ChatCut has two main video-export paths. The web app and Agent Plugin use cloud rendering; ChatCut Desktop can render video on your computer. They deliver files differently and have different limits for Free accounts.
| Where you work | Where rendering runs | How the file arrives | Free-account limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatCut web app or Agent Plugin | In the cloud | Download after rendering | 60 minutes total across all projects |
| ChatCut Desktop local video export | On your computer | Saved directly to the selected folder | Does not count toward the 60-minute quota |
Export from the web app or Agent Plugin
- Select Export in the editor header, then choose the output type and settings.
- After starting the job, follow cloud-render progress under the header Export button.
- A finished file downloads once in the current browser. Use Download again or View afterward.
Cloud export must finish on the server before the file downloads to your computer. Actual duration depends on media upload, network conditions, queue time, output length, and the requested format; do not estimate it only from timeline duration.
Free accounts have a cumulative 60-minute web/cloud export quota across all projects. It is not 60 minutes per file or project and does not reset each month. An active paid plan removes this quota.
To check live usage, open Export in the web editor. The panel shows Web free export quota and Used … / 60:00. If the next cloud-rendered job would exceed the total, ChatCut blocks it and shows Upgrade and continue export.
Export video locally in ChatCut Desktop
- In ChatCut Desktop, select Export → Video.
- Choose dynamic range, resolution, frame rate, and export range.
- Choose a destination folder and start the export. Keep Desktop open while it renders.
- When it finishes, select Show in Finder or Open.
Desktop local video export saves directly to the selected folder, does not require a separate cloud download, and does not count toward the Free 60-minute web-export quota. It also offers 4K and, on supported hardware, HDR. Actual speed depends on computer performance, codec support, timeline complexity, and output settings.
This distinction applies to Desktop’s local video renderer. Audio, transparent graphics, and some bundled exports started from Desktop can still use cloud rendering and remain subject to the corresponding limits.
What counts
- Cloud-rendered video and audio.
- Graphics export.
- Motion graphics rendered as part of an XML bundle.
Subtitle and XML files themselves do not add rendered duration. Video rendered locally in ChatCut Desktop does not count, but a cloud-rendered job started from Desktop can count.
This duration quota is separate from credits: export does not spend credits. Buying a one-time credit pack does not remove the Free web-export quota; an active paid plan does. Individual outputs can still require Pro—for example transparent ProRes 4444 motion graphics.
See Free and Pro, Desktop Local Export and 4K, and Export Queue, Downloads, and Retries.