head to head · open source
Shotcut vs OpenChatCut
Shotcut has 15,246 GitHub stars, 1,510 forks, 52 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenChatCut has 1,939 stars, 282 forks, 37 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. Shotcut leads on adoption by 686% (15,246 vs 1,939 stars). Shotcut is written in C++ under GPL-3.0; OpenChatCut is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. Shotcut has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, OpenChatCut 15%. Shotcut 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
| Shotcut | OpenChatCut | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 15K | ★ 1.9K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-21 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.5K | ⑂ 282 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Shotcut if
- You weight community size — 15K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick OpenChatCut if
- You want the OpenChatCut 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 OpenChatCut fits your workflow better
About Shotcut
Shotcut is a free, open source, cross platform video editor written in C++ and released under the GPL 3.0 license. It lives in the Qt and MLT ecosystem, using Qt for its application and user interface and MLT as its multimedia authoring framework. It provides regularly built binaries for Linux, macOS, and Windows, and is positioned as an open alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve (Studio).
read the full Shotcut overview →
About OpenChatCut
OpenChatCut is an open source, local first conversational AI video editor for creators and developers who want agents to edit inside a real multi track timeline instead of producing a clip that can no longer be changed.
read the full OpenChatCut overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Shotcut or OpenChatCut more popular?
Shotcut has 15,246 GitHub stars and OpenChatCut has 1,939. Shotcut has the larger community by that measure.
Are Shotcut and OpenChatCut free?
Both are open source. Shotcut is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OpenChatCut under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Shotcut and OpenChatCut?
Shotcut is written in C++ and OpenChatCut 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, Shotcut or OpenChatCut?
Choose Shotcut if you want the larger community (15,246 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose OpenChatCut if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.