Open-source Windows video editor lets Claude Code edit your timeline via MCP
Kaestral is an open-source, AI-native video editor for Windows built so an AI like Claude Code can directly control the editing software through . It was built because a similar existing tool, Palmier Pro, only works on macOS, so the developer made a Windows equivalent. It's a full-featured editor with a timeline, effects, transitions, , and export, but the point is what an AI can do with it.
Connected to Claude Code, it can see the footage through frame-by-frame vision and transcribe every word spoken, cut out filler words, find the most engaging moments, and add captions timed to the exact word. It can cut edits to match a music beat, and generate animated intros, logo reveals, and s just from a written description. It exports to MP4, Premiere, and Resolve.
Setup is a single command (`claude mcp add kaestral -- npx kaestral`), everything so footage never leaves the machine, and it's free and open-source under the GPLv3 license, built around 50 MCP tools.
Key points
- lets Claude Code directly control the video editing software
- Combines frame vision and word-level so the AI understands the footage's content
- Automatically removes filler words, finds highlights, generates captions, and cuts to the music beat
- Installs with one command (`claude mcp add kaestral -- npx kaestral`), runs fully locally, free under GPLv3