--- title: "Frame.io vs Cutsio for Dailies: Which Works Better for Camera Originals?" author: "Cutsio Team" date: "2026-05-06" lastmod: "2026-05-06" category: "Comparisons & Alternatives" excerpt: "Compare Frame.io vs Cutsio for dailies workflows. Frame.io excels at compressed video review. Cutsio wins for camera originals — native ARRI RAW and RED R3D ingestion, Visual Search, and originals-attached delivery." tags: ["Frame.io vs Cutsio","Frame.io Alternative","Cloud Dailies","ARRI RAW","RED RAW","Comparison","Post Production","Dailies Workflow"] --- ## Frame.io vs Cutsio for dailies: which works better for camera originals? Cutsio works better than Frame.io for camera originals because Cutsio accepts native ARRI RAW (.ari, .mxf, .arx) and RED R3D files through its enterprise add-on, generates streamable review assets with Visual Intelligence indexing, and retains the original camera files as downloadable attachments for conform and finishing. Frame.io requires a manual pre-transcode from raw to ProRes or H.264 before any footage can be uploaded, reviewed, or shared. Frame.io is the most widely used video review platform in post-production. Its collaboration features — frame-accurate comments, version stacks, team management, and polished presentation — set the standard for the industry. But Frame.io was designed for compressed mezzanine files, not camera originals. Every production shooting ARRI RAW or RED R3D must maintain a parallel pipeline to transcode, manage, and relink proxies before the footage ever touches Frame.io. Cutsio was built for the gap between camera originals and review. The enterprise raw ingestion add-on accepts native cinema files directly. The cloud handles the transcode. Visual Intelligence indexes every frame. The original files stay attached. The review happens in a browser. The conform links back to the original files. No parallel pipeline needed. ## How do Frame.io and Cutsio compare for dailies workflows? | Factor | Frame.io | Cutsio | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Native RAW ingest** | No — requires manual pre-transcode to ProRes/H.264 | Yes — enterprise add-on for .ari, .mxf, .arx, .r3d | | **Visual Search** | Transcript-based only — requires dialogue | Frame-level visual search — objects, scenes, actions, lighting | | **Original file retention** | Not included — must be managed separately | Original files attached as downloadable assets | | **MOS footage search** | Not possible — no transcript | Fully supported — visual content only | | **Transcode location** | On the DIT's local machine | Cloud-based, server-side | | **EDL/FCPXML export** | Manual with third-party tools | Built-in selects export | | **Frame-accurate comments** | Yes | Yes | | **Approval gates** | Yes | Yes | | **View tracking** | Yes | Yes | | **Agentic Chat** | No | Yes — conversational AI search | | **Pricing model** | Per user per month | Pay-per-minute of footage | | **Storage cost for originals** | Separate — additional cost | Included as attachments | ### Where Frame.io works best Frame.io is the better choice when: - **You are reviewing finished or near-finished cuts**: Rough cuts, fine cuts, and color-graded masters are already compressed and ready for review. Frame.io's polished player and team management features shine here. - **Your team is already deeply integrated**: If your entire post-production team lives in Frame.io with established workflows, templates, and integrations, switching for the review layer alone may not be worth the friction. - **You need enterprise security certifications**: Frame.io offers SOC 2, HIPAA, and FedRAMP compliance for production teams that require them. ### Where Cutsio works best Cutsio is the better choice when: - **You are reviewing camera originals**: ARRI RAW, RED R3D, and ProRes footage that would otherwise require a manual pre-transcode. Cutsio eliminates the transcode step. - **You need to search footage visually**: MOS footage, action sequences, B-roll, and atmospheric shots that have no dialogue to search by transcript. - **You want to keep originals attached**: The same platform that hosts the review also stores the original camera files for download and conform. - **You want to export selects for the NLE**: Built-in EDL and FCPXML export referencing the original file names and timecodes. ## What is the dailies workflow difference between Frame.io and Cutsio? The fundamental workflow difference is where the transcode happens and who manages the original files. **Frame.io dailies workflow**: 1. DIT offloads camera cards to RAID 2. DIT manually transcodes ARRI RAW or RED R3D to ProRes proxies on local workstation (2–8 hours per day) 3. DIT organizes proxies into folders 4. DIT uploads proxies to Frame.io 5. Director reviews proxies, leaves comments 6. Editor manually applies feedback to original files on RAID 7. Assistant editor manually creates selects EDL referencing original files 8. Conform begins — editor must relink