Priced by the minute of source
€0.025 per minute on Starter, before VAT, whatever the number of shorts, up to 20 per video on the Studio plan. 30 minutes are free at sign-up, no card.
COMPARISON
ContentFries alternative: shortshort vs ContentFries.
shortshort cuts one long video into vertical shorts chosen to end where the sentence ends, frames the face with automatic zooms, and costs €0.025 per minute of video before VAT. Below, side by side with ContentFries: the numbers first, then 18 criteria with a check or a cross, then the plans of both.
30 free credits, no cardUp to 2 GB per videoMP4 · 9:16 or 4:5
shortshort vs ContentFries: the short answer
shortshort turns one long video of up to 2 GB into 9:16 shorts chosen to end where the sentence ends, framed on the face on screen with automatic zooms, captioned word by word, for €0.025 per minute of source video before VAT. 30 minutes are free, no card.
ContentFries repurposes one long video into clips, quote cards, blog posts and more. It may fit better for square or landscape exports, translation or dubbing, virality score; the table below says where, with the source.
- Price per minute of video
- €0.025 here, $39 a month, Creator; packs from $4 one-time at ContentFries
- Largest file
- 2 GB per file here; ContentFries's site does not say
Facts checked against the product on . Prices before VAT.
Why shortshort
Four things the product does by design; the table below checks the rest, both ways.
Cuts that finish the sentence
The AI reads the whole transcript and picks complete, quotable passages, chosen to open and close on a sentence rather than on a timer; the end of each short is checked against the transcript.
Framing that follows the face, with motion
The 9:16 crop follows the face on screen and adds automatic zooms between x1.0 and x1.6; slides and wide shots stay whole. Framing is automatic; cuts, title and captions stay editable.
One page, nothing to learn
Drop the file, choose how many shorts and how long, check the proposals, export the MP4s. No timeline, no template to configure.
18 criteria, side by side
One line per criterion, the same shape on both sides. The ContentFries column is derived from ContentFries's own site: the number after a cell points to the source, and the exact wording is under the table.
Reading note. Their pricing page shows a bare dollar sign (their terms say payments are in US dollars) and a yearly price for Creator only; credit rules come from their knowledge base.
| Criterion | shortshort | ContentFries |
|---|---|---|
| Getting the video in | ||
| Longest video | Set by the 2 GB file size, 12 hours at mostOne file of up to 2 GB and at most 12 hours, on every plan; below that, how many hours fit in 2 GB depends on the bitrate. | Not stated on their site |
| Largest file | 2 GB per fileMP4, MOV or WebM. | Not stated on their site |
| How the video gets in | File upload or a YouTube linkMP4, MOV or WebM from your disk, or a public or unlisted YouTube link of your own, downloaded on our servers at up to 720p with its audio. | File upload or pasted video link [1]Drag and drop a file or paste a video link (YouTube, Vimeo or any MP4); cloud drive import is not stated. |
| What comes out | ||
| Crop follows the face | Follows the face, zooms x1.0 to x1.6The 9:16 crop follows the face with automatic zooms; slides, screens and wide shots stay whole; framing is set automatically. | Not stated on their site |
| Automatic captions | Word by word, 4 stylesSpotlight, Impact, Karaoke, Minimal; timed on the audio; SRT import and export. | Yes, with subtitle editor and presets [2]Fix typos, adjust timing, style and animate subtitles; six style starting points; export as plain text, SRT or VTT; word-level highlighting not stated. |
| Aspect ratios | 9:16, or 4:5 for the Instagram feedChosen at export for the whole series; a 4:5 export tracks the face again for that frame. No 1:1 or 16:9. | Portrait, square, landscape, 4:5 [3]The editor lets you switch between portrait, square, landscape and 4:5. |
| Export | MP4 1080 × 1920 or 1080 × 1350, 30 fpsH.264, rendered on our servers on every plan: 1080 × 1920 in 9:16, 1080 × 1350 in 4:5. | Not stated on their site |
| Editing and export | ||
| Manual editor | Yes, on the AI proposals, with a free accountClips and their bounds, title, description, caption words and caption style of each AI proposal; the editor and the MP4 export need a free account. | Yes, editor for captions, timing and layout [4]Open a clip in the editor to adjust captions, timing and layout; fine-tune subtitles, text, GIFs and layout before export. |
