Choose by deciding where the editor should run and where the main AI conversation should live. The three forms are related, but they are not interchangeable installation modes.
Capability comparison
ChatCut Desktop has the broadest capability set. It includes the complete editor and built-in AI workspace available on the web, supports external-agent control, and adds local media, local rendering, and Agent Selection inside Desktop.
| Question | ChatCut web app | Agent Plugin | ChatCut Desktop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where does it run? | A desktop web browser | Claude Code Desktop or the Codex desktop app, with ChatCut in the host’s Browser pane | Native macOS or Windows app |
| Where is the main AI conversation? | ChatCut’s AI panel | The external agent app | ChatCut Desktop’s AI panel or the external agent app |
| Which agent can lead the task? | ChatCut’s built-in Agent | Claude Code Desktop or the Codex desktop app | ChatCut, Claude Code, or Codex CLI through Agent Selection, or Claude Code Desktop or the Codex desktop app |
| How does it access source media? | Import to My Assets | Give the host agent accessible files or URLs; it sends required project media to ChatCut | Import local files or folders; cloud features may upload required references |
| Where do you review manual edits? | Viewer and Timeline in the browser editor | ChatCut editor in the host app’s Browser pane | Viewer and Timeline in the native app |
| How does video export work? | Cloud workflow, subject to the account’s web export rules | The connected ChatCut project uses the export workflow available to that plugin task | Supported video exports render locally; 4K/HDR depend on the computer |
| What must be installed? | A supported desktop browser | A supported desktop agent app plus the ChatCut Agent Plugin | ChatCut Desktop |
| Can it run fully offline? | No | No | No; local media and rendering do not remove cloud requirements |
Connections that are easy to confuse
- Agent Selection in ChatCut Desktop runs a selected agent from inside the native ChatCut editor. You can use ChatCut itself or connect Codex, Claude Code, or a CLI.
- Desktop local MCP lets an external desktop agent control the native ChatCut project currently open on the same computer.
- Agent Plugin hosted MCP connects an external desktop agent to a ChatCut project shown in that agent app’s Browser pane.
Installing the Agent Plugin does not create Desktop’s local MCP connection, and selecting Claude Code or Codex CLI inside Desktop is not the Agent Plugin installation flow.
Features shared across the three forms
In all three workflows, the goal is an editable ChatCut project rather than a single flattened AI render. You can review the timeline, adjust clips or captions manually, and continue the task with another instruction. Exact media, export, and agent options still depend on the selected product form.
For a recommendation based on your task, continue to Which ChatCut Product Should I Use?.