Add your footage
Drop in one clip or a folder of takes. Viewcat transcribes your speech on import, so the AI knows every word and where you said it.
The AI video editor
for your own footage.
Viewcat is an AI video editor for creators who film themselves. Drop in your raw takes and say what you want: the AI cuts the bad takes and long pauses, puts the best lines in order, and adds captions and motion graphics on a real timeline. Then click any piece to change it, by chat or by hand.
3×faster than Claude Opus
4ways to run the AI: Viewcat AI, your key, Claude Code, Codex
39effects, plus 37 transitions
1undo step per AI edit
The basics
What is an AI video editor?
An AI video editor is video editing software that does the editing work you describe instead of making you do every cut by hand. You give it footage and a plain-language brief, and it trims, orders, captions and decorates the video for you.
Most AI video editors fall into two groups. Generators make new footage, avatars or stock-based videos from a prompt. Editors like Viewcat work on footage you recorded: they find your best takes, remove mistakes and silences, and build captions and graphics around what you actually said.
- Edits your real footage; it never generates a fake speaker
- Every AI change lands on a normal, editable timeline
- Runs on your Windows PC or Apple Silicon Mac
How it worksHow to edit a video with AI
How to edit a video with AI
in three steps.
Describe the edit
Type or say what you want, the way you'd brief a human editor: "Start with the best line, cut the retakes, big yellow captions, make it punchy for Shorts."
Review and refine
Watch the result, then click any caption, title or clip to change just that piece, by chat or by hand. Export when it looks right.
AI video editorEverything the AI edits,
Everything the AI edits,
on one timeline.
One project covers cleanup, captions, motion graphics and the rest. Each AI change is a regular timeline piece you can move, trim or delete.
AI mode ⇄ manual modeLet the AI edit.
Let the AI edit.
Take control anytime.
Chat-only AI tools make you re-prompt the whole video to fix one word. In Viewcat, switch to manual mode with one click and change anything yourself: drag, trim, retype or restyle. Your AI edit and chat stay where they were, and you can switch back and keep chatting.
Point at itChange one thing.
Change one thing.
Leave the rest alone.
Select a caption, title or clip on the timeline and ask for a change there. The AI edits only the selected part, so a fix never re-rolls the rest of your video.
Claude Code and CodexAlready pay for an agent?
Already pay for an agent?
Let it edit your videos.
Pick Viewcat AI, your own OpenAI- or Anthropic-format API key, or connect your Claude Code or Codex plan. Your agent works through the Viewcat MCP server on your computer, with its own sign-in, and its edits land on the same timeline.
How Claude Code and Codex editing works
WHO IT'S FORWho this AI video editor
Who this AI video editor
is for.
YouTubers
Turn a long talking-head recording into a tight video with an intro, captions and graphics, without hiring an editor.
Shorts, Reels and TikTok creators
Post more often: the AI cuts the dead air, adds bold captions and frames each clip for vertical video.
Podcasters
Clip each episode into Shorts and Reels with hook titles and captions, straight from the full recording.
Educators and course creators
Line up screen recordings with your camera take, add titles and callouts, and keep every lesson consistent with a saved style.
Free and paidIs this AI video editor free?
Is this AI video editor free?
Here's exactly what is.
Viewcat is a free download. The Free plan is a complete manual editor that never expires. A paid plan adds the AI that edits for you: Basic is $20 a month, or $200 a year.
Free, forever
- The full manual editor
- Auto captions, effects, transitions and B-roll
- 1 hour of cloud transcription, then on-device
- Projects saved on your computer
With a paid plan
- Describe the edit and get a finished video
- Recreate any creator's editing style in one click
- Create your own editing style and reuse it on every video
- Voice commands: hold M and say the edit
- Let Claude or Codex edit videos for you, faster and cheaper than using Claude Code alone
- Turn long videos into viral clips automatically
CompareAI video editing vs.
AI video editing vs.
traditional editing.
| Editing job | Traditional editor | Viewcat AI video editor |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting bad takes and pauses | Scrub the timeline and cut each one by hand | /cleanup removes them and keeps your best takes in order |
| Captions | Type or import them, then style every line | Auto captions from your speech, in the style you pick |
| Titles and motion graphics | Keyframe them yourself or buy templates | Describe them in chat; they're built for your words and timed to them |
| Changing one detail | Find it and fix it | Select it and ask, or fix it by hand in manual mode |
| Matching a creator's look | Study their videos and rebuild it by hand | Give the reference video; the AI rebuilds the style on your clip |
| Where your footage lives | On your computer | Still on your computer; only speech and AI calls use the cloud |
What you're missingEvery video you edit by hand
Every video you edit by hand
is money and days gone.
