Published July 14, 2026

Cheapest AI clipping tool for making YouTube Shorts compared

What creators really pay for AI clipping tools

I’ve been testing OpusClip, 2short.ai, Submagic and Clipsy recently. Pricing matters when you’re grinding Shorts all month. Here’s what each tool actually costs, what you get, and where Clipsy fits into the mix.

OpusClip

OpusClip has a free forever tier. You get 60 credits per month, enough to test things out. Exports are watermarked and editing features stay locked behind paid plans. That free tier is handy for quick tries, not for building a content habit. If you want to remove the watermark and get 150 credits, Starter is $15 per month. Pro gives you 300 credits and full editor access at $29 per month, or about $14.50 if you pay $174 once a year. Credits don’t roll over. One credit equals roughly one minute of input video processed. For long-form material, OpusClip’s credit system adds up fast. (opus-clip.com)

2short.ai

2short offers a free Starter plan with 30 minutes of AI video analysis per month. You get full access to features like animated subtitles and high-quality exports, but only that 30-minute cap. Step up to Lite for $9.90/month and you get 5 hours of analysis plus 60 minutes of fast exports. Pro is $19.90/month for 15 hours of analysis and unlimited fast exports. Premium is $49.90/month for 50 analysis hours and priority support. That’s a clear step-ladder, and the Lite tier at $9.90 gives a ton of runway for creators who mostly repurpose long videos into shorts. (2short.ai)

Submagic

Submagic’s free plan lets you export 3 videos per month (max 90 seconds each) with a watermark. Testing only. Starter costs $19/month or $12/month if billed annually and gives 15 videos of up to 2 minutes each with no watermark, captions, B-roll and trimming. Pro is $39/month or $23/month annual, for 40 videos up to 5 minutes each plus cleaner audio, hook titles, translation, brand kit, publishing. But the key: automated clipping is not built-in. That needs a separate add-on called Magic Clips, another $19/month. So even if you're on Pro, you pay $58/month total to get AI clip detection. (triedbyhumans.com)

Clipsy

Clipsy is my go-to when I want a straightforward browser tool. You paste a YouTube link, it auto-finds the strongest moments, makes vertical shorts with captions and face tracking. No watermark ever. Export and rendering are free. It runs on metered source minutes, and you pay per month: $9, $19, or $39 depending on usage. Plus there’s a free captioning tool you can use even if you don’t sign up. It’s honest. No credits jargon. No hidden fees.

Comparing the true per-month cost

• If you want the absolutely cheapest buy-in with export capability, 2short.ai’s Lite at $9.90/month is the lowest price for meaningful output.
• OpusClip’s Starter is $15/month. It's a bit higher but adds watermark removal and branding. The free tier is fine for testing.
• Submagic’s Starter is $19/month (or $12 if you commit annually), but that still doesn’t do automated clipping unless you add Magic Clips for another $19. That’s $31 total monthly.
• Clipsy starts at $9/month, offers AI clip detection, captions, face tracking, no watermark, and free exports. It’s cleaner and more honest than packaging things behind add-ons or credit systems.

TL;DR for creators

1. For the cheapest monthly path with exports and AI clipping, 2short.ai Lite at $9.90/month is the low bar if you don’t mind that limit.
2. Clipsy at $9/month beats that if you prefer a transparent tool without watermarks and no extra cost for rendering. It gives real utility right away.
3. If you just want to try it, OpusClip free is your sandbox, but volume or polished clips mean paying later.
4. Submagic feels focused on captioning. That's its strength. But if you want it to find clips automatically, expect to pay that add-on on top.

Hope that helps you pick smart. Cutting down on guesswork saves energy for actually making stuff.