By Yuval Strutti
An AI reel maker turns a prompt, a script or a link into a vertical video for Instagram Reels, TikTok and Shorts; an AI reel editor edits a clip you filmed yourself. If you want your own face and voice in the Reel, you want an editor: Solara edits clips up to 10 minutes and posts them, from $29 a month. Submagic styles captions from $19, and Instagram's Edits is free. If you would rather not film at all, HeyGen and InVideo generate the video, from $29 and $20 a month. Prices checked 14 October 2026; the editors' figures in the table on 22 October 2026.
Prices were read on 14 October 2026 from each vendor's own pricing page, help center or app-store listing, in US dollars. CapCut's come from its own Standard vs Pro guide, because capcut.com/pricing showed them only in our local currency. Solara publishes this comparison and lists itself first for one job, so check the numbers; every source is linked at the end.
What is an AI reel maker?
"AI reel maker" covers three kinds of tool that start from different things. Pick the kind first, then the app:
| Kind | You give it | You get | Apps in this list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reel editor | A clip you filmed of yourself | Your video, cut, captioned and finished | Solara, Captions, Submagic, CapCut, Edits, InShot |
| Reel clipper | A long recording: a podcast, webinar or live | Several short clips from it | Opus Clip |
| Reel maker (generator) | A prompt, a script or a link | A new video, often with an AI avatar or voiceover | HeyGen, InVideo |
For a business, the difference matters. A generated reel needs no filming, but it is not you. An edited reel keeps your face and voice, which is what most owners and creators post, and the AI does the part that takes the time.
| Tool | Kind | Best for | Starts at | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Solara AI | Editor | Short talking-head clips, edited and posted for you | $29/mo | 3 videos free, first download included |
 Captions | Editor and generator | AI Edit, a teleprompter and AI actors | $9.99/mo; AI Edit $24.99 | Basic edits only |
 Submagic | Editor | Caption styling on short clips | $19/mo | Trial, 3 videos |
 CapCut | Editor | Full manual control on a timeline | $19.99/mo | 1080p, no watermark |
| Edits | Editor | Free editing for Instagram | Free to download | 4K, no watermark |
 InShot | Editor | Editing by hand on a phone, with AI Cut | Free; Pro $4.99/mo | Free, with ads |
 Opus Clip | Clipper | Turning long recordings into short clips | $15/mo | 1080p, watermark |
| HeyGen | Generator | AI avatar reels from a script or link | Free; Creator $29/mo | 3 videos a month, up to 1 min |
 InVideo | Generator | Prompt-to-reel with AI models | Starter $20/mo | None stated |
Names and logos on this page are trademarks of their owners, shown only to identify their products; this page is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
How do you make a reel with AI?
With a reel editor (your own footage)
- Film one take on your phone, vertically, with one point to make.
- Upload it and pick a style, or a caption style on its own.
- Check the edit, change what you want, then download it or post it.
With a reel maker (no filming)
- Describe the reel in a prompt, or paste a script or a link.
- Pick a style, an AI avatar or stock footage, and a voice.
- Review the generated video, edit the scenes, and export it.
The best AI reel editors, for your own footage
1. Solara AI
Best for a finished reel of you, and the posting, without doing the editing yourself
Solara is the AI that edits short-form videos for social media like a pro editor: upload a clip and pick a style, and it returns the finished, edited video, which you can change in the editor or by asking the AI. Not for: generating a video with no filming, since it makes no AI avatars; cutting a long podcast into many clips; or posting to YouTube, which it does not do.
Key features
- Upload a phone clip (up to 10 minutes), pick a style, and get a finished video
- Type a topic and the AI writes your script; read it off your phone as you record
- Six passes on every video: cut for attention, captions, graphics and animations, b-roll, full-screen moments and sound
- Change anything in the editor, or ask the AI to
- Posts and schedules to Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn
- No credits: 20 videos a month on Essential, 60 on Premium. Every video counts as one, whatever its length.
- Full AI editing in English and Hebrew; captions also in Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch and the Nordic languages
Pricing: Essential $29/month (20 videos), Premium $59/month (60 videos); yearly $290 / $590
2. Captions
Best for a teleprompter for filming, and AI actors when you do not want to film
Captions is an editor for footage you film, with a built-in teleprompter, plus AI actors and digital twins. Not for: a fixed monthly volume, since every AI feature draws on credits and an AI Edit costs 10–40 of them; its help center documents exporting the file to your device rather than posting it.
