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OpenShorts is free to self-host under MIT if you run Docker on 8 GB of RAM and bring your own keys; its paid Cloud starts at $12 for 100 minutes. clipsdk is a hosted API at $0.03 a source minute.
OpenShorts alternative: self-host it free on 8 GB of RAM, or call clipsdk at $0.03 a source minute
Self-host OpenShorts when you have a machine and time to run it, use OpenShorts Cloud for its dashboard and publishing, and call clipsdk when you want clips from an API with nothing to host.
All comparisonsUpdated
Or one API call
$0.03per source minute
- Every clip included, up to 1080p60 and 20 Mb/s
- $1 free to start, 33 minutes of video
- Prepaid credit, no subscription
OpenShorts or clipsdk
Pick OpenShorts when
- You want to run the code yourself, free under MIT, with no watermark and no cap
- You want an MCP server that claude.ai and ChatGPT connect to with the URL alone
- You start from YouTube links, or post straight to TikTok, Instagram and YouTube
- You want stacked two-speaker layouts, hook overlays or 6 caption presets
- You want the moment picker on a local model through Ollama, LM Studio or vLLM
Pick clipsdk when
- You want clips from an API with nothing to install, host or update
- You want to ask for 1 to 20 clips in a length range you set, from 10 to 90 seconds
- You want to pay $0.03 a source minute, billed per second, less than any paid OpenShorts Cloud plan
- You want a hosted or local MCP server for Claude Code, Cursor or VS Code; the local one saves clips into your project
- You want SRT and VTT files and a scored, titled set of clips from every job
What a month of clipping costs
| Source minutes a month | OpenShorts self-hosted | OpenShorts Cloud | clipsdk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | $0 for the code, under $0.10 of Gemini, about 1 to 2 hours of CPU | $12, or $10 billed yearly | $3.00 |
| 300 | $0 for the code, under $0.30 of Gemini, about 3 to 5 hours of CPU | $29, or $24.17 billed yearly | $9.00 |
| 750 | $0 for the code, under $0.75 of Gemini, about 8 to 13 hours of CPU | $59, or $49.17 billed yearly | $22.50 |
Self-hosted figures use the OpenShorts README: under $0.01 of Gemini per 10 minute video and 5 to 8 minutes of CPU per 8 minute video. Your machine and its power are on top.
Source: OpenShorts pricing, checked 7 November 2026
OpenShorts tools in clipsdk calls
For agent builders moving from the OpenShorts MCP server or REST API.
| OpenShorts | clipsdk |
|---|---|
process_video with a URL or upload_id | create_clips on our MCP server, or POST /v1/clips with a direct file video_url |
create_upload | create_upload on our hosted MCP server, upload_file on the local one, or POST /v1/uploads |
get_job_status, list_clips | get_job, GET /v1/jobs/{id} or a signed webhook |
add_subtitles presets | captions: bold, karaoke or minimal, plus SRT and VTT files |
recut_clip, publish_clip | No match: clipsdk hands you the files to edit and post |
The same kind of job on clipsdk
We sent this request with a 10 minute NASA livestream recording in the public domain. It asks for 3 clips of 15 to 60 seconds in 9:16, with speaker reframe and karaoke captions.
It finished in under 2 minutes with 3 rendered clips, each with a poster, SRT and VTT. At $0.03 a minute that comes to about $0.30.
curl https://api.clipsdk.com/v1/clips \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CLIPSDK_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"video_url": "https://api.clipsdk.com/f/lib/demo/silicon-valley-live-stream.mp4",
"clips": 3,
"min_seconds": 15,
"max_seconds": 60,
"aspect": "9:16",
"reframe": "auto",
"captions": "karaoke",
"language": "en"
}'What self-hosting costs
Self-hosted OpenShorts is free under MIT, with no watermark and no cap. You need Docker on a machine with 8 GB of RAM or more, plus model downloads. Its README puts Gemini at under $0.01 per 10 minute video, or you can point LLM_BASE_URL at Ollama, LM Studio or vLLM and skip Google.
