OpenCut
An open-source, CapCut-style video editor; the main repository is currently a ground-up rewrite. Part of Open-source motion studio: 20 repos.
Checked 2026-10-27 against the GitHub repository, its README, and the npm or PyPI registry where relevant.
| Runtime | Browser and desktop (classic and rewrite). The rewrite targets desktop, mobile and browser; no headless mode exists yet. |
| How an agent drives it | GUI today. The MCP server and headless mode are planned in the README, not shipped. |
| License | MIT. |
| Maintenance | Latest GitHub release v0.3.0, 2026-04-15; repo pushed 2026-09-24; not archived. Not accepting outside contributions while the architecture is designed (README). |
What it gives you
- The README’s status section says the project is being rewritten, and lists planned features: an Editor API, a plugin-first architecture, desktop, mobile and browser from one Rust core, an MCP server for AI agents, a headless mode for automation and batch rendering, and a scripting tab.
- The previous version lives at
opencut-app/opencut-classic, which the README names as the one to use today; opencut.app still serves the classic version and the rewrite is hosted at new.opencut.app.
Key differentiator
A free, open, browser-based timeline editor with an agent-friendly roadmap (MCP server, headless rendering). Source: README. None of those agent features are available yet.
Pick something else when
Shotcut or Kdenlive (both GPL-3.0, actively maintained) for a mature desktop editor today. CapCut (commercial) for a polished consumer editor. HyperFrames or Remotion when the video is generated from code.
Agent fit
Not yet. It is GUI-only until the planned MCP server and headless mode ship; revisit when they do.
Overlap within the 20
Overlaps FFmpeg only for final export; no overlap with the generators.