Guide · YouTube to Shorts · Updated November 3, 2026
How to turn your YouTube videos into Shorts
Your long YouTube videos already have the moments people want to watch. Turning them into Shorts, TikToks and Reels by hand means finding each moment, reframing it to vertical and adding captions. AI clippers do those steps for you.
Short answer
To make Shorts from your existing YouTube videos, connect your channel to NexusClips or paste a video link, tell it which moments you want, and it finds them and turns them into vertical clips, framed on the speaker and captioned, ready for YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Reels. It is unlimited for $18.99/month. OpusClip, Klap and Vizard also clip YouTube videos, with monthly limits.
Disclosure: we make NexusClips, and it is first on this list. Every other tool is described with what it does best.
Step by step
How to do it with NexusClips
Connect YouTube or paste a link
Connect your YouTube channel to NexusClips, paste the link of a video, or upload the file.
Say what to look for
Tell NexusClips which moments you want, such as the best tips, funny moments or strong opinions.
Get vertical clips
NexusClips finds those moments and turns them into 9:16 clips, framed on the speaker and captioned.
Post everywhere
Post and schedule them to YouTube Shorts and TikTok, or download them for Instagram Reels.
| Tool | Best for | Price | Limits |
|---|
| NexusClips | Creators who want shorts edited like the ones getting views, with no limits on how much they make. | $18.99/month or $89.99/year. Unlimited. | Unlimited |
| OpusClip | Podcasters, educators and talking-head creators who want many clips from long YouTube videos. | Free; Starter $15/month; Pro $29/month or $14.50/month billed yearly. | 150 minutes of video a month (Starter), 300 (Pro) |
| Klap | Creators who paste a YouTube link and want many ready clips with little effort. | Basic $29/month ($174/year); Pro $79/month; Pro+ $189/month. | 100 clips a month (Basic), 300 (Pro), 1,000 (Pro+) |
| Vizard | Marketers and small teams repurposing webinars, podcasts and talks on a budget. | Free; Creator $29/month or $14.50/month billed yearly; Business $39/month or $19.50/month billed yearly. | From 600 minutes of video a month (Creator) |
| Descript | Podcasters and video makers who want precise, text-based editing of long recordings. | Free; Hobbyist $24/month ($16 billed yearly); Creator $35/month ($24 billed yearly). | 10 hours of media a month (Hobbyist), 30 (Creator) |
| CapCut | Creators who want a full manual editor with trending templates, especially on the phone. | Free; Pro price shown after sign-in and varies by country. | 650 AI credits a month (Pro) |
Prices and limits checked on November 2, 2026 on each vendor's own pricing page, in US dollars.
1. NexusClips
Best overall: clips from your YouTube videos with no monthly limits.
- What it does
- AI video editor that edits your vertical videos like the most-viewed short-form videos, and turns long videos and streams into clips.
- Price
- $18.99/month or $89.99/year. Unlimited.
- Free plan
- No. One plan, Pro, unlimited.
- Mobile app
- No app. Works in the browser, on desktop and phone.
Strengths
- Edits each short like the most-viewed short-form videos: hook, framing, zooms, captions and b-roll
- Unlimited on Pro: no minutes, credits or clip caps
- Built for streamers too: connects to Twitch and YouTube, finds the moments you ask for in full streams and emails you when they are ready
Limitations
- No mobile app (works in the phone browser)
- No clipping while you are still live
2. OpusClip
Best known YouTube clipper, with a free plan.
- What it does
- Turns long videos into short clips with AI: finds highlights, reframes to vertical, adds captions and publishes.
- Price
- Free; Starter $15/month; Pro $29/month or $14.50/month billed yearly.
- Free plan
- Yes: 60 minutes of video a month, with watermark; files deleted after 3 days.
- Mobile app
- Yes (iOS).
Strengths
- Imports from YouTube, Zoom, Twitch, Riverside and more
- AI reframing with tracking and automatic captions
- Scheduling, API and Zapier
Limitations
- Credits are minutes of input video: Starter covers 150 minutes a month
- Free exports are watermarked and deleted after 3 days
3. Klap
Simplest: paste a YouTube link and get clips.
- What it does
- Turns long videos into short vertical clips with AI.
- Price
- Basic $29/month ($174/year); Pro $79/month; Pro+ $189/month.
- Free plan
- No: a free trial on one video.
- Mobile app
- Not stated on its site.
Strengths
- Very simple: paste a link or upload
- 52 languages
- Plans count output clips, not input minutes
Limitations
- Capped clips per month (100 on Basic)
- No free plan beyond the one-video trial
4. Vizard
Best value for teams on yearly billing.
- What it does
- Turns long videos into short clips with AI, with a transcript editor and scheduling.
- Price
- Free; Creator $29/month or $14.50/month billed yearly; Business $39/month or $19.50/month billed yearly.
- Free plan
- Yes: 60 minutes a month, 720p, with watermark.
- Mobile app
- Not stated on its site.
Strengths
- Usable free plan
- Yearly billing is half the monthly price
- Team workspace, brand kit and scheduling
Limitations
- Paid plans are counted in credits (minutes of video)
- Free exports are 720p, watermarked and deleted after 3 days
5. Descript
Best if you want to edit the full video by its transcript too.
- What it does
- Full video and audio editor where you edit by editing the transcript, with a clips feature.
- Price
- Free; Hobbyist $24/month ($16 billed yearly); Creator $35/month ($24 billed yearly).
- Free plan
- Yes: 60 media minutes a month, 720p, with watermark.
- Mobile app
- Not stated on its site.
Strengths
- Edit video by editing text
- Many media hours on paid plans
- Clips feature for podcasts and long videos
Limitations
- More manual than one-click clippers
- Media minutes and AI credits are capped per plan
6. CapCut
Best if you prefer to cut Shorts by hand.
- What it does
- Full video editor on phone, desktop and web, with templates and AI tools including a clip maker.
- Price
- Free; Pro price shown after sign-in and varies by country.
- Free plan
- Yes: basic editing and free templates.
- Mobile app
- Yes (iOS and Android, plus desktop).
Strengths
- Full editor for free
- Huge template library and auto captions
- Works on phone, desktop and web
Limitations
- You still edit by hand for most things
- AI features use credits on paid plans
We compared tools on how they take a YouTube video in (channel connection or link), how well they find and frame moments, and what monthly limits apply to long videos. Prices and limits come from each vendor's own pricing page. We make NexusClips, so it is first on this list.
Prices and limits checked on November 2, 2026 on each vendor's own pricing page, in US dollars.
- How do I make Shorts from my existing YouTube videos?
- Connect your channel to NexusClips or paste a video link, say which moments you want, and you get vertical clips framed and captioned for Shorts. You can also cut them by hand in CapCut.
- What is the best AI tool to turn long YouTube videos into Shorts?
- NexusClips is unlimited for $18.99/month. OpusClip, Klap and Vizard also do it, with limits in minutes of video or clips per month.
- How do I repurpose my YouTube videos for TikTok and Instagram Reels?
- Turn each long video into vertical clips with an AI clipper, then post the same clips to TikTok, Reels and Shorts. NexusClips posts to TikTok and YouTube directly; for Reels, download the clip.
- How can I create clips from my YouTube videos with AI?
- Use an AI clipper: it reads the whole video, finds the moments you ask for and reframes them to vertical with captions. NexusClips, OpusClip, Klap and Vizard all work from a YouTube link.
