Palmier is an AI-native video editor for macOS developed by Palmier, Inc. Alongside full non-linear editing (NLE) features — trimming, titles, keyframes, and color grading — its defining trait is that AI agents such as Claude, Codex, and Cursor can read and write the timeline directly via MCP (Model Context Protocol). You can generate images, video, and audio on the spot with the latest models like Kling, Seedance, and FLUX, and edit them on the same timeline as your own footage. The editor is open source (GPL-3.0): video editing itself is free, and only AI generation consumes credits.
Key Features
- Timeline editing by AI agents: Through MCP integration, Claude, Codex, and Cursor can read your project and perform edits — cutting, captioning, and more — using your existing subscriptions. Every agent edit remains reviewable inside the app
- 20+ generation models integrated: As of August 2026, the official site lists around 20 models including Seedance 2.5, Kling V3, Ideogram V4, FLUX 3, Google Omni, Runway Aleph 2, GPT Image 2, and ElevenLabs. Access these major image, video, and audio models directly from the editor and drop generated clips straight onto the timeline. The lineup changes quickly, so check the official site for the current list
- Automate edit patterns with Skills: Save an editing procedure you performed once as a reusable “Skill” and apply the same pattern repeatedly across multiple videos
- Full-featured NLE: Multi-track editing, trimming, text, keyframes, and color grading cover the manual-editing essentials. Local transcription and footage search are also free
- Flexible export: Renders video in H.264 / H.265 / ProRes, and exports NLE XML for Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Final Cut — making handoff to existing editing workflows easy
- Open source (GPL-3.0): The source code is published on GitHub, and the editor itself is free to use with no account required
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Price | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Full multi-track editor, AI agent access via MCP, local transcription and footage search, video rendering and NLE XML export |
| Pro | $29 (limited-time price, regularly $49) | 5,000 generation credits/month, access to all supported models, more accurate cloud transcription, Palmier chat integration |
| Max | $69 (limited-time price, regularly $99) | 12,000 generation credits/month, priority support |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Volume credits, centralized billing, shared team Skills, onboarding support |
Pricing as of August 2026. See the official site for the latest pricing.
As a rough guide, the monthly credits correspond to about 333 images or 2–7 minutes of generated video (actual usage varies by model, resolution, and duration).
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Video editing itself is free with no account required — you only pay when you use AI generation, a refreshingly clear structure
- Your existing Claude or Codex subscription works via MCP, so you can try agent-driven editing at no extra cost
- AI-generated clips and your own footage live on the same timeline, so generate → edit → export completes within one app
- NLE XML export makes it easy to combine with Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve without breaking existing workflows
- Being open source, the internals are inspectable and development is transparent
⚠️ Cons
- macOS only, requiring a relatively recent OS version. Not available on Windows / Linux
- AI generation is credit-based, and consumption varies by model, resolution, and duration, making costs harder to estimate
- A young tool (released April 2026) — features and pricing may change going forward
- Making full use of agent editing requires some technical familiarity, such as MCP setup
Comparison with Similar Services
| Item | Palmier | Descript | Runway | CapCut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary use | AI agent-driven video editing | Text-based video editing | AI video generation and editing | Easy video editing |
| AI agent integration | Claude / Codex etc. edit directly via MCP | Built-in AI assistant | None (generative AI focus) | AI features are supplementary |
| Platform | macOS only | Web / desktop | Web | Multi-platform |
| Free editing scope | Full features free | Limited free tier | Limited free tier | Mostly free (some paid) |
| Open source | Yes (GPL-3.0) | ─ | ─ | ─ |
Who Is It For
- Developers and creators who already use Claude Code or Codex daily and want to delegate video editing to agents as well
- People who want content combining AI-generated clips and live footage completed within a single app
- Anyone who wants to automate routine editing work (cutting clips for social media, adding captions) with Skills and produce at volume
- Editors who use Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve and want to offload AI generation and rough assembly to a separate tool
- macOS users who prefer open-source tools and want to try a full-featured NLE for free
Summary
Palmier is a new-generation video editor built around the idea of AI operating the timeline directly. Offering the editor free and open source while charging credits only for AI generation makes it easy to try, and turning your existing Claude or Codex subscription into an editing agent via MCP is a strength no other editor offers. Keeping in mind that it is macOS-only and still a young, evolving tool, anyone curious about the current state of agent-driven video editing will find the free plan well worth a look.