Can I paste my own script and keep my exact wording?

You can start from your own script or a short brief of about 500 characters, and the AI drafts scenes from it. It may reword lines, so read the draft in the review step and edit any line back to your version before you render. Check exact quotes and names word by word.

How are the captions timed to the voiceover?

Captions are built from the same audio as the narration, so each word is shown as it is spoken. That is what word-synced means here. They are burned into the video picture, so they appear on every platform and cannot be switched off in a player. A separate subtitle file is not provided.

How long should my script be?

Plan around 150 words per minute of narration, a rule of thumb rather than a promise. Short, one-idea sentences work best because punctuation sets the pauses and captions stay readable. If your script runs long, trim it or split it into two videos.

Do premium voices cost more?

Yes. Premium voices cost extra credits on top of the 40 credits for a standard video, and the total is shown in the review step before you render. The free video uses a standard voice with no premium option, so you can hear the standard narrator first.

Does the free video have a watermark?

Yes. A new account's first video can be free: one watermarked video of up to 30 seconds with an AI-generated label, available while the day's free videos last. Paid plans export watermark-free 1080p. A single standard video can also be un-watermarked for 100 credits, and the 350-credit first-episode pack can cover one removal or one animated episode, but not both.

Is StoryShort the same as StoryShort.ai?

No, they are different companies with similar names. They also differ in how they publish: StoryShort connects to YouTube and sends TikTok videos to your Drafts inbox. Check each product's own site before choosing, and compare features rather than names.

AI Video Generator From a Script, With Voiceover and Captions

StoryShort turns a script or short brief into a vertical 9:16 video. The AI splits the text into scenes, draws a picture for each, reads it with an AI narrator and burns in captions timed to every word. You review the script, see the cost in credits, then render and download the MP4.

Last updated 2026-11-10

Your first video is free while the day's free videos last: one watermarked video of up to 30 seconds, with an AI-generated label.

Next step after the free video: One-time purchase, no renewal. First purchase 50% off the regular $6.99.

What a script-to-video generator actually produces

If you already have words on a page, a script-to-video generator decides where the picture changes, records a voice, and puts the text on screen in time with that voice.

In StoryShort the output is a vertical 9:16 MP4 built from still illustrations: an AI-drawn picture per scene in your chosen art style, with the narrator and word-by-word captions over it. It is a narrated slideshow, not live-action footage or a talking presenter.

How your script is split into scenes

You describe the video in a short brief, and the AI drafts a script divided into scenes: one chunk of narration plus the picture that goes with it. You see this draft before anything is rendered.

A scene is one beat. Take this sample: "The lighthouse keeper had not spoken to anyone in nine winters. Then one night, a boat appeared with its lights off." That is two scenes, because the picture changes from a lonely keeper to a dark boat.

How to format a script for good pacing

Narration speed is steady, so punctuation does the pacing. A full stop gives a clear pause and a comma a short one. A long sentence with three clauses is read in one breath, and the captions crowd the screen.

A comfortable speaking pace is about 150 words per minute, a planning rule of thumb rather than a promise. A 100-word script is a short clip, and a 400-word script is a longer story you may want to trim.

Before: "After years of working in the city and saving every penny she could, Mara finally decided to quit and open a bakery in her grandmother's old house." After: "Mara saved for six years. She quit her job. Then she opened a bakery in her grandmother's old house." The second gives three clean pauses and three pictures to draw.

One idea per sentence, usually under 15 words.
Write numbers and unusual names the way they should be spoken.

Voiceover and word-synced captions

StoryShort offers 40+ AI voices. Pick one in the review step, and the narrator reads your scenes in order. Standard voices are what the free video uses. Premium voices cost extra credits, and the cost is shown before you render.

Captions are generated from the same audio, so each word appears when it is spoken: the highlighted word moves with the narrator. They are burned into the picture of the MP4, so they travel with the file to any platform.

What to do when the AI changes your wording

When you hand an AI a script, it may tighten or reword lines while it builds scenes. The review step exists for this: you read the drafted script and scenes before you spend credits.

If a line was changed, edit the scene text back to your wording. If the AI keeps drifting, make your brief more specific, for example: "Four scenes, calm storyteller tone, open with the sentence 'Nobody visits the lighthouse in winter'."

Reviewing the cost before you pay

StoryShort shows the cost in credits before you spend them. A standard video costs 40 credits, and a premium voice adds credits on top.

For a paid video without a watermark: a standard video is 40 credits and removing the watermark from a single video is 100 credits, so that clip comes to 140 credits. Paid plans export watermark-free 1080p.

If you only want to try it: A new account's first video can be free: one watermarked video of up to 30 seconds with an AI-generated label, available while the day's free videos last. When the day's free videos are gone, the page says so, and the next step is the one-time first episode pack: 350 credits for $3.49 on a first purchase (regular $6.99), no renewal. plans start at $19/month (Starter: 1,200 credits a month, about 30 standard videos).

Exporting the MP4 and publishing

When the render finishes, you download the MP4 with captions burned in. You can publish straight to YouTube. For TikTok, StoryShort sends the video to your TikTok Drafts inbox, and you publish it yourself.

There is no public auto-posting to TikTok and no Instagram connection, so for Instagram you download the file and upload it by hand. The free video is not available through the API.

StoryShort (storyshort.app) is not StoryShort.ai. StoryShort.ai is a separate company with a similar name. StoryShort is not affiliated with any tool named in the comparison table above.

