Cuts run on your Mac, not a Passcut data center
Privacy and environment are the same architecture. Footage does not go to a Passcut cloud. Transcription, most cuts, captions, and export run on Apple Silicon you already plugged in. We do not invent kilograms of CO₂ or a carbon-neutral badge.
Where does Passcut run the work?
Cloud editors upload talking-head video and burn GPU time on someone else’s rack. Passcut transcribes, cuts, captions, and exports on Apple Silicon you already plugged in. There is no Passcut cloud for video and no rented data-center for your file. The installer is a few megabytes of native Swift — not a browser wrapped around a farm.
Reduce noise and Enhance voice process the span that is actually on the timeline, not the unused original file. Screen capture, captions, and mattes follow the same rule: work stays on the Mac.
- No Passcut video upload.
- On-device Apple SpeechAnalyzer and Apple Foundation Models by default.
- Local MP4 export; Pro FCPXML and EDL reference media on disk.
- Optional Apple Private Cloud Compute is transcript text only — Apple’s private compute, not a Passcut GPU farm. Off by default.
What environmental claims does Passcut make?
We do not publish kilograms of CO₂, kilowatt-hours, or a carbon-neutral badge. There is no third-party audit on this page. The claim is architecture: no Passcut video upload, on-device SpeechAnalyzer and Foundation Models, and local export. Optional Apple Private Cloud Compute is Apple’s private compute for transcript text, still not a Passcut GPU farm.
Architecture, not a carbon score
The difference versus a cloud editor is where the work runs: your Mac. We do not estimate saved emissions.
Does on-device mean fully offline?
Transcription and most cuts run on-device. For some whole-video instructions you can optionally use Apple Private Cloud Compute — transcript text only, never your video file, never a third-party AI API. Off by default in Settings → Privacy.
Network the app still uses
License activation still needs the network (Lemon Squeezy). First transcription may download Apple speech assets.
#Frequently Asked Questions
Is Passcut better for the environment than a cloud editor?
Your video is not uploaded to a Passcut cloud and is not transcribed on a rented GPU farm. We do not publish a carbon score. The difference is where the work runs: your Mac.
Does Reduce noise re-encode the whole original file?
When the Storyline is already trimmed, Reduce noise and Enhance voice process the kept timeline span, not the unused original file.
Download Passcut for Mac
Native macOS. Apple Silicon. Transcript-first rough cuts, then hand off to Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Premiere Pro.
Requires macOS 26 or later and Apple Silicon. Footage does not go to a Passcut cloud.Compare plans.