The Lightworks Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Lightworks in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Lightworks
The Insider’s Guide
Pro video editor with a free tier and paid Create and Pro plans
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among screen recording and video tools, read from Lightworks’s own pages.
Made by LWKS · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Lightworks’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Lightworks’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 36 of the 84 other screen recording and video tools we grade
Lightworks is a video editor for Windows, macOS and Linux, with a free plan limited to 1080p export and paid Create and Pro plans that add 4K or 8K export, more formats and audio tools. Plans can be bought monthly, yearly or as a one-time license.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Lightworks, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, and a timeline editor has a learning curve.
- 1
Best for a free editor with 1080p export
Lightworks is a video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux.
- 2
Paid plans start at $20 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $20 per user / month on Create, paid monthly.
- 3
There is a free plan
Free plan with timeline editing, effects, color correction, multitrack audio, 1080p export and YouTube and Vimeo upload, with no watermarks.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Windows, macOS and Linux.
- 5
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.
- 6
Background processing
Import, rendering of complex effects and export can run in the background while you keep editing.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 36 of 84
That is against the other screen recording and video tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Lightworks you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Lightworks at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $20 per user / month on Create, paid monthly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- LWKS
- Category
- Screen Recording & Video
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a free editor with 1080p export
Lightworks is a video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. The free plan exports 1080p with no watermark, but 4K needs Create at $20 a month, 8K needs Pro at $35, and some features are missing on Linux.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | The 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 | B | A free plan with timeline editing, effects, color correction and 1080p export, with no watermarks. Upload goes only to YouTube and Vimeo. |
| Features | C | Timeline, 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 | 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 Google Drive, Dropbox and stock links. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Lightworks is for
- Fits if you want a desktop editor with 1080p export for nothing
- Works for people who need AAF, XML or EDL exchange formats
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Editors who want a free tier with no watermark
- Users who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
- Projects that need ProRes or 8K delivery on a paid plan
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$20
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Lightworks has a free plan. Paid plans start at $20 per user / month on Create, paid monthly.
Yearly and one-time prices weren't readable.
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.
The free plan
Free plan with timeline editing, effects, color correction, multitrack audio, 1080p export and YouTube and Vimeo upload, with no watermarks.
Read from lwks.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on lwks.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: macOS, Windows and Linux
Pro video editor with a free tier and paid Create and Pro plans. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, video editing.
Timeline, trimming, color, audio, exchange formats and quality checks.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- OneDrive
- YouTube
- Vimeo
- Pond5
- Pexels
Lightworks is made by LWKS.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
36/84
Other screen recording and video tools it is graded above
Lightworks's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 36 of the 84 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 18.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 66 of 84) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $20 a month for each person, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 48 of the 62 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 43 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 85 screen recording and video tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Lightworks’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 56 of 84
- BFree plan and trialAbove 66 of 84
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 84
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 84
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 84
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 71 screen recording and video tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Lightworks is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Lightworks you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $240 a year.
What you could not
- A video editor.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive among them.
What this rests on. Lightworks’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
DaVinci Resolve, Shotcut, Kdenlive and Adobe Premiere
The 4 tools Lightworks is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.4GPA
DaVinci Resolve
Free plan · from $94.99
Video editing, color, effects and audio post-production in one app.
- Only DaVinci Resolve lists an iOS app.
- DaVinci Resolve also covers noise cancellation.
- 2.8GPA
Shotcut
Free
Free open-source video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux.
- Lightworks can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Shotcut is open source, according to its own site.
- Shotcut also covers screen recording.
- 3.0GPA
Kdenlive
Free
Free, open-source non-linear video editor from the KDE community.
- Lightworks can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Kdenlive is open source, according to its own site.
- Kdenlive also covers transcription.
- 2.6GPA
Adobe Premiere
Free plan · from $22.99/mo
Professional video editor for desktop, with a free mobile app.
- Only Lightworks lists a Linux app.
- Only Adobe Premiere lists iOS and Android apps.
- Lightworks can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Lightworks free?
Lightworks has a free plan. Free plan with timeline editing, effects, color correction, multitrack audio, 1080p export and YouTube and Vimeo upload, with no watermarks.
How much does Lightworks cost?
Lightworks lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Lightworks work on?
Lightworks is available on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does Lightworks offer any discounts?
Lightworks publicly lists the following: One-time license.
Does Lightworks have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Lightworks is listed for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does Lightworks have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Lightworks is listed for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Is Lightworks open source?
Lightworks is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Lightworks integrate with?
Lightworks's listing names Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, YouTube, Vimeo, Pond5 and Pexels.
Who makes Lightworks?
Lightworks is made by LWKS.
What are the alternatives to Lightworks?
The closest alternatives to Lightworks in our directory are DaVinci Resolve, Shotcut, Kdenlive and Adobe Premiere.
How does Lightworks compare with other screen recording and video tools?
Lightworks's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 36 of the 84 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 18.
Is Lightworks good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Lightworks B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $20 a month for each person, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 48 of the 62 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Lightworks?
To replace Lightworks you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Lightworks’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Lightworks's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by LWKS. Prices change, so check lwks.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Lightworks, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/lightworks
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Lightworks: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/lightworks
Know someone choosing between screen recording and video tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/lightworks/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded screen recording and video tools after Lightworks, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Screen Recording & Video Insider's GuideEvery one of the 85 screen recording and video tools we grade, compared
- DaVinci Resolve Insider's GuideVideo editing, color, effects and audio post-production in one app3.4 GPA
- Zencastr Insider's GuideFree podcast recording, chat-based editing and hosting in one app3.4 GPA
- Cap Insider's GuideOpen-source screen recorder with instant share links and an editor3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Lightworks’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Lightworks is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by LWKS. Prices and plans change: check lwks.com before you buy.