OpenShot vs Shotcut (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, OpenShot grades higher than Shotcut: 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 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
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
| 3.0GPAOpenShotVery good | 2.8GPAShotcutGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to download and use, and anyone can run it. The site says no subscriptions or watermarks, and donations are optional. | AFree to download, with no paid tier. A program anyone can download and run counts as free. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe full editor is free on all platforms, with no project limits, per the site. | ANothing is locked: no trial, no watermark and no paid tier on the page. |
| Features | BUnlimited tracks, keyframes, transitions, titles, color grading and a screen recorder. Nothing in the listing is missing from the core editing job. | 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. | CNo store rating on record. A full timeline editor has a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | CDesktop only: Windows, Mac, Linux and Chrome OS installers, and no phone or browser version. | CWindows, Mac and Linux, which counts as computers only. No web or phone version. |
| Best for | a free, simple desktop video 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: OpenShot and Shotcut. How we grade
Price against what you get
OpenShot has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Shotcut has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
OpenShot scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other screen recording and video tools on the chart, none scores higher than OpenShot 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
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceScreen recordingVideo editing
At a glance
| OpenShot | Shotcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to download and use, with no subscriptions, watermarks or project limits, according to the site. | 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 | OpenShot Studios, LLC | Meltytech, LLC |
| Price read from | openshot.org | shotcut.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
OpenShot
Free$0
The full editor on Windows, macOS and Linux. Donations are optional.
Shotcut
Shotcut$0
The full editor, free to download for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, OpenShot or Shotcut?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both OpenShot and Shotcut are free to use.
Which has a free plan, OpenShot or Shotcut?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both OpenShot 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.