Olive vs Shotcut (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Olive and Shotcut share a 2.8 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
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 Shotcut if
- Fits if you want a no-cost editor for Windows, Mac or Linux and don't mind learning a timeline
- Works for people who edit offline and don't want a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want templates, AI captions or one-click social videos, as the features page lists no AI tools
- Not for you if you work in a team on the same project, since there's no cloud collaboration
- Too light for people who rely on VST2 or LV2 audio plugins, which are still work in progress
- Watch out: Windows 7 and 8 stop at version 22.12.21 and macOS 11 and earlier get older builds
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAOliveGood | 2.8GPAShotcutGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to download and run, with no paid tier. | AFree to download, with no paid tier. A program anyone can download and run counts as free. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no paid tier to buy into. | ANothing is locked: no trial, no watermark and no paid tier on the page. |
| Features | CNon-linear timeline editing on three systems, but alpha software the README calls highly unstable. | CTimeline editing, 4K, capture, audio filters and subtitles, but the features page lists no AI tools or cloud collaboration, and VST2 and LV2 plugin support is still work in progress. |
| 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. A full timeline editor has a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux, but a program for computers only; no phone or web version. | CWindows, Mac and Linux, which counts as computers only. No web or phone version. |
| Best for | trying a free open-source editor | a free 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 Shotcut. 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. Shotcut has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score 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 Shotcut 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
- Shotcut also covers screen recording.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceVideo editing
At a glance
| Olive | Shotcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | Free and open source, with downloads offered at no charge and no paid tier listed. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Olive Team | Meltytech, LLC |
| Price read from | github.com | shotcut.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.
Shotcut
- Windows 7 and 8 users are limited to version 22.12.21, and macOS 11 and earlier to older builds.
- VST2 and LV2 audio plugin support is listed as work in progress.
- Versions are numbered by date and new releases arrive about every two months.
- The features page lists no built-in AI tools or cloud collaboration.
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.
Shotcut
- Wide format support
- Edits hundreds of audio and video formats through FFmpeg without importing, and mixes resolutions and frame rates on one timeline.
- Capture
- Records screen, webcam and audio, and takes input from Blackmagic Design SDI and HDMI devices, JACK and Pulse audio and network streams.
- High-end video
- Handles 4K and 8K, 10-bit end to end, HDR10 and HLG, alpha-channel files and tone mapping from HDR to SDR.
- Audio filters
- Includes scopes, volume control and filters such as compressor, equalizers, noise gate, limiter and RNNoise noise reduction.
- Subtitles and export
- Creates and imports SRT, VTT, ASS and SSA subtitles, and exports EDL, single frames and image sequences.
- Dockable interface
- Panels for playlist, filters, history, encoding and jobs can be docked or undocked, with drag-and-drop from the file manager.
Plans
Olive
Free$0
Open-source editor under GPL-3.0; the project asks for support through Patreon.
Shotcut
Shotcut$0
The full editor, free to download for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Olive or Shotcut?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Olive and Shotcut are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Olive or Shotcut?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Olive and Shotcut 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.