Here's what this gets you: a free video editor that opens in your browser, so you can cut a clip, add text, make it vertical for Reels and TikTok and download an MP4, without paying a subscription and without an account. It's called OpenCut, it's open source, and its own README says it exists because most basic CapCut features are now paywalled.
I just wanna cut a clip. So this guide is the whole thing: the exact buttons, the keys that do the cutting, which OpenCut to use today (there are two, and only one is ready), what's actually coming with the AI agents and batch renders, what it costs (nothing), and the stuff that breaks. Every button name here comes from OpenCut's own code and pages, checked on October 31, 2026.
Start here: paste this into ChatGPT or Claude
There's nothing to install, so the easy way is to have ChatGPT or Claude sit next to you while you click. Paste this prompt into either one. It goes one step at a time, explains every word, and stops before anything that costs money, reaches a customer or deletes something. Rather do it yourself? Everything it does is under “The manual way” below.
Hi. Please be my patient setup helper. I run a business and I'm not technical, so go one step at a time, tell me exactly what to click or press, and wait for me to say done before the next step.
Goal: edit my first video in OpenCut, the free open-source video editor that runs in a web browser, and download it as an MP4, without paying for anything. Follow this guide; it's the source of truth for every button name and key:
https://receiptsgroup.com/guides/opencut-free-capcut
Words to explain to me in plain English the first time you use them: open source, browser storage, project, timeline, playhead, split, aspect ratio, export, MP4, WebM, GitHub, roadmap.
Steps:
1. Ask me what computer and browser I'm on. If I'm on a phone or an iPad, tell me to switch to a desktop or laptop, because OpenCut shows a "Desktop only (for now)" screen there and the layout breaks.
2. Have me go to opencut.app and click Try early beta, then New project.
3. If a box called "Don't lose your projects" shows up, explain that my projects live in my browser and the browser can delete them when storage runs low, and that Allow protects them. Let me choose.
4. Set the shape first: the Settings tab, then Project info, then Aspect ratio, and pick 9:16 for Reels and TikTok or 16:9 for YouTube. Ask me which one I want.
5. Import my clip: the Media tab, then Import, or drag the file onto the panel. Then have me drag the clip down onto the timeline.
6. Teach me the cutting keys, one at a time: Space to play and pause, S to split at the playhead, click a piece and press Delete (or Backspace) to drop it, Q to split and remove the left side, W to split and remove the right side, Ctrl+Z to undo (Cmd+Z on a Mac). If a key does nothing, tell me to click on the timeline first.
7. Export: the Export button, Format MP4 (H.264), Quality High, Include audio in export ticked, then Export. Tell me where the file lands (my Downloads folder, unless my browser asks).
8. Have me play the downloaded file with sound before I post it anywhere.
Rules: Don't tell me to buy anything; this whole setup is free. Before I post the video or send it to a customer, stop and remind me to watch it all the way through. Before I delete a project or clear my browser data, stop and remind me that's where my projects live and they can't be brought back. If my screen doesn't match the guide, tell me what you expected to see and ask me what I see; don't guess. Never ask me for a password, key or code.
House rules for this setup:
- If you use a technical word, explain it in plain English the first time.
- Ask me before you assume anything about my business, my accounts or my setup.
- Stop and check with me before anything that costs money or spends credits.
- Stop and check with me before anything that sends, posts or publishes to real people.
- Stop and check with me before you delete or overwrite anything.How the pieces connect
This is the manual way: every click and every key. The part I care about is where your video goes, which is nowhere: OpenCut's privacy page says all editing happens on your device and they never upload, store or have access to your video or audio files.
- 1Your clipA video file on your computer→ dropped into the Media tab
- 2Your projectOpenCut at opencut.app, in your browser→ saved in your browser's own storage, not on a server
- 3The cutThe timeline: S to split, Delete to drop a piece→ the edit you want
- 4The exportThe Export button: MP4, High, with audio→ an MP4 in your Downloads folder
Words you'll see
- Open source: the code is public on GitHub and anyone can read it or run their own copy. OpenCut's is under the MIT license.