The real cost is the machine and your time. On a CPU, OpenShorts takes 5 to 8 minutes per 8 minute video, so 750 source minutes a month is about 8 to 13 hours of processing. Dubbing needs your own ElevenLabs key, AI Shorts needs fal.ai, and you keep Docker, the models and yt-dlp up to date.
Hosted: OpenShorts Cloud or clipsdk
OpenShorts Cloud runs the same code on a GPU, about 50 seconds per 8 minute video, with Gemini included. The free plan clips your first video up to 60 minutes, then 20 minutes a month with a watermark. Paid plans run from $12 for 100 minutes to $59 for 750, and extra minutes cost $9 for 60 or $25 for 200.
clipsdk has no plans. You pay $0.03 per source minute from prepaid credit, billed per second, and $0.02 past 2,000 minutes in a UTC month. That is less per minute than every OpenShorts Cloud plan, which run from $0.12 on Starter to about $0.066 on Pro billed yearly. The first $1 is free, about 33 minutes. See pricing.
Questions, answered
My self-hosted OpenShorts is not working. What does clipsdk need instead?
Self-hosted OpenShorts needs Docker, 8 GB of RAM or more, model downloads and working keys, or a local model. clipsdk needs an API key and one HTTPS request to POST /v1/clips with a direct file URL or an upload. There is nothing to install.
Does clipsdk have an MCP server like OpenShorts?
Yes, hosted and local, with 3 tools each. The hosted server at https://mcp.clipsdk.com/mcp takes your API key as a Bearer header in Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Codex or Gemini CLI. clipsdk-mcp is open source under MIT and starts with one npx line on Node 20 or newer. The hosted one has no OAuth sign-in and the local one has no URL, so claude.ai and ChatGPT can't add either the way they add the hosted OpenShorts server with its 8 tools.
Can I send a YouTube link to clipsdk like I can to OpenShorts?
No. OpenShorts can pull page links through yt-dlp. clipsdk takes a direct file URL or an upload in MP4, MOV, WebM or MKV, up to 3 hours and 5 GB, and answers a YouTube link with a 400.
Is clipsdk cheaper than OpenShorts?
Than the paid OpenShorts Cloud plans, yes: $0.03 a source minute against $0.12 on Starter and about $0.066 on Pro billed yearly. Than self-hosted OpenShorts, no: the code is free, and you pay for the machine, under $0.01 of Gemini per 10 minute video, and your time.
Keep reading
- 10 video clipping APIs compared, $0.01 to $0.11 a minute10 APIs that turn long videos into vertical shorts, compared on price per source minute, how the API is sold, max source length, clips per video, captions, reframe, webhooks and rate limits. clipsdk is $0.03 a minute for files up to 3 hours.
- WayinVideo API vs clipsdkWayinVideo takes YouTube and Twitch links and sells API units at about $0.04 to $0.07 a source minute. clipsdk takes files at $0.03 a source minute.
- clipsdk vs OpusClip for developersclipsdk costs $0.03 per source minute with no monthly cap. OpusClip is about $0.097 on Pro credits, with a 15 hour monthly API cap. Prices, limits and a migration guide.
- MCP serverA hosted MCP server at mcp.clipsdk.com and an MIT local one, each with 3 tools that turn long videos into ranked clips in Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code.
- clipsdk + n8n: new episodes in, YouTube Shorts outImport a 13-node n8n workflow: a new Drive episode goes to clipsdk, clips scoring 85 or more upload to YouTube and the rest go to Airtable. Built-in nodes only, from $0.03 per minute.
- Upload a file to clipsdkUpload videos up to 5 GB and 3 hours: POST /v1/uploads returns a signed upload_url that works for 1 hour, you PUT the bytes, then pass video_url to POST /v1/clips.
Sources
- OpenShorts on GitHub, checked 7 November 2026
- OpenShorts pricing, checked 7 November 2026
- OpenShorts MCP and API, checked 7 November 2026
- clipsdk llms.txt, checked 7 November 2026
- clipsdk-mcp on GitHub, checked 7 November 2026
Start free
Your back catalog is full of shorts
Your first $1 is free: 33 minutes of video, every clip included up to 1080p60 and 20 Mb/s.
