CapCut has been the quintessential video editing app for thousands of content creators, but recent changes to its business model have triggered a wave of criticism and uninstalls.
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For years, CapCut has been a favorite tool among social media video creators. Its ease of use, powerful free features, and seamless integration with TikTok have made it a must-have app for editing videos from your mobile (not to mention that it also has a desktop version).
However, a series of recent changes has led to a wave of criticism, uninstallations, and abandonment by users who were once loyal defenders of the platform in recent weeks. What has happened to CapCut, and why are so many looking for alternatives?
From revolutionary app to symbol of disappointment
CapCut, developed by ByteDance (the same parent company of TikTok), quickly gained the loyalty of thousands of users thanks to its generous free model. With it, automatic subtitles could be generated, videos could be exported without watermarks, and advanced effects could be applied at no cost.
“I recommended CapCut to everyone,” confesses a former user at Android Authority, when the app offered key functionalities without restrictions, something that made it stand out from other more limited platforms. However, that golden age seems to be behind us.
Price increases and essential features under lock and key
Earlier this year, CapCut rolled out a new subscription model, unexpectedly doubling the price of its Pro plan — in Spain, the monthly cost jumped from approximately $13 to $26 USD. At the same time, the annual plan also increased, reaching around $217 USD.
The subsequent segmentation into two tiers—Standard and Pro—was intended to separate casual and professional users, but the result has been a widespread perception that the app is penalizing even the average user.
This change would not have been so serious if it had not come from the hand of an even more controversial one: numerous previously free features began to be blocked behind a paywall. Among the most criticized are
- Automatic subtitles: These can now only be generated for free once a month.
- Watermark-free export: Previously free, now exclusive to the Pro plan.
- Popular templates and effects: Many have become inaccessible without a subscription.
User experience deteriorates
In addition to economic changes, there are other elements that have eroded the user experience. Among them, an aggressive monetization strategy, with constant notifications, annoying advertising, and features blocked by limited credits. Many users have pointed out that the current design is more reminiscent of a social network full of ads than a professional editing tool.
In the words of one frustrated user:
“I cannot justify the price of the subscription, nor tolerate that an essential feature such as subtitles—crucial for accessibility—is now paid. And if I accidentally tap a notification, the app opens with an ad. It’s exhausting.”
Changes to the Terms of Use: What do you agree to when using CapCut?
One of the most controversial aspects, although less commented on initially, has been the update of the terms of use of the application. Many users have been surprised to discover clauses that raise serious privacy, copyright, and data use concerns.
Changes include, but are not limited to:
Assignment of rights to content
CapCut reserves the right (without time limit) to use, reproduce, distribute, modify, and adapt any content that the user uploads to the platform. This means that even if you’re the author of a video, CapCut may use it for promotional, advertising, or analytics purposes without compensating you or asking for explicit permission.
This type of clause has generated alarm among professional creators who work with brands or monetize their content, as it can interfere with exclusivity contracts or commercial rights.
Access to personal and technical data
The app can collect a variety of data, from your location, IP address, and device type to the content of your videos, including metadata and editing patterns. This is used, according to the company, to “improve the user experience” and “personalize services,” but also for advertising and internal analytics purposes.
Using Content to Train AI Algorithms
A new clause allows CapCut to use your content to enhance its AI features, such as facial recognition or automatic caption generation. This implies that your image, voice, or editing style could feed into their AI models without explicit consent or retribution.
What lessons does all this leave us?
Social networks and forums such as Reddit have been filled with testimonies of discontent. The /CapCut subreddit is littered with posts with titles like “I guess we’re all going to delete CapCut?” or with critical, detailed analyses of the new terms of use.
The CapCut case is an illustrative example of the difficult balance between monetization and loyalty. While it is legitimate for a ‘freemium’ app to seek profitability, doing so at the cost of removing basic functions, imposing arbitrary restrictions, and saturating with advertising can be counterproductive.
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