- Browser storage: a spot inside your web browser where sites can keep files on your computer. OpenCut keeps your projects there (it's called IndexedDB).
- Timeline: the strip along the bottom where your clips sit in order.
- Playhead: the line on the timeline that marks where you are in the video.
- Split: cut a clip in two at the playhead.
- Export: turn the project into a video file you can post.
- MP4 / WebM: two kinds of video file. MP4 plays almost anywhere; WebM is smaller.
Which OpenCut to use today
This is the part that trips people up. There are two OpenCuts right now. The team is rewriting it from the ground up, and their README says the classic version is the one to reach for today. So use opencut.app.
| Version | Where | Use it? |
|---|---|---|
| OpenCut classic | opencut.app (code at github.com/OpenCut-app/opencut-classic) | Yes, this is the one. Its code was archived on May 17, 2026, so it's read-only and nobody's fixing new bugs, but it works and it's what the site runs. |
| OpenCut rewrite | new.opencut.app (code at github.com/OpenCut-app/OpenCut) | Not yet. When I checked, that address only showed one line pointing to a beta, and the README says the rewrite lives there until it's ready. |
Edit your first clip
Open OpenCut and start a project
Whereopencut.app on a desktop or laptopClick Try early beta. That opens your projects page. Click New project (on your very first visit the button says Create your first project). The editor opens on a project called New project.
On a phone or an iPad you'll get Desktop only (for now) instead. There's a Take a look anyway button, but OpenCut's own warning says things will break.
Let it keep your projects
If a box called Don't lose your projects shows up, it's telling you the truth: your browser can delete your projects when storage runs low. I'd click Allow. Not now closes it.
PermissionsAllow asks your browser to keep OpenCut's saved projects instead of clearing them when it runs short on space. Nothing leaves your computer.Set the shape before you cut
WhereThe Settings tab, then Project infoUnder Aspect ratio, pick 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, or 16:9 for regular YouTube. There's also 1:1, 4:3 and Custom (you type the canvas width and height). You can rename the project here too, under Name.
Bring your clip in
WhereThe Media tab (it's open when the editor starts)Click Import and pick your files, or drag them onto the panel where it says Drag and drop videos, photos, and audio files here. Videos, photos and audio all work. Then drag the clip from the panel down onto the timeline.
The pop-up will say your clip “has been uploaded.” It hasn't gone anywhere: that's just the word it uses. The privacy page says they never upload your files.
Cut it
WhereThe timelineThese are OpenCut's own keys. Click on the timeline first, because the one-letter keys don't work while you're typing in a box.
Space (or K) play / pause J / L back / forward 1 second Left / Right arrow one frame back / forward S split at the playhead Q split and remove the left side W split and remove the right side Delete / Backspace delete what's selected Ctrl+D duplicate what's selected Ctrl+Z undo Ctrl+Shift+Z redo N snapping on / off On a Mac, Ctrl means Cmd (Cmd+Z, Cmd+D).Export it
WhereThe Export button in the editorThe Export project box has three settings. Format: MP4 (H.264), marked better compatibility, or WebM (VP9), marked smaller file size. Quality: Low, Medium, High (recommended) or Very high. Audio: Include audio in export. The defaults are already MP4, High and audio on, so for most posts you just click Export. You'll see a percentage while it works, and then the file downloads and the box closes.
First test: a 10-second clip (free)
Before you edit something that matters, do a throwaway run. It costs nothing and takes a few minutes.
- Record a 10-second clip on your phone and get it onto your computer (AirDrop, email it to yourself, whatever you already do).
- Start a new project, set it to 9:16, import the clip and drag it onto the timeline.
- Put the playhead at about 3 seconds and press S. Click the first piece and press Delete.
- Export it as MP4, High, with audio on.
- Open the file from your Downloads folder and play it with sound.
Good: a vertical video, about 7 seconds long, with the first 3 seconds gone and the sound in sync. Bad: no sound (check Include audio in export was ticked), the wrong shape (fix the aspect ratio and export again), or the export fails (see “When it breaks”).
