A faceless video maker that runs on your Mac
Built for Apple silicon, paid once, made on your own machine
TallyReel is a desktop app that makes faceless videos on a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer). You type one idea, it writes a script with a hook and planned shots, and once you approve, your Mac puts the video together: voiceover, footage, captions and music.
Because the work happens on your Mac and not on a server, there are no credits and no monthly fee. It's $49 paid once at launch ($79 paid once after). This page covers what running locally means in practice: speed, what stays on your machine, what you need, and the one extra click the first time you open it.
Updated 29 September 2026 · by Danish, who makes TallyReel
Side by side
| Feature | On your Mac | In the cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Where the video is made | On your Mac's own chip | On the company's servers |
| Price model | $49 once ($79 after launch), unlimited videos | Usually a monthly plan with credits or minutes |
| Speed for a Short | About 1.5 minutes on an M-series Mac | Depends on their servers and queue, not on your Mac |
| Your photos and clips | Read from a media folder on your Mac | Uploaded to the service first |
| Script writing | On your Mac for free, or your own AI key | On their servers, counted against credits |
| Which Macs | Apple silicon, M1 or newer | Any Mac with a browser, including Intel Macs |
| Disk and memory | About 12 GB free disk, 16 GB memory recommended | Almost nothing on your Mac |
| Setup | Download the app, then 3 to 6.5 GB of models on first launch | Open a website and sign in |
| Works on a phone | No, making videos is Mac or Windows only | Often yes |
| Presenters and avatars | Not offered, by design | Offered by some tools |
Where In the cloud is better
- They work on any Mac, including older Intel models, and on any device with a browser. TallyReel needs Apple silicon.
- There's nothing to download or store. TallyReel needs about 12 GB of free disk and downloads 3 to 6.5 GB of models the first time.
- On an older or low-memory machine, a cloud tool will usually be faster, because their servers do the heavy lifting.
- Some offer on-screen presenters and avatars, which TallyReel doesn't.
Where TallyReel is better
- Apple silicon is fast at this kind of work: a Short takes about 1.5 minutes on an M-series Mac, with no queue.
- Your own photos and clips are read from a folder on your Mac, not uploaded to make a video.
- You pay once. No credits, so redoing a video costs nothing extra.
- Scripts can be written on your Mac for free, without an account with an AI company.
Pick In the cloud if
- Your Mac has an Intel chip, or you're short on disk space.
- You want to make videos from an iPad, a phone or a borrowed computer.
- You want a presenter or avatar on screen.
Pick TallyReel if
- You have an M1 Mac or newer and want videos made on it.
- You'd rather keep your media on your own machine.
- You post often enough that a monthly plan adds up.
Built for Apple silicon
TallyReel runs on Macs with M1, M2, M3, M4 or newer chips. These chips are good at the kind of work a video maker does, writing a script with a local model, generating a voice, and encoding video. On an M-series Mac a Short takes about 1.5 minutes.
It doesn't run on Intel Macs. If your Mac is from before late 2020, check About This Mac: if the chip line says Intel, a browser-based tool is the better fit for now.
What stays on your Mac
The script, voiceover and final video are made on your Mac. Your own photos and clips are read from a media folder on your Mac. Nothing has to be uploaded to make a video.
A few things do reach the internet, and it's worth being clear about them. Stock footage comes from Pexels using a free key you add, so the search terms for each shot go to Pexels. If you choose to use your own AI key for scripts (Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek or OpenRouter), your idea and script go to that service, which bills you, usually a few cents a video. Ollama and LM Studio run on your own computer. And if you schedule posts with the included TallyReel Post Pro, the videos you schedule are sent to the server so they can go out while your laptop is closed.
What you need
After that, you type an idea, edit the script or paste your own, and approve it. You can make 9:16 Shorts, Reels and TikToks, or 16:9 YouTube videos of 3 to 15 minutes with chapters, from 13 templates.
- A Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer).
- 16 GB of memory recommended.
- About 12 GB of free disk.
- An internet connection for the first launch, which downloads 3 to 6.5 GB of models.
- A free Pexels key if you want stock footage.
The first time you open it
TallyReel's installer isn't signed with Apple's paid developer certificate yet. That means the first time you open the app, macOS asks you to confirm that you want to open it. You confirm once and it opens normally after that. We'd rather tell you now than have it look like something went wrong.
Questions
Does TallyReel run on Intel Macs?
No. It needs a Mac with Apple silicon, M1 or newer.
How fast is it on a Mac?
A Short takes about 1.5 minutes on an M-series Mac. Long YouTube videos take longer, depending on their length.
Why does my Mac ask me to confirm the first time I open it?
The installer isn't yet signed with Apple's paid certificate, so macOS asks you to confirm on the first open. After that it opens like any other app.
Do I need an internet connection?
For the first launch, which downloads 3 to 6.5 GB of models, and for stock footage from Pexels. Scripts can be written on your Mac without an AI account.
Can I use it on my Mac and a Windows PC?
Yes. The personal license covers two computers, and TallyReel runs on 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 as well.
How much does it cost?
$49 paid once at launch, $79 paid once after. Unlimited videos, no credits, and 3 free videos to try first. Refunds within 14 days.
Pick one. Make it tonight.
Type the idea into TallyReel, read the script, and it makes the video on your own computer. Your first 3 are free.