What is OpenCut used for?

OpenCut is a free, open-source video editor positioned as an alternative to CapCut, currently being rewritten with a Rust core and a plugin-first design. It is a good fit for quick browser-based video edits and following an extensible editor in development.

Is OpenCut open source?

Yes. OpenCut is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at OpenCut-app/OpenCut and is written mainly in TypeScript.

Yes. OpenCut is open source, so the software itself is free to use. A managed cloud version is also available.

Can I self-host OpenCut?

Yes. OpenCut can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is OpenCut an alternative to?

OpenCut is an open-source alternative to CapCut, Kapwing, Microsoft Clipchamp and Adobe Premiere Pro. Other open-source alternatives to CapCut include Shotcut, OpenShot and Kdenlive.

Is OpenCut actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to OpenCut was on 24 September 2026, and the latest release is v0.3.0, published on 15 April 2026. The project has 91k stars on GitHub.

OpenCut: open-source alternative to CapCut, Kapwing

About OpenCut

OpenCut is a video editor that is free and open source, aimed at the web, with desktop and mobile versions in view. It is presented as an alternative to CapCut for people who want a video editing tool whose source they can inspect, and it is released under the MIT license. The codebase is written mostly in TypeScript.

The project is being rewritten from the ground up. Planned work includes an Editor API and a plugin-first architecture in which third-party plugins are treated as core, desktop, mobile and browser apps from one Rust-based codebase, an MCP server for AI agents, a headless mode for automation and batch rendering, and a scripting tab inside the editor.

The previous version lives in the opencut-classic repository and is the one to use today; opencut.app still runs this classic version, while the rewrite is staged at a separate address. The maintainers are not accepting outside code contributions yet. It suits creators who want a free web-based editor and developers interested in extensible video tooling.

Key features

Free video editing in the browser
Classic version running at opencut.app
Planned plugin-first architecture and Editor API
Planned desktop and mobile apps from one codebase
Planned MCP server for AI agents
Planned headless mode for batch rendering

Good fit for

→Quick browser-based video edits
→Following an extensible editor in development

Built with: TypeScript
Tags: video-editor; capcut-alternative; open-source; typescript; web; rust; editor; creator-tools

OpenCut: questions and answers

What is OpenCut used for?: OpenCut is a free, open-source video editor positioned as an alternative to CapCut, currently being rewritten with a Rust core and a plugin-first design. It is a good fit for quick browser-based video edits and following an extensible editor in development.
Is OpenCut open source?: Yes. OpenCut is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at OpenCut-app/OpenCut and is written mainly in TypeScript.
Is OpenCut free?: Yes. OpenCut is open source, so the software itself is free to use. A managed cloud version is also available.
Can I self-host OpenCut?: Yes. OpenCut can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is OpenCut an alternative to?: OpenCut is an open-source alternative to CapCut, Kapwing, Microsoft Clipchamp and Adobe Premiere Pro. Other open-source alternatives to CapCut include Shotcut, OpenShot and Kdenlive.
Is OpenCut actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to OpenCut was on 24 September 2026, and the latest release is v0.3.0, published on 15 April 2026. The project has 91k stars on GitHub.