Descript vs. Final Cut Pro

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Descript
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
Descript is a collaborative audio/video editor, from the company of the same name in San Francisco, that works like a doc. It includes transcription, a screen recorder, publishing, full multitrack editing, and AI tools.
$12
per month
Final Cut Pro
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Apple offers Final Cut Pro, a video editing platform featuring optimized for a high performance machines and supporting a wide range of quality effects.
$299.99
per license
Pricing
DescriptFinal Cut Pro
Editions & Modules
Free
$0
Annual billing - Hobbyist
$12
per month per user
Monthly Billing - Hobbyist
$19
per month per user
Annual billing - Creator
$24
per month per user
Monthly Billing - Creator
$35
per month per user
Annual billing - Business
$40
per month per user
Monthly Billing - Business
$50
per month per user
Enterprise
Custom
Final Cut Pro X
$299.99
per license
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
DescriptFinal Cut Pro
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
DescriptFinal Cut Pro
Best Alternatives
DescriptFinal Cut Pro
Small Businesses
Ableton Live
Ableton Live
Score 8.3 out of 10
iMovie
iMovie
Score 9.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition
Score 8.6 out of 10
iMovie
iMovie
Score 9.9 out of 10
Enterprises
Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition
Score 8.6 out of 10
Adobe Express
Adobe Express
Score 9.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
DescriptFinal Cut Pro
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(12 ratings)
9.0
(34 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
8.8
(6 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.8
(5 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
DescriptFinal Cut Pro
Likelihood to Recommend
Descript
  • Transcription of internal presentations and web conferences. It's great for capturing and transcribing the audio from presentations, demos, etc. which can then be used to develop training materials, blog posts, etc.
  • Podcasts. Makes it really easy to record, edit, and publish video or audio podcasts.
  • Promotional videos. Streamlines and accelerates the process for developing videos.
Read full review
Apple
It's an excellent tool, but maybe too complicated for novice video makers...so not 10. Apart from this, the one thing that could be improved ( and maybe I am a novice and cannot find how to do this!!) is creating videos with much smaller file sizes. Most of the videos in 720 are over 1 GB, and I have to use third-party software to reduce the size ( e.g., Handbrake). This is the one thing I would improve. The rest of the software is very well designed. I would love to know more easily how to use some of the tools, but my usage is very limited anyway. I do not have to buy an annual license, which is fantastic. It is expensive to start using, but there are no annual fees afterward. Perfect for my business.
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Pros
Descript
  • I like the sidebar - breaking my scripts up into different "chapters" makes it easier to create quickly.
  • I like that it auto-corrects punctuation, capitalization, etc. as I polish the scripts.
  • It's easy for my team and my collaborators to read/listen, remark, and create useable transcripts.
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Apple
  • Adheres to the conceptually easy timeline model, thus making simple onboarding.
  • Feature-rich toolset which allows for incredible product manipulation from the get-go
  • Expandability via a vibrant plugin ecosystem. Final Cut plugins are broadly developed.
  • Rich integration with studio products: Motion, Compressor
  • Version updates exhibit a product team in touch with what the market needs
Read full review
Cons
Descript
  • When editing a transcript it can get a little cumbersome, as a double click doesn't always do what you think it will
  • Some features aren't that intuitive (what is resize word gap) for beginners
  • A tutorial/wizard as soon as you sign up would be very useful
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Apple
  • Motion is a seperate application that ties in with FCPX but it's difficult to learn and use.
  • The first frame dictates the resolution and frame rate for the rest of the video so use the highest res video you have to get started.
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Usability
Descript
No answers on this topic
Apple
Final Cut Pro is a great software package for editing, and obviously, good things require training to understand and comprehend what your are editing. I do not give a 10/10 because it would be easier to have a comprehensive manual inside the software, rather that researching or getting yourself trained.
Read full review
Support Rating
Descript
No answers on this topic
Apple
Most of the support I need, I find online. While Apple has a Q/A section on their site, it's not always beneficial in answering the questions that I have. With that said, they regularly update the software, and when updates lead to crashes, they usually have another update not far behind.
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Implementation Rating
Descript
No answers on this topic
Apple
Implementing Final Cut Pro into the organization was a smooth transition from what we didn't had. We felt we went from zero to hero with this software, due to all the great features that we learned. We took some time in training staff on how to use the software but at the end, this was very useful and important.
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Alternatives Considered
Descript
Descript is by far superior to the other editing software you can get on Apple computers. It's able to do a lot more and really save us tons of time. Other Adobe apps are great, but take a while to learn. Descript is very user-friendly, making it easy to start from day one with very little training.
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Apple
Premiere and Final Cut are very similar is usage. Final Cut has less crashing and lag, but does not work well with Adobe products. You'd basically have to use all different softwares to use it best. Davinci is a different beast with a color grading portion that is unmatched by any other product. Although DaVinci is non-linear editing, so you essentially have to unlearn everything you know from Final Cut and Premiere.
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Return on Investment
Descript
  • I can get video completed much more quickly and cheaply
  • We can produce more video content because of the speed with which we can have a finished product
  • We can have shorter timelines for example I record on Monday and we publish on Tuesday which wouldn't be otherwise possible with other methods I've used
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Apple
  • We are regularly lauded for our high-quality videos by donors and prospects, which greatly improves our standing in their eyes.
  • Our Final Cut Pro X-created videos have contributed to our receiving large grant awards.
  • Our videos have been shared and promoted by similar organizations, which has improved our standing in our field and adjacent fields.
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ScreenShots