> Compare the total cost of an approved video: service or software fees, your preparation and review time, revisions, and any final repairs. The lowest subscription price does not always produce the lowest finished cost. Source: https://shortyedit.com/guides/freelancer-vs-ai-editing-total-cost --- # The price of a video is more than the editing bill Compare the total cost of an approved video: service or software fees, your preparation and review time, revisions, and any final repairs. The lowest subscription price does not always produce the lowest finished cost. The Shorty team · Updated 24 September 2026 ## Count the work on your side A freelancer might charge more while taking responsibility for organising the material and resolving the story. An AI tool might cost less in cash while asking you to write the brief, check the output, and direct revisions. Either arrangement can be good value. Make a small worksheet for the same assignment. Include the quote or software usage, time spent preparing files, active review time, correction time, and any extra finishing. Keep waiting time separate, but record it if delivery speed affects the job. ## Use a hypothetical calculation Suppose one route costs $120 and needs half an hour of your time. Another uses $15 of software and needs three hours. If you choose to value your time at $40 an hour, the totals are $140 and $135. These are invented numbers to show the method, not market rates or Shorty prices. Now add a correction that takes another hour in the second route. The conclusion changes. That is why you should compare an approved version rather than the cost of generating a first attempt. | Cost item | Route A | Route B | | --- | --- | --- | | Cash cost | $120 | $15 | | Your time | 0.5 hours | 3 hours | | Assumed value of your time | $40/hour | $40/hour | | Total before extra corrections | $140 | $135 | | If Route B needs another hour | $140 | $175 | ## Check what the allowance actually covers For Shorty, use the current pricing page and the estimate in the product. Plan for the work you expect to submit and the revisions you may need. For a service, read what counts as a revision, which exports are included, and how additional work is priced. Try the calculation on a routine job and a demanding one. You may find that software works well for simple recurring cuts while a human editor remains good value for complex work. A mixed workflow can be more sensible than forcing every video into the cheapest-looking option. ## Keep the ideas coming ### A better-looking Reel does not need more effects Start by improving the footage, simplifying the idea, and cutting obvious distractions. A modest edit with clear pictures and readable text can look more considered than a complicated one. Compare cost per finished video, including your time. ### More ways to finish your footage Practical answers for the part after the shoot: find the story, choose an editor, write a useful brief, and get the finished video out the door. ### Shorty product facts and limits Shorty turns your own video clips and photos into an edited MP4 from a written brief or optional reference. You can review the result and request revisions. This page collects current product facts, fit, limitations and canonical sources. ### Current plans and allowances Explore this editing workflow in Shorty. ## Your next video starts here. Bring the footage. Tell us the idea. Shape the edit. --- Published by Tools Products FZ-LLC. Canonical HTML: https://shortyedit.com/guides/freelancer-vs-ai-editing-total-cost