June 4, 2026
No cloud, just chaos
Show HN: FFmpeg WebCLI – Full FFmpeg in Browser, Offline PWA, No Uploads(WASM)
Your browser just became a video editor, and the comments instantly started nitpicking
TLDR: A new web app lets people edit videos right in their browser without sending files to a server, which is a big privacy win. Commenters loved the idea but instantly argued over speed, confusing cloud imagery, and whether a browser can really replace the real thing.
A new Show HN project is turning heads by cramming a full-on video editing toolbox into your browser — with no uploads, no account, and no server snooping. That means your clips stay on your own device while the app trims, converts, compresses, mutes, crops, flips, and even makes GIFs. It also works offline after the first visit, which made privacy fans perk up fast. One commenter cut straight to the chase: “This is dope. Made a PR.” Nothing says approval like showing up with a code contribution.
But because this is the internet, the applause lasted about three seconds before the comment section became a mini tech soap opera. One user questioned whether the “Click to upload” cloud icon was basically false advertising, arguing that if nothing is actually sent anywhere, why the cloud drama? Another immediately went full speed-demon, asking whether fancy performance boosts would work here. Others wanted to know the thing every browser miracle eventually gets asked: is it actually fast, or is this just a neat demo? There was also some classic enthusiast flexing, with one commenter name-dropping video quality measuring tools like they were entering a codec rap battle.
So the vibe is: people are impressed, but also doing what communities do best — poking, optimizing, correcting the iconography, and lovingly stress-testing the dream. It’s part praise, part product review, part design roast, and honestly, that’s how you know the launch landed.
Key Points
- •FFmpeg WebCLI is a browser-based video editor that performs all processing locally using ffmpeg.wasm and WebAssembly, with no server uploads.
- •The app is designed as an offline-first PWA and can be installed for offline use after the initial load.
- •It offers more than 30 media operations, including conversion, compression, trimming, GIF creation, subtitle embedding, audio extraction, and raw FFmpeg command access.
- •The tool supports a wide range of file formats across video, audio, and images, including MP4, WebM, MKV, MOV, AVI, GIF, MP3, AAC, WAV, OGG, FLAC, JPG, and PNG.
- •The article details implementation-oriented features such as Web Workers for background processing, wake lock support, live size estimates, and FFmpeg-based filters for speed, reverse, fade, crop, and visual adjustments.