# Olive review (2026): is it any good? > Free open-source video editor, still in alpha Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Olive is a free non-linear video editor for Windows, macOS and Linux, released under the GPL-3.0 license. Its GitHub page calls it alpha software that is highly unstable. The project's website currently says Olive will return and points to old downloads on GitHub, so treat it as a project on hold. - **Category:** Screen Recording & Video - **Made by:** Olive Team - **Website:** https://www.olivevideoeditor.org - **Runs on:** Windows, macOS, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you need to finish a project, as the README calls it alpha and highly unstable. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Olive is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | Open-source editor under GPL-3.0; the project asks for support through Patreon. | Read from https://github.com/olive-editor/olive on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Olive before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - People who want a free editor and can tolerate an alpha build - Developers who want to read or build the editor's source ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Olive is a free, open-source video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. Its own README calls it alpha software that is highly unstable, and the project site shows only a notice that it will return. - **Value for money: A.** Free to download and run, with no paid tier. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright, with no paid tier to buy into. - **Features: C.** Non-linear timeline editing on three systems, but alpha software the README calls highly unstable. - **Ease of use: C.** No store rating on record, and a timeline editor has a learning curve with no vendor support. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Windows, Mac and Linux, but a program for computers only; no phone or web version. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from the Olive project's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among screen recording and video tools - Olive's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 104 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 15. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 117 of 133) and worst on features (C, above 0). - Olive has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/video ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Olive 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 2.8 is higher than 104 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools we grade. - You could not: A video editor. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Video editing, Open source ## Alternatives - [Shotcut](https://toolgpa.com/tools/shotcut): Free open-source video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/olive-vs-shotcut) - [Kdenlive](https://toolgpa.com/tools/kdenlive): Free, open-source non-linear video editor from the KDE community. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/kdenlive-vs-olive) - [OpenShot](https://toolgpa.com/tools/openshot): Free, open-source video editor for Linux, Mac and Windows. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/olive-vs-openshot) - [Flowblade](https://toolgpa.com/tools/flowblade): Free multitrack video editor for Linux. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/flowblade-vs-olive) - [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-olive) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://github.com/olive-editor/olive - https://www.olivevideoeditor.org Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/olive Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).