OpenShorts online · no install
OpenShorts online. No Docker, no watermark.
Upload a video or paste a YouTube link and the open-source OpenShorts engine cuts it into 3–15 vertical clips with captions, on our GPUs. No Docker, no API keys. One video a day is free (up to 30 minutes), no sign-up. Plus is $7.99/month.
How it works
Three steps. Nothing to install.
Paste a link or upload a file
Podcasts, interviews, streams and talks work best: anything where people talk. Public YouTube videos work as links; anything else, upload the file.
We find the best moments
The whole video is transcribed, and an AI model reads the transcript for the 3–15 moments that make sense on their own: a strong opening line, a story with an ending, a clear take.
Download and post
MP4 files, 1080×1920, cropped around whoever is talking, captions burned in, no watermark, with a title and caption written for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
No catch
The same open-source engine, minus the setup
OpenShorts is an MIT-licensed clipper on GitHub. Running it yourself means cloning the repo, filling in API keys and keeping Docker running on a machine with enough memory. We run that same pipeline on GPUs we rent by the second, so you skip all three steps. One video a day costs us a few cents, so it is free and never watermarked; Plus pays for the GPU time if you clip every day.
Compared
Free plans, side by side
From each tool's public pricing page, checked Nov 15, 2026. We re-check monthly.
| Shortyard (openshorts.org) | Self-hosted OpenShorts | OpenShorts Cloud | Opus Clip | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | None, works in the browser | Docker and an AI API key | Google sign-in | Sign-up |
| Free plan | Yes, 1 video a day up to 30 min | Free code, your machine and API bill | First video up to 60 min, then 20 min a month | 60 min a month |
| Watermark on free clips | None | None | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan, billed monthly | $7.99 | — | $12 | $15 |
| YouTube links and uploads | Both | Both | Both | Both |
Pricing
Free every day. Plus when you clip a lot.
Free
For trying it and the odd video
- 1 video a day, up to 30 min
- No watermark, no sign-up
- Clips kept 7 days
Plus
For clipping every day
- 300 minutes of video a month
- Videos up to 3 hours
- Clips kept 30 days
Pro
For agencies and many channels
- 1,000 minutes of video a month
- Videos up to 5 hours
- Everything in Plus
Why use OpenShorts online
OpenShorts is one of the better open-source clippers: it reads a long video, finds the moments that stand on their own, reframes them to 9:16 and burns in captions. The catch is the setup. You clone the repo, get an AI API key, fill in a .env file and keep Docker running on a machine with enough memory, and on a laptop without a GPU the transcript alone can take longer than the video.
The project’s official cloud removes the setup, but its free clips carry a watermark. Shortyard sits in between: the same open-source pipeline, already running on rented GPUs, with free clips that are never watermarked.
What you get from one video
- 3 to 15 clips, each 15 to 60 seconds, ranked best first.
- Vertical 9:16 at 1080×1920, cropped around whoever is talking.
- Word-by-word captions burned in, sized for a phone screen.
- A title and a caption for each clip, ready to copy into TikTok, Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.
- Plain MP4 files, one per clip, or all of them in one ZIP.
How it works
- Upload a video or paste a YouTube link. Upload is the most reliable route; a public YouTube link works when YouTube lets us fetch it.
- The pipeline runs. A transcript with word timings, an AI pass that picks the moments worth posting, then the crop and the captions.
- Clips appear one by one on your clip page as each one is ready. Download the ones you want.
When to run OpenShorts yourself instead
Self-hosting is free and we think it is worth trying if you already run Docker, clip dozens of videos a week, or need the footage to stay on your own machine. If you just want clips from this week’s podcast without installing anything, use the tool above. The full comparison is on self-hosted OpenShorts vs online.
When a link doesn’t work
Private, members-only and age-restricted videos can’t be fetched, and YouTube sometimes refuses a download from servers. That never uses up your free video: upload the file and it is clipped the same way. If the video is yours, YouTube Studio lets you download it from the Content page.
What we keep, and for how long
The source video is deleted once your clips are made. Clips stay at their own link for 7 days on the free plan and 30 days on a paid plan, then they are deleted too. We don’t use your videos to train anything. Only clip videos you own or have permission to use.
FAQ
Questions people ask first
Is it really free?
Yes. One video a day, up to 30 minutes long, with no watermark and no sign-up. Longer videos and more videos a day are on Plus ($7.99/month) or a one-time top-up.
Do the clips have a watermark?
No. Free or paid, the clips are clean MP4 files.
Is this the official OpenShorts?
No. openshorts.org is an independent site run by the Shortyard team. We run the open-source OpenShorts code (MIT licence) on our own servers. The official project and its cloud are at github.com/mutonby/openshorts and openshorts.app.
Is it the same as running OpenShorts myself?
The pipeline is the same: a transcript with word timings, an AI that picks the moments, a 9:16 crop that follows the speaker and burned-in captions. We use Claude to pick the moments where the self-hosted version asks for a Gemini key, and we run the transcript on a GPU.
How many clips do I get from one video?
Between 3 and 15, each 15–60 seconds. A long, talk-heavy video gives more; a short one gives fewer.
Which videos work best?
Podcasts, interviews, streams, talks and sermons: anything where people speak. Music videos and silent gameplay don't have moments the AI can read.
Can I upload a file instead of a link?
Yes, and it is the most reliable way. MP4, MOV or WebM, under the same limits as links. If we can't fetch a YouTube link, upload the file and it works the same way.
How long are my clips kept?
7 days on the free plan, 30 days on Plus, Pro and top-ups. Download the ones you want to keep.
Can I post the clips anywhere?
Yes, they're yours to post on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Only clip videos you own or have permission to use.
How do I cancel Plus?
From your account page, any time. You keep Plus until the end of the month you paid for. If you haven't used any paid minutes, ask within 7 days and we refund you.
Skip the install. Paste a link.
Free: 1 video a day, up to 30 min, no watermark. Plus: $7.99/month.