cannan David

Posted on Nov 10

Best AI Video Tools for YouTube Creators (Under $50/Month Budget)

#ai #webdev #programming

Best AI Video Tools for YouTube Creators (Under $50/Month Budget) - 2025

I spent $342 on AI video tools in January 2025 alone.

The breakdown:

Runway Gen-3: $95 (Unlimited plan, used for 3 videos)
Descript: $24 (Creator plan, used for editing 8 videos)
ElevenLabs: $22 (Starter plan, used for voiceovers)
Opus Clip: $19 (Starter plan, made 40 clips)
CapCut Pro: $11.99/month (used AI features)
Plus bunch of one-time purchases (stock footage, music)

Reality check: I make $200-400/month from YouTube (15k subs, monetized).

Problem: I'm spending $342/month to make $300/month. That's... not profitable.

What I did in February: Cut AI spending to $47/month (kept quality, just smarter tool choices).

Here are the 18 AI video tools I tested (13 free, 5 paid under $50/month total) and how I cut costs 86% while keeping video quality high.

🎯 My Situation (For Context)

My YouTube channel:

Subscribers: 15,000
Monthly views: 80,000-120,000
Revenue: $200-400/month (AdSense + sponsorships)
Upload schedule: 2-3 videos/week
Content: Tech tutorials, productivity, AI tools

My AI video needs:

✅ Text-to-video generation (B-roll for explanations)
✅ Video editing (cut silences, add captions)
✅ Short clips (repurpose long videos → TikTok/Shorts)
✅ Voiceovers (sometimes I don't want to record audio)
✅ Thumbnails (AI-generated backgrounds)

Old spending (January 2025): $342/month
New spending (February 2025): $47/month
Savings: $295/month = $3,540/year

📊 The 18 AI Video Tools (By Use Case)

🎬 Text-to-Video Generation

1. Sora 2 Research (via Sora2.ink) — Best for Understanding What's Coming

Website: https://sora2.ink

Why I spent 3 hours reading comparisons here:

Problem: Should I pay for Runway Gen-3 ($95/month) or wait for Sora 2?

What Sora2.ink taught me:

I found their detailed comparison: https://sora2.ink/sora-2-vs-runway-gen-3/

Key insights that saved me money:

Sora 2: 60-second clips (vs Runway's 10 seconds)
Sora 2: Better text consistency (can spell words in video)
Sora 2: Rumored $30-50/month (cheaper than Runway Unlimited $95)
BUT: Still on waitlist (joined Dec 2024, still waiting Feb 2025)

My decision: Downgrade Runway from $95 Unlimited → $12 Standard, wait for Sora 2.

Savings: $83/month = $996/year

What I love about Sora2.ink:

✅ Detailed tool comparisons (saved me from overpaying)
✅ Shows pricing, features, quality side-by-side
✅ Helped me make budget decisions

Best for: Researching AI video tools before subscribing, comparing options, avoiding expensive mistakes.

2. Runway Gen-3 Standard — Best Quality Available Now ($12/month)

Website: https://runwayml.com

Why I downgraded from Unlimited ($95) to Standard ($12):

January usage (Unlimited $95/month):

3 videos made
12 generations total (8 failed, 4 good)
1,500 credits used
Cost per clip: $95 ÷ 4 good clips = $23.75 per video clip

That's INSANE for B-roll.

February plan (Standard $12/month):

625 credits/month
~5 generations/month
Use only for "hero shots" (opening B-roll, key visuals)
Cost per clip: $12 ÷ 5 = $2.40 per video clip

90% cheaper per clip just by downgrading.

My actual use case:

Video: "How AI Will Change Video Editing"
Need: B-roll of "futuristic video editing studio"
Prompt: "Futuristic video editing studio, holographic screens, cyberpunk aesthetic, camera slowly moves forward"
Result: 10-second clip, gorgeous quality
Cost: 125 credits = $2.40

What I love:

✅ Best quality (9/10 vs most competitors' 6/10)
✅ Consistent style (same aesthetic across generations)
✅ Motion control (camera movement options)

What's missing:

❌ Expensive even at Standard ($2.40/clip)
❌ 10-second limit (need multiple clips for longer scenes)

Best for: High-quality hero shots, key B-roll, professional videos.

