OpenReel Video is a fully-featured, open-source, browser-based video editor designed as an alternative to CapCut. It targets users seeking professional-grade video editing capabilities directly within their web browser, offering enhanced privacy and accessibility by processing all data client-side without requiring installations or cloud uploads.

How It Works

This project leverages a client-side architecture built with React, TypeScript, WebCodecs, and WebGPU. Video processing, editing, and rendering occur entirely within the user's browser, eliminating the need for server-side computation or data uploads. This approach ensures complete user privacy, as media files never leave the device, and enables GPU acceleration for smooth performance, even with 4K content.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Try Online: Visit openreel.video to start editing immediately.
• Run Locally: Clone the repository, install dependencies using pnpm install (requires Node.js 18+), and start the development server with pnpm dev.
• Browser Requirements: Chrome 94+, Edge 94+, Firefox 130+, Safari 16.4+.
• Recommended Hardware: 8GB+ RAM, dedicated GPU for 4K editing, modern multi-core CPU.

Highlighted Details

• Professional Editing Suite: Features a multi-track timeline, keyframe animations, advanced color grading (wheels, HSL, curves, LUT support), and over 20 text/graphics animations.
• GPU Accelerated Performance: Utilizes WebGPU for compositing and WebCodecs for hardware-accelerated decoding/encoding, enabling smooth 4K editing and fast exports.
• Extensive Export Options: Supports MP4 (H.264/H.265), WebM (VP8/VP9/AV1), and ProRes formats, with options for custom settings, hardware encoding, and AI upscaling.
• AI-Assisted Development: The project is managed with Claude AI for issue triage, code implementation, and review, ensuring rapid development and high code quality standards.

Maintenance & Community

The project is managed with significant AI assistance (Claude AI) under human oversight, aiming for rapid issue response and bug fixes. Community interaction and support are available via GitHub Issues for bug reports/feature requests and GitHub Discussions for questions. Updates and announcements can be followed on Twitter/X (@python_xi).

Licensing & Compatibility

OpenReel Video is released under the MIT License, permitting free use for both personal and commercial projects without significant restrictions.

Limitations & Caveats

While offering a robust feature set, advanced functionalities such as nested sequences, motion tracking, and a plugin system are currently in development ("In Progress"). Support for additional export formats like GIF and collaborative editing are planned for future releases.