OpenCut

Open-source CapCut alternative: a privacy-first browser video editor with a timeline, effects, and local editing.

Open source alternative to:

OpenCut is a free, MIT-licensed video editor best known as the open-source alternative to CapCut. The current web editor runs in the browser, keeps media on your device instead of uploading it to a third-party server, and covers the basics of cutting, trimming, arranging clips, effects, masks, and exporting to MP4 or WebM.

The project is in the middle of a ground-up rewrite. The main repository describes a Rust core with an Editor API, first-class third-party plugins, desktop, mobile, and browser builds from one codebase, an MCP server for AI agents, headless mode for batch rendering, and a scripting tab inside the editor. A native desktop shell built with GPUI exists but is explicitly very early — at the moment it only opens a window — so the browser editor remains the usable product. The original codebase lives on as opencut-classic, which is archived and no longer maintained.

For teams that want their own deployment, the classic codebase ships a Docker Compose stack with the web app, PostgreSQL, and Redis. Compared with CapCut, which is closed source and paywalls many effects and export options, OpenCut is MIT-licensed and privacy-first. It targets quick timeline edits rather than the depth of professional suites like Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which platforms does OpenCut run on?

The usable editor is the web app, which runs in a modern browser and is installable as a PWA. The rewrite repository also contains a native desktop shell built with GPUI for macOS, Windows, and Linux, but its README calls it very early and says it currently just opens a window. There is no released mobile app yet; mobile is listed as a target of the rewrite.

Do my videos get uploaded to a server?

OpenCut markets itself as privacy-first, and the classic editor keeps media on your device rather than sending video files to an external server. You can also self-host the web app if you want to control the whole deployment.

What do I need to self-host OpenCut?

The classic codebase includes a Docker Compose stack with the Next.js web app, PostgreSQL 17, Redis 7, and serverless-redis-http; the full stack is exposed on port 3100. Local development uses Bun, with Docker optional for the database and Redis. The rewrite repo instead uses proto and moon, with the web dev server on port 5173.

What export formats does OpenCut support?

The web editor exports MP4, which is the default, and WebM. Export options include a quality setting and an include-audio toggle, and the default is high quality with audio enabled.

Is there an API, plugin system, or headless mode yet?

Not yet. An Editor API, first-class third-party plugins, an MCP server for AI agents, headless mode for automation and batch rendering, and an in-editor scripting tab are all listed as goals of the rewrite. The project is still designing that architecture and is not accepting outside contributions yet, though issues and the Discord are open for discussion.

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