Budget alternative: See Pika Labs below (7x cheaper).

3. Pika Labs — Best Budget Alternative to Runway ($10/month)

Website: https://pika.art

Why I added this to my stack:

Runway Standard ($12) gives 625 credits = ~5 videos.
I need 10-15 B-roll clips/month.
Solution: Pika for "good enough" B-roll.

Quality comparison:

Prompt: "Mountain landscape, sunrise, camera pans right"

Runway Gen-3 ($2.40/video at Standard rate):

Quality: 9/10
Motion: Smooth, cinematic
Time: 10 seconds
Result: Stunning, worth $2.40 for key shots

Pika Labs ($0.33/video at $10/month plan):

Quality: 6.5/10
Motion: Slightly janky (some warping)
Time: 3 seconds (can extend to 12 seconds)
Result: Good enough for quick B-roll

My workflow:

Hero shots (opening, key visuals): Runway ($2.40 each)
Filler B-roll (8-10 clips): Pika ($0.33 each)
Total cost/video: $2.40 + ($0.33 × 8) = $5.04 (vs $23.75 with all Runway)

78% cheaper per video.

What I love:

✅ 7x cheaper than Runway per generation
✅ Good enough quality for B-roll
✅ Fast generation (30-60 seconds)

What's missing:

❌ Lower quality (obvious when side-by-side with Runway)
❌ More artifacts (weird warping sometimes)

Best for: Budget B-roll, quantity over quality, filler shots.

4. Haiper AI — Best Free Text-to-Video (100% Free!)

Website: https://haiper.ai

Wait, free?

Yes. Haiper is 100% free (as of Feb 2025).

Quality:

5/10 (worse than Pika, much worse than Runway)
Good for: Abstract visuals, motion graphics (not realistic scenes)

My use case:

Video: "Top 10 AI Tools 2025"
Need: Abstract background visuals while I talk
Example: Swirling particles, glowing lines, tech aesthetic

Haiper prompt: "Abstract tech background, blue particles floating, slow motion"
Result: 4-second clip, good enough for background while I'm in PIP (picture-in-picture)

When I use Haiper:

✅ Background visuals (not focus, just mood)
✅ Abstract/motion graphics (not realistic scenes)
✅ Testing prompts (free = no cost to experiment)

When I DON'T use Haiper:

❌ Hero shots (too low quality)
❌ Realistic scenes (artifacts obvious)

Best for: Free B-roll, abstract visuals, testing prompts before paying for Runway/Pika.

Alternatives (also free):

Genmo: Similar quality, also free
Stable Video Diffusion: Open source, need to self-host

✂️ Video Editing

5. Descript — Best AI Video Editor ($24/month)

Website: https://www.descript.com

Why I pay $24/month (this is my #1 paid tool):

Old workflow (Adobe Premiere):

Record 20-min video
Watch entire video
Cut 5 minutes of "umms," pauses, mistakes
Add captions manually (or pay $0.10/min for Rev)
Export Total time: 2-3 hours/video

New workflow (Descript):

Record 20-min video
Upload to Descript
AI removes "umms" and silences (1 click)
AI generates captions (1 click)
Edit video like a Google Doc (delete text = delete video)
Export Total time: 30-45 minutes/video

Time saved: 1.5-2 hours/video × 10 videos/month = 15-20 hours/month.

$24/month ÷ 20 hours saved = $1.20/hour.

That's insanely cheap compared to hiring an editor ($20-50/hour).

Features I use:

✅ Remove filler words ("um," "uh," "like")
✅ Remove silences (gaps > 1 second)
✅ Auto captions (95% accurate, beat Rev's $0.10/min)
✅ Overdub (fix mistakes by typing, AI clones my voice)
✅ Studio Sound (AI removes background noise)

What I love:

✅ Edit video like a doc (non-editors can use this!)
✅ Fast (exports in minutes, not hours)
✅ All-in-one (recording, editing, captions, export)

What's missing:

❌ $24/month (only paid tool I kept, but worth it)
❌ Less control than Premiere (fine for talking-head videos, not for cinematic)

Best for: YouTubers, podcasters, talking-head videos, solo creators.

