Open Source AI Video Editors in 2026

A year ago, most open source video editors used AI for things like generating subtitles or removing backgrounds.

That's useful, but things have changed quite a bit.

Now there are open source video editors where you can describe what you want in chat, and the editor makes the changes for you. Some can even generate video clips, images, voiceovers and music.

The interesting part is that you can still edit everything yourself on a regular timeline.

A lot of these projects are pretty new, and they're changing quickly. We checked their GitHub repositories, licenses and latest releases.

Three ways video editors use AI

Not every video editor uses AI the same way. There are three main approaches.

1. Helping with individual tasks

This is the stuff that's been around for a while. Automatically generating subtitles, translating captions, removing backgrounds and tracking objects.

Editors like Kdenlive and Shotcut already do some of this, and many of these features run directly on your computer.

2. Editing through chat

This is the newer approach.

Instead of manually cutting clips, you can type something like "remove the silences and make the intro shorter."

An assistant looks at your project and makes those changes using the editor's tools.

Some editors make the changes directly on a timeline, so you can review and adjust them. Others generate a finished video without giving you much control over individual edits.

3. Generating new content

Some editors can also create video clips, images, voiceovers, sound effects and music.

These features usually use models running in the cloud, so they often cost money even when the editor itself is open source.

Open source AI video editors compared

Here's a comparison of nine open source video editors and what they support.

Not all of these editors have chat assistants. Some only use AI for specific tasks, while others let external tools like Claude Code or Codex control the editor.

Let's look at what each one actually does.

Donkey Cut

Donkey Cut is a free, open source video editor that runs in your browser or on a Mac.

It has a regular timeline with multiple tracks, captions, effects, transitions, animated text, music and color adjustments.

You can edit everything manually, just like a normal video editor.

But there's also a chat assistant.

You can ask it to cut clips, add captions, adjust effects or make other changes to your video. It can look at frames from your timeline and read the audio transcript to understand what you're working on.

The important part is that it makes changes directly to your timeline.

You can see what it changed, adjust anything yourself or undo it. You're not just getting a finished video back with no way to edit it.

On a Mac, Donkey Cut works with your existing Claude Code or Codex login. You don't need to set up API keys or pay for another subscription just to use the assistant. Audio transcription also runs locally.

In the browser, the assistant uses a hosted model through Donkey Cut's credit system.

You can also generate images, videos, voiceovers and music using credits with the Pro plan. And there's a ChatGPT integration for editing cloud projects directly from ChatGPT.

Donkey Cut is licensed under Apache 2.0, so the code is available for anyone to use, modify or build on.

It's still a young project, though. The community is much smaller than something like OpenCut, and the desktop companion app only works on Mac right now.

OpenChatCut

OpenChatCut is another open source editor built around the idea of editing videos through chat.

It's a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux.

It has a multitrack timeline, automatic transcription, text-based editing, captions, translation, motion graphics templates and effects.

You can export videos as MP4, subtitles as SRT and projects as FCPXML.

The chat assistant can also generate images, video clips, speech, music and sound effects. It even supports publishing directly to several social platforms.

One thing that makes OpenChatCut interesting is how many different models it supports.

You can connect different providers using API keys, or use a ChatGPT subscription through the Codex CLI.

It also has an MCP server, which means tools like Claude Code and Codex can control the editor from outside the app.

OpenChatCut uses the AGPL-3.0 license. If you're planning to modify it and host your own version, you'll want to understand the license requirements.

It's still early, at version 0.1.3, and there's also a paid Pro edition.

OpenReel

OpenReel is a browser-based video editor that's closer to CapCut.

It's designed for making short videos and has features like animated text, captions, keyframes, color adjustments, green screen effects and templates.

There are more than 20 text animations, which is useful if you're making TikToks, Reels or YouTube Shorts.

It also has a chat panel for editing.

To use the assistant, you'll need your own API key from OpenAI, Anthropic or another compatible provider.

OpenReel supports MCP too, but only in its desktop version, which is still in alpha.

It doesn't generate new video clips or images.

If you mostly want a CapCut-style editor in your browser, with some chat editing on the side, OpenReel is worth trying.

OpenCut, Kdenlive and Shotcut

These three editors don't have chat-based editing agents yet, but they're still worth mentioning.

OpenCut is one of the most popular open source video editing projects on GitHub, with nearly 97,000 stars.

It runs in the browser and supports automatic captions that run on your device.

The team has plans for an MCP server and an editor API, but those aren't available yet. The editor is also going through a major rewrite. The current project is deprecated so be careful.

Kdenlive is a much more established desktop editor.

It has automatic subtitles using Whisper and VOSK, along with object masking and background removal using SAM2.

