Head-to-head · license & price checked
OpusClip vs Submagic (2026)
Both free tiers are a trap if you monetize — here's the cheapest plan that's actually safe, and what each one costs you.
By Abdallah AmjidLast verified June 13, 2026
Free tier is personal/non-commercial by contract AND watermarks every clip
Safe entry: Starter, $15/mo
Every free export carries a Submagic watermark
Safe entry: Starter, $12/mo (billed yearly)
Neither free tier is safe to monetize: OpusClip watermarks every clip and its terms restrict free use to personal/non-commercial, while Submagic watermarks every export too. So this isn't a free-vs-free fight — it's a paid-plan comparison. The real question is which "Starter" tier gets you a clean, licensed clip for the least money, and what each one nickel-and-dimes you on.
Side by side
 OpusClip |  Submagic | |
|---|---|---|
| Monetization safety | ||
| Safe on free plan? | Not safe | Not safe |
| Watermark on free | Yes, "Opus Clip" watermark on every export | Yes, on all free exports |
| Commercial use on free | No, Terms limit free use to personal, non-commercial | No (watermark + trial positioning) |
| Attribution required | No (watermark is the de-facto branding) | No |
| Cheapest safe plan | Starter, $15/mo | Starter, $12/mo billed yearly |
| Free plan | ||
| Free plan | 60 processing min/month, 9:16 only, clips expire in 3 days | 3 videos/month, max 90s, 1080p, watermarked |
| Max quality on free | Watermarked | 1080p (watermarked) |
| Our rating | ||
| Our score | 8.0 / 10 | 7.7 / 10 |
The key difference
Submagic's safe plan is cheaper on paper — $12/mo billed yearly vs OpusClip's $15/mo — but the catch is what's missing on each free tier before you pay. OpusClip's free clips don't just carry a watermark; they auto-delete after 3 days, so you can lose work before you even decide to upgrade. Submagic caps you at 3 videos/month free. Either way, the watermark plus the license restriction means the only path to monetizable output is the paid tier — the price gap between them is small enough that fit matters more than the few dollars.
Bottom line
If you're a faceless creator who wants the slightly higher editorial rating and broad clip-repurposing, OpusClip at $15/mo Starter is the safe pick — just don't lean on the free tier, because watermarks, the non-commercial license, and 3-day auto-delete make it unusable for real publishing. If you want the cheapest entry to a clean license, Submagic Starter at $12/mo (billed yearly) edges it out on price. The one thing that's true for both: the free tier is never monetizable. To legally publish and monetize, you must be on a paid plan.
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FAQ
Can I monetize OpusClip or Submagic free clips on YouTube?
No. Both free tiers watermark every output, and OpusClip's terms additionally limit free use to personal/non-commercial. To legally monetize, you need a paid plan: OpusClip Starter at $15/mo or Submagic Starter at $12/mo billed yearly.
Which is cheaper to use safely, OpusClip or Submagic?
Submagic is cheaper on the cheapest safe plan: $12/mo (billed yearly) vs OpusClip's $15/mo. The gap is small, so weigh fit alongside price rather than choosing on the few dollars alone.
Why does OpusClip's free tier delete my clips after 3 days?
That's how OpusClip's free plan works — free clips auto-delete after 3 days on top of carrying a watermark and the non-commercial license restriction. It means you can lose output before deciding to upgrade, so treat the free tier as a preview only, not storage.