Kiru

Kiru is a video editor for cleaning up spoken footage through transcript-based edits and automatic cut detection. It suits creators who want to refine recordings on a desktop and continue work offline after transcription. Its monthly video quotas are the main constraint to weigh.

Overview

Kiru pairs word-synced transcripts with automatic detection of false starts, stammers, retakes, filler words and silences. That makes it a focused option for interviews, narration and other speech-heavy footage: users can edit by reading the transcript or let Kiru remove detected material. It is a less obvious fit for anyone seeking an all-purpose editing workflow beyond those tools.

The desktop app keeps original video files on the computer, but sends extracted audio to a remote service for transcription. Once transcription is complete, editing, cut detection and export work offline. AutoCataloging uploads low-resolution proxies only if enabled. The privacy policy says video and audio files are not permanently stored on Kiru’s servers, while transcriptions are stored locally and in its database.

Key features

Transcript editing and automatic cuts

Word-level timeline sync lets editors navigate speech without relying solely on manual scrubbing. Automatic cleanup can remove common verbal stumbles and pauses, which is useful for dialogue edits but does not remove the need to review the result.

Captions, color and exports

The desktop app supports styled AutoCaptions and .cube LUT files in its effects panel. Exports include MP4 and WAV, as well as project files for DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro. That project-file support gives editors a route into those applications; Free users, however, get MP4 export only.

Pricing

Kiru has a free plan and two paid tiers, with monthly prices shown and an annual option labeled “Save 33%.”

• Free — free: 1 hour of video per month, automatic removal of bad takes, silences and mistakes, and MP4 export. It is a practical way to try the cleanup workflow, but the one-hour cap and lack of listed project-file exports limit regular or longer-form use.
• Plus — $15 a month: 10 hours of video per month, automatic cuts, MP4 export and project exports for Resolve, Premiere and Final Cut. This is the fit for creators who need those handoff formats but can stay within ten hours monthly.
• Pro — $30 a month: 30 hours per month, the same editing and export features as Plus, and priority support. The larger quota suits heavier workloads; its main distinction beyond capacity is support priority.

All three plans include automatic cutting, but the monthly quota rises from one hour to ten and then thirty. Choose by expected footage volume rather than assuming the paid tiers change the core cleanup tools. An annual option is offered with a “Save 33%” label.

Platforms

Kiru is available on macOS, Windows, Linux and the web. The browser version has limited features, so desktop is the stronger choice for the full editing feature set. Linux users can install an AppImage, an Arch AUR package or use Kiru’s Nix flake; the AUR package depends on ffmpeg.

Who it's for

Kiru is best for creators and editors who repeatedly clean up speech-heavy footage and value transcript navigation, automatic mistake removal and project exports to established desktop editors. It is less suited to anyone who needs generous monthly throughput on a free plan, wants to avoid sending audio for transcription, or expects the browser version to match the desktop app.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Word-synced transcripts and automatic removal of verbal mistakes and silences target repetitive dialogue cleanup directly.
• Pro: Resolve, Premiere and Final Cut project exports on Plus and Pro support further editing in those applications.
• Pro: Editing, detection and export can run offline after remote transcription is complete.
• Con: Free is capped at one hour of video monthly and only includes MP4 export.
• Con: Transcription requires internet access and sends extracted audio to a remote provider.
• Con: The web version has limited features compared with the desktop app.

Alternatives

CapCut is worth considering for mobile-focused editing: its Standard plan includes basic editing, free templates and cloud storage, and it supports Android and iOS as well as desktop and web platforms.

Descript is another transcript-editing option, with a free plan that includes 60 minutes per month and 100 one-time AI credits. Consider it if that stated free allowance and its AI tools better suit your starting workload.

FireCut offers a free Shorts plan for 25 videos monthly, each up to five minutes, at 720p with a watermark. It is the alternative to consider for short-form output when those limits are acceptable.

Captions is a mobile and web option with a Max plan at $24.99 a month, including 500 monthly credits, AI Edit styles, AI video creation and digital twins or custom AI actors. Pick it when those creation tools are more relevant than Kiru’s transcript-led desktop cleanup.

VEED has a free plan with 720p exports and a watermark, so it may suit readers who can accept those export restrictions.

Gling offers one hour of AI-edited media per month free, with watermarked exports. Its free allowance matches Kiru’s in duration, making the export tradeoff worth comparing.

NewTake is an iOS alternative with three free AI-edited videos per month, preview captions and music, and no watermarks.

OpusClip has a free plan with 60 monthly credits, clips up to 1080p and watermarks; it also limits editing and makes clips unavailable for export after three days.

Browse AI Video Editing Software and AI Video Editors for more options in these categories.

Verdict

Choose Kiru if your main job is trimming speech-heavy footage and you want transcript-based editing, automatic cuts and project exports to Resolve, Premiere or Final Cut. The free hour is enough to assess that workflow, while Plus or Pro makes sense when monthly footage exceeds it. Look elsewhere if remote transcription is a dealbreaker, you need a full-featured browser editor, or your workload does not fit the plan quotas.