What it is and who it's for
OpenCut is a free open-source video editor right in the browser, positioned as a private alternative to CapCut with no subscription and no uploading your video to someone else's servers. For bloggers and social media managers who need quick online editing of short clips with control over their data. What sets it apart: processing runs locally in the browser, and the project is open — you can even host it yourself.
Key features
- Editing in the browser with no install; processing happens locally (privacy).
- Timeline, trimming, cuts, text/titles.
- No watermarks and no subscriptions.
- Open source — you can self-host and fork it.
- Built for short vertical videos.
- Actively developed (fast growth on GitHub).
Getting started in 5 minutes
- Open the web version (the link is in the OpenCut repo on GitHub) or run it locally:
git clone https://github.com/OpenCut-app/OpenCut && cd OpenCut && npm install && npm run dev
- Upload your clips, lay them out on the timeline, add text and trim the extra.
- Export the video and publish it.
When to take it and when not to
- ✅ Take it if: you need a free, private browser editor as a subscription-free CapCut replacement.
- ✅ Take it if: you value open source and the option to self-host.
- ❌ Skip it → go with "VEED" if you need mature AI features (auto captions, translation) and the stability of a finished service.
- ❌ Skip it → go with "Kdenlive"/"DaVinci Resolve" if you need serious desktop editing.
The honest price
Completely free and open source. If you self-host, you only pay for hosting (when you deploy it online). No watermarks.
Gotchas
- The project is young and changes fast — expect bugs and half-finished features.
- Browser editing is limited by the tab's memory; heavy projects get sluggish.
- The effects library is thinner than in desktop editors.
- The docs sometimes lag behind the code — occasionally you have to dig into issues.
🤖 Prompt accelerator
"I want to edit a vertical video in OpenCut (browser-based, open source). Help me either run it locally step by step (clone/install/dev) or find my way around the web version — import, cutting, text, export for Reels/Shorts. Tell me how to work around browser memory limits on a long video and what to do when it hangs."