The ChatCut desktop app is a native macOS and Windows application that gives you the ChatCut editor with one key difference: it exports video locally on your machine instead of in the cloud.

What editor does the desktop app use?

The desktop app ships its own build of the ChatCut editor — the same timeline, panels, and projects you use on the web, packaged as a native app rather than loaded in a browser tab. Because desktop and web are now separate builds, some capabilities are split between them: desktop adds local export, 4K, and native file handling, while the web editor keeps cloud rendering, cloud pre-flight checks, and share links.

Which platforms does the desktop app support?

ChatCut desktop is available for macOS on Apple Silicon and for Windows on 64-bit (x64) machines. There is no Intel-Mac build and no Linux build.

What’s different about desktop versus web?

Desktop always exports locally on your machine; the web app always exports to the cloud. There is no export-location setting in either app — it follows from which app you’re using. Local export uses the same render engine ChatCut’s cloud export uses, so motion graphics, text, and captions render the same way; the difference is where the rendering happens, not how the output looks. Desktop also offers 4K export, which the web editor does not.

Can the desktop app use a coding agent I already have?

Yes. In Agent Selection you can scan your computer for a compatible Codex or Claude Code installation and run it as the agent instead of ChatCut’s built-in one. The selected local CLI runs in a stable per-account, per-project workspace and reaches your timeline through ChatCut’s tools.

How does the desktop app update itself?

The desktop app checks for updates automatically when it launches and again every 4 hours. When an update is available, it downloads in the background and installs the next time you quit the app. If in-app installation isn’t possible for that release, ChatCut shows a manual download link instead.

What release channels exist?

ChatCut desktop ships in two channels: “ChatCut,” the production build connecting to the live ChatCut backend, and “ChatCut Beta,” a separate build connecting to a beta backend. Each channel is its own app with its own name and backend connection.

What’s the difference between the ChatCut desktop app and the web app?

Desktop and web give you the same editor experience but are now separate builds, and the biggest difference is where export happens. Desktop exports run locally on your machine through the same render engine ChatCut’s cloud export uses, so exporting keeps working without an internet connection; the web app always exports in the cloud. Neither app has an export-location setting — it follows from which one you’re using. 4K is desktop-only: the web editor offers 480p, 720p, and 1080p and resets a saved 4K choice back to 1080p. ProRes (transparent-background .mov) exports on desktop through the AI agent’s local export or the local_export tool for connected coding agents; the manual export panel on either platform offers only MP4 (H.264) and WebM (VP8). The web editor also has things desktop doesn’t: cloud pre-flight checks and the “Create share link” toggle.

How do I install and update the ChatCut desktop app?

Install ChatCut desktop from the macOS DMG (Apple Silicon only — there’s no Intel-Mac or Linux build) or the Windows NSIS installer (x64), which lets you choose the install directory during setup.

After installing, ChatCut checks for updates on launch and again every 4 hours. When an update is available, it downloads silently in the background and installs the next time you quit the app — no manual step needed. If an in-app update isn’t possible for a given release, ChatCut shows a manual download link instead so you can update by hand.

Desktop App