bilingual graphic designer video editor

We've already covered the top video editors for Linux. That list contained some non-open source software as well. This made us write this article to feature only open source video editors. We've also mentioned what platforms are supported by these software packages so that this list is helpful even if you are not using Linux.

Top Free and Open Source Video Editors

Just for your information, this list is not in any ranking order and the editors listed here are not in any specific order. I have not mentioned the installation procedure, but you can find that information on the website of each project.

1. Kdenlive

Key Features:

Multi-track Video Editing
All kinds of audio/video format supported with the help of FFmpeg libraries
2D Title maker
Customizable Interface and shortcuts
Proxy editing to make things faster
Automatic backup
Timeline preview
Keyframeable effects
Audiometer, Histogram, Waveform, etc.

Platforms available on: Linux, macOS and Windows.

Kdenlive is an open source video editor (and free) available for Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux distros.

If you are on a Mac, you will have to manually compile and install it. However, if you are on Windows, you can download the EXE file and should have no issues installing it.

2. LiVES

Key Features:

Frame and sample accurate editing
Edit video in real-time
Can be controlled using MIDI, keyboard, Joystic
Multi-track support
VJ keyboard control during playback
Plugins supported
Compatible with various effects frameworks: projectM, LADSPA audio, and so on.

Platforms available on: Linux and macOS. Support for Windows will be added soon.

LiVES is an interesting open source video editor. You can find the code on GitHub. It is currently available for Linux and macOS Leopard. It will soon be available for Windows (hopefully by the end of 2021).

3. OpenShot

Key Features:

Almost all video/audio formats supported
Key frame animation framework
Multi-track support
Desktop integration (drag and drop support)
Video transition with real-time previews
3D animated titles and effects
Advanced timeline with drag/drop support, panning, scrolling, zooming, and snapping.

Platforms available on: Linux, macOS and Windows.

OpenShot is a quite popular video editor and it is open source as well. Unlike others, OpenShot offers a DMG installer for Mac OSX. So, you don't have to compile and install it manually.

If you are a fan of open source solutions and you own a Mac, OpenShot seems like a very good option.

4. VidCutter

Key Features:

Keyframes viewer
Cut, Split, and add different clips
Major audio/video formats supported

Platforms available on: Linux, macOS and Windows.

VidCutter is an open source video editor for basic tasks. It does not offer a plethora of features – but it works for all the common tasks like clipping or cutting. It's under active development as well.

For Linux, it is available on Flathub as well. And, for Windows and Mac OS, you do get EXE and DMG file packages in the latest releases.

5. Shotcut

Key Features:

Supports almost all major audio/video formats with the help of FFmpeg libraries.
Multiple dockable/undockable panels
Intuitive UI
JACK transport sync
Stereo, mono, and 5.1 surround support
Waveform, Histogram, etc.
Easy to use with dual monitors
Portable version available

Platforms available on: Linux, macOS and Windows.

Shotcut is yet another popular open source video editor available across multiple platforms. It features a nice interface to work on.

When considering the features, it offers almost everything that you would ever need (from color correction to adding transitions). Also, it provides a portable version for Windows – which is an impressive thing.

6. Flowblade

Key Features:

Advanced timeline control
Multi-track editing
G'mic tool
All major audio/video formats supported with the help of FFMpeg libraries

Platforms available on: Linux

Flowblade is an intuitive open source video editor available only for Linux. Yes, it is a bummer that we do not have cross-platform support for this.

However, if you are using a Linux distro, you can either download the .deb file and get it installed or use the source code on GitHub.

7. Avidemux

Key Features:

Trim
Cut
Filter support
Major video format supported

Platforms available on: Linux, BSD, macOS and Windows.

If you are looking for a basic cross-platform open source video editor – this will be one of our recommendations. You just get the ability to cut, save, add a filter, and perform some other basic editing tasks. Their official SourceForge page might look like it has been abandoned, but it is in active development.

8. Pitivi

Key Features:

All major video formats supported using GStreamer Multimedia Framework
Advanced timeline independent of frame rate
Animated effects and transitions
Audio waveforms
Real-time trimming previews

Platforms available on: Linux

Yet another open source video editor that is available only for Linux. The UI is user-friendly and the features offered will help you perform some advanced edits as well.

You can install it using Flatpak or look for the source code on their official website. It should be available in the repositories of most distributions as well.

9. Blender

Key Features:

VFX
Modeling tools
Animation and Rigging tools
Draw in 2D or 3D

Platforms available on: Linux, macOS and Windows.

Blender is an advanced 3D creation suite. And, it is surprising that you get all those powerful abilities for free (and while being open source).

Of course, Blender is not a solution for every user – however, it is definitely one of the best open source tool available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can also find it on Steam to install it.

10. Cinelerra

Key Features:

Advanced timeline
Motion tracking support
Video stabilization
Audio mastering
Color correction

Platforms available on: Linux

Cinelerra is a quite popular open source video editor. However, it has several branches to it (in other words – different versions). I am not certain if that is a good thing – but you get different features (and ability) on each of them.

Cinelerra GG is the one that is most actively maintained with new features constantly added. And, the original edition that I mention here hasn't been updated for over a year now. However, it still works as a stable edition with several essential features.

11. NATRON

Key Features:

VFX
Powerful Tracker
Keying tools for production needs
Shadertoy and G'mic tools
OpenFX plugin support

Platforms available on: Linux, macOS and Windows.

If you are into VFX and motion graphics, NATRON is a good alternative to Blender. Of course, in order to compare them for your usage, you will have to give it a try yourself.

You do have the installer available for Windows and the dmg package for Mac. So, it is quite easy to get it installed. You can always head to its GitHub page for more information.

Wrapping Up

There is an interesting upcoming video editor called Olive. It's still in very early stages of development, so we haven't covered it here. But it's a promising project that should be watched closely.

So, now that you know about some of the most popular open source video editors available out there – what do you think about them?

Are they good enough for professional requirements? Or, did we miss any of your favorite open source video editor that deserved the mention?

I am not an expert video editor and have only experience with simple editing tasks to create YouTube videos. If you are an experienced and professional video editor, I would like to hear your opinion on how good are these open-source video editors for the experts.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.