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Independent tool overview

Palmier at a glance

Palmier Pro is a local-first, open-source Mac video editor that lets Claude, Codex, Cursor, or its built-in assistant generate media and directly edit a multi-track timeline.

Visit the official Palmier site ↗
Palmier product preview
Product type
AI-native nonlinear video editor
Platform
Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 26 Tahoe
Free editor
Yes, no account required
Agent access
Local MCP for Claude, Codex, Cursor, and others
Open source
Editor, MCP, and agent chat under GPLv3
Paid plans
Pro $29/month; Max $69/month promotional pricing

Overview

What Palmier is

Palmier Pro is a Swift-native nonlinear video editor built around AI agents and generative media. Editors can import footage, cut manually, or let a connected agent inspect the project and perform timeline operations through Palmier's local MCP server.

AI generation lives inside the project instead of a separate website. Palmier can create images, video, voiceovers, music, sound effects, dubs, and upscales with models from multiple providers, place the result on the timeline, preserve generation settings, and regenerate variations in context.

The full editor, local transcription, MCP connection, rendering, and NLE XML export are free with no account. Paid plans add generation credits, more accurate cloud transcription, and built-in Palmier chat. Palmier currently requires Apple Silicon and macOS 26 Tahoe.

Use cases

Who Palmier is best for

The strongest fit depends on the job you need the product to complete, not the size of its feature list.

Repeatable social formats

Turn a proven editing process into a reusable Skill for recurring clips, ads, and series.

Agent-assisted rough cuts

Let an AI organize footage, trim, split, reorder, caption, and assemble a first pass for review.

Mixed generated and filmed media

Combine camera footage with AI video, images, voice, music, and effects in one timeline.

Local-first production

Keep source projects and ordinary editing on the Mac while opting into external processing only for selected AI tasks.

Handoff to professional NLEs

Prototype or automate in Palmier, then continue in Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut through XML export.

Capabilities

Core Palmier features

1

Full multi-track editor

Supports video, audio, images, text, trimming, splitting, transforms, opacity, speed, keyframes, and color work.

2

Local MCP server

Lets connected agents read project context and add, trim, split, reorder, adjust, and generate timeline assets.

3

In-timeline generation

Creates image, video, audio, voice, and effects directly in the media library and timeline.

4

Multi-model catalog

Integrates current media models from providers including Kling, Google, Runway, OpenAI, ByteDance, ElevenLabs, and others.

5

First and last frame control

Sets opening and closing frames, references, resolution, duration, and aspect ratio for supported video models.

6

Reusable Skills

Captures an approved process so an agent can apply the same editing rules to the next project.

7

Local and cloud transcription

Includes local footage search and transcription for free, with a more accurate cloud option on paid plans.

8

Flexible export

Renders H.264, H.265, or ProRes and exports NLE XML for Premiere Pro, Resolve, and Final Cut.

Process

How the Palmier workflow works

  1. Step 1

    Confirm Mac compatibility

    Verify an Apple Silicon Mac is running macOS 26 Tahoe before adopting the workflow.

  2. Step 2

    Import and organize footage

    Keep source media in a clear local project structure and let Palmier index or transcribe it.

  3. Step 3

    Connect an agent

    Enable Palmier's local MCP server and connect Claude, Codex, Cursor, or another compatible client with scoped permissions.

  4. Step 4

    Describe the cut

    Provide the format, target length, story beats, brand rules, captions, assets, and examples of an approved result.

  5. Step 5

    Generate missing media

    Choose models deliberately, set references and output controls, and monitor credit use for each variation.

  6. Step 6

    Review the timeline

    Check every cut, caption, voice, image, licensed asset, disclosure, and generated detail before export.

  7. Step 7

    Save and hand off

    Turn repeatable steps into a Skill, render a master, or export XML to the team's finishing NLE.

Cost

Palmier pricing and free plan

The editor and MCP are free. Paid plans buy cloud AI usage rather than a different editing application. Credit consumption varies substantially by media model, duration, and resolution; unused credits may expire at renewal.

Free

$0

Complete local editor and agent connection without an account.

  • Full multi-track editor
  • Claude, Codex, and Cursor through MCP
  • Local transcription and footage search
  • Video render and NLE XML export

Pro

$29/month promotional price; normally $49

For regular media generation inside the editor.