Free alternative: DaVinci Resolve (powerful but steep learning curve, no AI features).

6. CapCut — Best Free Editor with AI Features (Free!)

Website: https://www.capcut.com

Why I use CapCut for some videos:

Descript is great for talking-head videos.
CapCut is better for fast-paced edits (B-roll heavy, music-driven).

CapCut AI features (free):

✅ Auto captions (similar to Descript)
✅ AI voice (text-to-speech)
✅ Background remover (remove green screen)
✅ Auto reframe (crop 16:9 → 9:16 for Shorts)

My workflow:

Talking-head videos (scripts, interviews): Descript
Fast-paced videos (top 10 lists, B-roll heavy): CapCut

What I love:

✅ Free (!!!)
✅ Fast exports (uses GPU, faster than Descript)
✅ Mobile app (edit on phone, sometimes faster than laptop)

What's missing:

❌ Can't edit like a doc (need traditional timeline editing)
❌ No filler word removal (need to manually cut)

Best for: B-roll heavy videos, TikTok/Shorts, mobile editing.

📱 Short-Form Content (TikTok/Shorts/Reels)

7. Opus Clip — Best AI Short Clipper ($19/month, Free: 60 min)

Website: https://www.opus.pro

Why I downgraded from $57 to $19/month:

Old plan (Starter Plus $57/month):

400 minutes processing/month
Used 180 minutes (45% waste)

New plan (Starter $19/month):

150 minutes processing/month
Use 140 minutes (93% utilization)

Savings: $38/month = $456/year

Why I pay $19/month:

Problem: I upload 2-3 long videos/week (10-20 min each).
I want to repurpose into 10-15 shorts/week.
Manual clipping takes 2 hours/video.

Opus solution:

Upload 20-min video
AI finds 10-15 "viral moments" (hooks, punchlines, stories)
Auto-crops to 9:16 (centers face)
Adds captions + emoji
Export all clips (5 minutes)

Time saved: 2 hours → 5 minutes = 23x faster.

Results (my top Opus clip):

Original video: 5,000 views (long-form)
Opus clip: 87,000 views (TikTok)
17x more views than original

What I love:

✅ AI picks good moments (80% accuracy)
✅ Auto-caption + emoji (saves time)
✅ Batch export (10+ clips at once)

What's missing:

❌ Sometimes picks boring moments (20% need manual review)

Free alternative: Edit shorts manually in CapCut (2 hours vs 5 minutes).

Best for: Repurposing long content → shorts, viral clip hunting, daily short posters.

8. Gling AI — Best for Cutting Silences (Free: 30 min/month)

Website: https://www.gling.ai

Why I tested this vs Descript:

Descript ($24/month): Full editing suite
Gling AI (Free: 30 min/month): ONLY cuts silences + filler words

My test:

15-minute video with lots of pauses.

Descript: Processed, cut silences, reduced to 12 minutes.
Gling AI: Processed, cut silences, reduced to 12 minutes (same result!).

Conclusion: Gling's free tier (30 min/month) can handle 2 videos/month. If you ONLY need silence cutting (not full editing), Gling saves $24/month.

My choice: Still use Descript (I need captions, overdub, full editing). But Gling is great for pure silence removal on a budget.

Best for: Budget creators who only need silence cutting, testing before paying for Descript.

🎙️ AI Voiceover & Audio

9. ElevenLabs Free Tier — Best AI Voice (Free: 10k chars/month)

Website: https://elevenlabs.io

Why I downgraded from $22 Starter to Free:

January usage (Starter $22/month):

30k characters/month (used 8k)
10 custom voices (used 1)
Overpaid by $14/month

February plan (Free):

10k characters/month
3 voices
Just enough for my needs (1-2 voiceovers/month)

Savings: $22/month = $264/year

My use case:

Video: "Top 10 AI Tools 2025"
Voiceover: I was sick, couldn't record.
Solution: Type script → ElevenLabs → Export MP3 → Use in video.

