After CapCut was briefly banned in the US, along with other ByteDance apps like TikTok, users were left scrambling for alternatives. Meta quickly seized the opportunity, unveiling a new video editor called Edits, designed specifically for Instagram Reels.
This moves positions Meta to directly compete with CapCut, offering creators a seamless way to edit their content within the Instagram app itself. With more tools on the way, Edits aims to make video creation easier while keeping users engaged on their platform.
Instagram Edits is now available for pre-order on the Apple App Store and will launch in March. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, confirmed that it will also be coming to Android soon.
The app will be free to use, but it’s still unclear whether it will introduce a subscription model like CapCut. Users are eager to see how Instagram’s new editor stacks up in terms of features and pricing.
From the screenshots on the App Store listing, it’s clear that Instagram Edits is aiming to replicate everything CapCut has to offer. The app will feature a linear editing timeline, making it easy to trim and adjust clips.
Additionally, Edits will let users shoot vertical videos directly in the app, with support for up to 2K60 resolution. There’s also an option for shooting in HDR, and videos can be as long as 10 minutes.
Much like CapCut, Edits comes with a project manager built into the app, offering access to insights and analytics that resemble what’s available in Business Suite. There’s also a tab to explore trends, get inspiration, and see what’s popular on the platform.
From what we can tell so far, Edits looks like a pretty close copy of CapCut. We’ll have to wait until March to see if it offers anything unique compared to TikTok’s own video editor.