Key features
- Teleprompter that scrolls continuously or scene by scene, from Basic
- AI Edit, a chat-based editor and clips from a long video on Max
- Digital twins and AI actors, up to 30 AI Twins on Max
- Free plan: one caption template, per its help center
Pricing: Free; Max $24.99/month (500 credits); Frontier from $69.99; iOS prices. Basic, $9.99/month with 200 credits and no AI Edit, is in the help center
Full comparison: Captions AI alternative
3. Submagic
Best for caption styling on footage you have already filmed
Submagic has the largest caption template library in the category. Not for: reels longer than 2 minutes on Starter, or posting on its cheapest plan; publishing starts at Pro.
Key features
- AI auto captions, free b-roll and audio and text-based trimming on Starter, with no watermark
- Premium caption templates, AI auto zooms and AI removal of bad takes and silences on Pro
- Publishing and analytics for social from Pro
Pricing: Starter $19/month ($12 billed yearly); Pro $39 ($23); Business $69 ($41); per member
Full comparison: Submagic alternative
4. CapCut
Best for full manual control at no cost
CapCut, from TikTok's parent company ByteDance, is a full editor with a timeline, templates and effects, plus AI tools, and its Free plan costs nothing. Not for: an edit done for you; and CapCut's own pages disagree on whether auto captions need Pro.
Key features
- Timeline, templates and effects, with AI tools
- Pro includes 1,200 AI credits a month, per its pricing page
- Exports and shares to YouTube and TikTok
Pricing: Free plan; Pro $19.99/month or $179.99/year; Team from around $24.99/month (from CapCut's own guide)
5. Edits
Best for free editing if Instagram is your main channel
Edits is Instagram's own editor: it exports in 4K with no watermark, captures clips up to 10 minutes and generates captions automatically. Not for: an edit done for you, since the cutting and b-roll are still yours; both app stores now flag in-app purchases.
Key features
- Export in 4K with no watermark
- Generate captions automatically and customize them
- Capture clips up to 10 minutes
- Easy sharing to Instagram
Pricing: Free to download; the App Store and Google Play both flag in-app purchases
6. InShot
Best for editing reels by hand on your phone, with some AI help
Its App Store listing describes Auto Captions, and AI Cut, which removes silence, filler words and breath sounds. Not for: an edit done for you, or posting on a schedule.
Key features
- Auto Captions and bilingual subtitles
- AI Cut: removes silence, filler words and breath sounds
- Saves in 4K at 60fps; shares to social apps
Pricing: Free, with ads; InShot Pro $4.99/month, $19.99/year or $49.99 lifetime (US App Store)
The best AI reel clipper, for a long video
7. Opus Clip
Best for a reel from a long recording, such as a podcast, webinar or live stream
Opus Clip finds the clips and auto-posts them from its $15 Starter plan. Not for: a short clip you filmed for one reel; and the free plan is watermarked, has no editing, and its clips stop being exportable after 3 days.
Key features
- AI clipping with a Virality Score, from Starter
- Filler and silence removal and animated captions in 20+ languages on Starter
- Auto-posts to YouTube Shorts, TikTok and IG Reels from Starter
Pricing: Free with 60 credits a month (watermarked); Starter $15/month, monthly billing only; Pro $29/month or $14.50/month billed yearly; Business custom. On 22 October 2026, opus.pro showed a promotion on some visits: Starter $12 and Pro $23 a month.
Full comparison: Opus Clip alternative for short talking-head clips
The best AI reel makers, if you do not want to film
8. HeyGen
Best for reels with an AI avatar instead of you
HeyGen turns an idea, a script, a link or an audio track into a reel, with auto-captions, voice cloning and translation. Not for: editing footage of yourself the way the editors above do; and the free plan is limited to three videos a month of up to a minute, with watermark removal starting on Creator.
Key features
- Free: 3 videos a month, up to 1 minute, one custom video avatar
- Creator: 600 credits, videos up to 30 minutes, 1080p, watermark removal, voice cloning
- Pro: 1,000 credits a month and 4K export
Pricing: Free; Creator $29/month ($24/month billed yearly); Pro from $49/month; Business $149/month plus $20 a seat
9. InVideo
Best for prompt-to-reel videos you can then edit on a timeline
Describe your idea, pick a length and media plan, and InVideo generates the reel with current AI video models, then lets you edit it on a timeline. Not for: a fixed number of reels a month, since generations draw on credits that do not roll over; and its pricing page states no free plan.
