Magic Hour vs ShortMake

Plans, free access, limits and intended use side by side, taken from each vendor’s own pages. No score and no winner: the facts show where the two differ.

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Free access
Magic Hour: Free access
ShortMake: Free access
Paid from
Magic Hour: USD 10 for 4,000 credits; $30 for 12,000
ShortMake: USD 19.99 per month
Plans listed
Magic Hour: 6
ShortMake: 4
Public API
Magic Hour: Not confirmed
ShortMake: Not confirmed

Where Magic Hour and ShortMake differ

  • PlansMagic Hour lists 6 plans and ShortMake lists 4.

Head to head

Each value from the tool’s profile and the vendor’s own pages

Magic Hour Fact ShortMake
Access and price
Free access availableFree · USD 0Free accessSameFree access availableFree · USD 0
USD 10 for 4,000 credits; $30 for 12,000Credit packs · shown at $27; $80 for 32,000 · shown at $68; $160 for 64,000 · shown at $128Lowest listed paid planUSD 19.99 per monthStarter · billed monthly · annual view shows $20.00 per month
Free (personal use); paid plans from $12 a month billed yearly, $19 monthlyPricing modelFree start; paid from $19.99/month
6Plans listedDiffers4
Not confirmedPublic APINot confirmed
Not confirmedCard to startNot required
Not confirmedOpen sourceNo
What it is for
Creators and small teams who want video, image and audio generation under one credit balanceBuilt forFaceless vertical shorts generated from a one-line idea
Video & editingCategorySameVideo & editing
  • Web
  • API
Platforms
  • Web
  • REST API
  • Python SDK
  • Node.js SDK
  • Go SDK
  • Rust SDK
Works withNot listed
How current
Profile sources checked
Prices confirmed · Oct 11, 2026Pricing checkSamePrices confirmed · Oct 13, 2026

Official source check for both tools. No hands-on testing and no score: “Differs” marks a documented difference, not a better tool.

Plans and prices

Magic Hour

Prices confirmed · Oct 11, 2026
  • FreeUSD 0
  • CreatorUSD 19 per month billed monthly; $12 per month billed yearlyUSD 144
  • ProUSD 39 per month billed monthly; $25 per month billed yearlyUSD 300
  • BusinessUSD 99 per month billed monthly; $66 per month billed yearlyUSD 792
  • Credit packsUSD 10 for 4,000 credits; $30 for 12,000shown at $27; $80 for 32,000 · shown at $68; $160 for 64,000 · shown at $128
Show 1 more plan
  • EnterpriseCustom
Plan conditions and sources

ShortMake

Prices confirmed · Oct 13, 2026
  • FreeUSD 0
  • StarterUSD 19.99 per monthbilled monthly · annual view shows $20.00 per month
  • CreatorUSD 29.99 per monthbilled monthly · annual view shows $21.00 per month
  • ProUSD 49.99 per monthbilled monthly · annual view shows $34.99 per month
Plan conditions and sources
Official pricing pages, captured from our server in Germany; regional prices or currency can differ
Magic Hour official pricing page screenshot with plan names
Magic HourOfficial pricing pagemagichour.aiCaptured
ShortMake official pricing page screenshot with plan names
ShortMakeOfficial pricing pageshortmake.comCaptured

Strengths and limits

Magic Hour

Strengths

  • Free start without an account: The homepage says core tools can be tried without signing up, and the pricing FAQ says no credit card is needed for the Free plan.
  • One credit balance across video, image and audio: The pricing page lists allowances for each tool, so you can see what a plan buys before paying.
  • Credits do not expire: The pricing FAQ says unused credits roll over, and credit packs are described as never expiring.

Limits to plan around

  • Free tier is limited and its size is not stated: Free video and audio may be watermarked, use is personal only, and the daily credit amount is not published on the pages read.
  • Resolution is gated by plan: Creator stops at 1024px and 4K needs the $99-a-month Business plan, or $792 billed yearly.
  • Credit cost varies widely by tool: The same plan buys 1.7 hours of most video but 7 minutes of UGC ads, so the headline hours do not apply to every tool.

ShortMake

Strengths

  • Fast path from idea to draft: One prompt produces script, voice, visuals and captions together.
  • No card to start: The FAQ says you can start free without a credit card.
  • Clear credit rule of thumb: The pricing page states that a 60-second video uses about 100 to 120 credits.

Limits to plan around

  • No refunds once credits land: The terms rule out refunds after credits are added to the account.
  • Countdown discounts: A timed first-month discount sits beside the list price and can be mistaken for the regular rate.
  • Dated legal pages: Terms date from February 2024 and describe the service as beta; the LLC country is not stated.

See both products

The two products on their official sites
Magic Hour homepage screenshot showing the official landing page
Magic HourOfficial homepagemagichour.aiCaptured
ShortMake homepage screenshot showing the official landing page
ShortMakeOfficial homepageshortmake.comCaptured
Product pages of both tools
ShortMake features page screenshot showing the product interface
ShortMakeOfficial siteshortmake.comCaptured

Start from your task, not from a winner.

Run both tools on the same real task, then compare the result, how much editing it needs and how fast it uses your plan’s allowance.

How we review

Change this pair

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Audio & voice

Automation

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Data & spreadsheets

Images & design

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Research & sources

Video & editing

Website builders

Writing & content

Comparing tools from different categories is fine, and often useful — a writing assistant and a research tool solve different halves of the same job. The table will show you exactly where they diverge.

Questions about comparing tools

How does the comparison work?

Add two tools to the comparison tray from any tool card, then open this page. The table pulls each tool's verified plan details, platforms, strengths and limits from its profile, so both columns carry the same kind of evidence, with a separate source-check date for each tool.

Do you declare a winner?

No. The table sets two tools against each other on documented facts, not on a score. Which one wins depends on your task, your budget and your usage volume — three things we cannot see from here.

Why are some cells empty or marked unverified?

Because we could not confirm that detail on the vendor's own pages. Rather than filling the gap with a figure from elsewhere, we mark it and say why on the tool's profile.

Can I compare more than two tools?

Not at once. Two columns keep the differences readable and force a real decision. Remove either selected tool to replace it, or clear both to start a new pair.

Every figure in the table above comes from the linked profile, where the source and the verification date are listed. Browse all tools or read the editorial policy.