Agent pipelines on a budget
MCP and API on the free tier is rare. You can prototype a full clipping agent for €0, then move to Solo at €4.90 a month annual. See clipping MCP servers.
Katto is a video-per-month AI clipper built in Japan that exposes everything it does to agents: a hosted MCP server with 16 tools, a local npx server, a CLI on every plan and an OpenAPI REST API with signed webhooks. Give Claude or Cursor a YouTube, Twitch or Zoom link and it can create the job, poll it, re-render clips in a new layout, dub them into 19 languages and hand you download links. This page covers the agent surfaces, the tools, the setup and the prices.
Most AI clippers are an app with an API bolted on for Business customers. Katto treats the app, the CLI, the MCP server and the REST API as equal front doors to the same engine, and all four are available on every plan including Free. A job started in the app can be polled from Claude Code; a clip made by an agent shows up in the app's calendar.
The engine itself does the expected things well: finds moments from a YouTube, Twitch, Vimeo, Rumble, Zoom or Dailymotion link, scores each clip 0–100 on hook, flow, value and trend, reframes to 9:16, 4:5 or 1:1 with speaker tracking and split-screen, and captions in 99 languages. Billing is per video, not per minute or credit.
The tool names are the real ones. An agent in Claude Code or Cursor strings them together from a one-line brief.
katto_create_clip_job takes a public video URL and a config: target clip-length bucket (from katto_list_clip_lengths), how many clips, and the angle you want. It returns a job ID and spends one video from the monthly quota.
katto_get_job reports status and, when done, the clips with download and caption URLs. For pipelines, register a webhook instead and verify it with the secret from katto_get_webhook_secret. katto_cancel_job refunds the slot if you change your mind.
katto_get_clips returns MP4 URL, captions, title and virality score per clip; katto_get_transcript gives timestamped segments. The agent can rank, filter by score, or quote the hook line back to you for approval.
katto_rerender_clip changes the reframe layout or caption style (ids from katto_list_caption_styles); katto_dub_clip produces versions in up to 19 languages. Both are free of quota, so an agent can make a 4:5 Instagram cut and a Japanese dub of every clip at no extra cost.
Publishing is in the app and API rather than the MCP tool list: "Schedule all" or "Publish" to YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky and Mastodon, with the calendar on Creator. An agent can hand the clip URLs to your own posting step if you'd rather keep that in the loop.
As documented on katto.tech/mcp. "Spends" uses a monthly video slot; everything else is free to call.
katto_create_clip_jobCreate AI clips from any video URLspendskatto_get_jobPoll a job; finished clips with download + caption URLskatto_list_jobsRecent jobs, newest first, cursor paginationkatto_get_clipsJust the clips: MP4, captions, title, virality scorekatto_get_transcriptTimestamped transcript segmentskatto_cancel_jobCancel a running job and refund the slotkatto_rerender_clipNew reframe layout and/or caption stylefreekatto_dub_clipDub into one or more of 19 languagesfreekatto_get_rerenderPoll a re-render; versioned clip URLkatto_list_caption_stylesCaption preset ids + labelskatto_list_clip_lengthsValid clip-length bucketskatto_list_sourcesSupported platforms with example URLskatto_get_usagePlan and remaining monthly quotakatto_get_accountConnected account, key scopes, quotakatto_get_brand_kitSaved brand kits: colours, font, layout, watermarkkatto_get_webhook_secretSigning secret and how to verify callbacksConnecting is free; processing uses the plan quota (2 videos on Free, 10 on Solo, 25 on Creator). The CLI (katto-cli on npm) is on every plan too.
Hosted needs nothing installed: point the client at https://mcp.katto.tech/mcp and sign in with OAuth 2.1 (dynamic client registration, no key stored on disk). Local runs npx -y katto-mcp with a KATTO_API_KEY from the dashboard.
claude mcp add --transport http katto https://mcp.katto.tech/mcpAuthorization: Bearer sk_live_…; the API is described by an OpenAPI 3.1 document.Keep KATTO_API_KEY in an environment variable, not the committed config, when the repo is shared.
{
"mcpServers": {
"katto": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "katto-mcp"],
"env": {
"KATTO_API_KEY": "${KATTO_API_KEY}"
}
}
}
}
// hosted alternative (no install, OAuth sign-in):
// "katto": { "url": "https://mcp.katto.tech/mcp" }Euros, from katto.tech, October 2026. No credits and no per-minute metering; a 10-minute and a 90-minute source cost one video each. Annual billing saves up to 45%.
Re-renders and dubs don't count against the quota, which makes the per-video price cheaper than it looks if you post several variants of each clip.
MCP and API on the free tier is rare. You can prototype a full clipping agent for €0, then move to Solo at €4.90 a month annual. See clipping MCP servers.
Free re-renders and dubs mean one video slot can become a 9:16, a 4:5 and three language versions. Good for multi-platform, multi-market posting.
Twitch, Zoom, Vimeo, Rumble and Dailymotion links alongside YouTube. Webinar and VOD clipping without downloading first.
Per-video billing suits long sources. Pair the 0–100 scores with real view data in the earnings calculator to see which score threshold actually pays.
No documented "clip every new upload" automation. Build it yourself with the API and a cron job, or use a scheduled agent that calls katto_create_clip_job.
Katto's own comparison concedes OpusClip's timeline editor and B-roll are better. Text-based editing covers most fixes; finish fussy clips in CapCut.
Connecting is free on every plan, including Free. Each katto_create_clip_job uses one of your monthly videos (2 on Free, 10 on Solo, 25 on Creator). Re-renders, dubs and all read tools cost nothing.
Hosted (mcp.katto.tech/mcp) for Claude.ai, ChatGPT and anywhere you don't want a key on disk; it signs in with OAuth. Local (npx -y katto-mcp) for Cursor, VS Code or scripts where an environment variable is fine.
Publishing and scheduling live in the app and REST API rather than the 16 MCP tools. An agent can fetch the clip URLs and either hand them to the API's publish endpoints or to your own posting step.
Not as a built-in feature. With the API and webhooks you can script it: a scheduled task checks for new videos, creates a job, and the webhook tells you when clips are ready. See what is a clipping agent.
Cheaper per month, agent access on every plan, and free re-renders; weaker editor and no B-roll on Free. See the best AI clipping agents ranking and the Klap review.