Comparison

FrameQuery vs Muse.ai

Local-first AI video search vs cloud video hosting with built-in search. Different tools for different sides of the video workflow.

TL;DR

Muse.ai (also known as Skiv) is a cloud video hosting platform with powerful AI search — upload your videos, and viewers can search inside them by objects, text, speech, and sounds. It includes an embeddable player with 4K playback and unlimited bandwidth. FrameQuery is a local-first search tool for production teams — only lightweight proxies are uploaded for processing and deleted immediately after, with your search index stored locally. Search by scenes, faces, objects, and transcripts entirely offline. Choose Muse.ai to host and share searchable video; choose FrameQuery to search your own footage during production.

At-a-glance comparison

FeatureFrameQueryMuse.ai
Primary purposeSearch for creators/editorsHost + search for viewers
ArchitectureLocal-first desktopCloud video hosting
PricingFrom $9/moFrom $16/mo (80GB)
AI searchFaces, objects, scenes, transcriptsObjects, text, actions, speech, sounds
Format support50+ native formatsCommon web formats
NLE exportFCPXML, EDL, LosslessCut
Offline capable
Face recognition
Embeddable player
4K playback & hosting
Unlimited bandwidth
Upload requiredProxy only (deleted after)

Search capabilities

Muse.ai offers impressive AI search across hosted videos — it can identify objects, on-screen text, actions, speech, and even sounds. Viewers can search inside videos directly from an embedded player, making it excellent for content libraries, training platforms, and media portals.

FrameQuery searches across visual scenes, transcripts, detected faces, and objects on your local machine. It adds face recognition that Muse.ai lacks, and supports 50+ professional formats natively. Searches return millisecond results because the index lives on your hardware, not in the cloud.

Pricing & storage

Muse.ai pricing is based on storage and seats: from $16/month (80GB, 1 seat) to $100/month (1TB, 10 seats), with unlimited bandwidth included on all plans. You pay for hosting capacity because Muse.ai stores and serves your video.

FrameQuery pricing is based on indexing hours: Free (search only), Starter at $9/month (5 hours), Pro at $49/month (50 hours with timecoded comments and approval workflows), and Max at $199/month (300 hours with shared indexes). There are no ongoing storage fees—proxies are deleted after processing and your search index lives locally.

Format support & workflow

FrameQuery natively supports 50+ video formats including professional camera formats like R3D, BRAW, ProRes, and CinemaDNG — no transcoding or uploading required. It exports search results to FCPXML, EDL, and LosslessCut markers for seamless NLE integration.

Muse.ai supports common web video formats and handles transcoding on upload. Its strength is on the output side: an embeddable player with 4K playback, unlimited bandwidth, and in-player search. It's built for distribution, not production.

Privacy & data control

FrameQuery uploads only lightweight proxy files for AI processing—your original footage is never uploaded, and proxies are deleted immediately after processing. Your search index lives locally on your machine, and once indexed, search works entirely offline. This matters for NDA-protected projects and sensitive content. Muse.ai requires uploading your full videos to their cloud permanently for hosting, search indexing, and playback.

Choose FrameQuery if you…

  • Need to search your own footage during production
  • Work with professional camera formats (R3D, BRAW, ProRes)
  • Want face recognition across your video library
  • Require offline or air-gapped operation
  • Need NLE export (FCPXML, EDL) for editing workflows
  • Don't want footage permanently stored on a third-party cloud

Choose Muse.ai if you…

  • Need a searchable video hosting platform for viewers
  • Want an embeddable player with in-video search
  • Need 4K playback with unlimited bandwidth
  • Build training portals or media libraries for end users
  • Want sound and action recognition in search
  • Prefer a fully managed cloud solution with no local setup

Frequently asked questions

Is FrameQuery a replacement for Muse.ai?

They serve different purposes. Muse.ai is a video hosting platform with AI search built in — ideal for publishing searchable video content to viewers. FrameQuery is a local-first search tool for production teams who need to find moments in their own footage without uploading it anywhere. You might use both: Muse.ai for distribution and FrameQuery for production.

How does FrameQuery AI search compare to Muse.ai?

Both offer strong AI search. Muse.ai detects objects, text, actions, speech, and sounds within hosted videos. FrameQuery searches visual scenes, transcripts, detected faces, and objects across your local library. FrameQuery adds face recognition and supports 50+ professional formats natively. Muse.ai adds sound recognition and embeddable search for viewers.

Do I need to upload my footage to use FrameQuery?

Your original footage is never uploaded. FrameQuery sends only lightweight proxy files for cloud AI processing, and those proxies are deleted immediately after. The search index lives on your machine, so once indexed, search is entirely local and offline. Muse.ai requires uploading your full videos to their cloud for permanent hosting and search.

Can FrameQuery host videos for sharing like Muse.ai?

No. FrameQuery is a search and indexing tool for production teams, not a video hosting platform. If you need to host and share searchable videos with viewers or embed a player on your website, Muse.ai is the right choice. FrameQuery is designed for searching your own footage during production and post-production workflows.

Search your footage without hosting it in the cloud

Join the waitlist and search your video library locally with AI-powered visual search, face recognition, and more.

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