# Kdenlive review (2026): is it any good? > Free, open-source non-linear video editor from the KDE community Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. Kdenlive is a non-linear video editor developed by the KDE community. It covers multi-track editing, effects and transitions with keyframes, color correction with scopes, audio mixing and subtitles, and it is free to download. Donations are requested but not required. - **Category:** Screen Recording & Video - **Made by:** KDE - **Website:** https://kdenlive.org - **Runs on:** Windows, macOS, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you need a phone or browser editor, since it's desktop only. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, Kdenlive is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Free to download and use on Windows, macOS and Linux; the site asks for optional donations. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | The full editor on Windows, macOS and Linux. The project asks for optional donations. | Read from https://kdenlive.org/download/ on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Kdenlive before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Editors who want a free, open-source desktop editor - Linux users who need a full timeline editor - Projects that need subtitles and basic color grading ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. Kdenlive is a free multi-track video editor from the KDE community for Windows, Mac and Linux, with effects, keyframes, color grading and subtitles. It's desktop only, has a learning curve, and its daily builds can corrupt projects. - **Value for money: A.** Free to download and use, and anyone can run it. The project asks for optional donations. - **Free plan and trial: A.** The full editor is free on all three systems, with no caps or watermark. - **Features: B.** Multi-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. - **Ease of use: C.** No store rating on record, and a timeline editor has a learning curve. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Desktop only: Windows, Mac and Linux, with no mobile or browser version. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Kdenlive's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among screen recording and video tools - Kdenlive's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 120 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 8. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 117 of 133) and worst on ease of use (C, above 2). - Kdenlive has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/video ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Kdenlive is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 120 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools we grade. - You could not: A video editor. - You could not: Speech turned into text you can trust. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other. - You could not: The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with Glaxnimate **Tags:** Video editing, Open source, Transcription ## Alternatives - [Shotcut](https://toolgpa.com/tools/shotcut): Free open-source video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/kdenlive-vs-shotcut) - [OpenShot](https://toolgpa.com/tools/openshot): Free, open-source video editor for Linux, Mac and Windows. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/kdenlive-vs-openshot) - [DaVinci Resolve](https://toolgpa.com/tools/davinci-resolve): Video editing, color, effects and audio post-production in one app. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/davinci-resolve-vs-kdenlive) - [OBS Studio](https://toolgpa.com/tools/obs-studio): Free, open-source software for video recording and live streaming. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/kdenlive-vs-obs-studio) - [HandBrake](https://toolgpa.com/tools/handbrake): Free open-source video converter for Windows, Mac and Linux. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/handbrake-vs-kdenlive) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://kdenlive.org - https://kdenlive.org/download/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/kdenlive Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).