Frequently asked questions
The short version: the app is free to download, indexes an unlimited library for free, runs entirely on your machine, and costs $79 once if you want full-quality export.
Privacy and offline use
Does Reelary upload my footage?
No. The vision model runs on your own CPU or GPU and the resulting index is written to a folder on your disk. No frames, thumbnails, transcripts or filenames are sent anywhere.
Does it work without an internet connection?
Yes. Reelary downloads a vision model once, on first run. After that, indexing, search, timeline assembly, captioning and export all work with the network disconnected.
Is there an account to create?
Not for the app. There is no sign-in inside Reelary. The website has optional accounts purely so you can look up a license key you bought there.
Does the app send telemetry or analytics?
No. The only network traffic the app makes is the one-time model download, and a periodic license check on machines activated with a hand-entered key.
What it does
What file formats can it index?
Video: MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, AVI, M4V, WMV, FLV, MPG/MPEG and OGV. Images: JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, TIF/TIFF and HEIC.
How does it search inside a long video?
Every image and one frame every two seconds of video is embedded separately, so a long clip becomes many searchable moments. A search result is a range of consecutive clips - the usable part of the shot, not just the file it lives in.
Can it export to Premiere, Final Cut or Resolve?
Yes. Reelary exports FCPXML and EDL that reference your original files on disk, so you can rough-cut in Reelary and finish in your NLE. That export is a Pro feature.
Can it search dialogue as well as visuals?
Yes, via local transcription. Visual semantic search is available on the free tier; dialogue and voice search is part of Pro.
What does it deliberately not do?
Colour grading, motion graphics, keyframe animation, unlimited track stacking and audio sweetening. Reelary aims to get you to a solid rough cut or a finished simple edit; anything past that belongs in a full NLE, and Reelary exports a project so you can go there.
Hardware
What are the system requirements?
Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), or macOS 12 or later on Apple Silicon or Intel.
Do I need a powerful GPU?
No. Reelary benchmarks the machine on first run and picks a vision model that fits it, so a modest laptop indexes more slowly rather than refusing to work. A faster GPU mostly shortens the initial indexing pass; searching an existing index is fast on any supported machine.
How long does indexing take?
It depends on the machine and the library size. Indexing runs in the background and is incremental - once a folder is indexed, only new or changed files are processed.
Pricing and licensing
What is actually free?
Unlimited libraries, unlimited files, unlimited indexing, full visual semantic search, smart folders and tags, script-driven shot search and timeline editing. Exports on the free tier are capped: exports capped at 720p with a light watermark, up to 60s.
Is there a limit on how many files I can index for free?
No. Indexing is unlimited and permanently free. The paid tier is about export quality and advanced capabilities, never about the size of your library.
Is it a subscription?
No. Reelary Pro is $79 once. Free updates for 1 year are included; after that the app keeps working indefinitely and only newer releases require a renewal.
Does one purchase cover both Mac and Windows?
Yes. A single license works on both platforms.
How many machines can I use it on?
A hand-entered license key activates 3 machines, and you can free a seat by deactivating a machine from inside the app. Macs unlocked through the App Store in-app purchase do not consume seats at all - every Mac on your Apple ID is covered.
I bought on the Mac App Store. How do I use it on Windows?
Open Settings → License on the Mac; it shows the license key minted for your purchase. Paste that key into the Windows build.
What if I get a new computer?
Deactivate the old machine from inside the app to release the seat, then activate the new one. If the old machine is gone, seats are also reclaimed automatically once they stop checking in.
Can I get a refund?
Yes, within 14 days of purchase. Email support@reelary.app. Because the free tier has no time limit, we would rather you tried it thoroughly before paying.
Still unsure? Email support@reelary.app, or read how on-device search works and how Reelary compares with Scenelet, Wideframe and Jumper.