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Video Production · head to head

Adobe Audition vs Shotcut

Adobe Audition logo

Adobe Audition

Video Production

Industry-standard professional audio editing

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Shotcut

Video Production

Free, open-source, cross-platform video editor built on the MLT framework

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Shotcut has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Adobe Audition listed on UK G-Cloud as part of Adobe Creative Cloud for business (which bundles Audition) at £58 to £80 per licence per month, via reseller ServiceKey; Shotcut interface is dense and less polished than commercial competitors like VEGAS Pro.
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Audition covers Multitrack editing, Shotcut covers Native timeline editing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe Audition and Shotcut actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe Audition and Shotcut differ
AttributeAdobe AuditionShotcut
Starting price$22.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsMacos, Windowswindows, mac, linux
Founded19822004

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Video Production).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adobe Audition

  • Multitrack editing
  • Audio restoration
  • Noise reduction
  • Effects and mixing
  • Spectral editing
  • Batch processing
  • Premiere Pro
  • After Effects

Only in Shotcut

  • Native timeline editing
  • Wide format support
  • 4K resolution support
  • Blackmagic Design SDI/HDMI capture
  • Multi-format timelines
  • Text and audio filters

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adobe Audition

  • Podcast editingnot Shotcut
  • Audio restorationnot Shotcut
  • Video post-productionnot Shotcut
  • Music productionnot Shotcut
  • Sound designnot Shotcut

Shotcut

  • Free cross-platform video editingnot Adobe Audition
  • Working with mixed-format footage in one projectnot Adobe Audition
  • 4K video editing without a subscriptionnot Adobe Audition
  • Capturing footage from Blackmagic SDI/HDMI hardwarenot Adobe Audition

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adobe Audition

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud as part of Adobe Creative Cloud for business (which bundles Audition) at £58 to £80 per licence per month, via reseller ServiceKey

Shotcut

  • Interface is dense and less polished than commercial competitors like VEGAS Pro.
  • No built-in cloud collaboration or team review features.
  • Performance on very large 4K projects can lag on modest hardware.
  • Community-driven support model means no official paid support channel.

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe Audition

$22.99/month
  • Audition Single App$22.99/month
    • Full Audition features
    • 100GB cloud storage
    • Adobe Portfolio
  • All Apps$59.99/month
    • All Creative Cloud apps
    • 100GB cloud storage
    • Adobe Portfolio

Shotcut

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor
    • All filters and effects
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Adobe Audition if

  • You need multitrack editing.
  • You work on Macos, Windows.
  • You also want audio restoration.
Adobe Audition review

Choose Shotcut if

  • You need native timeline editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want wide format support.
Shotcut review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Audition or Shotcut better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Audition starts at $22.99/month and Shotcut at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Audition or Shotcut?
Shotcut has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $22.99/month for Adobe Audition and Free for Shotcut.
Does Adobe Audition or Shotcut run on more platforms?
Adobe Audition runs on Macos, Windows. Shotcut runs on windows, mac, linux.
Can I use Shotcut for free?
Yes. Shotcut has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adobe Audition starts at $22.99/month.
What is Adobe Audition best used for?
Adobe Audition is most often used for podcast editing, audio restoration, video post-production, music production. Of those, podcast editing and audio restoration are not what Shotcut is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Audition do that Shotcut cannot?
Adobe Audition covers Multitrack editing, Audio restoration, Noise reduction, Effects and mixing. Shotcut covers Native timeline editing, Wide format support, 4K resolution support, Blackmagic Design SDI/HDMI capture.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Shotcut: Is Shotcut free for commercial use?

Yes. Shotcut is distributed under the GPLv3 license, which grants the freedom to run the program for any purpose, including commercial use, at no cost.

Source
Shotcut: Does Shotcut collect personal data?

No. Shotcut does not collect, store, or share any personal information, and it requires no network connection for activation or usage tracking.

Source
Shotcut: What operating systems does Shotcut support?

Shotcut supports Windows 10 (build 1809) and later, macOS 12-26, and 64-bit Linux with glibc 2.35 or higher.

Source
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