Overview
Cardboard is an AI video editor that takes an agentic approach to post-production — you describe the edit you want in plain language, and the tool maps your intent to complex timeline operations automatically. It uses AI to handle much of the mechanical grind of video editing so you can focus on storytelling. Official product materials reference Claude in the interface, but also mention multi-model support and model routing.
The platform is built for content creators, small production teams, and marketers who need to move from raw footage to a publish-ready cut in minutes. Whether you're assembling a talking-head video, clipping podcast highlights, or crafting a product launch montage, Cardboard handles silence removal, captions, color grading, voiceovers, and B-roll placement without requiring you to touch a traditional timeline.
Compared with traditional editors, Cardboard reduces a lot of manual timeline work by turning plain-English prompts into timeline edits, while still allowing manual refinement when needed. This makes it a practical choice for teams that need high output without a dedicated video production staff.
Key Features
Natural Language Editing — Describe the cut you want in plain English and Cardboard translates it into timeline operations automatically, removing the need to manually scrub, trim, or splice clips.
Automated Captions — Generates synced captions from your audio track directly within the editor, supporting 20+ languages. Official materials describe caption quality as highly accurate for clear audio, but do not publish a formal accuracy benchmark.
Smart Trim & Silence Removal — Detects and removes dead air, filler pauses, and redundant takes in one pass, tightening your edit without frame-by-frame review.
Semantic Clip Search — Search your media library by what happened in the footage — not by filename or timestamp — so you can locate the right B-roll or soundbite instantly across long recording sessions.
Color Grading & LUT Support — Apply built-in color grades and LUT presets directly within the editor, giving your footage a consistent visual tone without external software.
Voiceover & Music Tools — Add AI-generated narrator voiceovers and sync background music to your timeline, enabling polished montages and explainer videos with minimal manual adjustment.
Live Collaboration — Invite teammates to review and tweak edits in real time, replacing slow review-export-re-upload cycles with shared project access.
Export to Premiere Pro & DaVinci Resolve — Export your Cardboard edit as XML/FCPXML to industry-standard NLEs like Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve for final polish.
Pricing & Plans
Cardboard offers two individual plans and a custom enterprise tier. All plans include full AI-powered editing, natural language commands, automated captions, and unlimited 4K 60fps exports. A 7-day money-back guarantee applies to all purchases.
| Plan | Price | Storage | Projects | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creator | $60/month ($720/year) | 100 GB | 5 active/month | Solo creators & freelancers |
| Pro | $150/month ($1,800/year) | 1 TB | Unlimited | Professional production |
| Teams | Custom | Unlimited | Unlimited | Collaborative teams & orgs |
Creator ($60/month): Includes full AI editing, natural language commands, automated captions, and exports up to 4K 60fps. File size is capped at 2.5 GB per upload with 100 GB cloud storage. Supports export to Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve.
Pro ($150/month): Everything in Creator plus unlimited projects, priority AI processing, 10 GB max file size, 1 TB cloud storage, priority 24/7 support, and early access to new AI models. This is the recommended plan for creators with consistent publishing schedules.
Teams (Custom): Adds real-time collaboration, advanced project sharing, SAML/SSO login, unlimited cloud storage, audit logs, and a dedicated account manager. Pricing is negotiated based on team size and usage requirements.
There is no free plan. Cardboard's public materials currently conflict on whether a 7-day free trial is still available, while the pricing page prominently advertises a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Best For
- Solo content creators who publish talking-head videos, vlogs, or short-form clips regularly and want to cut editing time from hours to minutes
- Podcast producers who need to clip highlights and add captions for social distribution without hiring a video editor
- Marketing teams producing product launch videos, explainers, or brand content on tight deadlines
- Freelance video editors who want to speed up the mechanical parts of their workflow while retaining final cut control in Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve
- Small production studios that need AI caption generation and collaborative review built into a single platform
FAQ
What is Cardboard and how does it differ from traditional video editors?
Cardboard is an agentic AI video editor that accepts natural language instructions to perform edits on your timeline. Unlike traditional editors like Premiere Pro or Final Cut where you manually place and trim every clip, Cardboard interprets what you want — "remove all pauses and add captions" — and executes the operation automatically. It is designed for speed of output rather than granular manual control.
Is there a free plan or free trial available?
No. Cardboard does not offer a free tier or a free trial. All plans are paid subscriptions starting at $60/month. However, every plan comes with a 7-day money-back guarantee, giving you a week to evaluate the tool risk-free.
What types of videos work best with Cardboard?
Cardboard is optimized for talking-head videos, vlogs, podcast clips, product launch videos, montages, and explainer content. The semantic search and silence removal features are especially effective for footage with a lot of speech, such as interviews or recorded presentations.
Can I export my project to Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve?
Yes. Both Creator and Pro plans support XML/FCPXML export to Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve. This makes Cardboard a viable first-pass tool even if you need professional-grade finishing in a traditional NLE.
What is the file size limit per upload?
The Creator plan supports files up to 2.5 GB per upload. The Pro plan raises this to 10 GB per file. For Teams, limits are negotiated as part of the custom contract.
Does Cardboard support real-time collaboration?
Live collaboration is available exclusively on the Teams plan. Creator and Pro users can share projects but do not get real-time co-editing. The Teams plan also includes advanced project sharing, SAML/SSO login, and audit logs for organizational use.
What AI model powers Cardboard's editing engine?
Cardboard's AI editing stack includes Claude as a visible model in its interface, but official product materials also reference multi-model support, a model picker, and model routing. The Pro plan includes early access to new AI models as they become available.
How does Cardboard handle AI transcription and captions?
Cardboard generates automated captions from your audio directly within the editor, supporting 20+ languages. Official materials describe accuracy as high for clear audio but do not publish a formal benchmark. Captions are synced to the timeline and included in your export, making them ready for YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms without post-processing.
Is my footage stored securely in the cloud?
Yes. All uploaded footage is stored on Cardboard's cloud infrastructure. Creator plans include 100 GB of storage, Pro plans include 1 TB, and Teams plans include unlimited storage. Cardboard publicly documents encryption in transit and at rest, and states that user content is not used to train AI models, but it does not publicly list enterprise security certifications on its pricing or FAQ pages.
Can I use Cardboard for AI podcast clipping and long-form content?
Yes. Cardboard includes a dedicated podcast clipping workflow that pulls the best moments from long recordings. The semantic clip search feature is particularly useful for navigating large media libraries, letting you search by content rather than scrubbing through timestamps.
