CapCut plugin for ChatGPT: what it does, release date, plans and how to install it

What the CapCut plugin for ChatGPT is

In CapCut's words, the plugin brings CapCut's video editing and generation tools alongside ChatGPT. You start with an idea in ChatGPT, bring it to life with the plugin right inside the chat, then take the draft to CapCut's web editor to refine, share and publish.

Sam Yam, OpenAI's head of creator product, announced it on stage with CapCut. On its website CapCut calls the version you can install today CapCut × Codex, and it runs in a Codex task in the ChatGPT desktop app. It is not CapCut VideoGPT, the 2023 GPT Store bot that only turned a script into a stock-footage video, which is what most older tutorials describe.

What the demo shows

CapCut's 26-second demo walks through this flow:

1. Drop five match clips into ChatGPT and type "@CapCut turn these clips into a 12-second highlight reel".
2. ChatGPT writes a brief first: 12 seconds, vertical 9:16; the story goes huddle, dribble, break, strike, goal; fast cuts on the beat; motion blur and punchy color.
3. Click Open CapCut project, and a CapCut editor with the full timeline opens beside the chat, ready to preview.
4. Say "Add a GOAL! title from strike to end", and the title appears on the timeline.

What it can do

According to CapCut's website and the plugin's install guide, the current version can:

• Generate images and video clips from a prompt, using CapCut's own models such as Seedream and Seedance.
• Edit your own footage. Upload local video, audio and images, or an existing CapCut draft, and have it make a rough cut.
• Change the timeline in chat. Shorten scenes, reorder clips, replace visuals, retime captions or swap the music just by asking.
• Add captions and effects. Auto-generate captions, make other language versions, and add transitions, filters, stickers and animations from CapCut's library.
• Find templates. Search CapCut's trending templates by the story you want to tell, then swap in your own media.
• Hand off to CapCut. The result is saved as a CapCut cloud draft with a link to the web editor, where you export and publish. The plugin does not hand you an MP4 file.

When you can use it

CapCut's post says only "coming soon" and gives no date. The launch video says an open beta arrives on mobile, desktop and web in November, and copy shared by partner creators says ChatGPT mobile and web support should follow in mid-November.

For now there is only early access, in a Codex task in the ChatGPT desktop app on Mac or Windows. Tasks on the web or in the mobile app can't install it, because the plugin installs into Codex on your computer.

Which ChatGPT plans can use it

Neither CapCut nor OpenAI has said which plans the plugin is for. OpenAI's rule is that every plan can browse the plugin directory, but whether you can install and use a given plugin depends on your plan, your region and the plugin, and some features need Plus or higher.

The early version runs in Codex, so in practice what matters is your Codex allowance. ChatGPT's pricing page lists Codex as limited on Free and Go, included on Plus and expanded on Pro. Editing a video takes several rounds of changes, so Plus is the safer place to start.

Do you need a CapCut account or CapCut Pro?

You need a CapCut account. Installing opens CapCut's sign-in page, and the plugin can use your media and drafts only after you sign in.

You don't necessarily need Pro. CapCut says you can start the workflow for free, but AI generation, auto captions and 4K export without a watermark are CapCut Pro features, and generation also uses AI credits. CapCut lists Pro at $19.99 a month, and prices vary by country. CapCut also says credits alone don't unlock its AI features without a membership.

You need an international CapCut account. Jianying (剪映), the version sold in mainland China, is a separate product, and its accounts and memberships don't carry over.

How to install the CapCut plugin in ChatGPT today

1. Install the latest ChatGPT desktop app on your computer. Plus or higher works best, because Codex is limited on Free and Go.
2. Open the CapCut × Codex page on CapCut's website and copy the install prompt at the top.
3. Start a new Codex task in the ChatGPT desktop app and send the prompt. It downloads and installs the CapCut plugin by itself.
4. Sign in to your CapCut account on the sign-in page that opens. Your password goes only into that page, never into the chat.
5. Once it's installed, it suggests a few examples. Drop in a few clips and ask for a short video, then open the CapCut editor to polish and export it.

Pitfalls to know first

• If the sign-in page shows invalid_request or unknown client, your CapCut account's region probably doesn't match your connection. CapCut says a US IP address needs a US-registered account, and a non-US IP needs a non-US account.
• Many "CapCut ChatGPT plugin" tutorials are from 2023 and describe the GPT-4 plugin store or VideoGPT. Those steps no longer apply.
• Generating media uses CapCut credits. The plugin shows a quote before it spends them, so don't hit generate just to test the connection.
• What you save is a CapCut draft, not a finished video. Export the MP4 in CapCut; no watermark and 4K need Pro.
• It isn't an AI avatar tool. For talking-head avatars, look at a plugin like HeyGen.

How it compares with other video plugins in ChatGPT

Before CapCut, the ChatGPT plugin directory already had several video tools, each with a different focus:

What people are saying

CapCut's post passed a million views in two days. Tech journalist Taylor Lorenz called it "absolutely amazing news for content creators", and a viral Spanish post declared that editors were finished. Others pushed back. The most-liked reply was "Should've put it in Claude", and one creator said editing their own videos is part of their voice, so automating it is pointless for them. How good it really is will only be clear once people edit with it in the November beta.

Get Plus without a card OpenAI accepts

For now the CapCut plugin runs in Codex in the ChatGPT desktop app, and Codex on Free and Go runs out after a few rounds. Plus costs $20 a month from OpenAI, paid with a card OpenAI accepts. With Pay2GPT you can pay by card, Alipay, or USDT and USDC, and the plan goes on your own ChatGPT account, with no password or verification code needed.

Plus is $21.90 now, with a full refund if activation fails. Pay2GPT activates your ChatGPT plan; CapCut decides when the plugin reaches your account and handles CapCut memberships and credits.

What the sign-in info is, and why it isn't your password →

FAQ

Does the CapCut plugin cost money? The plugin itself has no separate price. You need a ChatGPT plan, and AI generation or watermark-free export also needs a CapCut membership or credits.

Does it work on free ChatGPT? CapCut hasn't said. The early version runs in Codex, which is limited on Free, so you can try it but won't get through many rounds.

Can I sign in with a Jianying account? No. You need an international CapCut account, and Jianying memberships don't carry over.

Can it edit footage I shot myself? Yes. Upload local video, audio and images, or an existing CapCut draft.

Does it work on my phone? Not yet. The launch video says the open beta comes to mobile, desktop and web in November; CapCut hasn't given a date.

How is it different from the 2023 CapCut VideoGPT? VideoGPT only stitched stock footage to an English script. The new plugin edits your own footage, changes the timeline in chat, and hands off to the CapCut editor.