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Repo of the Day

OpenCut-app/OpenCut: The open-source CapCut alternative

Published: Aug 14, 2026

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The open-source CapCut alternative

Summary

OpenCut is a free, MIT-licensed video editor being built as an open alternative to CapCut, with the stated long-term goal of running on web, desktop, and mobile from a single Rust-backed codebase. The main repository is currently mid-rewrite, and the version that is actually usable today is a separate project called opencut-classic.

What it is useful for

  • Running the classic open-source video editor locally as a self-hostable alternative to proprietary tools, since the README explicitly directs users there for now.
  • Following a rewrite that the README says will target an Editor API, a plugin-first architecture, headless mode for automation and batch rendering, an MCP server for AI agents, and an in-app scripting tab.
  • Studying the build setup, which uses proto and moon to pin toolchains and run separate web, API, and desktop targets from one repo.

The rewrite itself is not yet a finished product; for actual editing work today the classic version is the one the README points you to.

How engineers can use it

The README states that outside contributions are not being accepted while the architecture is being designed, so practical engagement right now is limited to running the code locally, reading the roadmap, or joining the community channels.

To run the rewrite from this repo, the README documents these steps:

  1. Install proto (the tool version manager from moonrepo):

    • Linux, macOS, WSL: bash <(curl -fsSL https://moonrepo.dev/install/proto.sh)
    • Windows PowerShell: irm https://moonrepo.dev/install/proto.ps1 | iex
    • If shims fail to run: Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned

  2. From the repo root:

proto use
moon run web:dev       # web UI at localhost:5173
moon run api:dev       # API at localhost:8787
moon run desktop:dev   # see apps/desktop/README.md

Documented limitations:

  • The rewrite is incomplete; opencut.app still serves the classic build, while new.opencut.app hosts the work in progress.
  • The repository is not accepting outside contributions during the architectural design phase, so pull requests are unlikely to land.
  • Mobile setup and detailed desktop steps are not in this README; the desktop dev command defers to apps/desktop/README.md for specifics.

For ongoing questions, the README points to the project's Discord and GitHub issues.