LUTly vs CapCut
CapCut is where many creators cut their videos. It is not where their footage gets a look of its own. Here is the difference, and how the two work together.
Drop a clip, describe the look, export a real .cube LUT. Your footage never uploads.
CapCut is a free video editor with built-in filters and preset effects. LUTly is a browser tool that builds a custom color grade as a .cube LUT from your own footage. CapCut can import .cube LUTs, so they work together: build the look in LUTly, cut the video in CapCut.
Its filters are presets, built on nobody's footage in particular. On some clips they look fine. On tricky footage, skin tones drift, skies clip and the same filter looks different on every shot, and there is no way to tell it what you actually wanted.
You describe the look in plain English, or drop a reference image, and LUTly builds a LUT on your actual footage, previewed live with a before and after split. It is not an editor: no timeline, no captions, no music. It does the one thing filters cannot, a look made for your clip.
Side by side.
| CapCut | LUTly | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Video editor with filters | Browser AI color grading |
| Price | Free, some features need CapCut Pro | Free plan; paid plans for more builds |
| Color approach | Preset filters and manual sliders | A look described in a sentence, built on your clip |
| Custom LUT creation | No | Yes, that is the whole product |
| LUT import | Yes, .cube | Exports .cube for use anywhere |
| Where it runs | Mobile and desktop apps | In the browser, nothing to install |
| Your footage | Processed in the app | Stays on your device. Your footage never uploads, only up to 3 small preview stills go to the AI. |
Drag the slider. LUTly grade on the right.
Left is the real source frame straight out of the camera. Right is the same frame with a LUT built from one sentence, applied live.
Use them together
Export a .cube from LUTly, then import it into CapCut as a custom LUT and drop it on your clips. Your whole edit gets one consistent look instead of a per-clip filter lottery.
Frequently asked.
Can CapCut import LUTs?
Yes. CapCut supports importing .cube LUT files on both mobile and desktop, so a LUT built in LUTly can be applied across your whole CapCut edit.
Does LUTly edit video?
No. LUTly grades. You get a live preview and a .cube LUT built on your footage, then you apply it in the editor you already use, CapCut included.
Why do CapCut filters look wrong on my footage?
Filters are fixed adjustments built without your footage in mind. If your clip is darker, warmer or flatter than the clip the filter was tuned on, the result drifts. A LUT built on your own clip does not have that problem.
Is LUTly free to try?
Yes. You can drop a clip and build a grade on the free plan. Your footage never uploads.
Try LUTly on your own footage.
Drop a clip, describe the look, export a real .cube LUT. Your footage never uploads.