How it works

The path from script to file has six steps. Nothing is spent until you approve the draft and see the cost in credits shown on screen.

Sign in. Use Google or email to open the dashboard.
Describe the video. Paste the core of your script or write a short brief of about 500 characters. Name the tone.
Review the script and scenes. Read the drafted script as a listener would. Fix reworded lines and split scenes that hold two events.
Pick a voice and an art style. Choose from 40+ AI voices and any art style. Premium voices cost extra credits, shown before you render.
Check the credits and render. Approve the cost shown in credits and the video renders in 9:16 with word-synced captions.
Download or publish. Download the MP4, publish to YouTube, or send it to your TikTok Drafts inbox and post it yourself.

How StoryShort compares with other script-to-video tools

The table lists each vendor's own public pricing page, read on the date shown in its row. Plans change, so check the source yourself before you decide. Anything we could not verify is left out rather than guessed, and the notes describe what each tool is for.

How StoryShort compares with other script-to-video tools
Tool	Best for	Free option	Starting price	Our note	Source
Pictory	Turning scripts, URLs and slides into videos built from stock footage with AI voices.	14-day trial at no charge: 300 credits, up to 3 videos, Pictory branding on the output	Starter $29/month billed monthly, or $25/month billed annually	StoryShort draws its own AI pictures per scene instead of using stock footage, and it has no timeline editor.	pictory.ai/pricingchecked 2026-11-10
Lumen5	Turning blog posts, scripts and ideas into business-style video.	Free plan listed on the pricing page	Basic $19/month billed yearly	StoryShort is aimed at narrated stories and faceless shorts, and its output is vertical 9:16.	lumen5.com/pricingchecked 2026-11-10
VEED	A browser video editor with AI tools, subtitles and text-to-speech.	Free plan: watermarked videos, 720p export, 10 minutes of auto subtitles a month	Creator $25/month billed monthly, or $12.25/month billed yearly ($147); per editor seat; no watermark	VEED is an editor where you control the timeline. StoryShort generates scenes, pictures, voice and captions from your text, and you cannot trim frames.	veed.io/pricingchecked 2026-11-10
StoryShort.ai (a different company from StoryShort)	Series with auto-post to TikTok and YouTube. It is a different company from StoryShort.	Not listed on the pricing page	Starter $39/month, or $23/month billed yearly ($279); about 26 videos of 30 seconds a month, no watermark	A different product. StoryShort sends TikTok videos to your Drafts inbox and does not auto-post publicly to TikTok.	storyshort.ai/pricingchecked 2026-11-10
MagicLight	Long-form AI story videos, with templates for kids stories, comedy skits, faith lessons, historical explainers and science.	Free plan with limited credits	Standard from $7.50/month billed annually ($15.00/month listed before the yearly discount); 1080p without watermark on paid plans	StoryShort focuses on short vertical videos with word-synced captions.	magiclight.ai/pricingchecked 2026-11-10

Who StoryShort is not for

It is not for anyone who needs a timeline editor to trim, cut and arrange clips frame by frame.
It is not for live-action footage or a real presenter on camera, because every standard video is made of still AI-drawn pictures.
It is not for publicly auto-posting to TikTok or connecting Instagram, since TikTok videos go to your Drafts inbox.
It is not for people who want a separate, editable subtitle file, because captions are burned into the picture.
It is not for anyone who needs a permanently free tool: the first video is watermarked and capped each day.
It is not for animating children or teenagers, since animated episodes only accept clearly adult, animal or mascot characters.

Frequently asked questions

Can I paste my own script and keep my exact wording?: You can start from your own script or a short brief of about 500 characters, and the AI drafts scenes from it. It may reword lines, so read the draft in the review step and edit any line back to your version before you render. Check exact quotes and names word by word.
How are the captions timed to the voiceover?: Captions are built from the same audio as the narration, so each word is shown as it is spoken. That is what word-synced means here. They are burned into the video picture, so they appear on every platform and cannot be switched off in a player. A separate subtitle file is not provided.
How long should my script be?: Plan around 150 words per minute of narration, a rule of thumb rather than a promise. Short, one-idea sentences work best because punctuation sets the pauses and captions stay readable. If your script runs long, trim it or split it into two videos.
Do premium voices cost more?: Yes. Premium voices cost extra credits on top of the 40 credits for a standard video, and the total is shown in the review step before you render. The free video uses a standard voice with no premium option, so you can hear the standard narrator first.
Does the free video have a watermark?: Yes. A new account's first video can be free: one watermarked video of up to 30 seconds with an AI-generated label, available while the day's free videos last. Paid plans export watermark-free 1080p. A single standard video can also be un-watermarked for 100 credits, and the 350-credit first-episode pack can cover one removal or one animated episode, but not both.
Is StoryShort the same as StoryShort.ai?: No, they are different companies with similar names. They also differ in how they publish: StoryShort connects to YouTube and sends TikTok videos to your Drafts inbox. Check each product's own site before choosing, and compare features rather than names.

If you already have a script, the quickest test is to run it once and read the scene draft yourself. A new account's first video can be free: one watermarked video of up to 30 seconds with an AI-generated label, available while the day's free videos last. When today's free videos are gone, the next step is the one-time first episode pack: 350 credits for $3.49 on a first purchase (regular $6.99), no renewal.

Get your first drama episode: $3.49

One-time purchase, no renewal. First purchase 50% off the regular $6.99.