OpenShorts pricing: free self-hosted vs OpenShorts Cloud plans
OpenShorts is an AI clip generator that turns long videos into vertical clips for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok. It comes in two editions: a self-hosted version that is free and open source under the MIT license, and OpenShorts Cloud, a hosted paid service. Every price below comes from the official OpenShorts pricing page, read on November 4, 2026. Prices change, so check that page before you buy.
OpenShorts plans and prices
| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly | Source minutes / month | Watermark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted | $0 | $0 | No cap | No |
| Free (Cloud) | $0 | – | 20 (first video up to 60) | Yes |
| Starter | $12 | $10/mo ($120/yr) | 100 | No |
| Creator | $29 | $24.17/mo ($290/yr) | 300 | No |
| Pro | $59 | $49.17/mo ($590/yr) | 750 | No |
Extra minutes can be bought once from the app: 60 minutes for $9 or 200 minutes for $25. OpenShorts says these top-up minutes don't expire at the end of the month, while plan minutes reset at each renewal. Yearly billing is about 17% cheaper.
Is OpenShorts free?
Yes, in two ways. The self-hosted edition costs $0 with no usage cap and no watermark. You run it yourself with Docker and bring your own API keys (OpenShorts notes an NVIDIA GPU helps). The Cloud free plan needs no credit card: your first video is clipped whole up to 60 minutes, then you get 20 minutes a month, with a watermark.
How the minutes work
Cloud plans bill by the minute of source video you clip. A 40-minute video uses 40 minutes whether it yields 5 clips or 12. OpenShorts says trimming a clip, rewriting its hook or re-rendering it uses no extra minutes. API and MCP jobs use the same minutes as the dashboard.
Which plan fits a side hustle?
- Testing the idea: the Free plan, or self-host if you already have a machine with Docker.
- One or two long videos a month: Starter ($12, 100 minutes).
- A weekly podcast or show: Creator ($29, 300 minutes).
- Daily uploads or clipping for clients: Pro ($59, 750 minutes).
The business behind OpenShorts
OpenShorts is also one of our sourced cases: founder Carlos Gracia started it in July 2026 and it reported $1,343 MRR. Read the OpenShorts case study. If you're comparing clip tools, see our OpusClip tool page, or browse all 333 sourced case studies and the micro-SaaS and AI products category.
Note. AI Side Hustles is not affiliated with OpenShorts. Prices are as shown on the official pricing page on November 4, 2026 and may vary by region, tax and billing period.