Q: CapCut or the in-app editor for short-form?

Q: CapCut or the in-app editor for short-form?

Great question. Short answer: edit in CapCut, but post from a clean export, not the share button.

Longer answer: native editors (Reels, TikTok) feel safer for reach because the app loves on-platform creation — but they're slow and limited. CapCut wins on speed, captions, and trending templates. The catch is the watermark and the rumor that off-app edits get throttled. The fix nobody mentions:
— export without watermark
— re-add 2-3s of native text or a sticker on top
— that's enough on-platform signal to keep the algo happy

Verdict: CapCut for the edit, native for the final 10% of polish.