Best for explainers, thought leadership, and done-for-me videos with real-world assets, AI motion graphics, and strong hooks.
You want end-to-end automation, stronger publishable output quality, real-world assets, integrated research and scripting, and longer multi-scene explainers - all from a single prompt.
You primarily edit existing recordings (podcasts, interviews, webinars), need text-based video editing, want AI audio cleanup like filler word removal and Studio Sound, or repurpose long-form recordings into social clips.
Biggest difference: Agent Opus creates videos from scratch - give it a topic and get a finished product. Descript edits existing recordings - give it footage and edit by editing the transcript. One is a creator; the other is an editor. They solve opposite problems.
A feature-by-feature look at where each tool wins.
| Feature | Agent Opus | Descript |
|---|---|---|
| Best forAgent Opus | 🏆 Explainers, news recaps, thought leadership, commentary | Podcast editing, interview cleanup, recording repurposing |
| WorkflowAgent Opus | 🏆 One prompt → finished video (research, script, VO, edit, export) | Record/import → auto-transcribe → edit text to edit video → export |
| Inputs supportedAgent Opus | 🏆 URLs, text, scripts, audio, LinkedIn posts, PDFs | Video/audio file imports, scripts, screen recordings |
| Research & sourcingAgent Opus | 🏆 Built-in live web research, auto-curated real-world assets | No research capabilities — user provides all content |
| Script + hooksAgent Opus | 🏆 AI-generated with research, optimized hooks | AI script generator — topic-based, no live data or research |
| VoiceoverTie | Premium AI voices, tone control, voice cloning | Stock AI voices, Overdub voice cloning (60s setup), 20+ languages |
| Video lengthAgent Opus | 🏆 30s to 15+ min, multi-scene narratives | 12-min avatar cap — editing supports long recordings (4 hr sessions) |
| AI AvatarsTie | Available, but not the focus | Stock avatars, custom from photo/video — limited realism |
| Motion graphicsAgent Opus | 🏆 AI-generated motion graphics, kinetic text, data viz | Basic keyframe animations, dynamic captions, AI green screen |
| Brand controlsAgent Opus | 🏆 Logo, colors, fonts, intro/outro, lower thirds, tone presets | Brand Studio (Business plan) — 50 assets, custom fonts, lockable |
| Export formatsTie | 🏆 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 — presets for all platforms | 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, custom — up to 4K on Creator+ |
Five capabilities that separate Agent Opus from avatar-first tools.
Agent Opus produces broadcast-grade explainers with real b-roll, data overlays, and motion graphics. Descript is designed to polish recorded footage with basic animations. For content that needs to be created from scratch with professional visuals, Agent Opus leads.
Agent Opus runs an AI agent pipeline: research, script, voice, visuals, edit, export. Descript requires you to record or import footage first, then edit it via transcript. If your bottleneck is creation rather than post-production, Agent Opus solves the harder problem.
Agent Opus reads URLs, PDFs, and data to generate accurate scripts with citations. Descript has no research or content sourcing layer - you must bring finished content. For teams that need AI to handle the research phase, Agent Opus is built for it.
Agent Opus supports multi-scene narratives (3 to 15+ minutes) with pacing controls. Descript's avatar generation caps at 12 minutes and its core workflow assumes pre-recorded content. If you publish original explainers without pre-existing footage, Agent Opus handles it natively.
Agent Opus layers kinetic text, icon animations, chart builds, and transition effects throughout every video. Descript offers basic keyframe animations without advanced motion graphics. For channels that need dynamic visuals rather than edited talking-head footage, Agent Opus fits better.
Where Descript has the edge
Descript is the stronger pick when you already have recorded content that needs editing - podcasts, interviews, webinar recordings, or screen captures. Its text-based editing, filler word removal, Studio Sound audio cleanup, and Underlord AI editor are best-in-class for post-production.
Same prompt, two tools. See which output wins for explainer content.
For research-driven explainers, Agent Opus delivers a finished video from a single prompt. Descript would require you to research the topic, write a script, record or generate with an avatar (12 min cap), then edit - it is an editor, not a creator.
Agent Opus delivers the most value for these content categories.
Paste a data URL, get a scripted, visualized recap with charts and motion graphics in minutes instead of a full editing session.
Turn a blog post or white paper into a polished multi-scene video with b-roll, citations, and branded transitions.
Generate feature walk-throughs for every product update without booking a studio or an avatar session.
Summarize policy changes or onboarding docs into watchable 5-minute videos with key-point overlays.
If you’re using Descript today, here’s how to get started with Agent Opus.
Choose from explainer, news update, thought leadership, or promo video templates.
Drop in an article link, a LinkedIn post, a rough script, or just describe your topic in a sentence.
Agent Opus researches, writes, voices, assembles, and edits your video automatically. Review the output.
Download in your preferred format or publish directly to TikTok, Reels, Shorts, YouTube, or LinkedIn.
No recording. No editing. No transcription. Just results.
Try Agent Opus Free →From prompt to published in minutes, not hours
Real-world assets and motion graphics that feel credible
Research, script, visuals, voice, edit — all automated