You want free, local and watermark-free
Edit and render on your own computer, keep every export and skip the subscription. Bring ChatGPT/Codex or an API key for clip finding.
Get Cutawan ↗A free Opus Clip alternative.
Built for your desktop.
Cutawan finds the best moments in a long video, adds animated captions and reframes the speaker, like OpusClip. The difference: it is a free, open-source desktop app with no credits, clip quota or watermark.
Windows, macOS & Linux · No credits or watermark · What it costs
SHORT ANSWER
Cutawan or OpusClip?
It depends how you work.
Both turn long recordings into captioned short clips. The bigger difference is where the work happens and what the free tier includes.
You want a managed web service
OpusClip processes in the cloud and its paid plans add an editor, scheduling and team features. No install or AI setup.
OpusClip pricing ↗Cutawan: $0. OpusClip: from $15/mo
Cutawan’s AI clip finding uses your ChatGPT plan’s Codex limits or an API billed by your provider. Whole-video captions can run locally for free.
See the cost routes ↗AT A GLANCE
Cutawan vs OpusClip,
feature by feature.
From OpusClip’s public pricing page and Cutawan’s documentation. Check the sources before you decide.
| Feature | Cutawan | OpusClip |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Windows, macOS and Linux desktop app | Browser service |
| Price | Free appCodex plan limits or API billing for clip finding | Free plan; Starter from $15/mo |
| Free plan limits | No credits or clip quota | 60 credits a monthThree-day export window |
| Watermark on free exports | Never | Yes |
| Editing | Trim, transcript, captions, reframe | Paid plansFree plan lists no editing |
| Animated captions | Yes | Yes |
| Speaker reframing | Yes | Yes |
| Social posting | Export and upload yourself | Paid plans |
| Your footage | Full video stays local; AI routes send transcript text and sampled frames | Uploaded to OpusClip |
| Source code | MIT licence | Proprietary |
OpusClip facts from its official pricing and help pages. OpusClip pricing ↗
HONEST TRADE-OFFS
Where each one
fits better.
Neither tool is right for everyone. Here is where the difference shows up in practice.
Where Cutawan is stronger
- No credits, clip quota or watermark, on any route.
- Your full source video, editing and rendering stay on your computer.
- A real editor for every clip: trim with the transcript, restyle captions, reframe.
- Keep projects and exports as long as you like, with no export window.
- Open source under the MIT licence, including for commercial work.
Where OpusClip may fit better
- No install and no AI connection to set up.
- Scheduling and posting to social accounts on paid plans.
- Cloud processing, so speed does not depend on your computer.
- Team workspaces and brand templates on higher plans.
WHAT CUTAWAN COSTS
Free app.
Pick how clips are found.
The app never charges. Only the AI route you choose for clip finding can have a cost, and local captions need none.
ChatGPT sign-in
Uses a signed-in Codex CLI for analysis and local Whisper for speech. No API key. Your ChatGPT plan’s Codex limits apply.
OpenAI-compatible API
Bring your own key and endpoint. Your provider bills usage at its own rates; local Whisper can handle speech.
OpenRouter
One OpenRouter key for any chat model it lists, including Claude, Gemini and GPT. OpenRouter bills usage; speech can run locally.
Local captions only
Transcribe, caption, reframe and export a whole video with local Whisper and no AI service. Does not find or score clips.
Every route exports without a forced watermark. Local Whisper needs Python 3.10+ and a speech model; the first-run wizard helps. Read the setup guide ↗
RUN A FAIR TEST
Three steps.
One honest answer.
A score printed by any clipper, including Cutawan, is an editing aid. It does not predict views.
- 01
Use the same recording.
Run one video you own through Cutawan and OpusClip, ideally with two speakers and a few topic changes.
SAME INPUT - 02
Judge the clips, not the count.
Keep only clips that make sense to a new viewer. Check openings, endings, caption spelling and framing.
QUALITY OVER VOLUME - 03
Add up the real cost.
Compare plan prices, credit limits and any API usage at the volume you expect each month.
COST AT YOUR VOLUME
WHY A DESKTOP APP
Your footage.
Your workflow.
Your call.
Cutawan is free, MIT-licensed and built in the open. Use it. Inspect it. Make it better.
Explore the source ↗The heavy lifting stays here.
Video editing, face tracking, rendering and export run on your machine. Your original video is not uploaded to a hosted editor.
Clear about what leaves.
The API route can send audio for transcription, and both AI routes send transcript text and sampled frames for analysis. Local captions need no AI service.
No Cutawan subscription.
No credits, no app-imposed minute or clip quota and no paid watermark removal.
OPUSCLIP ALTERNATIVE FAQ
Good questions.
Straight answers.
Still weighing it up?
See every tool compared ↗
Is there a free alternative to Opus Clip?
Yes. Cutawan is a free, open-source desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux. It finds suggested clips, adds animated captions, reframes to 9:16 and exports MP4 files with no forced watermark. AI clip finding uses your ChatGPT plan’s Codex allowance or a separately billed API; whole-video captions can run locally with no AI service.
Is there an Opus Clip alternative without a watermark?
Cutawan never adds a mandatory watermark, on any route. OpusClip’s free plan adds a watermark to exports.
Is there an open-source Opus Clip alternative?
Cutawan is MIT licensed, and you can read, modify and build it from its GitHub repository. See other open-source clippers.
Is there an Opus Clip alternative for Mac?
Yes. Cutawan has macOS, Windows and Linux builds on GitHub Releases. macOS builds are currently unsigned, so follow the installation notes on first launch.
Is Opus Clip free?
OpusClip has a free plan with monthly credits, a watermark and a three-day export window. Read what the free plan includes.
Does Cutawan add a watermark?
No. Cutawan never adds a mandatory watermark, and there is no paid tier to remove one.
Which computers does Cutawan run on?
Windows, macOS and Linux. Download the matching installer from GitHub Releases. macOS builds are currently unsigned, so follow the installation notes before the first launch.
Can Cutawan post clips to social accounts?
Not currently. It exports ready-to-upload MP4 files and can help draft a post caption; you upload the file yourself.
KEEP COMPARING
Other tools
worth a look.
See all tools side by side in the full comparison ↗
Cutawan
A desktop editor that finds clips, adds animated captions and reframes the speaker, then renders MP4s locally.
- Runs in
- Windows, macOS, Linux desktop
- Free plan
- Whole app, no credit cap
- Watermark
- Never
- Paid from
- Free. AI clip finding uses Codex plan limits, OpenRouter or your own API
Vizard
A browser clipper and editor with team workspaces and scheduling to connected social accounts.
- Runs in
- Browser
- Free plan
- 60 credits a month, 720p
- Watermark
- On free exports
- Paid from
- $29/mo Creator ($14.50/mo billed yearly)
Klap
A paid browser clipper sold by monthly clip allowance, with AI dubbing and social account support on higher tiers.
- Runs in
- Browser
- Free plan
- One trial video
- Watermark
- Paid plans remove it
- Paid from
- $29/mo
Plans checked . Sources: Cutawan documentation, OpusClip pricing, Vizard pricing, Klap pricing. Check each provider’s current terms before you buy.