The facts, with their sources

What it does

Done-for-you service: NoYou buy and operate the software yourself; even the Enterprise tier offers onboarding and a CSM rather than people who make your videos for you.Support: dedicated CSM, onboarding, priority responsedescript.com/pricing

How much it does unattended

Runs autonomously: PartlyUnderlord performs multi-step edits on its own and API workflows can publish without a person, but the vendor's own framing expects you to review the rough cut.You can auto-publish! Publishing a project composition creates a shareable link and generates a URL to download the exported file.descript.com/api
Agent permissions: PartlyAgent reach is bounded by the Drive you authorise and the permissions of the connecting user, but there is no published per-action approval policy.Tokens are scoped to a specific Drive and inherit your permissions on that Drive.help.descript.com/developers

Which models it runs on

Claude: YesDescript ships an MCP server listed in Anthropic's connector directory so Claude can import, edit and publish inside your Drive.The Descript MCP lets an AI assistant drive Descript for you: Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, or a custom connector.help.descript.com/api-and-mcp/mcp.md
GPT: YesChatGPT is a supported MCP client and OpenAI's GPT Image 2 is one of the selectable generative image models.GPT Image 2 | Open AIhelp.descript.com/generative-media/mode…
Open models: PartlyDescript runs the open-source Whisper model for transcription on its own infrastructure, but users cannot select or supply open-weight models themselves.Whisper is an open-source transcription model that's hosted in Descript's infrastructure.descript.com/security
Model choice: PartlyYou pick the image, video and avatar model per generation or in settings, but Underlord itself routes requests to a model the vendor chooses.Which model runs it. Underlord routes each request to the model best suited for the task.help.descript.com/billing-payments-plan…

Where you use it

In your editor: PartlyThere is no editor plugin; the only IDE presence is the Descript MCP entry in the Cursor marketplace, which drives the cloud product from the assistant.Cursor: In the Cursor MCP marketplace.help.descript.com/api-and-mcp/mcp.md
On the command line: YesA command-line client takes an API key and runs imports and edits from the terminal, handling polling and progress for you.Install the CLI, drop in your API key, and run imports and edits from your terminal. It handles the polling and shows live progressdescript.com/api
In a browser: YesThe editor runs at web.descript.com and every plan's sign-up and checkout flow leads into that hosted web application.Descript is the AI video and audio editor that makes editing as easy as editing text. Record, transcribe, edit, and publish in one tool.descript.com

Whose machine it runs on

Self-hosted: NoProjects, media and transcripts live on Descript's servers on AWS or Google Cloud; no bring-your-own-infrastructure option appears on any tier.Descript stores your project information — which includes the files you upload to Descript, the transcripts of those files, and other metadata…descript.com/security

What it costs to run

How it meters: YesBilling is per person per month, and consumption is metered twice over in media minutes and AI credits that each seat contributes to.Descript meters usage with two kinds of credit: Media minutes track how much you transcribe and record, and AI Credits are spent on generative AI…help.descript.com/billing-payments-plan…
Free tier: YesA standing $0 plan exists with one media hour and 100 one-time AI credits, and the vendor states no card is needed to try it.No, Descript's Free plan includes everything you need to record, edit and mix audio and video content.descript.com/pricing
API access: PartlyA documented REST API with tokens and webhooks exists but is presented as early access and is limited to paying users, so the Free plan cannot drive it.API access is available for all paying users at no additional cost. Usage draws from the AI credits and media minutes on your plan.descript.com/api
MCP server: YesA hosted MCP server authenticates with your Descript login and lets an assistant import, edit, search, publish and track jobs on one Drive.Once connected, you can ask your AI assistant to import media, edit with Underlord, search the drive for projects, folders, layout packs, and media…help.descript.com/api-and-mcp/mcp.md

Buying it for a team

A company can buy it: YesBusiness and Enterprise tiers are sold to organisations, with custom MSAs, flexible billing and ACH invoicing handled by the sales team.Procurement: custom MSA, legal terms, flexible billingdescript.com/pricing
Seat model: YesPricing is per person per month with a hard ceiling on self-serve tiers: one seat on Hobbyist, up to three on Creator, up to five on Business.Seats: Each plan includes a set number of seats. Upgrade to add more teammates as your needs grow. 1 | 1 | 1-3 | Up to 5descript.com/pricing
Pooled budget: YesMedia minutes and AI credits from every editor seat land in one Drive-wide pool that any editor can draw down, and top-ups are shared too.Each seat adds to the shared pool of Media minutes and AI Credits. Any Editor can use these resources.help.descript.com/billing-payments-plan…
Admin controls: PartlyAdmins get brand guardrails, workspace and user permissions, and Enterprise-only AI and data controls; there is no published rule engine limiting what the agent may do per action.AI and data controls: opt-out of training, custom retentiondescript.com/pricing
Audit log: PartlyAudit logs are named only in the Enterprise bundle alongside SSO and SCIM; the self-serve tiers' comparison table never lists them.SOC 2 Type II: SSO, SCIM, and audit logsdescript.com/pricing
Single sign-on: PartlySAML SSO with SCIM provisioning against your own IdP is an Enterprise capability, absent from the Hobbyist, Creator and Business cards.SAML SSO and SCIM: Use your IDP for easy and secure employee access to Descript with SSO or SCIM provisioning.descript.com/enterprise

What happens to your code

Opt out of training: YesSharing transcripts to improve Descript's models is opt-in and off unless you switch it on, and Enterprise adds a contractual training opt-out.If you choose to share your transcription information with Descript, we use it to help improve the quality of our service. This option is disabled by…descript.com/security
Getting out: PartlyYou can export media, transcripts, timelines and a usage CSV and have data deleted on request, but unused media minutes and AI credits expire every cycle.Your allowance resets when your subscription renews at the start of each billing cycle. Unused Media minutes and AI Credits don't roll over into the…help.descript.com/billing-payments-plan…
Certifications: PartlySOC 2 Type II is audited and attested, and the vendor says it aligns with GDPR and CCPA, but no ISO 27001 certification is claimed anywhere read.We have achieved SOC 2 Type II compliance by going through a Certified Public Accounting firm and auditing our internal measures and controls against…descript.com/security

Plans and pricing

Price and terms

Free plan: YesYes
The terms in full
Free plan: 1 media hour per month, 100 one-time AI credits, 720p export with a watermark, limited use of Underlord and AI Speech, 5GB cloud storage, 2 hours of Rooms recording; no credit card required.