

When Edits was first teased, Instagram head Adam Mosseri acknowledged the similarities between the two apps but claimed on Threads that Edits will be “more for creators than casual video makers.” In another reply he told The Verge’s Chris Welch that it will “end up pretty different than CapCut,” with “a much broader range of creative tools and probably a smaller addressable audience.”

Instagram is already teasing future features coming to Edits, which include keyframes, more AI editing features, and the ability to collaborate on videos with other users.