Turns long videos and scripts into short branded videos with auto captions and highlights.
Alternatives
Pictory alternatives (free and cheaper) (2026)
Text-to-video maker for animated, live-action and generative AI videos.
Converts blog URLs and text into social videos with templates and stock media.
Text-to-video and text-to-speech tool with stock media, AI voices and avatars.
Prompt-driven video generator that also clips long videos into social shorts.
Text-to-video marketing tool producing faceless short videos with AI voice and footage.
Short answer: Pictory has no free plan, only a 14-day trial with 15 video minutes, and paid plans start at $25/mo billed yearly. For a cheaper script-to-video tool with a free tier, try Steve AI or Fliki. For faceless marketing shorts, Zebracat starts at $23/mo billed yearly. To turn blog posts into video, use Lumen5. If you start from long videos rather than scripts, an AI clipper such as OpusClip fits better.
Pictory pricing in brief
From Pictory's pricing page, checked 13 October 2026:
- Free trial: 14 days with 15 video minutes and a 5-minute maximum video.
- Starter: $29 monthly, or $25/mo billed yearly, with 200 video minutes a month and no watermark.
- Professional: $59 monthly, or $35/mo billed yearly, for 600 minutes.
- Team (3+ users): $199 monthly, or $119/mo billed yearly, for 1,800 minutes.
Script and text to video
Steve AI makes animated and live-action explainers. Its free plan includes 5 voice-overs and monthly AI image and video credits, and every paid plan is marked "No Steve AI Watermark", which implies free videos carry one. The pricing page shows conflicting figures for the same tiers, so check current pricing on Steve AI before you buy.
Fliki Free gives 3 credits a month, 720p and 5-minute exports, with a Fliki watermark. Standard (180 credits, 1080p, 15-minute exports) and Premium (600 credits) remove it. Dollar prices weren't shown on the page when we checked; yearly billing is 25% off.
InVideo AI lists only paid plans: Starter is $10/seat/mo billed yearly ($20 monthly) with 400 credits, Plus $30 yearly ($60 monthly) and Max $75 yearly ($150 monthly). Credits don't roll over.
Zebracat Cat Mode is $39/mo, or $23/mo billed yearly, for 15 videos a month up to 2 minutes at 1080p, and paid plans remove the watermark. Its FAQ describes a free tier of up to 5 videos, 30 seconds each, at 720p with standard voices.
Lumen5 has a free plan that adds Lumen5 branding to your video; removing it is a paid feature. Check current pricing on Lumen5, since its help center doesn't list prices.
Avatar video and long-video clipping
Synthesia has a free plan with a watermark. Starter is $29 monthly or $18/mo billed yearly, with no watermark. Pick it if you want a presenter on screen instead of stock footage.
OpusClip is a different job: it cuts long podcasts and streams into vertical clips. Free clips are watermarked; Starter is $15/mo.
Summary table
| Tool | Starts at | Free plan | Watermark on free | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pictory | $25/mo yearly, $29 monthly | 14-day trial, 15 min | n/a | Script or blog to video |
| Steve AI | Check current pricing | Yes | Implied (paid plans list no watermark) | Animated explainers |
| Fliki | Standard (price not shown on page) | Yes: 3 credits/mo, 720p | Yes | Voice-led faceless videos |
| InVideo AI | $10/seat/mo yearly, $20 monthly | Not listed on pricing page | Not stated | Prompt to video |
| Zebracat | $23/mo yearly, $39 monthly | Up to 5 videos, 30 s, 720p (per FAQ) | Not stated | Marketing shorts |
| Lumen5 | Check current pricing | Yes | Lumen5 branding | Blog to video |
| Synthesia | $18/mo yearly, $29 monthly | Yes | Yes | Avatar presenters |
| OpusClip | Starter $15/mo | Yes | Yes | Long video to Shorts |
A worked cost example
Say you publish 20 one-minute faceless Shorts a month. Pictory Starter covers 200 minutes for $25/mo billed yearly, so you'd use a tenth of it. Zebracat Cat Mode allows only 15 videos a month at $23/mo yearly, so 20 Shorts would push you to Super Cat ($59/mo yearly). If you post fewer, longer videos, the comparison flips: count minutes, not videos.
Verdict: best for…
- Pictory is best for a clear minutes-based plan with no watermark from Starter.
- Fliki is best for testing script-to-video free, with voiceover at the center.
- Zebracat is best for a small number of marketing shorts each month.
- Synthesia is best when you want a presenter on screen.
- OpusClip is best when your source is a long video, not a script.
Questions
Is Pictory free?
No. Pictory offers a 14-day free trial with 15 video minutes. Paid plans start at $25/mo billed yearly, or $29 monthly.
What is a free Pictory alternative?
Fliki, Steve AI and Lumen5 have free plans, but their free videos carry a watermark or branding. Fliki's is 720p with 5-minute exports.
Does Pictory add a watermark?
The Starter plan is marked "No watermark". The pricing page doesn't state watermark terms for the trial.
Pictory or InVideo AI?
Pictory sells video minutes and offers a trial. InVideo AI sells credits that don't roll over and lists no free plan, but starts lower at $10/seat/mo billed yearly.
Sources: Pictory pricing; Steve AI pricing; Fliki pricing; InVideo pricing; Zebracat pricing; Lumen5 help: cost; Synthesia pricing; OpusClip pricing. Checked on 13 October 2026. Based on published plans, not a hands-on test.