HandBrake vs OpenShot (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, OpenShot grades higher than HandBrake: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
OpenShot grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick HandBrake if
- Fits if you need to shrink or convert video files and don't want to pay
- Works for people who run batches of files overnight
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to edit, as it doesn't combine clips
- Skip it if your video is copy-protected, because it doesn't work with DRM
- Watch out: supported hardware starts at 16 GB of memory for 1080p and 32 GB for 4K
- Tight if you want a phone or browser version, since it's desktop only
Pick OpenShot if
- Fits if you want a free editor with no watermark for home videos
- Works for people who also want a built-in screen and webcam recorder
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have an Apple silicon Mac, since the page only describes an Intel installer
- Not for you if you need a phone or browser editor, as it's desktop only
- Too light for team editing, since nothing on the site covers sharing or cloud projects
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAHandBrakeGood | 3.0GPAOpenShotVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, with no account, and anyone can download and run it. | AFree to download and use, and anyone can run it. The site says no subscriptions or watermarks, and donations are optional. |
| Free plan and trial | ANothing to pay for at any point, with no caps or watermark mentioned. | AThe full editor is free on all platforms, with no project limits, per the site. |
| Features | CConverts most formats with AV1, H.265 and H.264, presets, filters, subtitles and a queue. It does that job fully, but it's a smaller job than a video editor, and it can't combine clips. | BUnlimited tracks, keyframes, transitions, titles, color grading and a screen recorder. Nothing in the listing is missing from the core editing job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Encoder and quality settings have a learning curve beyond the presets. | CNo store rating on record, and a timeline editor has a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | CDesktop only: Windows, Mac and Linux, plus a command-line version. | CDesktop only: Windows, Mac, Linux and Chrome OS installers, and no phone or browser version. |
| Best for | converting video files for free | a free, simple desktop video editor |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: HandBrake and OpenShot. How we grade
Price against what you get
HandBrake has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. OpenShot has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
OpenShot scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other screen recording and video tools on the chart, none scores higher than HandBrake for less, and none scores higher than OpenShot for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- HandBrake also covers file compression.
- OpenShot also covers screen recording.
In commonFree planmacOSWindowsLinuxOpen sourceVideo editing
At a glance
| HandBrake | OpenShot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | Free to download and use, with no subscriptions, watermarks or project limits, according to the site. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | The HandBrake Team | OpenShot Studios, LLC |
| Price read from | handbrake.fr | openshot.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
HandBrake
- It converts video only; the project says it does not combine clips, so editing needs other software.
- It does not work with DRM-protected video or copy-protected discs.
- Officially supported hardware starts at 16 GB of memory for 1080p and 32 GB for 4K.
OpenShot
- Desktop only: the download page lists Windows, Linux, macOS and Chrome OS installers.
- The macOS download is described as a 64-bit Intel installer; the page does not mention a separate Apple silicon build.
Key features
HandBrake
- Format conversion
- Converts most common video files, plus DVD and Blu-ray sources without copy protection, to MP4, MKV or WebM.
- Wide encoder choice
- Video encoders include AV1, H.265, H.264, VP8 and VP9, with optional hardware-accelerated encoding.
- Device presets
- Built-in presets for phones, tablets, TVs and consoles, with basic and advanced settings to adjust them.
- Quality and filters
- Constant quality or average bitrate encoding, plus deinterlacing, denoise, cropping and scaling filters.
- Subtitles, chapters and audio
- Handles VobSub, closed captions, SSA and SRT subtitles, chapter markers and audio passthrough for several formats.
- Queue and command line
- Batch scan and queue several encodes, and a separate command-line version is offered for download.
OpenShot
- Timeline editing
- Video, audio and images go on unlimited tracks with snapping, waveforms and frame-by-frame stepping. Project files move between Linux, macOS and Windows.
- Keyframe animation
- Position, scale, rotation, opacity, volume and effect settings can be animated with linear, constant or Bezier interpolation.
- Transitions and effects
- More than 400 transition patterns, plus effects such as chroma key, blur and lens flare.
- Titles
- More than 40 editable 2D title templates, custom SVG templates, and 3D animated titles rendered with Blender.
- Color grading
- Color wheels, curves and LUTs, with waveform, histogram, vectorscope and RGB parade scopes.
- Built-in recorder
- Captures a screen, window or region plus a webcam and microphone, and places each recording on its own timeline track.
Plans
HandBrake
Free$0
Free and open source, with no account required; installers for Windows, macOS and Linux.
OpenShot
Free$0
The full editor on Windows, macOS and Linux. Donations are optional.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, HandBrake or OpenShot?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both HandBrake and OpenShot are free to use.
Which has a free plan, HandBrake or OpenShot?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both HandBrake and OpenShot have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.