# OpenShorts

> Updated 2026-09-13 · type: tool · category: content-copywriting · status: active · rev 1

OpenShorts turns long videos into captioned, face-tracked 9:16 shorts you self-host with Docker, exposing an MCP server + API so agents can drive it.

- Open source: yes (MIT)
- Self-hostable: yes
- Pricing model: freemium
- Best for: Founders and content/growth teams repurposing long-form video (podcasts, webinars, demos) into short-form distribution without per-minute credits — and agent builders who want a programmable clip pipeline behind an MCP/API.
- Last verified: 2026-09-13

- **Canonical:** https://gtmstacker.com/registry/tool/openshorts/
- **Source:** [github · mutonby/openshorts](https://github.com/mutonby/openshorts)
- **Tags:** content-copywriting, video-repurposing, self-hostable, mcp-agents, short-form
- **Repository:** https://github.com/mutonby/openshorts

## Is OpenShorts open source?

Yes, OpenShorts is open source under the MIT license.

## How much does OpenShorts cost?

OpenShorts has a free tier plus paid plans. The open-source version can be self-hosted with no license cost; you pay only for your own infrastructure.

## Can I self-host OpenShorts?

Yes, OpenShorts can be self-hosted (the source is available under the MIT license).


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Open-source, self-hostable OpusClip alternative (MIT core, Python): turns long videos into vertical 9:16 shorts with AI moment detection, per-scene reframing modes (track / general / split / screencast), face tracking, word-level captions via faster-whisper, and AI voice dubbing. Ships a built-in MCP server (/mcp) and a REST API with completion webhooks so agents can drive it. Self-host free with Docker & Compose, or use the managed cloud from $12/month (the cloud billing directory is source-available under a commercial license, not MIT).

## Provenance

- MIT core license, Python, Docker self-hosting, and the built-in MCP server (/mcp) + REST API independently WebFetch-verified on the repo 2026-09-13 (github.com/mutonby/openshorts, ~4.0k stars, 420 commits; most recent commit 2026-09-10 — actively maintained). The cloud/ directory carries a separate source-available OpenShorts Commercial License; recorded here as open-core, not fully MIT.
- Surfaced via the 2026-09-13 viral-posts brief (an "open-source alternative to OpusClip, and you can self-host it" post); repo identified by feature match (9:16 reframe + face track + captions + dubbing + self-host) and confirmed on GitHub.
- Curated from the GTM Stacker signal registry (2026-09-13 pass: daily pull + viral-posts brief); license independently verified 2026-09-13.

## Why it matters for a GTM stack

Short-form clips are a distribution channel, and OpusClip-style tools bill per minute for exactly the workflow a content-led GTM motion runs constantly: cut the webinar/podcast/demo into clips. OpenShorts makes that pipeline something you own — Docker on your own box, no per-minute credits. The GTM-specific hook is the MCP server plus REST API with webhooks: the clip step becomes a callable tool in an agentic content pipeline (transcribe, clip, caption, post) rather than a person in a web app. Honest caveat: it is open-core, so the managed cloud is not MIT, and self-hosted output quality tracks your GPU and the underlying models — verify a dub before it goes to an audience.