head to head · open source
Shotcut vs OpenChatCut
Shotcut has 15,600 GitHub stars, 1,561 forks, 52 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. OpenChatCut has 2,910 stars, 434 forks, 37 open issues and last shipped 16 days ago. Shotcut leads on adoption by 436% (15,600 vs 2,910 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 | ★ 16K | ★ 2.9K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-10-21 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 434 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Shotcut if
- You weight community size — 16K 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 a free, open source, cross platform video editor Features: Roadmap: Install Binaries are regularly built and are available at Contributors Dan Dennedy : main author Brian Matherly : contributor Dependencies Shotcut's direct (linked or hard runtime) dependencies are: MLT: multimedia authoring framework Qt 6 (6.4 minimum): application and UI framework FFTW FFmpeg: multimedia format and codec libraries Frei0r: video plugins SDL: cross platform audio playback See for a more complete list including indirect and bundled dependencies. License GPLv3. See COPYING. How to build Warning : building Shotcut should…
read the full Shotcut overview →
About OpenChatCut
OpenChatCut 简体中文 · English Open source ChatCut alternative · agent native · local first AI video editor Let Codex, Claude Code, and the built in agent read, edit, and export real video projects that remain fully editable. Website: openchatcut.com Introduction · Product Tour · Quick Start · Agent / MCP · Community · Sponsors · Changelog · Star Growth · Contributing From a single instruction to a real timeline: agents, media, previews, motion graphics, transitions, effects, and multitrack audio all work together in one project. Sponsors OfoxAI: Text, image, and video AI in one platform OfoxAI is a unified API…
read the full OpenChatCut overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Shotcut or OpenChatCut more popular?
Shotcut has 15,600 GitHub stars and OpenChatCut has 2,910. 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 (15,600 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.