Kdenlive vs Lightworks (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Kdenlive grades higher than Lightworks: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Kdenlive grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Kdenlive
Free, open-source non-linear video editor from the KDE community
Lightworks
Pro video editor with a free tier and paid Create and Pro plans
Which one is for you
Pick Kdenlive if
- Fits if you want a free editor for projects with several tracks
- Works for people who edit on Linux
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need a phone or browser editor, since it's desktop only
- Watch out: daily builds can be unstable and can corrupt existing projects
- Tight if your computer is old, because Windows needs 10 and macOS needs 13
- Not for you if you want templates and a quick result, since it's a full editor with a learning curve
Pick Lightworks if
- Fits if you want a desktop editor with 1080p export for nothing
- Works for people who need AAF, XML or EDL exchange formats
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need 4K, which starts at Create, $20 a month
- Tight if you upload anywhere but YouTube and Vimeo on the free plan
- Watch out: advanced transitions, titles and TotalFX aren't on Linux
- Not for you if you want a phone or browser editor, since it's desktop only
- Watch out: we couldn't read yearly or one-time prices, only monthly
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAKdenliveVery good | 2.4GPALightworksFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to download and use, and anyone can run it. The project asks for optional donations. | BThe free plan covers editing, color and 1080p export, and paid Create starts at $20 a month, which is where the dearer quarter begins. Yearly and one-time prices weren't readable. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe full editor is free on all three systems, with no caps or watermark. | BA free plan with timeline editing, effects, color correction and 1080p export, with no watermarks. Upload goes only to YouTube and Vimeo. |
| Features | BMulti-track timeline, proxies, hundreds of effects with keyframes, color tools, audio mixing and subtitles. Nothing in the listing is missing from the core editing job. | CTimeline, trimming, color, audio, exchange formats and quality checks. The listing shows gaps: 4K and 8K need paid plans and advanced titles aren't on Linux. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and a timeline editor has a learning curve. | CNo store rating on record, and a timeline editor has a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | CDesktop only: Windows, Mac and Linux, with no mobile or browser version. | CDesktop only: Windows, Mac and Linux, with Google Drive, Dropbox and stock links. |
| Best for | free multi-track video editing | a free editor with 1080p export |
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: Kdenlive and Lightworks. How we grade
Price against what you get
Kdenlive has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Lightworks starts at $20 a month for each person and scores 2.0.
Kdenlive scores higher and starts $20 a month lower. Of the other screen recording and video tools on the chart, none scores higher than Kdenlive for less, and 43 score higher than Lightworks 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
- Kdenlive is open source, according to its own site.
- Lightworks can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Kdenlive also covers transcription.
At a glance
| Kdenlive | Lightworks | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $20 per user / month on Create, paid monthly |
| Free plan | Free to download and use on Windows, macOS and Linux; the site asks for optional donations. | Free plan with timeline editing, effects, color correction, multitrack audio, 1080p export and YouTube and Vimeo upload, with no watermarks. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | KDE | LWKS |
| Price read from | kdenlive.org | lwks.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Kdenlive
- Desktop only: the download page lists Windows, Linux and macOS builds, with no mobile or browser version.
- Windows needs version 10 or newer, and macOS needs 13 (Ventura) or newer.
- Daily builds are offered for testing, and the site warns they can be unstable and can corrupt existing projects.
Lightworks
- The Free plan exports up to 1080p and uploads only to YouTube and Vimeo; 4K needs Create and 8K needs Pro.
- The yearly and one-time license prices sit behind toggles on the pricing page and were not read, so only monthly prices are recorded.
- Some Linux functionality is restricted, and the advanced transitions, advanced titles and TotalFX are not available on Linux.
- The pricing page showed the Free plan as £0 and the paid plans in dollars, and says prices are offered in USD, GBP and EUR.
Key features
Kdenlive
- Multi-track timeline
- A non-linear workflow with multicam and 3-point editing, nested sequences, markers and automatic backups.
- Proxies and asset bins
- Imports footage in most audio and video formats, shows metadata, and can use proxies for smoother playback on slower machines. Clips can be tagged and sorted into several bins.
- Effects and transitions
- Hundreds of audio and video effects that can be keyframed, plus transitions and layer compositions.
- Color tools
- LUTs, basic corrections and detailed grading, with histogram, vectorscope, RGB parade and waveform views.
- Subtitles and titles
- Subtitles can be created with automatic transcription. Simple title clips are built in, and projects can connect to Glaxnimate for motion graphics.
- Audio mixing
- Audio mixers, built-in voiceover recording and an audio spectrum view.
Lightworks
- Timeline and trim tools
- Multiple video, audio and FX tracks with simple and advanced trimming and audio track sync, plus bins, tags and search for organizing footage.
- Background processing
- Import, rendering of complex effects and export can run in the background while you keep editing.
- Color and audio
- Color correction and grading with scopes on every plan. Native audio effects such as compressor, limiter and noise reducer come with the paid plans.
- Exchange formats
- The pricing page lists AAF, XML, OMF and EDL interchange, and sequence exchange with Premiere, Media Composer, DaVinci Resolve, Pro Tools and Reaper.
- Cloud and stock media
- Connects to Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive, pulls stock footage from Pexels and Pond5, and publishes to YouTube and Vimeo.
- In-edit quality control
- QScan checks for issues such as video levels, missing audio and loudness and shows markers on the timeline. This is listed among the paid features.
Plans
Kdenlive
Free$0
The full editor on Windows, macOS and Linux. The project asks for optional donations.
Lightworks
Free$0
Timeline editing, effects and transitions, color correction, multitrack audio and export up to 1080p.
Create$20
per user / month, paid monthly
Adds 4K export, BRAW and ProRes decode, NewBlue Titler Pro, audio effects and noise reduction, and cloud storage integration.
Pro$35
per user / month, paid monthly
Adds up to 8K and 10-bit video, HDR editing and full scopes, Apple ProRes encoding, and AU, VST3 and LADSPA plugin support.
Ways to pay less
Kdenlive
No public discounts listed.
Lightworks
- Lifetime license
One-time license
The pricing page offers a Once option beside Monthly and Yearly, described as a perpetual license. The price was not readable in this check.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Kdenlive or Lightworks?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Kdenlive is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $20 a month for each person for Lightworks. Kdenlive is free, and Lightworks starts at $20 per user / month on Create, paid monthly.
Which has a free plan, Kdenlive or Lightworks?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Kdenlive and Lightworks 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.