As a content creator, I know how time-consuming it can be to manually trim long videos into bite-sized clips. Whether it's a webinar, podcast, or livestream replay, turning hours of content into engaging shorts can feel like a full-time job. That's why I started exploring AI-powered long video splitter with captions tools in 2026.
In this article, I'll share my experiences with five standout platforms, including CapCut long video to shorts, Descript, Kapwing, Pictory, and VEED. Each tool promises faster workflows, automated captioning, and intelligent highlight detection. I'll cover features, pros and cons, ideal users, and use cases, helping you pick the right solution to scale your content creation without burning out.
Why AI Long Video Cutters Matter for Creators
When reviewing these tools, I focused on features that directly impact content creators' productivity and reach:
- Efficiency and Automation: Tools that save hours of manual editing with AI-powered clipping, smart scene detection, and auto tool to split long videos workflows.
- Accessibility and Usability: Intuitive interfaces that anyone—from beginners to experienced editors—can navigate without a steep learning curve.
- Multilingual and Caption Support: AI subtitle generation in multiple languages ensures your content reaches global audiences.
- Platform Optimization: Features that automatically adapt horizontal long videos into vertical formats, ready for Shorts, Reels, and TikTok.
- Versatility and Flexibility: Tools that allow customization of clip length, templates, and visual styles, making them suitable for marketing, education, or entertainment content.
At-a-Glance Comparison of 5 AI Long Video Cutters
5 Best AI Tools to Split Long Videos in 2026
CapCut – The All-in-One AI Long Video Cutter
CapCut is my top pick for transforming long videos into multiple short clips. Its AI-powered smart long video chapter creator automatically identifies highlights in videos up to 3 hours or 10GB, making it ideal for podcasts, webinars, livestreams, and interviews. The platform simplifies the entire workflow, allowing creators to focus on content rather than tedious manual editing.
Beyond clipping, CapCut generates automatic multilingual subtitles, customizable templates, and AI-based titles and descriptions. It also adapts horizontal videos into vertical 9:16 formats optimized for Shorts, Reels, and TikTok, keeping the main subject centered. One-click publishing to major platforms further streamlines content distribution, making it an all-in-one solution for creators looking to maximize reach efficiently.
Key Features:
- Batch short video generation from a single long video, automatically creating multiple clips efficiently.
- Automatic multilingual subtitles using auto caption generator, supporting over 20 different languages.
- Smart vertical formatting that keeps the main subjects perfectly centered in 9:16 videos.
- Custom clip durations, including Auto, under 60s, 60–90s, or 90s–3 minutes options.
- AI-generated titles and descriptions based on video content, reducing manual publishing workload.
- One-click publishing directly to TikTok and YouTube, simplifying multi-platform content distribution.
- Saves hours on manual editing
- Supports large files up to 10GB
- Multilingual subtitles for global reach
- Minimal manual adjustments required
- Requires a stable internet connection
Ideal Users
CapCut is perfect for creators repurposing long content into social-ready clips. I've used it to convert full-length podcasts into 10–15 short videos, each automatically formatted, captioned, and ready to post. Whether you're a solo creator or part of a marketing team, CapCut AI long video to short video convertor make batch production and global distribution simple.
Descript – Transcript-Centric Video Editor
Descript excels when precise segment control matters. Its AI transcribes videos and lets you highlight moments to convert into shorts, making it a long video auto cutter for creators who want editorial precision.
Key Features:
- Automatic transcription and alignment with video
- "Find Good Clips" AI for highlights
- Caption and subtitle support
- Adjustable aspect ratios and visual branding
- Collaboration and cloud sharing
- Editing is easy thanks to the transcript-based interface.
- It works well for teams collaborating on projects.
- Provides precise control over clip selection and timing.
- Larger projects require a subscription to unlock full features.
- The learning curve is slightly steeper for beginners.
Ideal Users
Descript is ideal for educators, podcasters, or businesses needing fine-grained control over clips. I used it to create TikTok snippets from hour-long webinars, manually refining captions and timing for polished output.
Kapwing – Prompt-Driven AI Video Clipper
Kapwing transforms long videos into short clips using text prompts. It's especially handy for creators who work with URLs or need fast AI assistance to generate social media-ready videos.
Key Features:
- AI-based scene detection from video or URL
- Subtitle and translation support
- Smart framing to keep subjects centered
- Quick export in multiple aspect ratios
- Full manual editing control
- The tool is fast and intuitive to use.
