Shotcut

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

As of 29 August 2026, Shotcut is free to use. Shotcut is a free, open-source, cross-platform video editor supporting native timeline editing and a wide range of formats via FFmpeg. Softwr lists it under Video Production. Shotcut is made by Meltytech, LLC, launched in 2004, available on Windows, macOS, Linux.

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Overview

What Shotcut does

Shotcut is a free and open-source video editor developed by Meltytech, LLC and led by Dan Dennedy, a co-founder of the MLT Framework. It offers native timeline editing without requiring import, support for hundreds of audio and video formats through FFmpeg, multi-format/resolution/frame-rate timelines, 4K support, and Blackmagic Design SDI/HDMI capture and monitoring. Shotcut runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and is distributed under the GPLv3 license.

What people use it for

Free cross-platform video editing
Working with mixed-format footage in one project
4K video editing without a subscription
Capturing footage from Blackmagic SDI/HDMI hardware

Where it falls short

Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about 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.

Cross-shopped

What people choose instead of Shotcut

Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.

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Shotcutvs
Kdenlive
Kdenlive: Another free, open-source, cross-platform video editor with a similar target audience.
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Shotcutvs
HandBrake
HandBrake: Free open-source tool commonly used alongside Shotcut for transcoding video output.

Pricing

What Shotcut costs

Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.

Free

Full editor
All filters and effects
Community support

Capabilities

Features

Native timeline editing
Edit clips directly on the timeline without an import/transcode step.
Wide format support
Supports hundreds of audio/video formats through FFmpeg.
4K resolution support
Edit and export projects up to 4K resolution.
Blackmagic Design SDI/HDMI capture
Capture and preview video via supported Blackmagic hardware.
Multi-format timelines
Mix different resolutions and frame rates within a single project.
Text and audio filters
Apply text overlays and audio processing filters to clips.

Answered, with sources

Questions people ask

Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.

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

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

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

Behind it