Shotcut is another established editor that supports local speech-to-text transcription with Whisper.

Neither Kdenlive nor Shotcut has a chat agent that can edit your entire timeline, but both are good choices if you want a traditional video editor with some useful automation.

What about Palmier Pro, Remotion and HyperFrames?

You might see these projects mentioned when searching for open source AI video editors, but there are some important differences.

Palmier Pro originally launched as an open source editor that coding agents could control.

But the source code is only available up to version 0.7.6. Newer versions are distributed as proprietary software, and the public repository no longer accepts contributions.

So while Palmier Pro started as open source, the current version isn't.

Remotion and HyperFrames are different kinds of tools.

They're frameworks for creating videos using code.

Remotion uses React, while HyperFrames uses HTML. They're useful for making animated graphics, charts and other videos programmatically.

You can also use coding agents to create videos with them.

But they're not traditional video editors. There's no regular timeline where you can drag clips around and make manual edits.

Remotion also requires a paid company license for businesses with more than three employees.

If you're specifically interested in using Claude Code to edit videos, we have another guide on how to edit video with Claude Code.

Do you need API keys, or can you use your existing subscription?

This is something I'd check before choosing an editor.

A lot of open source AI video editors require you to bring your own API key.

That means you're paying for usage separately, even if you already subscribe to Claude or ChatGPT.

And video editing can use quite a bit of model context. The assistant might need to look at frames, read transcripts and make multiple editing decisions.

Those API costs can add up.

Some editors let you use an existing subscription instead.

Donkey Cut works with your Claude Code or Codex login on Mac. OpenChatCut supports a ChatGPT login through Codex.

Velorn and WeftCut work with external agents, so the cost depends on which agent and model you connect.

Generating new videos and images is different, though.

Those models are expensive to run, so you'll generally need to pay for generation through credits or your own provider account.

The editor can be free and open source without every model it connects to being free.

Does your footage stay on your computer?

Another thing to think about is where your video files are stored and processed.

Some editors work entirely on your computer.

Kdenlive and Shotcut process media locally.

OpenCut and OpenReel keep your media in the browser.

Donkey Cut lets you choose between local and cloud projects. With a local project, your media files stay on your computer instead of being uploaded to Donkey Cut's servers.

But there's an important difference between storing footage locally and sending information to a model.

If you use a hosted assistant, it may need to send video frames, transcripts or other project information to the model provider.

So if privacy matters to you, check both where the editor stores your footage and what data gets sent when you use its AI features.

FAQs

Is there an open source AI video editor?

Yes. Donkey Cut, OpenChatCut and OpenReel all support editing through chat.

Kdenlive and Shotcut also have AI features, mainly for tasks like automatic subtitles and background removal.

What's the best open source AI video editor?

It depends on what you need.

Donkey Cut is a good choice if you want to edit through chat using your existing Claude Code or Codex login on Mac.

OpenChatCut supports more model providers and has a lot of generation features.

For traditional editing with automatic captions, Kdenlive and Shotcut are good options.

What is MCP in a video editor?

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol.

It's a way for tools like Claude Code, Codex and Cursor to connect to other applications.

In a video editor, that means an external assistant can do things like cut clips, add captions, change effects and export videos without you manually clicking every button.

Can I use my Claude or ChatGPT subscription instead of an API key?

With some editors, yes.

Donkey Cut supports Claude Code and Codex logins on Mac. OpenChatCut can use a ChatGPT login through Codex.

Other editors may require an API key, which means paying separately for usage.

Can AI actually watch my video?

Not quite like a person does.

Most video editing assistants work by looking at selected frames from your video and reading a transcript of the audio.

They use that information to decide where to cut, what captions to add and how to make other edits.

It's useful, but it can still miss things. You should review the changes before exporting.

Is there an open source alternative to ChatCut?

Yes. Donkey Cut and OpenChatCut both support editing videos through chat on a regular timeline.

Both also work with Claude Code or Codex.

ChatCut itself is closed source.

Is Palmier Pro open source?

The older versions were.

Palmier Pro originally released its code under GPLv3, but the publicly available source stops at version 0.7.6.

Newer versions are proprietary.

Do open source AI video editors cost money?

The editors themselves can be free, but the models they use may cost money.

Some require paid API usage. Others work with subscriptions you already have.

Generating images, video clips and music usually costs extra because those models need significant computing resources.

Do I need to know how to code?

Not for most of them.

Donkey Cut, OpenReel and OpenChatCut have regular editing interfaces, so you can edit videos without writing code.

Tools like Velorn and WeftCut are more technical because they're designed to work with external agents.

Remotion and HyperFrames are also better suited to people who are comfortable working with code.