Reelcraft guide
Reelcraft makes AI videos and reels. It runs on your own computer as a single Docker container: the app, its database, media storage and background jobs are all inside it. You use it in your web browser, at http://localhost:8080.
This guide takes you from nothing installed to a working Reelcraft, then shows how to connect your AI services, update it, and back it up. You don't need to be a developer, and you never need to download Reelcraft's source code.
What you need
- A 64-bit computer running Windows 10 or 11, macOS (Apple Silicon or Intel) or Linux.
- 8 GB of memory or more. Docker should be allowed to use at least 4 GB of it. (The free local Qwen3-TTS voices need more: see that page.)
- About 10 GB of free disk space for Docker, the Reelcraft image and your first projects. Videos and images you make need more over time. The local Qwen3-TTS voices add roughly 4 to 6 GB.
- Docker Desktop, which is free for personal use. Install Docker Desktop shows how.
What's optional
Reelcraft starts with a free test provider that makes placeholder results, so you can try it before paying for anything. To make real videos, connect one or more of these later:
| What | Used for | Set up in |
|---|---|---|
| OpenRouter, fal, ElevenLabs, Deepgram | Paid AI services for text, images, video, voice and captions | AI provider keys |
| VoiceStudio | Free voice-over, cloned voices and captions on your computer | VoiceStudio |
| BrowserOS Neo | Using your ChatGPT plan in a browser on your computer | BrowserOS Neo |
| Codex | Using your ChatGPT plan through OpenAI's Codex | Connect Codex |
| Claude | Using your Claude plan through Anthropic's Claude Code | Connect Claude |
Steps
- Install Docker Desktop
- Run Reelcraft
- Add AI provider keys, and if you use them, connect BrowserOS Neo, Codex and Claude
Then learn how to make videos: start with How Reelcraft works, then build a blueprint and run it.
Later: update Reelcraft, back it up, and fix common problems.
Reelcraft has no login. Anyone who can open its address can use it, and spend money through your AI provider keys. Use it on your own computer or a network you trust, and never expose it to the internet.