| Brand presets | One preset, Studio planCaption colour and font, preselected on every new video. | Yes, saved custom and global templates [5]Save your own layouts under Your Templates, plus premade Global templates you can customize for your brand or clients. |
| Edit export | JSON edit plan on every planThe studio exports the plan of the open short on every plan; the Studio plan adds the plan of every saved short from My projects. | Not stated on their site |
| Extras | ||
| Translation or dubbing | Not offeredCaptions in the language spoken, transcribed by OpenAI's whisper-1 (98 languages according to OpenAI); nothing is translated or dubbed. | Caption translation, dubbing not stated [6]Captions can be added, edited, translated and timed; AI dubbing is not stated. |
| Virality score | None, by designThe AI keeps complete, quotable sentences; you choose what goes out. | Yes, virality and hook scores [7]AI clip detection provides virality and hook scores, added in March 2025. |
| B-roll, music, titles | None addedThe short is your video, reframed and captioned. | Manual only, upload your own b-roll [8]The uploads panel takes your own b-roll, clips, logos, screenshots and audio; automatic or stock b-roll insertion is not stated. |
| Publishes to social | YouTube on a calendar, TikTok in early accessConnect a YouTube channel, pick a day and time per short or auto-fill the calendar. TikTok is in early access. One MP4 per short, or a ZIP, for the rest. | Not stated on their siteTheir pages offer to download or schedule what you keep, but the planner only records publication state and the docs say to keep your existing scheduler. |
| Team and price | ||
| Team seats | One account, one login | 1 seat Free, 3 Creator, 10 Scale [10]Free and Pay as you go: 1 workspace and 1 seat; Creator: 3 workspaces and 3 seats; Scale: unlimited internal workspaces and 10 seats. |
| API | None | Yes, Control API, MCP and webhooks [11]Included with Creator and Scale; on Free or Pay as you go each successful automation write costs one extra credit. |
| Free plan | 30 credits once, no cardThe account never expires; the 30 credits are given once, not every month. Up to 3 shorts per video, watermarked, exports join the public community. | Free plan, 50 credits a month [10]Plus 150 one-time signup credits, 1 workspace and 1 seat, no card required; watermark on exports not stated. |
| How you pay | 1 credit = 1 minute of videoWhatever the number of shorts. Plans from 12 EUR a month for 480 minutes, before VAT. Unused credits roll over and never expire, even after cancelling. | Credits, subscription or one-time packs [10]Monthly subscription credits on Creator and Scale, or permanent one-time credit packs on Pay as you go; a yearly price exists for Creator only. |
- Offered
- On some plans, or with a limit
- Not offered
- A fact, not a yes or no
- Not stated on their site
The exact wording of each ContentFries cell, as read on their site
- Longest video
- Not stated on their site.
- Largest file
- Not stated on their site.
- How the video gets in
- "drag and drop a file" or "paste a video link"; homepage: "YouTube, Vimeo, or any MP4."; for YouTube Thumbnails "Paste the video URL or upload the source"; cloud drives: Not stated [1]
- Crop follows the face
- Not stated on their site.
- Automatic captions
- Subtitle editor: fix typos, adjust timing, control "how much text appears at once"; styling options include "subtitle preset or styling", "positioning", "highlight treatment", "animation behavior", "colors and readability"; export as plain text, SRT, VTT; homepage: six style starting points (Headline, Editorial, Boardroom, Bloom, Creator Pop, Luxe), "Pick one per format, mix them, or describe your own"; word-level highlighting: Not stated [2]
- Aspect ratios
- Editor lets you "switch the aspect ratio": "portrait for short-form mobile platforms", "square for feeds where a 1:1 layout makes sense", "landscape when you need a wider frame", "4:5 when you want more vertical space without going full portrait" [3]
- Export
- Not stated on their site.
- Manual editor
- Yes: "Edit a clip": "Open a short video in the editor to adjust its captions, timing and layout before export"; "Fine-tune subtitles, text, GIFs, and layout"; in a pack, "Edit the words or timing you want to change" [4]
- Brand presets
- Yes: "Your Templates" (custom, saved layouts via "Save New Template") and "Global" premade templates; "customize templates to align with your brand or your clients" [5]
- Edit export
- Not stated on their site.
