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Looking for a CapCut Alternative? Instagram Wants to Help

Instagram's video editing app isn't available yet, but the uncertainties around TikTok's CapCut could make it an attractive option for creators.

Headshot of Katelyn Chedraoui
Headshot of Katelyn Chedraoui
Katelyn Chedraoui Writer I
Katelyn is a writer with CNET covering artificial intelligence, including chatbots, image and video generators. Her work explores how new AI technology is infiltrating our lives, shaping the content we consume on social media and affecting the people behind the screens. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in media and journalism. You can reach her at kchedraoui@cnet.com.
Expertise artificial intelligence, AI image generators, social media platforms
Katelyn Chedraoui
2 min read
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Edits will be available for creators this spring.

 James Martin/CNET

Even if you don't want to use Instagram Reels, Meta is hoping you'll be intrigued by this new product. Instagram will be releasing a brand new, separate video editing app called Edits, head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced this week. Edits isn't available to the public yet, but from what we know so far, it seems like it will be a strong option for creators looking for a CapCut alternative or another editing program.

Despite Mosseri's claim that Edits will be "more than a video editing app," that is its primary purpose, and it should include standard editing tools. The Edits app will also include a higher quality camera (compared with the Instagram camera, ostensibly), the ability to share drafts with friends, and if you decide to post the edited videos on Instagram, Edits can track how the Reels performs, similar to Instagram's insights. 

Mosseri also said that the app is meant for people who shoot and edit videos on their phones, not for folks who use desktop apps. This could mean that Edits will be a more beginner-friendly editing program, though we'll have to wait to see how the app shapes up before we know for sure. You can preorder the app now, set to be released in the Apple app store on March 13, with an Android app coming soon.

From what we know now, Edits sounds awfully similar to CapCut, the video editing app made popular by TikTok. Since CapCut is owned by the same parent company as TikTok, it has been facing the same legal challenges under the US's divest-or-ban law. When Trump was sworn in as the US's 47th president on Monday, one of his first acts was to sign an executive order giving TikTok a 75-day stay. The order gives the new administration time to review the potential national security threats the app poses, but the action could face legal challenges. CapCut and TikTok are both active as of this time.

There are a slew of other changes in store for Instagram and its creators this year. Earlier this month, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta will be ending its years-long fact-checking program, as well as loosening rules in its hateful conduct policy that moderate the kind of speech allowed on Meta's platforms. LGBTQ and digital advocacy groups have expressed serious concerns about how the changes will affect the safety and environment on the platforms. 

For more, check out these other new Instagram features and what to know about Instagram teen accounts.