OpenCut is a free, open source video editor that runs entirely in your browser, which means it works on any platform without a separate install. It aims at the same fast, timeline-style editing as CapCut, except your footage is processed locally on your own machine instead of being uploaded to a company’s servers.
OpenCut
Open Source Web Windows macOS Linux Free
Official website opencut.app
Our take
The pitch here is simple and it lands: CapCut-style editing without handing ByteDance your raw footage or your habits. The honest catch is that it is young and rough in places, so expect missing features and the occasional snag next to a mature desktop editor. Pick OpenCut if you want quick social-video edits with nothing to install and nothing leaving your browser. If you need deep effects or real color work today, start with Kdenlive instead and check back on OpenCut as it grows.
GitHub at a glance
OpenCut-app/OpenCut
Stars
56,937
Last commit
21d ago
healthy
License
MIT
Latest release
v0.3.0
2mo ago
Listed in
OpenCut alternatives
Kdenlive Mature, full-featured open source video editor from the KDE project, with multi-track timelines and a deep effects library, all offline.
Shotcut Cross-platform open source video editor with native multi-format timelines, so mixed clips need no conversion.
OpenShot Beginner-friendly open source video editor with a simple drag-and-drop timeline. Cross-platform and free.
Tenacity Privacy-respecting open source audio editor forked from Audacity, with the telemetry stripped out.
Ardour Professional open source digital audio workstation for recording, mixing and mastering.
OpenCut license, in plain English
MIT Permissive
Do almost anything: use, change, and ship it, even inside closed-source products. The only condition is keeping the copyright notice.
Permits
- Commercial use
- Modification
- Distribution
- Private use
Requires
- License and copyright notice
Does not provide
- Liability cover
- Warranty
Why it matters: Permissive licensing lets anyone reuse this, including inside closed products. That is freedom to build on, but no guarantee that downstream copies stay open.
Plain-language summary of the project's license, not legal advice. Read the full text for the exact terms.