# The best text-based video editors

> The best text-based video editors in 2026: Descript, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Camtasia and more. See which plan has it, prices and a worked example.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-04
- **Category**: Video editing
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-best/best-text-based-video-editors

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Descript is the text-based editor to test first: you cut video by deleting words from its transcript. Premiere Pro (now called Adobe Premiere) and DaVinci Resolve Studio list text-based editing too.

## Quick comparison

| Tool | Where text editing lives | Price (checked 3 Nov 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Descript | The core of the app | Free. Hobbyist $16 a month billed yearly ($24 monthly) |
| Premiere Pro | Text-Based Editing workspace | Subscription, 7-day free trial |
| DaVinci Resolve | Studio edition | Free version. Studio US$295 list, on sale for US$236 until 20 Nov 2026 |
| Camtasia | Essentials plan and up | Essentials Rs 7,399 a year |
| Riverside | Pro plan and up | See Riverside's pricing page |
| Kapwing | Trim with Transcript | Free. Pro $16 a member per month billed yearly |
| Submagic | Text-based trimming | Starter $19 a month ($12 billed yearly) |
| Vizard | Trim by deleting transcript | Free. Creator $29 a month |
| PowerDirector | AI Text-Based Editing in 365 | 365 Rs 5,599 a year in India |
| Marxx | Cut by transcript, with an assistant | Cut $9, Match $29, Master $69 a month, launch prices |

## How it works

1. The tool transcribes your audio.
2. You delete words, filler words or pauses in the text.
3. The matching video is cut for you.
4. You play the edit and fix any rough joins.

## Descript

Descript's Free plan adds a watermark and exports at 720p, with 1 media hour a month. Its filler-word tool is in the AI Tools panel. It detects English only. Shorten word gaps closes pauses you set. On current plans both use AI credits. Hindi transcription is marked Beta.

## Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro includes Text-Based Editing free with a subscription. In the Transcript panel, the filter icon lets you pick Filler words or Pauses, then Delete all. Adobe advises generating captions from your final edited sequence, not from this workspace.

## Resolve, Camtasia, PowerDirector

DaVinci Resolve's Studio edition lists text-based editing, and IntelliScript builds a cut from a script. Camtasia Essentials lists text-based editing and filler-word removal. PowerDirector 365 lists AI Text-Based Editing that removes stops and stutters in one click.

## Smaller tools

Riverside lists unlimited text-based editing from Pro, but its pricing pages disagree. Kapwing, Submagic and Vizard let you trim by editing the transcript. Filmora lists AI Text-Based Editing on its home page.

## A worked example

Say a 12-minute talk has 60 filler words of about 0.3 seconds each. Deleting them saves 60 x 0.3 = 18 seconds. Shorten 80 pauses from 0.9 to 0.2 seconds and you save 80 x 0.7 = 56 seconds more. The talk drops from 720 seconds to 646, about 10 minutes 46 seconds.

## How to choose

1. Pick the tool on the device you already use.
2. Check transcript quality in your language first.
3. Look at what your plan includes. Some tools put it in a higher plan.
4. Edit one real clip before you pay.

We make Marxx. Its [AI video editor](/features/ai-video-editor) cuts by transcript, and its assistant removes silences and filler words, then closes the gaps. Transcription uses credits. It runs in the browser.

For clean-up only, see the [best tools to remove silence from video](/best/best-silence-remover-tools). For talking-head clips, see the [best video editors for podcast clips](/best/best-video-editors-for-podcast-clips).

## FAQ

### What is text-based video editing?

You edit a video by editing its transcript. When you delete a word, the tool cuts that part of the video.

### Is Premiere Pro's text-based editing free?

Adobe says it is included with your subscription. Premiere Pro itself is a paid membership.

### Does Resolve's free version have it?

Blackmagic lists text-based editing as a Studio addition. The free version does not include it.

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- [More Video editing articles](https://marxx.ai/library-best/category/video-editing)
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