Quality:

8/10 (sounds human, occasional robotic moments)
My viewers didn't notice (got 0 comments about "AI voice")

What I love:

✅ Sounds natural (better than Google TTS, Amazon Polly)
✅ Free tier (10k chars = ~5 min audio)
✅ Fast (generates in seconds)

What's missing:

❌ Free tier limited (10k chars = only 2 videos/month)
❌ Occasional robotic inflection

Best for: Sick days, faceless YouTube channels, audiobook narration, voiceover for B-roll.

Paid alternative: If you need >10k chars/month, $11 Starter plan (30k chars).

10. Adobe Podcast AI — Best Free Audio Enhancement (100% Free!)

Website: https://podcast.adobe.com/enhance

What it does:

Removes background noise, echo, makes audio sound "studio quality."

My use case:

Problem: I recorded video in coffee shop (background noise).
Fix: Export audio → Upload to Adobe Podcast AI → Download enhanced audio → Replace in video.

Before/After:

Before: Coffee grinder, conversations, traffic (distracting)
After: Clean audio (sounds like I'm in a studio)

What I love:

✅ 100% free (no limits!)
✅ One-click enhancement (no manual EQ/compression)
✅ Works with any audio (video calls, field recordings)

What's missing:

❌ Can sound "over-processed" if applied to already-clean audio

Best for: Fixing noisy recordings, field recordings, improving bad audio.

Alternative: Descript's "Studio Sound" (similar, but requires $24/month Descript subscription).

🖼️ Thumbnails & Graphics

11. Microsoft Bing Image Creator — Best Free AI Thumbnails (Free!)

Website: https://www.bing.com/images/create

Why I cancelled MidJourney ($10/month):

January:

MidJourney: $10/month
Usage: 3 thumbnails
Cost per thumbnail: $3.33

February:

Bing Image Creator: Free
Usage: 6 thumbnails (already 2x more)
Cost per thumbnail: $0

Savings: $10/month = $120/year

Quality comparison:

Prompt: "YouTube thumbnail, person looking shocked at laptop screen, neon pink and blue lighting"

MidJourney ($10/month):

Quality: 9/10 (stunning)
Control: High (--ar 16:9, --v 6, etc.)
Speed: 30-60 seconds

Bing Image Creator (Free):

Quality: 7/10 (good, not stunning)
Control: Low (just text prompt)
Speed: 30-60 seconds

Verdict: Bing is "good enough" for thumbnails.

What I love:

✅ Free (uses DALL-E 3, same as ChatGPT Plus)
✅ 15 "boosts" per day (fast generation)
✅ Commercial use allowed

What's missing:

❌ Less control than MidJourney (can't fine-tune aspect ratio, style)

Best for: YouTube thumbnails, blog headers, social media graphics.

Paid alternative: MidJourney ($10/month if you want highest quality).

12. Canva AI — Best for Text + AI Background (Free: 50 credits/month)

Website: https://www.canva.com

Why I use Canva AI (not just Bing):

Bing generates image.
Canva adds text + branding (logo, font, layout).

My workflow:

Generate background in Bing (free)
Upload to Canva
Add thumbnail text (large, bold, curiosity-driven)
Add my logo/branding
Export

Canva AI features (Free tier):

✅ Magic Resize (one design → multiple sizes)
✅ Background Remover (5 free uses/month)
✅ AI Text-to-Image (built-in, but worse than Bing)
✅ 50 AI credits/month

What I love:

✅ Easy thumbnail templates (drag-and-drop)
✅ Free tier is solid (50 credits = enough for thumbnails)

What's missing:

❌ AI generation worse than Bing (I use Bing, then import to Canva)

Best for: Adding text to AI-generated backgrounds, thumbnail layouts, branding.

🔍 Research & Script Writing

13. ChatGPT Free — Best AI Script Outliner (Free!)

Website: https://chat.openai.com

Why I don't pay for ChatGPT Plus ($20/month):

My use case: Video script outlines.

Example:

Me: "Outline a 10-minute video about best AI video tools for YouTube creators under $50/month budget"

ChatGPT Free (GPT-3.5):

1. Intro (1 min): Problem - AI tools are expensive
2. My situation (1 min): $342/month → $47/month
3. Tool 1: Descript ($24)
4. Tool 2: Runway Gen-3 ($12)
5. Tool 3: Pika Labs ($10)
...
10. Conclusion (1 min): Summary + Call to action

That's good enough for me. I fill in details myself.

