Recordings or links
Read local MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, M4V, and AVI files, or download supported video URLs. Batch several sources into separate projects.
OPEN-SOURCE VIDEO CLIPPING · RUNS ON YOUR COMPUTER
The good parts.
Ready to share.
Chopify turns long recordings and YouTube videos into captioned clips for Shorts, Reels, and TikTok. Find moments, fix captions, review drafts, and export—all locally.
Free · MIT license · No subscription, API key, cloud upload, or watermark
A WORKFLOW YOU CONTROL
Find. Refine. Export.
A local browser workspace
See progress, watch candidate moments, adjust clip boundaries, and select your exports. Fast drafts help you review before the final render.
Pick up where you left off
Matching downloads, transcripts and successful clips stay cached. Failed jobs can be retried without throwing away completed work.
Correct the words
Edit transcription text and timestamps. Export burnt-in word-by-word captions and a separate clip-relative SRT file, including retimed tightened cuts.
Make the style yours
Reuse JSON presets for fonts, text and highlight colors, size, position, and an optional logo. Export in 16:9, 9:16, or 1:1.
Find a topic by meaning
Use keywords, automatic scoring, or optional local Ollama embeddings to find related ideas. The transcript does not need to contain the exact query words.
Keep both people in frame
Stack two adjustable crops in a vertical video for fixed-camera interviews. Set each speaker's horizontal position and check a draft.
Clips and useful sidecars
Save H.264 MP4, SRT subtitles, a PNG poster, and title/description/hashtag JSON. Optionally remove fillers and pauses or normalize loudness.
Scores guide editing decisions; they do not predict virality. Review captions and clip boundaries. Split-screen uses fixed centers, not speaker recognition.
GET STARTED ON WINDOWS
Your machine.
Your cutting room.
Install Python 3.11+ and a full ffmpeg build, then open Studio. The dashboard needs no separate web framework or JavaScript build.
First use downloads the speech model. URL inputs need internet. Local-file processing can run offline once the required dependencies and models are available.
POWERSHELL
git clone https://github.com/mehbul/chopify.git
cd chopify
winget install Gyan.FFmpeg
python -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
.venv\Scripts\python dashboard.pyOpen http://127.0.0.1:8765 on this computer.
PREFER THE TERMINAL?
One pipeline. Two ways to work.
python chopify.py "C:\Videos\podcast.mp4" --aspect 9:16 --layout splitThe CLI shares Studio's project runner. Prepare candidates, inspect the saved JSON, render a subset, resume a job, or process a batch. Read the CLI and API reference ↗
BEFORE YOUR FIRST CUT
Questions, answered.
What is Chopify?
Chopify is a free, MIT-licensed local video clipper for turning long videos into short captioned clips. It includes a browser dashboard, Python CLI, transcription, selection, reframing, editing, and export.
Is Chopify an alternative to Opus Clip?
It is an option for creators who want clipping, captions and review on their own computer. It requires local installation and your hardware. It does not include hosted processing, cloud collaboration, or automatic social publishing.
Can I use it with no API key or subscription?
Yes. Default selection is a deterministic heuristic. Optional AI selection and semantic search use local Ollama models. Setup/model downloads, storage, and compute are supplied by you.
Can I edit captions and download SRT subtitles?
Yes. Edit words and their times in Studio's Transcript tab, save, and export. Each draft and finished clip includes a separate SRT file aligned to its own timeline.
Does it upload my footage?
Chopify does not send footage or transcripts to hosted processing. Online sources and first-run model setup require downloads. Studio serves only your loopback address and is intended for one trusted local user.
What are the limitations?
Speech recognition and caption timing need review. Heuristic cue lists are English-oriented. GPU speech acceleration uses NVIDIA/CUDA; CPU works without it. Split-screen uses fixed crop centers. Translation, dubbing, scheduling, and social uploads are not included.