- Translation or dubbing
- Caption translation: "Add, edit, translate, and time your captions" (Complete Subtitles Overhaul news entry); AI dubbing: Not stated [6]
- Virality score
- Yes: "AI clip detection now provides virality and hook scores to help you identify engaging content" (March 26, 2025) [7]
- B-roll, music, titles
- Manual only as described: Uploads panel lets you add your own "B-roll", "extra video clips", logos, screenshots, product shots, audio files; automatic or stock B-roll insertion: Not stated [8]
- Publishes to social
- No native publishing described: their pages offer to "download or schedule what you keep" ("send approved posts to your schedule", features page), and the Planner "records publication state. It does not force you to publish through ContentFries"; "Keep your existing scheduler"; "Native social publishing is not required for this workflow" [9]
- Team seats
- Free and Pay as you go: 1 workspace and 1 seat; Creator: 3 workspaces and 3 seats; Scale: unlimited internal workspaces and 10 seats [10]
- API
- Yes: "Agent integrations are included with Creator and Scale"; Control API under /api/v1 with scoped bearer API keys bound to one workspace, hosted MCP, and signed webhooks; on Free or Pay as you go, successful automation writes carry a one-credit surcharge [11]
- Free plan
- Yes, Free $0/mo: "Your first pack is free" ("no card required"), with "150 one-time permanent signup credits" ("Your first pack runs on your 150 free signup credits (a standard pack uses up to ~110)"), "50 monthly credits" ("Monthly credits reset each month without rollover"), "1 workspace and 1 seat"; watermark on exports: Not stated [10]
- How you pay
- Credits: "Choose a plan for regular packs, or top up for individual formats." Monthly subscription credits on Creator and Scale ("Pack counts are estimates"; a standard pack "uses up to ~110" credits; "you see the maximum cost before any paid work starts"), or one-time permanent credit packs on Pay as you go ("Buy credits once, use anytime. They never expire."). Billing toggle Monthly / Yearly ("2 months free"), with a yearly price for Creator only. Their Terms and Conditions: "All payments shall be in US dollars." [10]
Sources for the ContentFries column, read on 16 October 2026
Their pages can change after that date; the table does not update itself.
- https://www.contentfries.com/knowledge-base/getting-started/how-to-upload-content
- https://www.contentfries.com/knowledge-base/video-editor/subtitles
- https://www.contentfries.com/knowledge-base/video-editor/context-editor-interface-explained
- https://www.contentfries.com/features
- https://www.contentfries.com/knowledge-base/video-editor/templates
- https://www.contentfries.com/news
- https://www.contentfries.com/news/10fa6cf3-enhanced-ai-clip-detection-with-virality-hook-scores
- https://www.contentfries.com/knowledge-base/video-editor/uploads
- https://www.contentfries.com/knowledge-base/auto-kitchen/projects-and-planner
- https://www.contentfries.com/pricing
- https://www.contentfries.com/knowledge-base/integrations/connect-an-agent-api-mcp-webhooks
ContentFries pricing (checked 16 October 2026)
ContentFries plans as listed on contentfries.com/pricing, read on 16 October 2026 [10]. ContentFries's cheapest plan is $39 a month, Creator; packs from $4 one-time: 650 credits a month, minutes not stated, so its price per minute cannot be compared with shortshort's €0.025 per minute, before VAT. Every plan, per minute, in the price index.
ContentFries
- Free$0 a month50 credits a month plus 150 signup creditsFirst pack free, on 150 permanent signup credits50 monthly credits, no rollover1 workspace and 1 seatNo card required
- Pay as you go (credit packs)From $4 one-time40 to 650 credits per pack, never expireSmall $4 = 40 credits, Power $50 = 650 creditsCredits never expire, no subscriptionFree limits: 1 workspace and 1 seatDoes not upgrade seats, API limits or features
- Creator$39 a month, $32.50 billed yearly650 credits a month, rollover up to 1,3003 workspaces and 3 seatsAgent API, hosted MCP and webhooks includedSelf-serve setup, no calls requiredYearly: $390 once, instead of $468
- Scale$99 a month, monthly only2,500 credits a month, rollover up to 5,000Unlimited internal workspaces and 10 seatsAgent API, MCP and webhooks with higher fair-use limitsAbout 23 standard packs a month, an estimateNo yearly price, even on the Yearly toggle
As written on their pricing page on 16 October 2026
- Free: Free ($0/mo, USD)
- "Your first pack is free": captioned clips, thumbnails, quote ideas and a blog outline (carousels "when you make more"); 150 one-time permanent signup credits, the first pack runs on them (a standard pack uses up to ~110); 50 monthly credits, reset each month without rollover; 1 workspace and 1 seat. Watermark and export resolution not stated. Per the knowledge base, the first activation batch is "sponsored separately", and each successful state-changing API/MCP call costs one extra automation credit on Free when automation access is active.