- It supports multiple platforms for content export.
- Creators can quickly generate short clips with minimal effort.
- The free version includes a watermark on videos.
- Advanced features are only available behind a paid plan.
Ideal Users
Kapwing suits creators who quickly repurpose content from YouTube or livestreams. I often use it to extract key highlights from longer videos, generating Shorts in minutes with minimal edits.
Pictory – Rapid AI Short Video Generator
Pictory is designed for speed. Its AI scans long videos, identifies highlights, and produces shareable clips optimized for social platforms, making it a reliable AI long video cutter with templates.
Key Features:
- Automatic scene detection
- Clip duration customization
- Caption and branding support
- Multi-platform export
- Layout templates and optional narration
- Enables fast content repurposing with AI automation.
- Beginner-friendly and easy to navigate.
- Offers customization options for clips and templates.
- Provides limited control over exact frame selection.
- Advanced features require a subscription.
Ideal Users
I use Pictory for marketing tutorials and educational videos. Its AI handles the heavy lifting, leaving me free to tweak branding, captions, or pacing before posting.
VEED – Professional AI Video Cutter
VEED combines automation with professional polish. Its AI detects highlights, trims long videos, and adds subtitles, while the editor provides brand kit integration for consistent visuals.
Key Features:
- Automatic highlight detection and AI clipping
- Subtitle editing and translation
- Custom clip length and style templates
- Team collaboration features
- Direct export to social platforms
- Offers a strong professional workflow suitable for teams.
- Team-friendly collaboration tools make sharing and review easier.
- Editing options are versatile, supporting multiple formats and styles.
- Full features require paid plans.
- A stable internet connection is needed for smooth operation.
Ideal Users
VEED is great for agencies, educators, or businesses. I've relied on it to batch-produce branded TikTok and Instagram Reels from webinars, combining automation with fine-tuned branding.
Practical Use Cases for CapCut
- Repurposing Webinars & Podcasts: I often take hour-long webinars or podcast recordings and upload them to CapCut. Its AI automatically identifies key moments, generating multiple short videos that are ready for social media, saving me hours of manual editing while keeping the content engaging and concise.
- Social Media Optimization: When creating content for TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, CapCut transforms horizontal long videos into vertical 9:16 format. The AI ensures the main subject remains centered, producing visually appealing clips optimized for short-form platforms without additional manual adjustments.
- Multilingual Audience Reach: For creators targeting global audiences, CapCut's auto-generated subtitles in over 20 languages are invaluable. I can instantly make my content accessible worldwide, enabling viewers to understand and engage with videos in their preferred language, expanding reach without hiring translators.
- Batch Multi-Platform Publishing: CapCut allows me to produce dozens of short clips from a single long video. After AI-generated trimming, subtitles, and titles, I can publish directly to TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms, streamlining multi-channel distribution and maintaining consistent quality across all clips.
Conclusion
AI-powered long video cutters have revolutionized short-form content creation. From my hands-on experience, CapCut leads the pack with automation, multilingual captions, vertical formatting, and one-click publishing. Descript, Kapwing, Pictory, and VEED also offer strong features, but CapCut's balance of speed, control, and output quality makes it my top recommendation for creators in 2026.
Using CapCut to make a long video to a short video, I've consistently saved hours while producing high-quality shorts for multiple platforms. If you want to scale content efficiently, CapCut is the most versatile auto tool to split long videos currently available.
Frequently Asked Questions
- 1
- Can AI tools automatically detect scenes in long videos?
Yes, AI long video cutters like CapCut can automatically detect scenes and highlights by analyzing visual and audio cues. Tools such as Pictory and VEED also offer similar features, helping creators quickly generate short-form content without manually reviewing footage, saving significant editing time while ensuring key moments are captured.
- 2
- How to turn long videos into multiple shorts using AI?
CapCut allows you to upload a long video, automatically select highlights, and generate multiple short clips. You can adjust duration settings if needed. Other tools like Descript and Kapwing provide similar AI-assisted clipping, but CapCut's combination of automatic formatting, multilingual subtitles, and ready-to-publish output makes the workflow faster and more efficient.
- 3
- What AI tool works best for repurposing long videos?
In my experience, CapCut is the most comprehensive solution for repurposing long videos. It combines AI highlight detection, multilingual subtitles, vertical formatting, and one-click publishing. While Descript, Pictory, Kapwing, and VEED are useful alternatives, CapCut offers a complete workflow that saves time and ensures professional, social-ready short clips.