Editors charge $50 and take days. Viewcat creators post the same day, for under $1.
$50per video, with an editor
2–3 daysto a first cut
<$1 · minuteswith Viewcat
0setup
AI chat editor
Say the edit, then fix any part by hand
Recreate a style
Copy any video's editing style
Saved styles
Reuse a look on every video
AI editing skills
/cleanup, /order-clips, /match-recording
Create YouTube videos
Copy a YouTube intro's editing onto yours
Animated story shorts
Topic in, narrated animated short out
GuidesLearn AI video editing,
Learn AI video editing,
one guide at a time.
How to Edit Videos With AI, Using Footage You Already Have
Learn how to edit your own videos with AI: import footage, give useful directions, review captions and effects, and finish the cut on the timeline.
Best AI Video Editors for Creators: Choose by the Job
Compare AI video editors by the work you need done: transcript editing, captions, browser tools, and manual control. Includes sources and plan caveats.
Free AI Video Editors: What You Get Before You Pay
Compare free video editing with free AI features. Check captions, credits, watermarks, and exports, plus what Viewcat plans to include in its free editor.
How to prompt an AI video editor: start with the story
A practical framework for editing your own footage with AI: define the audience, opening, pacing, captions, and constraints, then refine one change at a time.
FAQGood questions,
Good questions,
straight answers.
What is an AI video editor?
An AI video editor is video editing software that edits for you from a plain-language brief. Viewcat works on footage you recorded: it removes bad takes and pauses, puts your best lines in order, and adds captions and motion graphics on a timeline you can still edit by hand.
Is Viewcat's AI video editor free?
Viewcat is free to download for Windows and Apple Silicon Macs. The Free plan includes the full manual editor with auto captions, effects, transitions, B-roll and one hour of cloud transcription, and it never expires. The AI that edits for you needs a paid plan; Basic is $20 a month, or $200 a year.
How do I edit a video with AI?
Add your footage, describe the edit in the AI chat (for example, "cut the retakes, start with the strongest line, add big captions"), then review the result. Click any piece on the timeline to change just that part, by chat or by hand, and export.
Can AI edit my videos automatically?
Yes. Viewcat's AI cleans up the raw takes, orders them, trims the pauses and builds captions and graphics from one brief. You stay in charge of the result: every change is undoable and editable.
Do I need video editing skills?
No. You describe what you want in plain words, or hold M and say it. If you do know how to edit, manual mode gives you a full timeline editor alongside the AI.
Does Viewcat generate AI avatars or fake footage?
No. Viewcat edits the footage you recorded. It adds captions, titles and graphics on top of your video; it never generates a fake speaker.
Which AI model does the editing?
By default, Viewcat AI, which answers about 1.5× faster than Claude Opus. You can switch to your own API key, or to your own Claude Code or Codex, in the chat's model menu.
Can I edit videos with Claude Code or Codex?
Yes, with a paid Viewcat plan. Connect your Claude Code or Codex plan and pick it in the chat. Your agent runs on your computer with its own sign-in and builds the edit through the Viewcat MCP server.
Is my footage uploaded to the cloud?
No. Viewcat runs on your computer and your projects and media stay there. Only speech recognition and AI model calls go through the Viewcat Cloud gateway.
Can I use it for YouTube videos and Shorts?
Yes. Viewcat edits horizontal YouTube videos and vertical Shorts, Reels and TikToks, can recreate a YouTube intro's editing style on yours, and can turn a long video into vertical clips.
Which AI video editor is best for beginners?
It depends on what you make. If you film yourself talking and want the edit done for you without learning a timeline, an editor that works on your own footage, like Viewcat, is a good fit. If you want videos generated from a prompt with no filming, look at AI video generators instead.
Does Viewcat work on a Mac or a phone?
Viewcat runs on Windows (64-bit) and on Apple Silicon Macs (M1 or later) with macOS 12 or newer. There is no phone app.
How much does an AI video editor cost?
Viewcat's Free plan costs nothing. Paid plans are Basic at $20 a month, Max 5× at $80 and Max 20× at $200, with yearly discounts on Basic and Max 5×. Credits pay for the AI work; your own key, Claude Code or Codex uses no credits.
Your footage.
Edited by AI, finished by you.
Download Viewcat for free, edit by hand right away, and let the AI edit for you when you're ready.
Free plan for Windows and Mac · AI features with a paid plan