ShapCut - Free, 100% Local AI Video Editor & Viral Shorts Clipper

$0/yr

Free & Open Source

Zero paywalls, zero credits, no export watermark traps.

100%

On-Device Privacy

Raw footage stays local. Never uploaded to remote servers.

0s

Cloud Queue Wait

Instant processing powered by your local CPU / GPU.

4K60

Unlimited Exports

No monthly minute caps. Cut hours of footage with ease.

Local AI Powerhouse

Engineered for Studio Independence

Designed for content creators, podcasters, streamers, and video editors who demand instant speed, creative control, and absolute privacy.

🎙️

Faster-Whisper Transcription

Industry-grade, word-accurate subtitle transcription powered by CTranslate2. Generates precise timestamps with self-healing audio extraction.

⚡

AI Hook & Impact Engine

Algorithmic scoring analyzes sentence density, narrative shifts, and hook pacing to automatically pinpoint your most viral moments.

✂️

Frame-Accurate Smart Cuts

Lossless FFmpeg stream cutting with optional kinetic subtitles. Export individual high-energy clips or merge them into highlight reels.

🎯

Automatic 9:16 Re-Framing

Transform horizontal widescreen videos into vertical clips optimized for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts with intelligent center framing.

🛡️

Absolute Footage Confidentiality

Never risk leaking unreleased footage, proprietary tutorials, or confidential client shoots. Everything processes in your local sandbox.

✈️

Works Completely Offline

Edit in a café, during a flight, or in a remote off-grid studio. Once installed, ShapCut requires zero internet connection to run.

The Smart Choice

Why Creators Are Leaving Cloud Clippers

Cloud tools charge monthly subscriptions for metered minutes and upload your files. ShapCut gives you permanent studio freedom.

Scroll horizontally to compare

Capability	RECOMMENDED ShapCut (Local AI)	Cloud AI (Opus, Descript)
Price Long-term software cost	$0 Free Forever (MIT)	$19 – $49 / month ($240–$580/yr)
Footage Privacy Data custody & confidentiality	100% Stays on your machine	Uploaded to 3rd-party servers
Upload Wait Times Bandwidth delay before editing	Instant (0 seconds delay)	10 – 30 mins for 4K files
Processing Limits Monthly usage quotas	Unlimited hours & clips	Capped at 60 – 200 mins/mo
Watermarks Branding on exported clips	Never. Clean exports.	Watermarked unless paying top tier
Offline Mode Works without internet	Fully functional off-grid	Completely unusable offline

Simple 3-Step Workflow

From raw footage to viral clips in seconds.

Drop In Your Footage

Drag any MP4, MOV, or MKV file into the editor. ShapCut accepts any resolution up to 4K 60FPS without transcoding.

Instant Local AI Analysis

Whisper AI transcribes speech with word-level timestamps while the scoring engine ranks every sentence for engagement velocity.

One-Click Precision Export

Preview suggested clips directly on the interactive timeline, adjust boundaries with frame accuracy, and export ready for social feeds.

shapcut-core · local-runtime

> Initializing local AI engine (faster-whisper)...
✓ Hardware acceleration detected (CUDA/Metal)
> Transcribing audio & generating timestamps...
✓ Transcription completed (100% on-device)
> Analyzing sentence density & hook velocity...
✓ Identified 5 high-impact viral segments
> Executing lossless FFmpeg cuts...
✓ 5 shorts exported ready for TikTok & Reels!

Cross-Platform

Download ShapCut v1.0.0

Self-contained installers bundled with embedded AI runtime and LGPL FFmpeg. No complicated Python or terminal setup required.

Windows

Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit)

Download Installer (.exe)

Setup wizard with automatic GPU detection

macOS

macOS 12.0+ (Apple Silicon & Intel)

Download DMG (.dmg)

Native Apple Silicon Neural Engine accelerated

Linux

Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch & openSUSE

Download AppImage (.AppImage)

Self-contained portable bundle, chmod +x and run

Clear Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about running ShapCut locally on your computer.

Is ShapCut really 100% free forever?

Yes. ShapCut is fully open-source software distributed under MIT and LGPL licenses. There are no paid tiers, no monthly credits, no paywalled features, and absolutely no watermark stamped on exported clips.

Does my video footage ever leave my computer?

Never. Unlike SaaS web clippers that upload your files to remote third-party cloud servers, ShapCut runs Whisper AI and FFmpeg 100% locally on your machine. You can even disconnect your internet entirely and ShapCut works seamlessly.

Do I need an expensive graphics card?

No. ShapCut uses optimized CTranslate2 INT8 quantization, enabling fast transcription on standard multi-core CPUs. If an NVIDIA GPU (CUDA) or Apple Silicon Neural Engine is present, ShapCut automatically detects and leverages it for lightning-fast processing.

What video formats and resolutions are supported?

ShapCut supports any video or audio container handled by FFmpeg, including MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WEBM, and M4V at resolutions from 720p up to full 4K 60FPS.

How does ShapCut differ from Opus Clip or Descript?

Cloud tools charge $240–$580/year, impose monthly minute quotas, add watermarks, and own your footage on their servers. ShapCut is a native desktop app that gives you the exact same AI clipping capabilities for $0/year, with complete privacy and zero limits.

Turn long videos into viral shorts.
100% locally.