timeline from proxies to originals **Cutsio dailies workflow**: 1. DIT offloads camera cards to RAID 2. DIT uploads native ARRI RAW or RED R3D to Cutsio (upload time only — no transcode on DIT machine) 3. Cloud handles transcode, Visual Intelligence indexing, and original file retention 4. DIT sends share link to director 5. Director reviews review stream, leaves comments, marks approvals 6. Assistant editor exports selects EDL directly from Cutsio 7. Conform begins — EDL references original file names and timecodes The Frame.io workflow requires seven steps before the director can review. The Cutsio workflow requires three. ## How does Visual Search change the dailies review experience? Visual Search is the single feature that Frame.io cannot match for dailies review — it transforms the review session from passive watching into active searching. Frame.io's search function relies on transcripts of spoken dialogue. If the footage has no dialogue — action sequences, establishing shots, B-roll, atmospheric coverage — Frame.io returns no results. The director must scrub through clips manually to find specific frames. Cutsio's Visual Search indexes every frame of the review stream. The director types a description of what they remember seeing, not what they remember hearing. Common dailies queries that work in Cutsio but not Frame.io: - "Show me the wide master of the restaurant scene where the light is warm." - "Find the close-up where the actor's hand reaches for the gun." - "Which takes have the stunt double visible during the car chase?" - "Are there any establishing shots with the neon sign in the background?" These are the questions directors actually ask during dailies review. Frame.io is not built around visual search for camera originals. Cutsio answers all of them instantly. ## How does pricing compare for a typical feature film? | Cost Factor | Frame.io | Cutsio | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Monthly subscription (10 users) | $150–$250/month | Pay-per-minute of footage | | Storage for 60 TB of originals | Not included — separate cloud storage $1,200+/month | Included as attachments | | Transcode labor cost | DIT time for manual render (2–8 hours/day) | Included in cloud transcode | | EDL export tools | Third-party software required | Built-in | | Annual cost estimate (6-month project) | $8,000–$15,000+ including storage and labor | Significantly less for equivalent duration | Frame.io's per-user pricing scales with team size. Cutsio's pay-per-minute pricing scales with footage volume. For productions with large teams reviewing large volumes of camera originals, Cutsio is typically the more cost-effective option. ## Can you use Frame.io and Cutsio together? Yes. Many productions use both platforms for different stages of the pipeline. **Recommended hybrid workflow**: 1. **Cutsio for dailies**: Upload native ARRI RAW or RED R3D files. Use Visual Search to find and curate selects. Mark favorite takes and leave comments. 2. **Frame.io for finished cuts**: Export the selects from Cutsio as an EDL. Conform in the NLE. Upload the finished rough cut or fine cut to Frame.io for the director and client to review with polished presentation. This hybrid approach uses each platform for what it does best — Cutsio for the raw footage layer that Frame.io cannot handle, and Frame.io for the finished review layer where its UI and integrations are strongest. ## FAQ ### Does Frame.io support ARRI RAW or RED R3D files? No. Frame.io requires all video files to be transcoded to a supported format (ProRes, H.264, DNxHR) before upload. Native ARRI RAW and RED R3D files cannot be uploaded directly. ### Does Cutsio support the same review features as Frame.io? Cutsio supports frame-accurate commenting, approval gates, version comparison, view tracking, password protection, and expiration dates — the core review features that Frame.io users rely on. Cutsio does not currently offer SOC 2 or HIPAA compliance. ### Which platform is better for client-facing review? Frame.io has a more polished, established client-facing presentation with branded review pages and team management features. Cutsio is better for internal dailies review where the priority is raw footage access, search, and selects curation. ### Can I migrate my existing Frame.io projects to Cutsio? Cutsio does not currently offer direct Frame.io import. Projects can be re-uploaded to Cutsio from the original source files. ### Which platform has better mobile support? Both platforms offer mobile-friendly browser playback. Cutsio's player adapts to any device without requiring an app download.

Frame.io is great for finished cuts. Cutsio is for camera originals.

If you are reviewing ARRI RAW or RED R3D dailies, Cutsio eliminates the manual transcode step that Frame.io requires. Upload native files, get streamable review assets with Visual Search, and keep your originals attached for conform.

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