- Pay as you go (credit packs): From $4 one-time (USD): Small $4 = 40 credits; Medium $10 = 110 credits (+10% bonus); Large $25 = 300 credits (+20% bonus); Power $50 = 650 credits (+30% bonus)
- Permanent credit packs; credits never expire; no subscription required; keeps the Free plan's 1 workspace and 1 seat; "The $4 pack contains 40 credits; a standard pack uses up to ~110". Per the pricing FAQ, "Purchased credit packs are permanent. Buying a pack does not change your workspace, seat, API-rate, or automation entitlements."
- Creator: $39/mo (USD) billed monthly, or $32.50/mo "Billed $390 yearly" ("Yearly Creator is $390 billed once, instead of $468 paid monthly"; "2 months free")
- 650 monthly credits; rollover up to 1,300 credits; 3 workspaces and 3 seats; "About 6 standard packs a month", "an estimate, not a fixed quota". Marked "Most popular". "Agent API, hosted MCP and webhooks included"; "No per-command automation surcharge; generation still uses credits"; "Self-serve setup", "no calls required". FAQ: the yearly price applies "When the normal annual option is available"; "Any eligible personal offer is separate and appears when your first pack is ready, not as the public plan price."
- Scale: $99/mo (USD), "Billed monthly"; the Yearly toggle leaves Scale at $99/mo billed monthly (no yearly price)
- 2,500 monthly credits; rollover up to 5,000 credits; unlimited internal workspaces and 10 seats; "About 23 standard packs a month", "an estimate, not a fixed quota". "Agent API, hosted MCP and webhooks with higher fair-use limits"; "No per-command automation surcharge; generation still uses credits".
shortshort
- Free€0, no card30 welcome credits given once, 30 minutes of videoUp to 3 shorts per videoWatermarked exportExported shorts join the community
- Starter€12 a month480 min of video a month, 8 hoursUp to 5 shorts per videoNo watermarkOption to keep your exports out of the public community gallery
- Creator€29 a month1,600 min of video a month, 26 h 40Everything in StarterUp to 10 shorts per videoCredit top-ups of 400, 1,200 or 4,000 credits
- Studio€79 a month6,000 min of video a month, 100 hoursEverything in CreatorUp to 20 shorts per videoOne brand preset: your caption colors and font, preselected on every new video
Prices before VAT, from the product. Annual billing: Starter €115 a year, Creator €278 a year, Studio €758 a year. Full detail on the pricing page.
The verdict: ContentFries or shortshort
shortshort for the cuts and the framing; ContentFries when you need square or landscape exports or translation or dubbing. Both lists come from the table.
Where shortshort comes out ahead
- Cuts on complete sentencesEach short is cut on word boundaries and aims for the end of a sentence, with a 25% margin around the target length; the ending is checked against the transcript.
- Framing that follows the face, with automatic zoomsFace and scene tracking move the 9:16 crop; automatic zooms between x1.0 and x1.6; slides and wide shots stay whole.
- One page, nothing to learnDrop, choose the count and the length, check, export. No timeline or template to set up.
- A public before-and-after galleryEach short next to the video it came from, with the transcript of each short, so the result can be judged before trying.
Where ContentFries may fit better
- Square or landscape exports [3]Portrait, square, landscape, 4:5. The editor lets you switch between portrait, square, landscape and 4:5.
- Translation or dubbing [6]Caption translation, dubbing not stated. Captions can be added, edited, translated and timed; AI dubbing is not stated.
- Virality score [7]Yes, virality and hook scores. AI clip detection provides virality and hook scores, added in March 2025.