When I'd pay for ChatGPT Plus ($20/month):

If I needed GPT-4 for long-form scripts (2000+ words)
If I needed DALL-E 3 image generation (but Bing is free)
If I needed web browsing (but I use Perplexity for free)

What I love:

✅ Free (GPT-3.5 is solid for outlines)
✅ Fast (responses in 2-3 seconds)

What's missing:

❌ GPT-4 is better (more nuanced, but not $20/month better for my use case)

Best for: Script outlines, brainstorming, idea generation.

14. Perplexity AI — Best for Research (Free!)

Website: https://www.perplexity.ai

Why I use Perplexity > ChatGPT for research:

ChatGPT: Trained on data up to Jan 2024 (outdated for current tools).
Perplexity: Real-time web search (finds articles from Feb 2025).

Example:

Me: "What are the newest AI video tools released in 2025?"

ChatGPT Free: Lists tools from 2023-2024 (Runway, Pika, etc.)
Perplexity: Lists Sora 2 (Dec 2024), Haiper AI (Jan 2025), latest updates with sources.

What I love:

✅ Real-time search (vs ChatGPT's outdated training data)
✅ Cites sources (links to articles)
✅ Free tier is generous

What's missing:

❌ Less creative than ChatGPT (more factual, less "fun" language)

Best for: Current trends, tool research, fact-checking.

Example: I used Perplexity to research "Sora 2 vs Runway Gen-3" → Found Sora2.ink comparison.

🎞️ Stock Footage & Assets

15. Pexels + AI Upscaling — Best Free Stock Footage (Free!)

Website: https://www.pexels.com (Pexels) + https://replicate.com/nightmareai/real-esrgan (AI upscale)

My workflow:

Problem: Most free stock footage is 1080p (YouTube prefers 4K for quality badge).

Solution:

Download 1080p clip from Pexels (free)
AI upscale to 4K using Real-ESRGAN (free on Replicate)
Use in video

Cost: $0 (vs $15-50/month for Artgrid/Storyblocks).

Quality:

Pexels 1080p: Good
Pexels 1080p → AI 4K upscale: Great (not perfect, but 90% as good as native 4K)

What I love:

✅ Free stock footage (Pexels, Pixabay, Unsplash)
✅ Free AI upscaling (Real-ESRGAN on Replicate)

What's missing:

❌ Limited selection (vs paid Artgrid's massive library)
❌ AI upscaling adds slight artifacts (barely noticeable)

Best for: Budget creators, B-roll, filler footage.

Paid alternative: Artgrid ($15/month, unlimited 4K stock footage).

🧮 Budget Planning

16. SuperCalc Budget Calculator — Best for Tracking AI Spending (Free!)

Website: https://supercalc.dev/finance/budget-calculator

Why I use this:

Problem: I subscribed to 5+ AI tools, forgot to cancel trials, overspent by $200/month.

Solution: Track all subscriptions in SuperCalc Budget Calculator.

My setup:

Input:

Monthly income: $300 (YouTube)
Fixed expenses: $0 (just AI tools)
Variable expenses: $342 (AI tools in Jan)

Output:

Remaining: -$42 (spending more than I earn!)
Alert: "You're overspending by $42/month"

Action: Cut AI spending from $342 → $47 (see breakdown below).

What I love:

✅ Free (no signup)
✅ Simple tracking (shows overspending immediately)
✅ Helps me make budget decisions

Best for: Tracking subscriptions, budget planning, avoiding overspending on AI tools.

🎮 Productivity Breaks

17. Funora Mini-Games — Best for 5-Min Creative Breaks (Free!)

Website: https://funora.online/games/tetris/

Wait, games for video editing?

Yes. Hear me out.

My creative block problem:

3:00pm: Editing for 4 hours straight. Brain fog hits.
3:00pm: Staring at timeline, can't decide: Cut this clip or keep it?
3:30pm: Still stuck on same decision (wasted 30 minutes).

My 5-minute break solution:

3:00pm: Brain fog hits.
3:05pm: Play Funora Tetris (1 game, 5 minutes).
3:10pm: Back to editing. Suddenly know: Cut the clip.

