Descript Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Descript costs Free to $65 per month as of May 2026. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
Yes, Descript offers a forever free plan as of May 2026. The free tier includes 6 features with limits on mediahours and aicredits. Paid plans start at $24/month (Hobbyist). Pricing verified from 2 sources by CostBench.
Descript's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- 1 hour media/month
- 100 AI credits (one-time)
- 720p export
- Basic transcription (25 languages)
- Text-based video editing
- 3 watermarked exports
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- 10 hours media/month
- 400 AI credits/month
- 1080p export (no watermark)
- Multitrack transcription
- Speaker detection
- Filler word removal
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| mediaHours | 1 | Unlimited/Higher |
| aiCredits | 100 | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like 10 hours media/month or 400 AI credits/month
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- 1 hour media per month
- 100 one-time AI credits (not refreshed)
- 720p resolution maximum
- Watermark on exports
- 3 export limit
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Hobbyist Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Hobbyist $24/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 6 included | 6+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Descript branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Testing Descript before subscribing | Solo podcasters and video creators |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Descript free?
Yes, Descript offers a forever free plan with 6 core features included. However, there are limits on mediahours, aicredits that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Descript's free plan?
Descript's free plan includes: 1 hour media/month, 100 AI credits (one-time), 720p export, Basic transcription (25 languages), Text-based video editing, and 1 more features. Key limits include mediaHours: 1, aiCredits: 100.
03 What's NOT included in Descript's free plan?
The free plan excludes: 10 hours media/month, 400 AI credits/month, 1080p export (no watermark), Multitrack transcription, Speaker detection. You'll also have Descript branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Descript's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like 10 hours media/month or 400 AI credits/month, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $24/month.
05 Is Descript's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Descript's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.