Olive vs OpenShot (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, OpenShot grades higher than Olive: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 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 Olive if
- Fits if you want a free editor and can live with crashes
- Works for people who like testing open-source software
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need to finish a project, as the README calls it alpha and highly unstable
- Watch out: the project website shows only a notice that Olive will return, with links to old downloads
- Not for you if you want support, as help is a wiki and an unofficial Discord
- Skip it if you want a phone or web editor, as it runs on computers 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
| 2.8GPAOliveGood | 3.0GPAOpenShotVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to download and run, with no paid tier. | 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 | AFree outright, with no paid tier to buy into. | AThe full editor is free on all platforms, with no project limits, per the site. |
| Features | CNon-linear timeline editing on three systems, but alpha software the README calls highly unstable. | 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, and a timeline editor has a learning curve with no vendor support. | CNo store rating on record, and a timeline editor has a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux, but a program for computers only; no phone or web version. | CDesktop only: Windows, Mac, Linux and Chrome OS installers, and no phone or browser version. |
| Best for | trying a free open-source editor | 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: Olive and OpenShot. How we grade
Price against what you get
Olive 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 Olive 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
- OpenShot also covers screen recording.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceVideo editing
At a glance
| Olive | 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 | Olive Team | OpenShot Studios, LLC |
| Price read from | github.com | openshot.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Olive
- The README calls Olive alpha software and considered highly unstable; use it at your own risk.
- The project website currently shows only a notice that Olive will return and links to old downloads.
- There is no hosted or paid support; help comes from the wiki and an unofficial Discord.
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
Olive
- Non-linear timeline editing
- A timeline editor for cutting and arranging video, built as a free alternative to commercial editors.
- Windows, macOS and Linux
- The README says Olive runs on all three desktop systems, with build instructions for each.
- Open source
- The code is public on GitHub under GPL-3.0, and anyone can compile it from source.
- Two download lines
- GitHub lists a 0.1.0 alpha binary and a 0.2.0 unstable development build.
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
Olive
Free$0
Open-source editor under GPL-3.0; the project asks for support through Patreon.
OpenShot
Free$0
The full editor on Windows, macOS and Linux. Donations are optional.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Olive or OpenShot?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Olive and OpenShot are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Olive or OpenShot?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Olive 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.