How to Cancel Descript in About 3 Minutes
Five self-serve clicks from the Plan tab. The cancel flow itself is mild. The two things that trip people up sit outside it: export your projects before the cycle ends, and the refund window is 48 hours (not 30 days, not 14, not even 7).
Do this before you cancel
Export every project that uses paid AI features.
Projects survive the downgrade. The paid features inside them do not. Studio Sound, Eye Contact, filler word removal, Overdub, and 4K export all snap back to Free-tier limits at cycle end. Got a polished episode or 4K video you might re-render later? File then Export now, pick Video or Audio, save locally. Export consumes zero AI credits. Descript's export guide has the menu path.
The five clicks, in order
Sign in as the Drive owner
Open the Descript desktop app or go to web.descript.com. You must be the Drive owner, not a workspace member. If you are a member, skip to the FAQ.
Open App Settings (Cmd or Ctrl + comma)
The shortcut is fastest. If you own multiple Drives, use the Drive picker in the sidebar to select the paid one.
Go to the Plan tab, click Change plan
Shows your current tier (Hobbyist, Creator, Business). Descript surfaces a Pause prompt (1 to 3 months, no charge). Take it if you want a break; ignore it if you want out.
Select Downgrade to Free and pick a reason
The reason dropdown is mandatory and gates the next button. No retention agent or discount follows.
Click Cancel subscription and confirm
Confirm through the final prompt. Plan tab shows "pending downgrade" with your cycle-end date plus a confirmation email. Changed your mind? Undo from the same Plan tab.
When the charge actually stops
Access continues to cycle end. No proration. Six months into an annual plan, you keep paid features the remaining six (no refund). After cycle end, the account moves to Free: 60 media minutes/mo, 100 one-time AI credits, 1080p export cap.
Refund window is 48 hours from the invoice date, not self-serve. Email support with your account address before the clock runs out. Past it, even an accidental annual renewal is unrecoverable. Just got billed? Send the refund email first, then run the cancel flow.
Why you are probably on this page
The September 2025 pricing overhaul broke multi-track podcasters.
Descript switched to a dual bucket of media minutes plus AI credits. Per third-party analyses, separate host/guest tracks count individually: a one-hour interview with three tracks burns three media hours, 2 to 3x the old burn rate. Descript's community FAQ acknowledges the backlash but did not grandfather Legacy plans. Enterprise tier requires admin access to cancel (contact your CSM).
Questions people actually ask
Can I get a refund if I just renewed my annual plan?
Only inside 48 hours of the invoice. Email Descript support from your account address with the invoice number. Past 48 hours, no prorated refund. Cancel anyway so it does not auto-renew next year.
I am a member on someone else's Drive. Why is there no cancel button?
Only the Drive owner can change the plan. Ask them to downgrade, or have them transfer Drive ownership to you in workspace settings first.
What survives the downgrade?
Projects, recordings, transcripts, and your media library all stay. What disappears at cycle-end: 4K export (capped at 1080p on Free), Studio Sound, Eye Contact, Overdub, and AI-credit features beyond the one-time 100-credit Free allowance.
Do I have to cancel SquadCast separately?
Yes. Descript bought SquadCast but kept the billing separate. There is a separate SquadCast cancel page for the remote-recording side. Checking only Descript leaves the second bill running.
If you're auditing your creator-tool stack
Now that Descript is off the books, what else is quietly renewing?
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