OpenCut¶

Development line: project:opencut · thread opencut-development
Last event: 2026-07-18 · 1 dated since 2026-07-18 · Researched: 2026-09-05 · confidence: medium

What it is¶

OpenCut is an MIT-licensed video editor for creators who want a CapCut workflow.

• Web workspace: provides a public early-beta entry point.
• Multiplatform rewrite: uses a Rust core for web, desktop, and mobile.
• v0.3.0 release: documents masks, keyframe curves, speed controls, volume controls, and caption import from transcript files.

Development line¶

• 2026-07-18 — OpenCut website and source repository were publicly referenced. On 2026-07-18, a post linked the project website and GitHub repository. We track it because it directs readers to the site and source code. The post does not show whether this was a launch, a release, or a feature update.

What changed¶

2026-07-18 — OpenCut was reachable at opencut.app and the OpenCut-app/OpenCut repository. The linked pages show no versioned release or feature change on that date.

How to use this¶

As of 2026-07-18, start from the official OpenCut website and GitHub repository to evaluate or adopt the project.

1. Open the official site and select “Try early beta” to enter the project workspace. — https://opencut.app/
2. For rewrite development, clone the main repository, install Proto, and run proto use to install the tools pinned in .prototools. — https://github.com/OpenCut-app/OpenCut/blob/main/README.md
3. Run the required local target: moon run web:dev, moon run api:dev, or moon run desktop:dev. — https://github.com/OpenCut-app/OpenCut/blob/main/README.md

Best practices¶

• Pin the toolchain with proto use before running Moon tasks. — https://github.com/OpenCut-app/OpenCut/blob/main/README.md
• Treat plugins, MCP, headless mode, and scripting as planned work, not active dependencies. — https://github.com/OpenCut-app/OpenCut/issues/811
• Check architecture plans before submitting code: the project says outside contributions are closed during redesign. — https://github.com/OpenCut-app/OpenCut/blob/main/README.md

Superseded by this¶

• 2026-05-17 — Contribution guidance for opencut-classic is obsolete: the owner archived the repository and dropped maintenance.
• 2026-05-26 — Treating the Editor API, cross-platform plugins, MCP server, headless rendering, or in-editor scripting as shipped features is obsolete: they remain rewrite targets without delivery dates.

Still unknown¶

• We do not know whether 2026-07-18 marked a release, an availability change, or a reference to existing entry points.
• The site calls its entry point an early beta, but the README says opencut.app still runs the classic editor.
• We found no first-party Simplified-Chinese documentation or announcements.
• The project gives no release date for the rewrite, plugins, MCP, headless mode, scripting, desktop, or mobile builds.
• The GitHub release line ends at v0.3.0 on 2026-04-15; official sources do not say which release backs the early beta.
• Unrelated forks and mirrors use the OpenCut name; this page covers only OpenCut-app/OpenCut and opencut.app.
• We found no verified current desktop or mobile distribution channel.
• The legacy repository and rewrite repository follow different contracts, with no documented feature parity.
• The early beta renders via JavaScript, leaving the editing workflow undocumented in text.
• We found no first-party changelog entry after the rewrite announcement.
• Early beta storage, export, and privacy match only what the project self-reports.
• Non-developer users have no confirmed way to access planned automation tools today.
• Official sources do not list supported browsers, operating systems, GPUs, or video codecs for the beta.
• Release notes for v0.3.0 describe the desktop app as early and bare, with no dated change since.
• We do not know if projects created in the early beta open in the archived classic editor.
• We found no official package manager, installer, or signed desktop release.
• The “Try early beta” button opens a workspace, but documents do not describe account rules or project storage.
• The planned MCP server, plugin host, headless mode, and scripting tab have no release notes.
• The repository rejects outside pull requests while architecture documentation is prepared, with no end date given.
• There is no published service-level commitment or support policy for the early beta.
• A Rust core is a stated rewrite direction, not proof that current editor features use it.
• We found no first-party Chinese-language source to verify terms, support, or regional availability.
• The old release feature list does not prove feature parity with the web workspace.
• Linked pages establish identity, but not the private context of the 2026-07-18 post.

Sources¶

Agent brief¶

• Subject: project:opencut, thread opencut-development, 1 dated events 2026-07-18 → 2026-07-18.
• Practical note: As of 2026-07-18, practitioners should use the official OpenCut website and GitHub repository as the starting points for evaluating or adopting the project, pending review of the linked content.
• Confidence: medium. Dated supersedes above are the authority for what is obsolete.