In 2026, AI video editing has shifted toward “Story First” workflows, where tools act as co-pilots for creative direction rather than just mechanical executors. For professional and hobbyist editors, the following 10 tools are the top choices for automating the most tedious parts of scripting, trimming, and audio processing.
Scripting & Storyboarding
- Squibler – Best for Narrative Creators
Designed for storytellers, it generates movie-quality scripts from short prompts in minutes. It includes a “Describe” feature that adds sensory details (sight, smell) to scenes and offers genre-specific templates for YouTube, commercials, or short films. - Juma (formerly Team-GPT) – Best for Team Collaboration
A specialized script generator that supports multi-model AI (allowing you to switch tones) and real-time collaboration. It is ideal for teams who need to build structured prompts and store successful script frameworks for reuse. - LTX Studio – Best for Pre-Visualization
This “script-to-screen” platform bridges the gap between writing and visuals. It generates storyboards and cinematic sequences directly from your script, allowing you to see your ideas instantly before filming starts.
Automated Trimming & Rough Cuts
- Descript – Best for Text-Based Editing
The industry leader for “edit-by-typing.” You can delete a sentence from the auto-generated transcript, and the corresponding video is instantly trimmed. In 2026, its Underlord AI assistant handles bulk tasks like removing filler words and “ums” with one click. - Wondershare Filmora – Best for Fast Silence Removal
Known for its “AI Silence Detection,” which automatically finds and cuts dead air, creating a tightened rough cut in seconds. It also features Auto Beat Sync, which automatically aligns your cuts to the rhythm of your background music. - Opus Clip – Best for Social Repurposing
This tool analyzes long-form videos (like podcasts or webinars) to find the most viral “hooks”. It automatically trims them into vertical shorts, adds dynamic captions, and reframes the speaker for TikTok and Instagram. - Selects – Best for Professional Prep
A specialized tool for the “front half” of the edit. It handles multi-cam syncing, speaker-aware camera switching, and generates an XML handoff for professional software like Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
Audio Cleanup & Repair
- Adobe Podcast Enhance – Best for Studio-Quality Voice
A web-based tool that uses AI to re-engineer low-quality audio—even recordings from a phone in a noisy room—to sound like they were captured in a professional sound booth. - DaVinci Resolve (Neural Engine) – Best for Integrated Repair
The Voice Isolation tool uses a single slider to separate dialogue from complex background noise like wind or traffic. It also features a Dialogue Leveler to automatically balance volume across different speakers. - Cleanvoice AI – Best for Podcast Polishing
Specifically targets vocal nuances, automatically removing mouth sounds, heavy breathing, and stutters. It also provides automated show notes and summaries based on the cleaned audio.