Why this works (my theory):

Tetris uses different brain region (spatial vs creative)
5 minutes of pattern matching = mental palate cleanser
Comes back with fresh perspective

What I love:

✅ No ads (vs other game sites with banner ads)
✅ 5-minute natural stopping point (1 game)
✅ Actually helps creativity (not just procrastination)

What's missing:

❌ Can be addictive (set timer!)

Best for: Creative breaks, avoiding burnout, resetting mental state.

Alternative: Walk outside (better, but requires leaving desk).

🤖 AI Writing Assistants

18. Grammarly Free — Best for Video Descriptions (Free!)

Website: https://www.grammarly.com

Why I use it:

YouTube descriptions need to be error-free (affects SEO + professionalism).

My workflow:

Write video description in Google Docs
Grammarly catches typos, grammar errors
Copy to YouTube

Stats (after 6 months):

Caught 180+ typos in video descriptions
Fixed 40+ grammar mistakes
Saved ~1 hour/month on proofreading

What I love:

✅ Works in browser (Gmail, Google Docs, YouTube)
✅ Real-time checking (as I type)
✅ Free tier is solid (catches 90% of issues)

What's missing (Free tier):

❌ No tone adjustment (Premium feature)
❌ No advanced suggestions

Best for: Video descriptions, emails, captions, professional writing.

📊 Cost Comparison Table

Tool	Old Cost	New Cost	Savings
Paid Tools
Descript	$24	$24	$0 (worth it)
Runway	$95 → $12	$12	$83/month
Pika Labs	-	$10	-$10 (new tool)
Opus Clip	$57 → $19	$19	$38/month
ElevenLabs	$22 → $0	$0	$22/month
CapCut Pro	$12 → $0	$0	$12/month
MidJourney	$10 → $0	$0	$10/month
Subtotal	$220	$65	$155/month
Free Tools
Sora2.ink	Free	Free	Research
Haiper AI	Free	Free	B-roll
CapCut	Free	Free	Editing
Gling AI	Free	Free	Silence cuts
Adobe Podcast	Free	Free	Audio cleanup
Bing Image Creator	Free	Free	Thumbnails
Canva AI	Free	Free	Thumbnail text
ChatGPT Free	Free	Free	Outlines
Perplexity	Free	Free	Research
Pexels	Free	Free	Stock footage
SuperCalc	Free	Free	Budget tracking
Funora	Free	Free	Breaks
Grammarly	Free	Free	Proofreading
Old Total		$342/month
New Total		$47/month
Savings		$295/month	$3,540/year

🎯 My Current AI Video Workflow

Monday (Planning):

ChatGPT: Generate 3 video topic ideas (5 min)
Perplexity: Research trending topics + verify data (15 min)
Sora2.ink: Check if new AI tools launched (5 min)

Tuesday-Thursday (Production):

Script (30 min):
- ChatGPT: Outline
- Write full script in Google Docs
- Grammarly: Proofread
Record (20 min):
- Film talking head
Edit (45 min):
- Upload to Descript
- AI removes silences + captions
- Export
B-roll (20 min):
- Hero shot: Runway ($2.40)
- 8 filler shots: Pika ($2.64 total)
- Abstract backgrounds: Haiper (free)
Thumbnail (10 min):
- Generate background: Bing (free)
- Add text: Canva (free)

Friday (Repurpose):

Upload long video to Opus ($19/month)
Generate 10 shorts (5 min)
Post to TikTok/Shorts

Total time: ~2 hours/video (vs 4-5 hours before AI)
Total cost: $5.04/video (vs $114/video in January)

💡 What I Learned After 6 Months of AI Video Tools

1. Free tools improved MASSIVELY in 2024-2025

2024: Free AI tools were trash (blurry, artifacts, unusable).
2025: Free tools (Haiper, Bing, CapCut) are "good enough" for 80% of use cases.

Lesson: Try free tools first. Only pay if quality gap is huge.

2. "Unlimited" plans are usually overkill

Runway Unlimited ($95/month):

I thought I'd generate 100 clips/month.
Reality: I generated 12 clips/month (mostly failed).
Wasted $83/month.

Lesson: Start with smallest paid plan. Upgrade only if you hit limits.

