openreel-video README

The project's README from github.com/Augani/openreel-video. As one markdown file: README.md.

OpenReel Video

The open source CapCut alternative. Professional video editing in your browser. No uploads. No installs. 100% open source.

OpenReel Video is a fully-featured browser-based video editor that runs entirely client-side. Built with React, TypeScript, WebCodecs, and WebGPU for professional-grade video editing without the need for expensive software or cloud processing.

Try it Live | Documentation | Discussions | Twitter

OpenReel Editor License Status Open Source Sponsor Augani

Why OpenReel?

Features

Video Editing

Graphics & Text

Audio

Color Grading

Export

Professional Tools

Performance

Quick Start

Try Online

Visit openreel.video to start editing immediately.

Run Locally

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Augani/openreel-video.git
cd openreel-video

# Install dependencies (requires Node.js 18+)
pnpm install

# Start development server
pnpm dev

# Open http://localhost:5173

Build for Production

pnpm build
pnpm preview

Browser Requirements

Browser Version Status
Chrome 94+ Full support
Edge 94+ Full support
Firefox 130+ Full support
Safari 16.4+ Full support

All major browsers now support WebCodecs for hardware-accelerated video encoding/decoding.

Recommended:

Architecture

Monorepo Structure

openreel/
├── apps/web/              # React frontend (~66k lines)
│   └── src/
│       ├── components/    # UI components
│       │   └── editor/    # Editor panels (Timeline, Preview, Inspector)
│       ├── stores/        # Zustand state management
│       ├── services/      # Auto-save, shortcuts, screen recording
│       └── bridges/       # Engine coordination
│
└── packages/core/         # Core engines (~59k lines)
    └── src/
        ├── video/         # Video processing, WebGPU rendering
        ├── audio/         # Web Audio API, effects, beat detection
        ├── graphics/      # Canvas/THREE.js, shapes, SVG
        ├── text/          # Text rendering, animations
        ├── export/        # MP4/WebM encoding
        └── storage/       # IndexedDB, serialization

Key Technologies

Design Principles

AI-Managed Development

OpenReel is an experiment in AI-assisted open source development. Claude AI helps manage:

Human oversight from Augustus ensures strategic direction and final approval on major changes. All code is public, tested, and follows best practices.

What this means for contributors:

Contributing

We welcome contributions! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Ways to contribute:

Development workflow:

# Fork and clone
git clone https://github.com/Augani/openreel-video.git

# Create feature branch
git checkout -b feat/your-feature

# Make changes, then test
pnpm typecheck
pnpm test
pnpm lint

# Commit with conventional commits
git commit -m "feat: add your feature"

# Push and open PR
git push origin feat/your-feature

Roadmap

Completed

In Progress

Planned

License

MIT License - Use freely for personal and commercial projects.

See LICENSE for details.

Acknowledgments

Built with:

Inspired by:

Support

$OPENREEL Token

CA: B7wDnfrdtvdG7SCkRjSMJ6LkVwGWvdWrQ75iV8G9pump

Built with care by @python_xi and AI working together.

Making professional video editing accessible to everyone. Forever free. Forever open source.

openreel-video (Augani/openreel-video)

Searching Database…

5.4K ·GitHub
Openreel-video
What is this?OpenReel Video is a free, open source browser-based video editor positioned as a CapCut alternative, offering a multi-track timeline, color grading, effects and 4K export, with everything running client-side.
Is this a native app or does it just run in my browser?It's a pure web app, not a native install - it runs entirely client-side in supported desktop browsers using WebCodecs and WebGPU, so there's nothing to download.
How do I start editing with it?Just visit openreel.video in a supported browser and start editing immediately, or clone the monorepo and run the pnpm dev/build scripts to run it locally.
What do I need to run it from source?The project is a pnpm monorepo built with React, TypeScript and WASM, so you need Node.js and pnpm installed, plus a build:wasm step before building the web app.
Does it work in any browser?Full support needs a recent browser - Chrome/Edge 94+, Firefox 130+, or Safari 16.4+ - and for smooth 4K editing you'll want 8GB+ RAM and a dedicated GPU.
Where do my videos actually go when I edit them?Nowhere off your machine - all editing and encoding happens locally in the browser, so videos are never uploaded to a server.
What video and audio formats can I export to?Video exports to MP4 (H.264/H.265), WebM (VP8/VP9/AV1), and ProRes, with quality presets up to 4K at 60fps. Audio can be exported as MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, or OGG.
What does the README's 'AI-managed development' mean?Claude AI handles issue triage, feature implementation, code review, and documentation upkeep, while a human maintainer (Augustus) keeps strategic direction and final approval on major changes.
What is the $OPENREEL token mentioned at the bottom of the README?A contract address is listed for an $OPENREEL token, but it isn't explained further and has nothing to do with using the editor itself, which is a free MIT-licensed web app.
Can I apply professional color grading like LUTs?Yes - the color tools include lift/gamma/gain wheels, HSL adjustments, an RGB curves editor, and support for importing 3D LUTs alongside built-in presets.
What are similar projects?editor, filmcraft, fframes, empire, ffmpeg.wasm, react-native-skia, framefields, beadrelief
Which topics is it in?indexeddb, webgpu, video-editing, threejs, state-management, content-creation, gpu-acceleration, ffmpeg, monorepo, wasm, image-processing, audio
Creator
Augani
Size
26.3 MB
Stars
5.4K
Updated
CommitOct 03Releasev1.0.0-alpha.17Aug 29
Age
8mo
Commits · 90 Days