CutWire Drift app icon Free & open source · GPLv3 · v0.5.0

Create polished videos fast — free, open, and yours.

Drift is a free desktop video editor that feels simple from the first cut. Drop in video, photos and music, add effects and stickers, generate captions, and export — no subscription, no watermark, no account.

Download Drift Read the docs →

Linux · Windows · macOS · Android

CutWire Drift main window: effects library, video preview and multi-track timeline
For creatorsFor educatorsFor social videoFor AI agentsFor open-source fans

Features

Creator-speed editing. Desktop freedom.

CapCut is fast — until the watermark, the account wall, or the cloud lock-in. Drift keeps the approachable workflow and leaves the strings off.

A timeline that stays out of the way

Stack video, audio, text and shapes. Trim, split, snap and undo — edits feel immediate.

Effects, transitions & templates

Style clips with GPU effects and transitions, then save looks you like as reusable templates.

Auto captions from speech

Generate captions from talking clips, then tweak timing and wording on the timeline.

Cutouts, masks & green screen

Isolate a subject, mask a clip, or key out a green screen when you need a clean composite.

Mix and clean audio

Balance tracks with an effect chain, then quiet background noise when a take is rough.

MCP agent access

Turn on a local MCP server so Cursor, Claude Code or another agent can edit the real timeline. Off until you enable it. Undo anything.

Every feature · vs CapCut and others · FAQ

In the wild

Creators are already cutting with Drift.

Erickson Lourenco · @Ericksonloure

Um editor 100% gratuito, ilimitado e sem marca d'água. Um editor que com toda certeza vai superar o CapCut.”

A 100% free editor — unlimited, no watermark. One that will definitely surpass CapCut.

Será que já era o CapCut? Eu levei o Drift e a IA ao limite. O Drift é gratuito, ele é open source.”

Is this the end for CapCut? I pushed Drift and the AI to the limit. Drift is free — it’s open source.

Screenshots

Real UI from the editor.

Titles with real style control
Titles with real style control
Stickers & emoji on demand
Stickers & emoji on demand
Looks you can reuse
Looks you can reuse
Transitions between clips
Transitions between clips
Captions without the busywork
Captions without the busywork
Cut subjects out of the frame
Cut subjects out of the frame
Speed that feels intentional
Speed that feels intentional
Audio effects that fit the track
Audio effects that fit the track
Export formats that match preview
Export formats that match preview
Start light, grow as you go
Start light, grow as you go

Agent access

Let Cursor or Claude edit the real timeline.

Localhost MCP — import, trim, caption, effects, export. Off until you enable it. Undo anything. Not a chatbot bolted onto a webpage.

How MCP works Protocol guide →

Download

Free. Open source. Actually free.

GPLv3, no account, no telemetry, no upsell. Version 0.5.0 is early — please file the bugs you hit.

Linux

Recommended

Install from Flathub, or download the latest AppImage.

flatpak install flathub org.cutwire.Drift
flatpak run org.cutwire.Drift
Open on FlathubDownload AppImage

Windows

Installer + portable

Download the latest Windows installer, or the portable zip if you prefer not to install.

# Latest Drift-Setup-*-x64.exe or Drift-Portable-*-x64.zip
Download for WindowsDownload portable zip

macOS

Apple Silicon

Download the latest disk image and drag Drift to Applications. Intel Macs can build from source.

# Latest Drift-*-arm64.dmg
# First launch: right-click the app → Open
Download disk imageBuild from source

Android

Sideload APK

Install the latest APK on a 64-bit phone. Not on the Play Store yet. There is no iOS app.

# Phones: Drift-*-arm64-v8a.apk
# Older 32-bit: Drift-*-armeabi-v7a.apk
Download APKDownload 32-bit APK

Android is a sideloaded APK from GitHub — not on the Play Store yet. There is no iOS app.

Under the hood

Native desktop. One compositor.

Drift is a Qt 6 + FFmpeg app — not a browser tab. Preview and export share FrameCompositor so what you see is what you ship.

Read the source → Open an issue
  • Qt 6 · QMLUI
  • C++20 · CMakeCore
  • FFmpegDecode & encode
  • FrameCompositorPreview = export
  • OpenGL / GPU effectsLooks
  • ONNX RuntimeCaptions & ML
  • Addon packagesFonts & stickers
  • GPLv3License