3. Time saved > Money saved

Descript ($24/month):

Saves 20 hours/month editing
$24 ÷ 20 hours = $1.20/hour

Hiring editor:

$20-50/hour × 20 hours = $400-1,000/month

Lesson: Paying $24 to save 20 hours is INSANE value.

4. AI can't replace creativity (yet)

AI generates B-roll.
AI removes silences.
AI adds captions.

But AI can't:

Write a compelling hook
Structure a narrative
Edit for emotion

Lesson: AI is assistant, not replacement. Use it to speed up boring tasks (captions, silences), focus your time on creative decisions (hook, story, pacing).

5. Research AI tools before subscribing

I wish I found Sora2.ink earlier. Would've saved me from subscribing to 5 wrong tools.

Lesson: Google "[tool name] vs [tool name] 2025" before subscribing. Someone already tested it.

6. Budget tracking prevents overspending

SuperCalc Budget Calculator showed me: "You're overspending $42/month."

Without that visual, I would've kept hemorrhaging money.

Lesson: Track all subscriptions. Set budget alerts.

🚀 My Recommended Budget Stack

Option 1: Minimum Viable ($24/month)

Core:

✅ Descript ($24) - Editing + captions
✅ All free tools (Haiper, CapCut, Bing, etc.)

Total: $24/month

Good for: Beginners, <5 videos/month, tight budget.

Option 2: Quality Stack ($47/month) ⭐ My Choice

Core:

✅ Descript ($24) - Editing
✅ Runway Standard ($12) - Hero shots
✅ Pika Labs ($10) - Bulk B-roll
✅ All free tools

Optional add-ons:

Opus Clip ($19) - If posting shorts daily

Total: $47/month (without Opus), $66/month (with Opus)

Good for: 8-10 videos/month, quality focus, my setup.

Option 3: Pro Stack ($100/month)

Core:

✅ Descript ($24) - Editing
✅ Runway Unlimited ($95) - Unlimited B-roll
✅ Opus Clip ($19) - Shorts
✅ All free tools

Total: $138/month

Good for: 20+ videos/month, agencies, high budget.

💬 Your Turn

What AI video tools do you use?

Drop a comment with your stack! Always looking for new tools.

Questions I'm exploring:

Is Sora 2 finally available? (Still on waitlist as of Feb 2025)
Any cheaper alternatives to Opus Clip for shorts?
Best AI thumbnail generators besides Bing?

Let me know your experience!

YouTube #AITools #VideoEditing #ContentCreation #AIVideo #BudgetCreator #YouTubeTips

Tools mentioned (in order of appearance):

Sora2.ink: https://sora2.ink (AI video research)
Runway Gen-3: https://runwayml.com (text-to-video)
Pika Labs: https://pika.art (budget text-to-video)
Haiper AI: https://haiper.ai (free text-to-video)
Descript: https://descript.com (video editing)
CapCut: https://capcut.com (free editing)
Opus Clip: https://opus.pro (short clipper)
Gling AI: https://gling.ai (silence removal)
ElevenLabs: https://elevenlabs.io (AI voiceover)
Adobe Podcast: https://podcast.adobe.com/enhance (audio cleanup)
Bing Image Creator: https://bing.com/images/create (thumbnails)
Canva: https://canva.com (thumbnail design)
ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com (script outlines)
Perplexity: https://perplexity.ai (research)
Pexels: https://pexels.com (stock footage)
SuperCalc: https://supercalc.dev/finance/budget-calculator (budget tracking)
Funora: https://funora.online/games/tetris/ (creative breaks)
Grammarly: https://grammarly.com (proofreading)

Competitors mentioned:

MidJourney: https://midjourney.com ($10/month)
Artgrid: https://artgrid.io ($15/month)
Rev: https://rev.com ($0.10/min captions)
Adobe Premiere: https://adobe.com/premiere (professional editing)

Disclaimer: Not sponsored by any AI tool. Sharing my actual tool stack after cutting AI spending 86%. I follow Sora2.ink for research (great comparison site), and I help run Funora and SuperCalc as side projects, so I'm biased toward them (but tried to be objective about when paid tools are better).

Affiliate disclosure: No affiliate links in this post. All links are direct to official websites.