Best for
- Creators and developers who want AI to participate in editing while keeping professional control.
- Users who need inspectable, undoable editing with local data storage.
O
OpenChatCut
Community
Open-source, local-first, agent-native video editor
GitHub source repository ↗
68FMRS · C
OpenChatCut is an innovative open-source AI video editor that merges a professional timeline with agent-driven editing, offering reversible and inspectable workflows. Its MCP integration allows external agents like Codex and Claude Code to edit real projects over Streamable HTTP. While early in development, it is feature-rich and ideal for users who want AI assistance without sacrificing control.
OpenChatCut is an open-source, local-first conversational AI video editor with a professional multi-track timeline, Agent Skills, MCP integration, and Remotion rendering. It lets Codex, Claude Code, and the built-in agent read, edit, and export real video projects that remain fully editable. Every edit is written to real tracks, clips, transitions, captions, effects, and media inside the project, so you can continue editing manually, undo/redo, save versions, or hand off to another agent.
Tools
begin_edit_session
Starts an edit session and returns an editSessionId to pass to all project read/edit tools.
get_edit_session
Polls the edit session status (applied, rejected, or discarded).
review_edit_session
Submits the draft for review; in manual mode requires user approval, in auto mode applies immediately.
Setup
- Install OpenChatCut desktop app or run from source (Node.js 24.x).\n2. Run npm install and copy .env.example to .env.local, configuring API keys for models/media services as needed.\n3. Start the editor via desktop app or local service (default http://localhost:5199).\n4. For Codex, add the MCP server to your Codex config.\n5. For Claude Code, run: claude mcp add --transport http openchatcut http://localhost:5199/api/external-mcp/mcp.
Fit and risk
Not for
- Teams requiring full cloud services and multi-tenancy.
- Users seeking one-shot generation of immutable videos.
Required permissions
- Local file system access (to store projects and media).
- API keys for external AI models and media services if configured.
- MCP endpoint binds locally by default; external access requires Bearer Token.
Risks and side effects
- Security risks if MCP endpoint is exposed without token, allowing unauthorized access.
- License risks from third-party dependencies.
- AI-generated content may be uncontrolled; review needed.
Troubleshooting
- Ensure Node.js version is 24.x and run npm install.
- Configure API keys properly in .env.local; missing keys are reported explicitly.
- If MCP connection fails, verify the editor is running and the project is open.
Use cases
Edit videos with natural language: describe the goal, the agent reads the project and produces verifiable edits.
Automate post-production: generate edits, transitions, captions, soundtracks, etc.
Integrate with Codex or Claude Code to directly manipulate projects via MCP.
Supported clients
CodexFull support
Claude CodeFull support