  • 5,000 generation credits per month
  • Every supported media model
  • More accurate cloud transcription
  • Built-in Palmier chat

Max

$69/month promotional price; normally $99

For heavier image, video, audio, upscaling, transcription, and chat use.

  • 12,000 generation credits per month
  • Everything in Pro
  • Priority support
  • Actual output depends on the selected model

Enterprise

Custom quote

For teams needing volume, procurement, billing, and workflow help.

  • Volume generation credits
  • Centralized billing and invoices
  • White-glove onboarding
  • Shared team workflows and Skills

Pricing checked . Check current pricing at the source ↗

Assessment

Palmier strengths and limitations

Where it stands out

  • The complete editor and local MCP workflow are genuinely usable without a paid Palmier account
  • Agents work on the actual timeline instead of returning instructions or isolated generated files
  • Local-first project storage reduces unnecessary cloud exposure for ordinary editing
  • Multiple media providers can be compared without rebuilding the project in separate tools
  • Reusable Skills are well suited to repeated branded formats
  • Open-source GPLv3 editor, MCP server, and agent chat can be inspected and extended
  • Professional render codecs and NLE XML support a practical finishing handoff

What to consider

  • Palmier currently requires Apple Silicon and macOS 26 Tahoe; Windows, Linux, Intel Mac, and older macOS users are excluded
  • The generative AI processing layer is closed source even though the editor, MCP, and chat are open source
  • Paid credits can be consumed quickly by premium video models, high resolution, long duration, and retries
  • The 5,000-credit estimate spans roughly 2 to 7 minutes of video, showing how much model choice changes value
  • External AI features send selected prompts and reference media to third-party providers with provider-specific retention rules
  • Using Claude, Codex, Cursor, or another agent through MCP can add a separate subscription or API cost
  • Agent-made timeline edits still require human review for story, rights, captions, factual accuracy, and brand safety
  • Paid subscriptions auto-renew, purchases are generally non-refundable, and unused credits may expire at the next billing date

Compare

Palmier alternatives

The right alternative depends on the specific output, workflow, controls and budget your project requires.

Content Creator

CapCut

Choose CapCut for broader platform support, consumer templates, social-first features, and a more established mobile workflow.

Explore CapCut

Content Creator

Descript

Use Descript for transcript-led podcast and talking-head editing with mature text-based workflows.

Explore Descript

Content Creator

Runway Creative

Consider Runway when AI media generation and model experimentation matter more than a local open-source NLE.

Explore Runway Creative

Content Creator

VEED

Use VEED for a browser-based collaborative editor that does not require an Apple Silicon Mac on Tahoe.

Explore VEED

Questions

Palmier FAQs

What is Palmier Pro?

It is a local-first Mac video editor where AI agents can inspect and edit a real multi-track timeline and generate media inside the project.

Is Palmier Pro free?

Yes. The editor, local transcription, MCP connection, rendering, and NLE XML export are free without an account. Paid plans add cloud generation, cloud transcription, and Palmier chat credits.

Which computers can run Palmier?

The current official requirement is an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 26 Tahoe or later.

How does the MCP connection work?

While Palmier is open, its local MCP server lets Claude, Codex, Cursor, or another compatible agent read the project and make reviewable timeline edits.

How much does Palmier Pro cost?

Pro is currently promoted at $29 per month with 5,000 credits, and Max at $69 with 12,000. The listed regular prices are $49 and $99.

What do credits cover?

Credits pay for image, video, and audio generation, upscaling, cloud transcription, and Palmier chat. Editing and export stay free.

Is Palmier open source?

The editor, MCP server, and agent chat are GPLv3 open source. Palmier says the generative AI processing component is closed source.

Does Palmier train on customer videos?

Palmier says it does not use customer content to train its own or third-party general-purpose models. Optional AI requests are forwarded to the selected external provider, whose retention policies may differ.

Bottom line

Our Palmier verdict

Palmier Pro is one of the more coherent implementations of agentic video editing because the AI works on a genuine timeline and the underlying editor remains free. It is particularly attractive for repeatable social and ad formats that can become Skills. The constraints are equally clear: Tahoe-only Apple Silicon support, variable generation-credit economics, and third-party processing for optional AI features. Test the free editor and MCP on one recurring format before buying credits.

Visit Palmier website ↗
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