What's coming: AI agents and batch renders
This is the one I'm watching. The rewrite's README lists what they're building, and none of it is something you can click yet:
- An editor API, so other software can drive the editor
- Third-party plugins
- Desktop, mobile and browser from one codebase
- An MCP server for AI agents (MCP is the standard way tools like Claude plug into other software, so an AI agent could do the editing)
- A headless mode for automation and batch rendering (headless means it runs with no screen, so you could render a stack of versions of one ad without sitting there)
- A scripting tab in the editor
That's a plan, not a release. I'm not gonna tell you when it ships, because they don't say.
Keep an eye on it
Wheregithub.com/OpenCut-app/OpenCutClick Star or Watch at the top of the repo page (both need a free GitHub account), and check the roadmap in the README and the changelog at opencut.app/changelog every so often. The README also says they aren't taking outside code contributions yet, but issues and discussion are open.
Optional: run your own copy (for a developer)
You don't need this to edit videos. It's for when you've got a developer and you want OpenCut running on your own machine instead of their site. These are the classic repo's own steps. It needs Git and Docker (a free tool that runs apps in a sealed box) installed first. Remember the classic code is archived, so this copy won't get updates.
git clone https://github.com/OpenCut-app/opencut-classic.git
cd opencut-classic
docker compose up -d
# then open http://localhost:3100 in your browserWhat it costs
| Tool | Plan | Price |
|---|---|---|
| OpenCut (opencut.app) | Free, open source (MIT), no account | $0 |
| OpenCut on your own computer | The same free code, run with Docker | $0 for the software |
| CapCut, for comparison | Free | $0 |
| CapCut, for comparison | Pro (adds AI credits, AI features, premium templates, 1 TB of storage) | $19.99 a month or $179.99 a year |
When it breaks
“Desktop only (for now)” on your phone or iPad
Your projects are gone
S, Q, W or Space does nothing
“Export failed”
The exported video has no sound
new.opencut.app is just one line of text
You want the AI agent or batch renders now
“Failed to upload media asset” when you import
That's the setup
Open the site, drop your clip in, press S, export. You just cut a clip without paying anybody, and when the AI agents and batch renders show up, you'll already know the editor.
Checked on Oct 31, 2026 against
Every claim about a third-party tool in this guide (plans, prices, menu paths, commands, limits) was checked against these official pages on Oct 31, 2026. These screens change often: if something looks different, trust the page over this guide.
- OpenCut on GitHub (the rewrite)96.9k stars and MIT license (checked 2026-10-31); being rewritten from the ground up; classic is the one to use today; the rewrite lives at new.opencut.app until ready; the roadmap (editor API, plugins, MCP server for AI agents, headless mode for automation and batch rendering, scripting tab); not taking outside contributions yet.
- OpenCut classic on GitHubThe original codebase, archived May 17, 2026 and read-only; “Your videos stay on your device”; “Most basic CapCut features are now paywalled”; self-hosting with docker compose up -d at localhost:3100.
- OpenCutThe hosted editor: Try early beta, Projects, “70k+ stars” on the homepage.
- OpenCut: PrivacyAll editing on your device, no uploads of video or audio, no accounts, projects stored in your browser with IndexedDB (last updated March 15, 2026).
- OpenCut: Changelog0.1.0 to 0.3.0 (February to April 2026): text, 1,000+ fonts, keyframes, effects, masks, captions from a transcript, volume and speed, custom canvas sizes.
- OpenCut rewriteThe rewrite's address; on 2026-10-31 it showed one line pointing to a beta.
- OpenCut classic code: the export menuExport project: Format (MP4 H.264, WebM VP9), Quality (Low, Medium, High, Very high), Include audio in export, Export failed and Retry. Defaults: MP4, High, audio on.
- OpenCut classic code: the keyboard shortcutsEvery default key: Space/K, J/L, S split, Q and W split and remove, Delete/Backspace, Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+D, N snapping.
- OpenCut classic code: the projects pageNew project, Create your first project, Rename, Duplicate, Delete.
- CapCut: PricingFree $0; Pro $19.99 a month or $179.99 a year (USD, “for reference only,” checked 2026-10-31).
Questions people ask about this