- B-roll, music, titles [8]Manual only, upload your own b-roll. The uploads panel takes your own b-roll, clips, logos, screenshots and audio; automatic or stock b-roll insertion is not stated.
- Team seats [10]1 seat Free, 3 Creator, 10 Scale. Free and Pay as you go: 1 workspace and 1 seat; Creator: 3 workspaces and 3 seats; Scale: unlimited internal workspaces and 10 seats.
- API [11]Yes, Control API, MCP and webhooks. Included with Creator and Scale; on Free or Pay as you go each successful automation write costs one extra credit.
What shortshort produces, on a real video
A published transformation from the community: the original on top, the shorts it became below. Click one to see it next to the original video.
3 of 6 shorts shown · The Override That Saved Humanity · watch it in the community, with the transcript of each short
Demo footage: Tears of Steel © Blender Foundation, licensed CC BY 3.0. Cut, cropped and captioned by shortshort.
How shortshort cuts, frames and captions
Three things the table can only name. The passage, the frame and the captions below are illustrations; the community shows the real thing.
1 · The cut ends on the sentence
Cut at the target
The reason most clips fail is that they stop before the idea lands, and a viewer who never hears the end of the sentence has no reason to share it. ✂ mid-sentence
Cut at the sentence
The reason most clips fail is that they stop before the idea lands, and a viewer who never hears the end of the sentence has no reason to share it. ✂ on the full stop
Same passage, same 30-second target. shortshort keeps going to the end of the sentence, 37 seconds here, which is inside the 25% margin it allows.
2 · The 9:16 crop follows the face on screen
3 · Captions timed word by word
Spotlight, one of the four caption styles. Impact, Karaoke and Minimal use the same word timing.
ContentFries alternative: questions people ask
Is ContentFries free?
Yes. ContentFries's own site lists a lasting free plan. On ContentFries: Free plan, 50 credits a month. Plus 150 one-time signup credits, 1 workspace and 1 seat, no card required; watermark on exports not stated (their own site, read on 16 October 2026).
How much does ContentFries cost?
ContentFries's pricing page lists 4 plans. On ContentFries: Free, $0 a month (50 credits a month plus 150 signup credits); Pay as you go (credit packs), From $4 one-time (40 to 650 credits per pack, never expire); Creator, $39 a month, $32.50 billed yearly (650 credits a month, rollover up to 1,300); Scale, $99 a month, monthly only (2,500 credits a month, rollover up to 5,000) (their own site, read on 16 October 2026). They are listed on this page under "ContentFries pricing (checked 16 October 2026)". ContentFries's cheapest plan is $39 a month, Creator; packs from $4 one-time: 650 credits a month, minutes not stated, so its price per minute cannot be compared. shortshort charges 1 credit per minute of source video, whatever the number of shorts: Starter is 12 EUR a month for 480 credits, Creator 29 EUR for 1,600 and the Studio plan 79 EUR for 6,000, before VAT, and every account starts with 30 free credits, given once.
What is a free alternative to ContentFries?
shortshort can be tried for free: 30 credits given once at sign-up, no card, which cover 30 minutes of video, with up to 3 shorts per video and a small watermark on the export. Your upload stays private until you export; exported shorts join the public community gallery by default. It is a one-time allowance, not free minutes every month: the tools that give free minutes every month are listed, with the limits of their free plans, in the price per minute index.
Is shortshort a good ContentFries alternative?
It depends on what you need. shortshort turns one long video of up to 2 GB into vertical shorts, 3 per video on the Free plan and up to 20 on the Studio plan, cut on complete sentences, framed on the face on screen and captioned word by word in one of four styles. ContentFries may fit better if you need square or landscape exports, translation or dubbing and virality score, according to its own site. If the job is cutting long talks into shorts, try it with the 30 free credits and compare the result with what you get from ContentFries.
How do captions compare between ContentFries and shortshort?
shortshort times every word on the audio, in one of four styles (Spotlight, Impact, Karaoke, Minimal), with SRT import and export. On ContentFries: yes, with subtitle editor and presets (their own site, read on 16 October 2026).
Cuts that finish the sentence, at a price by the minute.
The fastest comparison is your own video: 30 minutes are free, no card. Your upload stays private until you export; exported shorts join the community with their source video by default, and any paid plan can keep them out.