Splice Problems & Issues
Real user-reported problems, complaints, and limitations for Splice. Based on analysis of 14 signals.
Overall score: 55/100
Issues by Category
Splice projects lost after uninstalling or deleting
Splice stores project data inside the app, so deleting the app deletes your projects and support says it cannot retrieve them. Deleted projects also cannot be restored. Users who reinstall to fix a crash can lose every draft.
Splice export stuck (blue export bar never finishes)
Splice has a dedicated help article for the blue export bar freezing. Its fixes point at GoPro files, clips not shot on the device, speed changes and transitions, iCloud-only media and VPNs, which shows how many different things can block an export.
Why does Splice keep crashing?
App Store reviewers report crashes on longer videos at high frame rates and resolutions, and one update made the app crash every time they tapped create video. Splice's own crash article lists storage, outdated iOS or app versions and problem media as the usual causes.
Splice says a file or asset is missing
Splice does not copy media into the project; it references files in the Camera Roll. Removing or offloading a photo or clip breaks the project with a missing-asset message until the file is restored, which catches people who clean up their gallery after editing.
Splice says not enough space to export when the phone has plenty
Splice can need roughly twice the final video's size in free storage because it writes temporary files during export, and space freed only in iCloud does not count. Users with a few GB free still get blocked on longer or higher-resolution exports.
Splice slow to import large videos (loads forever)
A yearly subscriber reported 5-10 minute clips taking very long to import or failing outright. Splice's help center has an article for the app loading indefinitely when creating a project or importing, blaming WhatsApp/AirDrop files, clips edited in other apps and iCloud-only media.
Splice paywall: Pro features needed to save your edit
Many effects, music and captions are Pro tools, and a project that uses them cannot be saved without a subscription. Users who start editing on the free tier often discover the paywall only at the save step; an industry write-up says many users left for CapCut when the post-trial paywall arrived.
Why is Splice so expensive?
The US App Store lists Splice Monthly at $14.99 and yearly plans at $79.99, $99.99 and $119.99, plus a weekly plan with a free trial. That is well above CapCut Pro or InShot Pro for a phone-only editor, and an App Store feedback report notes long-term users upset by pricing plan changes.
Splice refund: charges are non-refundable, Apple handles App Store refunds
Splice's terms say valid charges are non-refundable except as its refund policy allows, and it cannot cancel or refund App Store subscriptions because Apple manages them. Cancelling only stops auto-renewal; the current period is not refunded and unused trial time is forfeited.
Splice owner Bending Spoons has a poor support reputation
Bending Spoons, which owns Splice, scores about 1.8-1.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot with no replies to negative reviews, and other acquired apps such as Harvest saw steep price increases. Splice support itself is mostly self-serve help articles.
Splice 4K export limited to 1080p
A paying reviewer said 4K footage had to be exported at 1080p, and Adorama's app roundup notes Splice does not offer 4K editing. Creators shooting 4K on recent iPhones lose resolution compared with CapCut or VN.
Splice music library tracks too short and songs removed
App Store reviewers complain that library tracks are too short for longer videos, that seasonal music disappeared in updates, and that licensing for social media is unclear. Only purchased, DRM-free iTunes songs can be imported; Apple Music streams do not work.
Splice captions not working (English only, not on Android)
Splice's auto captions only detect English audio, can fail on clips longer than 10 minutes, and support has confirmed captions are not available on Splice for Android. Non-English creators and Android users pay the same price for fewer features.
Splice music cut off at the end of the exported video
If no clip or blank frame sits under the end of the music track, Splice drops that part of the audio from the export. The help center documents the workaround (add and stretch a blank frame), but users only notice after exporting.
Regret Patterns
Common reasons users regret choosing Splice.
Switched phones from iPhone to Android
The subscription does not carry over between platforms, and Android lacks captions.
Cleaned up the Camera Roll and broke projects
Deleting source clips after editing triggers missing-asset errors in saved projects.
Edited a whole video, then hit the paywall at save
Free users build a project with Pro effects or music and only learn at the save step that they must subscribe or strip those features.
Free trial rolled into a paid plan
The free trial auto-renews into a weekly, monthly or yearly charge unless cancelled 24 hours before it ends, and the current period is not refunded.
Bought a yearly plan, then found exports capped at 1080p
A yearly subscriber reported slow imports and 1080p-only exports and threatened to cancel.
Reinstalled to fix a crash and lost every project
Because projects live inside the app, uninstalling as a fix wipes them with no recovery.
When Splice Breaks Down
Specific scenarios where Splice fails or underperforms.
Long videos at high frame rate or resolution
Crashes and stuck exports cluster on long 60fps or high-resolution projects.
Phone nearly full
Export needs about twice the final file size in free space, so it fails or warns even with a few GB free.
Media stored only in iCloud
Optimized iCloud storage leaves only thumbnails on the phone, which causes endless loading and stuck exports.
Clips from WhatsApp, AirDrop or other editors
Splice may not recognize these files, so imports hang or exports fail until they are converted.
Deleting or reinstalling the app
All projects are lost and cannot be restored.
Non-English or Android captioning
Captions fail on non-English audio and do not exist on Android.
Music running past the last clip
Audio after the final clip is dropped from the export unless a blank frame is added.