Polished stack · 4 tools · prices checked Oct 2026

Faceless YouTube channel for $6/mo

Script with ChatGPT, narrate with ElevenLabs, make visuals in Leonardo, edit in CapCut. The only required plan is ElevenLabs Starter ($6/mo, or $60/yr upfront), for the commercial license a monetized channel needs. Its 30k credits cover about 4 videos of 7–8 minutes of narration and little else.

The plan

Exactly what to buy.

Tool	Job	Plan to use	Price source
ChatGPT	AI assistant	Free plan	not re-checked this month
ElevenLabs	Voiceover	Starter: $6/mo, or $60/yr upfront ($5/mo) — 30k credits/mo, commercial license	elevenlabs.io/pricing, Oct 13
Leonardo.ai	Images & art	Free plan: 150 tokens/day	leonardo.ai/pricing, Oct 13
CapCut	Edit video & audio	Free plan — only if you avoid Pro-marked assets (see limitations)	CapCut help center, Oct 13; watermark-free free export not confirmed
Total		$6/mo billed monthly, or $60/yr upfront, before tax. Editing stays $0 only if CapCut's free export works for your project — we couldn't confirm watermark-free free exports.

Each price lists where it came from and when. All prices are before tax and change often — confirm before you subscribe.

Workflow

Step by step.

Pick a narrow niche and use ChatGPT to outline 10 video ideas, then draft one 6–8 minute script. Edit it in your own words.
Paste the script into ElevenLabs on Starter. At ~1 credit per character, a 7–8 minute script (~6,500–7,500 characters) uses about a quarter of the 30k monthly credits.
Generate scene images in Leonardo (free: 150 tokens/day). Keep one style for the whole channel.
Get background music from the free YouTube Audio Library instead of spending ElevenLabs credits (music costs ~900 credits per minute).
Assemble in CapCut using only assets without the Pro badge — no Pro templates, effects, fonts, stickers, music or AI tools — and export at 1080p/30fps. Upload, then plan the next script.

Limitations

What it won't do.

ElevenLabs credits are one shared pool: narration, music, sound effects and retries all draw from the same 30k. About 4 videos of 7–8 minutes uses nearly all of it, leaving almost no room for regenerations or music. More output means Creator ($22/mo).
CapCut blocks free export when a project contains anything Pro-marked (templates, effects, fonts, music, stickers, AI tools, premium transitions); 4K, 60fps and 'No Watermark' are Pro options on desktop. CapCut's help page doesn't confirm that free exports are watermark-free, so check yours before committing — DaVinci Resolve's free version is an alternative editor if they aren't.
We couldn't confirm which CapCut caption features are free; if auto-captions show a Pro badge, they will block a free export.
YouTube restricts monetization of mass-produced or repetitive content. Add real research and your own point of view.
Leonardo free-tier images are public. ChatGPT's free plan limits messages on the newest models.

The tools

Each tool, up close.

01AI assistantFree tier

ChatGPT

“General-purpose AI assistant”

Why you'd click: Everything writing
Red flags: Can hallucinate
Price: $0 with these limitslimited messages on the newest modelsUpgrade: $8/mo (Go); $20/mo (Plus)

Opening line

Rewrite this email to sound friendlier.

Visit site

02VoiceoverFree tier

ElevenLabs

text-to-speech

“Lifelike TTS and voice cloning”

Why you'd click: Voiceovers, audiobooks
Red flags: Cloning ethics; char limits
Price: $0 with these limits10k credits/mo (~10 min of speech); no commercial licenseUpgrade: $6/mo (Starter); $60/yr billed yearly

Opening line

Read this script in a warm narrator voice.

Voice Audio Music

Visit site

03Images & artFree tier

Leonardo.ai

image studio

“Image studio with fine-tuned models”

Why you'd click: Game/concept art
Red flags: Token system confusing
Price: $0 with these limits150 tokens/day; free images are publicUpgrade: $12/mo (Essential, ex. tax)