AI YouTube Shorts Generator
Open-source Python tool that finds highlights in long YouTube videos and cuts them into vertical 9:16 shorts.
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Is AI YouTube Shorts Generator free?
Yes, AI YouTube Shorts Generator has a free plan. What you get: Free Python app; you pay only for the AI APIs it calls. To get it: clone the repository and install the Python requirements; then add your API key to a .env file; then run main.py with a YouTube URL. Verified on github.com.
Free plan at a glance
- Includes
- Free Python app; you pay only for the AI APIs it calls
Free and open source under the MIT License. The maker says there are no per-clip credits and no watermarks; you pay only for the API usage of the services it calls.
- Duration
- Free forever
- Watermark
- None on free outputs
How to get it free
Self-host- Clone the repository and install the Python requirements
- Add your API key to a .env file
- Run main.py with a YouTube URL
Good to know
- You pay for the API usage of the services it calls
- Default API mode needs a MuAPI key
github.com, Checked Source
Overview
AI YouTube Shorts Generator transcribes a long video with Whisper, has an LLM rank the moments most likely to work as shorts, and crops the top clips to 9:16. It runs through MuAPI by default, or locally with faster-whisper, ffmpeg and an OpenAI or Gemini key.
Key features
- Takes a YouTube URL, or a local video file in local mode, and returns ranked 9:16 shorts
- Each clip comes with a virality score, an opening hook line and a one-line reason
- API mode through MuAPI, or local mode with yt-dlp, faster-whisper, ffmpeg and OpenCV face tracking
- Splits videos over 30 minutes into overlapping chunks and drops near-duplicate clips
- Any aspect ratio, such as 9:16 or 1:1, set by a flag
- CLI, Python library and JSON output for batch jobs
Best for
- People
- YouTubers and podcasters who repurpose long videos, Agencies that cut clips in bulk, Developers building their own clipping pipeline
Limitations
- Needs a MuAPI key, or an OpenAI or Gemini key in local mode; the maker says you pay for API usage
- Command-line tool: you install Python yourself, plus ffmpeg for local mode
Screenshot
FAQ
- Is AI YouTube Shorts Generator free?
- Yes. AI YouTube Shorts Generator has a free plan: Free Python app; you pay only for the AI APIs it calls. We last checked github.com's pricing page on 2026-11-12.
- What does the AI YouTube Shorts Generator free plan include?
- Free Python app; you pay only for the AI APIs it calls. Source: https://github.com/Anil-matcha/AI-Youtube-Shorts-Generator (checked 2026-11-12).
- How do I get AI YouTube Shorts Generator for free?
- Steps: Clone the repository and install the Python requirements; Add your API key to a .env file; Run main.py with a YouTube URL. Start at https://github.com/Anil-matcha/AI-Youtube-Shorts-Generator (checked 2026-10-28).
- Do I need an account to use AI YouTube Shorts Generator for free?
- Not for the free option: the free route is to self-host AI YouTube Shorts Generator (Clone the repository and install the Python requirements). Checked 2026-10-28.
- What's the catch with AI YouTube Shorts Generator's free plan?
- You pay for the API usage of the services it calls. Default API mode needs a MuAPI key. Checked 2026-10-28.
- What are free alternatives to AI YouTube Shorts Generator?
- Clipchamp, 2short.ai and SupoClip all have free plans. We checked their free offers on 2026-11-12.
- Does it add a watermark to the shorts?
- No. The maker says it makes shorts for free with no per-clip credits and no watermarks.Source: github.com/Anil-matcha/AI-Youtube-Shorts-Generator
- Can it run on my own computer?
- Yes. Local mode runs on your machine with yt-dlp, faster-whisper and ffmpeg/OpenCV; only the highlight-ranking step calls OpenAI or Gemini.Source: github.com/Anil-matcha/AI-Youtube-Shorts-Generator
- Can I use my own video files instead of YouTube links?
- Yes, in local mode you can pass a file path or a file:// URL.Source: github.com/Anil-matcha/AI-Youtube-Shorts-Generator
Free alternatives

Clipchamp
Microsoft's video editor with AI captions and voiceovers.
Free forever, 1080p exports without watermark
2short.ai
AI YouTube Shorts generator.
Free forever, Free Starter plan with monthly AI video analysis

SupoClip
Open-source AI video clipper: long videos to captioned 9:16 clips with face-aware crops. Free to self-host (AGPL-3.0).
Free forever, Self-host free, no monthly video limit

OpenShorts
AI clip generator that turns long videos into 9:16 shorts with captions. Free plan, or self-host free (MIT).
Free forever, First video up to 60 min, then 20 min a month, watermark
Quso
AI clips and social media suite (formerly vidyo.ai).
Free forever
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Sources
- Free offer
- Verified on github.com/Anil-matcha/AI-Youtube-Shorts-Generator
…+ open source (pay only for API…
- Page content
Checked against
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