---
title: When to use OpenEdit vs invideo
description: OpenEdit burns captions into a clip on your own machine. invideo adds a timeline you review, generation, stock and music.
---
Use OpenEdit when you want captions on one clip, made on your own machine, with no timeline to review. Use invideo when a person reviews the cut on a timeline, or the video needs generated shots, stock footage or music.

## The same brief in both tools

The brief: subtitles on a 60 second talking-head clip for a reel, in the brand's caption style.

In OpenEdit, you ask your coding agent to add subtitles. The agent transcribes the clip, styles the captions and renders. Transcription runs on VEED's service with a veed.io account, or locally with WhisperX. You get back an MP4 with the subtitles burned in and the path to the file. There is no GUI and no timeline, so a change is another request to the agent.

In invideo, your agent uploads the clip with `start_upload` and `add_media`, then reads every word with `media` `audio.transcript`. It places an editable caption track with `add_captions` and styles it with `set_text_style`. You open the timeline and fix a word in the editor, or the agent does it with `set_caption_slide_text`. Then the agent checks frames with `capture` and runs `export`. You can turn the captions off for one export with `set_clip_enabled`.

## At a glance

The rows below are the ones that change the choice for this job.

| | OpenEdit | invideo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Editable timeline after the cut | None; you ask the agent again | A multi-track timeline you and your agent share live |
| Generation | Footage, images, music and sound through VEED | Video, image, audio and 3D models through `generate` |
| Captions | Transcribed, styled and burned into the MP4 | An editable caption track, on or off per export |
| Stock and music | Not listed in its README | Stock video, images and music through `search_library` |
| Agent access | A skill for Claude Code, Codex or Gemini CLI | CLI and skills for terminal agents; MCP server for clients without a shell |
| Project files out | MP4 | MP4, or a Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve project |
| Offline | Renders locally; WhisperX transcribes locally after its first download | Cloud only |
| Linux and CI | Its README lists Linux as supported and least tested | The CLI signs in with a device code on a server |
| Batch | Not listed | One timeline per row, run in parts |

Checked on 29 October 2026 against the <a href="https://github.com/veedstudio/open-edit" target="_blank">OpenEdit README</a> and VEED's <a href="https://www.veed.io/learn/openedit-by-veed" target="_blank">OpenEdit launch page</a>. The two disagree on platforms. The README lists Mac, Windows and Linux. The launch page lists Apple Silicon Macs on macOS 26 only. Check the README for your machine.

## Use OpenEdit when

OpenEdit fits one-clip jobs that stay on your machine.

- You want burned-in captions on a clip, and the file is the result.
- The footage must not leave your computer. With WhisperX, its README says nothing leaves your machine.
- You run the job inside a script or a CI step on your own hardware.
- You want an open source pipeline under Apache 2.0.

## Use invideo when

invideo fits jobs where a person reviews the cut.

- Someone checks the captions and the cuts on a timeline before it ships.
- The video needs B-roll from stock or from a video model.
- It needs music that clears rights, from the stock music library or a music model.
- You need captions that stay editable, or an SRT file read from the caption track.
- An editor finishes it in Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve.

Edits and exports are free. Generation and transcripts cost credits. Paid stock costs a small credit charge, or one of your workspace's iStock licenses. Your agent runs a dry run first and tells you the price before it spends anything.

## Use both

Caption on your machine, then finish in invideo. The hand-off is the captioned MP4.

1. Run OpenEdit on the clip and get the MP4 with subtitles burned in.
2. Upload it to the invideo project with `start_upload` and `add_media`.
3. Add B-roll, music and titles on a timeline around it.
4. Export the finished video with `export`.

Burned-in captions are part of the picture. To change a word later, run OpenEdit again, or make the captions in invideo instead.

## What OpenEdit does better

Say it plainly: for one captioned clip on your own machine, OpenEdit is the shorter path.

- It runs on your computer, and WhisperX transcribes on your machine.
- One request to your agent returns a finished file.
- The pipeline is open source, so you can read and change it.
- It needs no account when you transcribe with WhisperX.

## Related

- [Use OpenEdit with invideo](/integrations/openedit)
- [Add word-by-word captions](/how-to/creators/word-by-word-captions)
- [Run invideo in CI and on servers](/how-to/ci-and-servers)
- [When to use VEED vs invideo](/compare/veed)
- [AI video tools compared, including invideo](/compare/alternatives)