Clipchamp video editor has been integrated into Microsoft’s product range but not in the way promised.  Instead, it’s selling at a high price for relatively little extra. Though Microsoft has acknowledged part of the problem by upgrading all customers to a decent quality for exporting files, this article has been updated to reflect the late March 2022 change.

Clipchamp is a video editing service that mostly works in a browser and there’s also Windows program or apps for iPhone/iPad devices.  It’s interface is designed for non-professionals with features to make social media videos and online ads..

Microsoft bought Clipchamp late last year and hinted at the time they it would be bundled into Microsoft 365 plans in some way.  It’s not turned out that way, at least not so far.

The product is now in the Microsoft Store (for Windows 11 and 10) as a free app with ‘in-app purchases’.

It’s those purchases that are a worry.  Microsoft is selling ‘subscriptions’ monthly or yearly to get more Clipchamp features.  Pay between US$72 and a whopping $324 a year.

A question of resolution

UPDATE: Now all Clipchamp plans have 1080p export resolution, including the free plan.

It’s all about the resolution of videos that can be exported for use elsewhere – for example a video for adding to a PowerPoint deck.

The free Clipchamp only produces videos at 480p which is quite lame by today’s standards. Now 1080p.

For $72 a year the ‘Creator’ plan ups that to 720p, still quite inadequate for most modern displays, even though Clipchamp calls it ‘HD’ (it’s not High Definition in 2022). Now 1080p.

The ‘Business’ plan is highlighted as ‘Most popular’ though it’s hard to understand why. At $156 annually, 1080p videos can be made which is at least respectable. For perspective, $156 is more expensive than a Microsoft 365 Family plan with all the core Office apps plus extras for six people. 

‘Business Premium’ at the top price of $324 a year is still 1080p but ‘unlimited’ stock video and still images available to include in your movie masterpiece.

By all means, give Clipchamp a try but think twice before paying for the annual subscriptions.

Hopefully this is just a temporary measure. Microsoft is continuing the pricing policies of Clipchamp while they work on using the technology within the Microsoft 365 framework.

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