The best AI video tools in 2026, by the job you need done
As of October 2026, Runway is our top-rated AI video tool, at 4.7 out of 5, for generating and editing clips in one app. Submagic leads subtitles and captions at 4.6, and our picks for video editing and animation are Descript and Kling AI, both at 4.5.
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Our picks for October 2026
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Best overall
Our rating: 4.7 / 5Generates and edits clips in one app. Free credits to start.
Best for captions
Our rating: 4.6 / 5Animated captions for short vertical videos. Free trial.
Best for editing by text
Our rating: 4.5 / 5Edit video by editing the transcript. Free plan.
Best for animation
Our rating: 4.5 / 5Moves a character the way a reference video moves. Free plan.
Our top pick for each job
One card for each kind of tool, ordered by our rating of its top pick. Each card leads with our top-rated pick for that job, and a tool leads one card only. A rating scores the whole product, not one feature. Prices are the lowest paid plan, checked between 12 and 17 October 2026. How tools are chosen. This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
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Video generators
Create video from a prompt, an image or a script
Generators that turn text, images or a script into clips, AI presenters or narrated videos.
Top rated
Our rating: 4.7 / 5Best for generating and editing video clips in one app
Skip it if you want to spend less each month. Kling AI costs less. For an AI presenter talking to camera, look at Synthesia.
Free plan, 125 one-time credits. Paid from $12 a month, billed yearly.
AlsoHeyGen rated 4.6Kling AI rated 4.5Synthesia rated 4.5
Compare: HeyGen vs Synthesia (2026)
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Subtitles & captions
Add captions to your videos
Caption tools that transcribe speech into styled captions or subtitle files, often in many languages.
Top rated
Our rating: 4.6 / 5Best for animated captions on short vertical videos
Skip it if you caption long videos such as courses, webinars or podcasts. Descript and HappyScribe are built for long recordings.
No free plan, 3-video trial. Paid from $12 per user a month, billed yearly.
AlsoDescript rated 4.5VEED rated 4.3
Compare: Submagic vs SendShort
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Video editing
Edit the footage you have already recorded
Editors that cut, clean up and repurpose your recordings, often by editing the transcript.
Top rated
Our rating: 4.5 / 5Best for podcasts and long videos you edit through the transcript
Skip it if you mostly make short clips with animated captions. Submagic is built for that, and Riverside for recording remote guests.
Free plan, 720p with a watermark. Paid from $16 per user a month, billed yearly.
AlsoStreamYard rated 4.5PowerDirector rated 4.5Async rated 4.4
Go deeper: Descript pricing, plans and AI credits
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Animation
Bring a character to life
Animation tools that move a character, make it talk or restyle footage into anime and other looks.
Top rated
Our rating: 4.5 / 5Best for moving a character the way a reference video moves, at a low price
Skip it if you want to edit your clips and finish them in pro software. Runway has editing tools and plugins for Premiere Pro, After Effects and DaVinci Resolve.
Free plan, monthly credits, watermarked. Paid from $6.60 a month, billed yearly.
AlsoHedra rated 4.2GoEnhance AI rated 4.2
Go deeper: 10 Best Sora Alternatives in 2026
Which AI video tool to start with
Most people need one or two of these tools, not all four kinds. Start from what you already have: footage to edit, or an idea with no footage yet.
Start with an editor if you already film
If you record yourself, your calls or your podcast, start with an editor. Descript cuts long recordings by editing the text, and Submagic adds captions, zooms and B-roll to short talking-head clips.
Generate when there is no footage
Runway and Kling AI make clips from a prompt or an image. For a presenter talking to camera, Synthesia and HeyGen use AI avatars, so nobody has to film.
Record and edit podcasts in one place
Riverside records each guest on a separate track, and its Pro plan edits in the same app. Async, formerly Podcastle, covers recording, editing and dubbing in one browser studio.
Test the free plan with your own footage
Runway, Descript, Kling AI and Async have free plans, and Submagic lets you try three videos. Free exports are usually watermarked, and some free plans are for personal use only, so check the plan before you publish client work.
AI video tools FAQ
What are AI video tools?
AI video tools are apps that use AI to create, edit, caption or animate video. Runway, for example, generates clips from a prompt, and Descript edits a recording through its transcript. We group them by the job they do: video generators, subtitles and captions, video editing and animation. Each card on this page leads with our pick for one job and links to the full list.
What is the best AI video tool in 2026?
Runway is our top-rated AI video tool as of October 2026, at 4.7 out of 5, for generating and editing clips in one app. The best one for you depends on the job. Submagic leads subtitles and captions at 4.6, Descript is our pick for video editing at 4.5, and Kling AI is our pick for animation at 4.5.
Are there free AI video tools?
Yes, most of our top picks have a free plan. Runway gives 125 one-time credits, Descript includes 60 media minutes a month at 720p, and Kling AI gives free credits every month. Submagic has no free plan but lets you try three videos. Free exports from Descript, Kling AI and the Submagic trial carry a watermark, and Kling AI's free output is for personal use only.
What is the difference between an AI video generator and an AI video editor?
An AI video generator such as Runway or Kling AI creates new footage from a prompt or an image, while an AI video editor works on footage you already recorded. Descript edits a recording through its transcript, and Submagic adds captions, zooms and B-roll to short clips. The two work side by side.
Can AI make a character move or talk?
Yes. Kling AI's Motion Control moves the character in an image the way a reference video moves, and Runway's Act-Two puts a performance you film onto a character. Hedra makes a character talk or sing from one image and an audio file. GoEnhance AI restyles real footage into anime and other looks.
Can I use AI-generated videos commercially?
It depends on the plan more than the tool. Kling AI's free plan is for personal, non-commercial use, and GoEnhance AI includes a commercial licence from its Standard plan rather than Basic. Hedra allows commercial use on paid plans. Read the plan page of the tool you choose before you publish client or monetized work.
How are the tools on this page chosen?
Each card leads with our top-rated pick for one job, such as Runway for video generators, then the next tools by rating. A tool leads one card only. Runway tops both video generators and animation, so Kling AI leads animation. Every rating is our overall score on a 5-point scale. Our method is on the page about how we test and rate tools.
Other categories
All AI toolsProductivityContent CreationVisual DesignMarketing & BusinessData ToolsAudio & VoiceDeveloper Tools
About this page
- What is listed
- The AI video tools we have reviewed, one card for each kind of tool: video generators, subtitles and captions, video editing and animation. Each card links to the full list for that job. AI image generators and voice tools have their own categories.
- How tools are chosen
- Each card leads with our top-rated pick for that job, then the next tools by rating. A tool leads one card only. Runway (4.7) tops both video generators and animation, so it leads video generators and Kling AI leads animation. On the video editing card, Descript leads: Riverside (4.6) is first a studio for recording remote guests, and Submagic (4.6) leads subtitles and captions. Best overall is the highest-rated tool on the page. Each "Skip it if" line comes from our review of that tool.
- Ratings
- Each rating is our current overall score for the tool, on a 5-point scale, rechecked between 12 and 17 October 2026. A score rates the whole product, so a broad platform can sit above a dedicated app. Tools with the same rating are rated equally. See how we test and rate tools.
- Prices
- The lowest paid plan, read from each vendor's own pricing page between 12 and 17 October 2026. A monthly price is the rate on annual billing, and the card says "billed yearly"; paying month by month costs more. Billing units differ, so each card gives its own. Async was called Podcastle until late 2025.
- Update log
- 17 October 2026: new layout with one card for each job, and an Animation card added. Every rating, price and free plan rechecked.