← All tools

AI Video Editors · Agents & MCP for Creative Work

Cardboard

An AI video editor in the browser and on Mac that you can also run from ChatGPT or Claude by asking for the edit in chat.

Visit Cardboard

No affiliate links and no sponsorship on this page. Our disclosure policy.

Best for
Beginners and Pro users
Free plan
No
Agent-ready (MCP / API)
Yes
Platforms
Web, macOS
Last verified
Oct 29, 2026

Overview

Cardboard is an AI video editor that runs in the browser and as a Mac app. You attach clips, say what you want, and it cuts the video, adds captions and music, reframes it and applies effects or motion graphics. It also works inside ChatGPT and Claude: mention @Cardboard in a chat, and the edit plays right in the conversation, where you can ask for changes and export it.

Who it fits

It suits creators and marketers who want a fast first edit from a written request, and who like to finish by hand in a timeline editor. Everything made in chat is saved to the Cardboard account, so it can be opened and refined in the editor later.

What the plans include

Web plans start with Lite at $8 a month (first month $5), then Starter at $29, Creator at $59 and Pro at $175 a month, each with a discounted first month or a yearly price. Lite leaves out generative AI and watermark-free exports. The chat plugin works on every plan; the ChatGPT or Claude side runs on that plan, and the editing uses Cardboard credits.

Limits and alternatives

There is no free web plan, and ChatGPT caps attached clips at 512 MB each, so larger files go through Cardboard’s own upload box. Ponder is another editor you direct by chat that sends timelines to Premiere Pro, Resolve, Final Cut or CapCut. Descript edits video through its transcript, and Palmier Pro is a Mac editor an agent runs over MCP.

Who it's for

A good fit if you are…

  • Creators and marketers who want cuts, captions, music and reframes from a plain-language request
  • People who already plan work in ChatGPT or Claude and want the video edited in the same chat

Another tool may suit you better if you are…

  • Anyone who wants a free, watermark-free web plan (Lite web exports carry a watermark)
  • Editors who need to work fully offline

Pricing

Web plans: Lite $8/mo, Starter $29/mo, Creator $59/mo, Pro $175/mo, with a lower first month; Lite is free in the Mac app for Apple silicon. The ChatGPT and Claude plugin works on every plan and uses your Cardboard credits. As of Oct 2026, verify.

  • Lite: $5 the first month, then $8/mo, or $96 a year; no generative AI and no watermark-free exports. Cardboard says Lite is free in its Mac app for Apple silicon.
  • Starter: $9 the first month, then $29/mo, or $240 a year.
  • Creator: $30 the first month, then $59/mo, or $468 a year.
  • Pro: $89 the first month, then $175/mo, or $1,500 a year; uploads up to 10 GB a file.
  • In ChatGPT or Claude, the assistant plans the edit on your plan there, and the editing uses your Cardboard plan's credits.

Prices as of Oct 2026 (checked Oct 29, 2026), verify before buying. Source: vendor pricing page.

Key features

  • Ask in chat for cuts, captions, music, reframes, effects and motion graphics
  • ChatGPT plugin and Claude connector: mention @Cardboard and the edit plays in the conversation
  • Chat edits are saved as Cardboard projects you can open in the editor
  • Pull clips from an upload box, a pasted video link or Google Drive
  • Browser and Mac apps with a full suite of editing tools

Integrations: Plugin in ChatGPT and connector in Claude, including their mobile apps. Sign in with a Cardboard account; no API key.

Agent-ready? Yes. Install Cardboard from the ChatGPT plugin directory or add it as a connector in Claude, sign in with your Cardboard account, then mention @Cardboard in a chat.

See what it lets an AI assistant do next to other creative tools: MCP servers and connectors for video, image and design work.

Pros and good to know

Drawn from the vendor's own documentation and public sources.

Pros

  • Edits from a plain-language request inside ChatGPT or Claude, on desktop or phone
  • Results open as projects in a real editor for hand finishing
  • Uploads up to 2.5 GB a file through Cardboard's own upload box (10 GB on Pro)
  • Works on every Cardboard plan with no API key

Good to know

  • No free web plan; the Lite web plan exports with a watermark and has no generative AI
  • Editing in chat still uses Cardboard credits on top of your ChatGPT or Claude plan
  • Clips attached directly to a ChatGPT message are capped at 512 MB each

Alternatives

  • Ponder: An AI video editor you direct in plain language: it learns your style, builds a first cut and sends the timeline to your editor.
  • Descript: Edit video and audio by editing a text transcript, with AI tools for filler words, captions, clips and more.
  • Palmier Pro: A native Mac video editor built so AI agents like Claude or Codex can edit the timeline for you over MCP.

Sources

Spotted a mistake or out-of-date price? We want to fix it, see About for how to reach us.