Tired of overpriced AI video subscriptions? Emberforge is a local desktop pipeline (Windows, Mac, Linux) that generates viral, faceless vertical shorts using your own API keys. By paying providers like ElevenLabs, fal.ai, and Anthropic directly, you generate clips for ~43¢ each instead of a bloated $40/mo SaaS fee. It handles scripts, voiceovers, character-consistent visuals, and burnt-in captions. No recurring bills, no middleman markup. Pay once, own the forge forever.
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Maker
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Hey Product Hunt!I built Emberforge because I got tired of cloud-hosted video SaaS markups charging me an arm and a leg just to render basic vertical shorts. Middlemen markups on API usage have gotten out of hand, so I built a local desktop application (Windows, Mac, Linux) that runs entirely on your own API keys.By skipping the standard SaaS markup and paying raw API costs directly to the providers (ElevenLabs, fal.ai, Anthropic), my videos cost about 43¢ each instead of a $40/month locked credit tier.It handles scripting, narration, consistent character seeds, visual rendering, and burn-in captions in a single double-click interface. I'm offering the first 25 copies on Gumroad for a flat $49 launch price—buy it once, own the local pipeline forever.I'd love to hear your thoughts or answer any technical questions about the architecture!
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Maker
Appreciate the sharp feedback — a bunch of what you're describing is already in here or just landed in the latest update.
On the pay-per-clip model (Haydar, Emel, Necdet): yeah, that's the whole point. Your keys, your costs, ~40¢ a video instead of a $40/mo subscription where you never see where the money goes. Own the forge, don't rent it.
On tracking what works (Necdet's A/B idea): the system already pulls your retention data and ranks your scripts by what actually held viewers, then drafts new ones modeled on your winners. So instead of guessing between two hooks, it learns from every video you've posted and writes toward what's proven. TikTok analytics import works today via manual CSV; full auto-pull is API-gated on TikTok's side, on the roadmap.
On cost tracking (Emel): every render shows an itemized cost estimate before it runs, and won't proceed without your confirm — so you're never surprised by spend.
This is built to be owned, not subscribed to. If you want more hand-holding and a monthly bill, those tools exist. This one's for people who'd rather keep the keys.
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The pay-as-you-go model with my own keys is genuinely refreshing, no more wondering where my subscription money actually goes. Ran a few test clips and the character consistency held up better than I expected.
Paying per clip directly with my own keys is exactly the kind of pricing I wish more tools offered. One thing that would make this even better for me is a built-in cost dashboard that tracks spend per provider in real time, since juggling ElevenLabs, fal, and Anthropic usage separately is honestly a pain when you're batching dozens of shorts in a session.
Paying providers directly for that kind of price per clip is genuinely smart, love seeing this approach instead of another subscription. One thing that would seal the deal for me though, a built-in A/B testing feature where it can auto-generate two hook variations per video and track which one performs better on TikTok and Reels would save so much manual testing time.
Appreciate the sharp feedback — a bunch of what you're describing is already in here or just landed in the latest update.
On the pay-per-clip model (Haydar, Emel, Necdet): yeah, that's the whole point. Your keys, your costs, ~40¢ a video instead of a $40/mo subscription where you never see where the money goes. Own the forge, don't rent it.
On tracking what works (Necdet's A/B idea): the system already pulls your retention data and ranks your scripts by what actually held viewers, then drafts new ones modeled on your winners. So instead of guessing between two hooks, it learns from every video you've posted and writes toward what's proven. TikTok analytics import works today via manual CSV; full auto-pull is API-gated on TikTok's side, on the roadmap.
On cost tracking (Emel): every render shows an itemized cost estimate before it runs, and won't proceed without your confirm — so you're never surprised by spend.
This is built to be owned, not subscribed to. If you want more hand-holding and a monthly bill, those tools exist. This one's for people who'd rather keep the keys.
The pay-as-you-go model with my own keys is genuinely refreshing, no more wondering where my subscription money actually goes. Ran a few test clips and the character consistency held up better than I expected.
@haydar255231 see my comment below
Paying per clip directly with my own keys is exactly the kind of pricing I wish more tools offered. One thing that would make this even better for me is a built-in cost dashboard that tracks spend per provider in real time, since juggling ElevenLabs, fal, and Anthropic usage separately is honestly a pain when you're batching dozens of shorts in a session.
@emelwgdj see my comment below
Paying providers directly for that kind of price per clip is genuinely smart, love seeing this approach instead of another subscription. One thing that would seal the deal for me though, a built-in A/B testing feature where it can auto-generate two hook variations per video and track which one performs better on TikTok and Reels would save so much manual testing time.
@necdetmjbg see my comment below