Two new tools launched this week claiming to make video editing faster with AI. Cardboard, a YC W26 startup, dropped today on Hacker News calling itself an "agentic video editor." mstudio.ai has been quietly building toward the same goal but from a completely different direction. Both promise to cut the grind out of video production — but they're solving different problems for different creators.
Here's a direct breakdown of what each tool does, who should use it, and where they diverge.
What Is Cardboard?
Cardboard is an AI-powered editor built for creators working with real footage. You upload your video — a talking head, vlog, podcast recording, or product demo — and Cardboard applies intelligent cuts, captions, pacing, and music to produce a share-ready edit.
Its core workflow: raw footage in → polished edit out, in minutes. The emphasis is on automating the tedious parts (caption sync, beat cuts, silence removal) while leaving creative decisions to you. Key use cases include:
- Talking head videos (YouTube, LinkedIn, courses)
- Vlog storytelling from raw B-roll
- Podcast highlight clipping
- Product launch and explainer videos
- Beat-synced montages
Cardboard runs client-side using WebCodecs and WebGL2 — no heavy server processing, which makes it fast. It exports to DaVinci Resolve and Premiere XML, so you can finish in a traditional NLE if needed.
It's an impressive tool. But notice what's absent: there's no mention of AI-generated video clips, no Kling or Runway integration, no multi-shot production timeline. Cardboard is a real footage editor with AI superpowers — not an AI content creation platform.
What Is mstudio.ai?
mstudio.ai is built for a fundamentally different problem: what do you do after you generate an AI video clip?
If you've used Runway Gen-4, Kling 3.0, Pika 2.2, or Sora, you know the pain. Each model outputs a 5–15 second clip. To make anything longer than a social post, you have to download each clip, import it into After Effects or Premiere, manually stitch the timeline, add music, sync audio, and export — a process that can take hours even for a 60-second piece.
mstudio.ai eliminates that entire workflow. It's an AI-native non-linear editor (NLE) that lets you:
- Orchestrate multiple AI video generators (Kling, Runway, Pika, Luma, Sora) in a single interface
- Build multi-shot timelines from AI-generated clips without leaving the browser
- Add background music, sound effects, and voiceover to complete scenes
- Export full-length videos — not just 15-second clips, but full shorts and even feature-length projects
- Maintain character and scene consistency across multiple shots
The target user is a filmmaker, content creator, or marketer who uses AI video generators as their "camera" — and needs a proper editing studio to assemble the results into something watchable.
Cardboard vs mstudio.ai: Side-by-Side
| Feature | Cardboard | mstudio.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Primary input | Real footage (camera recordings) | AI-generated video clips |
| Core strength | Auto-editing: captions, cuts, pacing | Multi-shot AI film production |
| AI video generation | No | Yes (Kling, Runway, Pika, Luma, Sora) |
| Timeline editor | Yes (auto + manual) | Yes (multi-shot, multi-model) |
| Output length | Short-form to full-length | Short films to full-length movies |
| Audio tools | Beat sync, music, captions | BGM, SFX, voiceover |
| Best for | YouTubers, podcasters, vloggers | AI filmmakers, creative directors |
| NLE export | DaVinci, Premiere XML | Full video export (MP4) |
| Processing | Client-side (WebCodecs/WebGL2) | Cloud-based pipeline |
| Launched | February 2026 (YC W26) | Active (multiple model integrations) |
Who Should Use Cardboard
If you record yourself on camera — YouTube tutorials, podcast videos, client-facing content, course material, LinkedIn thought leadership — Cardboard looks purpose-built for your workflow. You shoot, upload, and get a polished edit back without spending hours in a timeline.
The DaVinci/Premiere XML export is smart: it respects that serious video editors still want final control in a professional NLE. Cardboard accelerates the 80% of the work you'd rather automate, then gets out of the way.
It's also a strong fit for agencies producing high volumes of talking-head content. If your bottleneck is "we have 30 interview recordings and need them edited by end of day," Cardboard addresses that directly.
Who Should Use mstudio.ai
If you're generating video with AI tools — and you want to make something longer and more coherent than a single clip — mstudio.ai is the layer you've been missing.
The core insight behind mstudio.ai is that AI video generators are not editors. Kling and Runway are your "camera," producing raw footage from prompts. But every filmmaker knows that footage is just the beginning. You still need to sequence shots, cut between angles, layer audio, and export a final cut. That's what mstudio.ai provides.
Use mstudio.ai when:
- You're building a short film, product video, or narrative piece from AI-generated clips
- You're using multiple AI generators and need them in one workspace
- Your output is longer than what a single model can generate in one prompt
- You want to add professional audio (BGM, SFX, dialogue) to AI-generated visuals
- You're tired of the "download clip → import to After Effects → repeat" loop
Can You Use Both?
Yes — and for some workflows, it makes sense. Imagine producing a documentary-style video where 60% is talking-head interview footage and 40% is AI-generated b-roll and visualizations. Cardboard handles the interview edits; mstudio.ai handles the AI-generated sequences; you merge both in a final export.
The tools aren't competing for the same shots. They're optimized for different source material.
The Bigger Picture: Two Visions of AI Video Editing
Cardboard's bet is that most creators have cameras and shoot real footage — they just hate editing it. Make the editing invisible, and you win the creator economy.
mstudio.ai's bet is that AI video generators are changing what "footage" means. In 2026, more creators are generating their visuals from text prompts than ever before. As Kling, Runway, and Sora get better, the volume of AI-generated clips will explode — and every one of those creators will need a production studio to assemble them into something worth watching.
Both bets are reasonable. But they serve different creators at different stages of the AI video production revolution.
If you shoot real footage: Cardboard is worth trying.
If you generate footage with AI: mstudio.ai is the tool built for your workflow.
Getting Started with mstudio.ai
mstudio.ai is available now. You can import clips from any AI video generator, build multi-shot timelines, add audio, and export finished videos — all without touching After Effects or Premiere.
Try mstudio.ai free and see how fast AI-generated footage becomes a finished film.