Key features
- Prompt to Reel: describe the idea and InVideo generates the reel
- AI video and image models, music and sound effects
- Timeline editor and multiplayer editing on every plan
Pricing: Starter $20/month or $10/month billed yearly (400 credits); Plus $60 or $30 (2,000 credits); Max $150 or $75 (5,000 credits); per seat
Is there a free AI reel maker?
Yes, with limits. HeyGen's free plan makes three generated videos a month of up to a minute. For your own footage, Edits is free with 4K export and no watermark, CapCut has a Free plan, InShot is free with ads, and Captions' free plan includes one caption template. Opus Clip's free plan is watermarked, and InVideo's pricing page states no free plan.
Solara has no free plan and no trial that charges you later. Try it free: 3 videos, clips up to 90 seconds. Your first download is free, in 1080p with no watermark. Downloading the rest and posting edited videos come with a plan. Posting your own photos and videos from the calendar is free.
Can I use CapCut for reels?
Yes. CapCut's Free plan edits and exports vertical video, and CapCut shares a finished export straight to TikTok and YouTube. The editing is manual, though, and CapCut's own pages disagree on whether auto captions need Pro. If you film talking-head reels every week and want the editing gone, see CapCut alternatives for talking-head Reels.
Which AI reel app should you choose?
- You film yourself and want the reel finished and posted: Solara. See the AI video editor.
- You want a teleprompter, and sometimes an AI actor: Captions.
- Caption styles matter most: Submagic.
- You want free and hands-on: Edits, CapCut or InShot.
- You have a long recording to cut into reels: Opus Clip.
- You do not want to be on camera at all: HeyGen or InVideo.
Comparing editors only, grouped by job? See the best AI video editors for Reels and TikTok.
Common questions
- What is an AI reel maker?
- An AI reel maker is an app that produces a vertical video for Instagram Reels, TikTok or Shorts with AI. Some generate the whole video from a prompt, a script or a link, often with an AI avatar or stock footage, such as HeyGen and InVideo. Others, AI reel editors, edit a clip you filmed yourself, such as Solara, Captions and Submagic.
- Can you use AI to make a reel?
- Yes. You can generate one from a prompt with a reel maker such as HeyGen, whose free plan makes three videos a month, or InVideo, from $20 a month. Or you can film yourself and let an AI editor do the edit: Solara runs six passes on every video and posts it, from $29 a month.
- What is the best AI reel maker?
- The best AI reel maker depends on whether you want to be in the video. To keep your own face and voice, Solara edits and posts your clip from $29 a month, and Submagic styles captions from $19. To skip filming, HeyGen makes AI avatar reels from $29 a month, with a free plan, and InVideo generates reels from a prompt from $20 a month.
- Is there a free AI reel maker?
- Yes. HeyGen's free plan makes three AI-generated videos a month of up to one minute. For editing your own clips, Instagram's Edits is free with 4K export and no watermark, CapCut has a Free plan, and InShot is free with ads. Opus Clip's free plan is watermarked.
- What is the best reels editing app?
- For editing by hand, Edits, from Instagram, is free with automatic captions and 4K export, and CapCut and InShot give you a full timeline on your phone. For an edit done for you, Solara returns the finished reel from a clip you upload and posts it to Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn, from $29 a month.
- Can an AI reel maker use my own video?
- Yes, if it is an editor or a clipper rather than a generator. Solara, Captions, Submagic, CapCut, Edits and InShot edit a clip you filmed, and Opus Clip cuts short clips out of a long recording you upload. Generators such as HeyGen and InVideo start from a prompt, a script or a link, though both let you add your own media.
Sources
- 1.Solara pricing — Solara
- 2.Captions pricing — Captions
- 3.Subscriptions & Plans — Captions Help Center
- 4.Understanding credits — Captions Help Center
- 5.Camera & Teleprompter — Captions Help Center
- 6.Publish & Export — Captions Help Center
- 7.Submagic pricing — Submagic
- 8.Submagic help: free trial — Submagic
- 9.CapCut pricing — CapCut
- 10.CapCut Standard vs Pro — CapCut
- 11.CapCut auto video editor — CapCut
- 12.Edits: Video Editor, on the App Store — Instagram
- 13.InShot, on the App Store — InShot
- 14.OpusClip pricing — Opus Clip
- 15.HeyGen pricing — HeyGen
- 16.HeyGen AI reel generator — HeyGen
- 17.InVideo pricing — InVideo
- 18.InVideo Instagram reels maker — InVideo
Prices and figures were read from the sources above on 14 October 2026, and the editors' table figures and Opus Clip's promotion on 22 October 2026. Published rates change; check the original before relying on a number.
