Pictory is an easy-to-use AI video generator that is primarily aimed at business users. You simply input text or a URL and Pictory will use a powerful GPT-powered tool to take a script and generate footage which can then be edited to suit.
In doing so, it’s able to slash the amount of time it takes to create professional-looking videos while also giving you ample control. So, read on to discover more about this AI tool and its large array of features to decide whether it’s something you’d like to try.
This article was correct as of March 2025. AI tools are updated regularly and it is possible that some features have changed since this article was written. Some features may also only be available in certain countries.
What is Pictory?
Traditionally, creating videos has been a rather fiddly task requiring expensive equipment, decent editing software and lots of time and practice.
Without an eye for such things, achieving professional results is no easy task but Pictory turns video creation on its head by asking you to merely describe what you want out of a video.
Enter a script and it will get on with analysing your words before looking for relevant visuals and building a storyboard. It can also draw scripts from webpages by entering a URL or by allowing it access to your Zoom, Webinar, Teams and Podcast recordings.
In all cases, you end up with a captioned video that can be customized in multiple ways. You can use different AI voices, add your own branding, or look for replacement footage, images and music. You can also change the script before finalizing your project and sharing it. You don’t need any video editing skills at all.
What can you use Pictory for?
Pictory is aimed squarely at anyone who wants to create a video and, while it’s a business tool at heart, that doesn’t mean you can’t use it to produce personal projects.
In fact, you’re able to upload your own videos and images to quickly create slideshows. You can also record yourself and get the AI to remove filler words and silences, or record your screen which can be helpful if you’re looking to demonstrate something to someone.
Pictory will work with PowerPoint files too so if you’re creating a presentation, you could aim to impress by accompanying it with a video.
To help you achieve the right results, there are templates to hand and you can upload your own music if you wish. You also have a choice of effects, text animations, transitions and colors.
What can’t you use Pictory for?
Pictory is rather single-minded so don’t expect it to hold a conversation, find facts for you, produce reports or run your home. This tool creates videos based on your input and that’s that – it won’t even carry out research for you so you can’t enter something along the lines of, “create a video about the best PS5 games”.
But that’s no bad thing. With Pictory, you can create content for TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms, produce course material and better YouTube videos. You can make instructional videos and produce virtual lessons. Having a focussed AI tool is not a bad thing but bear in mind you can’t create videos longer than 30 minutes.
How much does Pictory cost?
There’s a free trial which should be your first port of call. It allows you to play around with the AI tool for 14 days and you don’t need to enter a credit card or any personal details other than your name and email address.
If you want to go beyond that, though, the Starter tier costs $19 / £15 / AU$30 a month giving you 200 video minutes each month. It’ll cost you $39 / £30 / AU$61 a month for 600 minutes each month on the Professional tier and $99 / £76 / AU$157 a month for 1,800 video minutes each month on the Team tier.
You won’t be able to enjoy automatic video highlights, music track uploading, AI voices from Elevenlabs and the use of your own voiceover with a Starter tier.
Where can you use Pictory?
You can only use Pictory via a browser at pictory.ai. As it stands, there are no specific apps for iOS and Android but it does mean you can use Pictory across all devices.
Is Pictory any good?
TechRadar Pro believes Pictory is one of the best AI video generators and it has been praised for its simple dashboard and super easy video-generating process. It’s good at understanding what an inputted script is all about and it has proven capable of creating a professional-looking video in minutes.
When generating its own scripts from a webpage, however, the results are bit more mixed. “The resulting script, although good, still needed quite a bit of work to make it properly reflect the original,” said tech journalist Nigel Powell.
“The AI is not yet clever enough to fully differentiate between generic web page text and the story itself, so there’s around 20 to 30% work needed to clean everything up.”
It’s also worth bearing in mind that you can only access the vast Getty Images library if you pay for the Professional tier otherwise you’re restricted to using the two million royalty free videos from Storyblocks.
Use Pictory if…
Pictory is great if you struggle to create professional looking videos or simply want to speed up the video making process using an easy-to-learn interface that you can get to grips with in minutes. You should also use Pictory if you want to quickly convert a PowerPoint presentation, document or webpage into a video with minimal effort.
Don’t use Pictory if…
Pictory is not ideal if you don’t want to put in any legwork at all because it won’t create a video from a prompt and you will invariably have to play around with the settings for a result that you’re going to be happy with. Don’t use Pictory if you want to ultra-control over your projects either – it doesn’t have a traditional timeline interface so making small adjustments is difficult.
Also consider
AI Studios is a market leader in AI-powered video generation and it’s just as easy to use.
Synthesia has a good range of video templates and it will create lifelike character animations and backgrounds too.