head to head · open source
OpenCut vs pireel
OpenCut has 97,525 GitHub stars, 9,715 forks, 378 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. pireel has 1,355 stars, 115 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. OpenCut leads on adoption by 7,097% (97,525 vs 1,355 stars). OpenCut is written in TypeScript under MIT; pireel is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. OpenCut has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, pireel 8%. pireel was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| OpenCut | pireel | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 98K | ★ 1.4K |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-24 | 2026-11-05 |
| Forks | ⑂ 9.7K | ⑂ 115 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick OpenCut if
- You weight community size — 98K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick pireel if
- You want the pireel feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and pireel fits your workflow better
About OpenCut
OpenCut A free and open source video editor for web, desktop, and mobile. Status OpenCut is being rewritten from the ground up. What's coming: An Editor API First class third party plugins (made possible by a plugin first architecture) Desktop, mobile, and browser from one codebase (Rust core) MCP server (for AI agents) Headless mode (automation, batch rendering) A scripting tab directly in the editor You can still find the previous version at opencut app/opencut classic, which is the one to reach for today. opencut.app still runs the classic version. The rewrite will live at new.opencut.app until it's ready to…
read the full OpenCut overview →
About pireel
Pireel Studio An open source AI video editor built for humans and AI agents. English · 简体中文 Start with one clip, a collection of media, or a blank video. Edit directly on the canvas and timeline, or describe the result you want. Try Pireel · Connect an agent Pireel brings AI into a real editing workspace. AI can help make the first cut, but you stay in control of the canvas, timeline, captions, graphics, audio, and final export. What you can create Talking head videos with cleaner pacing and readable captions Short clips made from longer recordings Product demos, tutorials, explainers, and marketing videos Multi…
read the full pireel overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenCut or pireel more popular?
OpenCut has 97,525 GitHub stars and pireel has 1,355. OpenCut has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenCut and pireel free?
Both are open source. OpenCut is licensed under MIT and pireel under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between OpenCut and pireel?
OpenCut is written in TypeScript and pireel in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, OpenCut or pireel?
Choose OpenCut if you want the larger community (97,525 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose pireel if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.