# OpenShot review (2026): is it any good? > Free, open-source video editor for Linux, Mac and Windows Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. OpenShot is an open-source video editor made by OpenShot Studios, LLC. It offers an unlimited-track timeline, keyframe animation, color grading, more than 400 transitions, editable titles and a built-in screen and webcam recorder. The site says it has no subscriptions, watermarks or project limits. - **Category:** Screen Recording & Video - **Made by:** OpenShot Studios, LLC (since 2008) - **Website:** https://www.openshot.org - **Runs on:** Windows, macOS, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you have an Apple silicon Mac, since the page only describes an Intel installer. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, OpenShot is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Free to download and use, with no subscriptions, watermarks or project limits, according to the site. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | The full editor on Windows, macOS and Linux. Donations are optional. | Read from https://www.openshot.org/download/ on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with OpenShot before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Beginners who want a free editor with no watermark - Linux, Mac and Windows users who share project files - Quick edits with titles, transitions and keyframes ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. OpenShot is a free, open-source video editor with unlimited tracks, keyframes, more than 400 transitions and a built-in recorder. It's desktop only, and the Mac download described is an Intel installer. - **Value for money: A.** Free to download and use, and anyone can run it. The site says no subscriptions or watermarks, and donations are optional. - **Free plan and trial: A.** The full editor is free on all platforms, with no project limits, per the site. - **Features: B.** Unlimited tracks, keyframes, transitions, titles, color grading and a screen recorder. 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, Linux and Chrome OS installers, and no phone or browser version. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from OpenShot'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 - OpenShot's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 75 of the 84 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 6. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 74 of 84) and worst on ease of use (C, above 1). - OpenShot 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.** OpenShot 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 75 of the 84 other screen recording and video tools we grade. - You could not: A video editor. - You could not: Recording the screen with its sound, and somewhere to keep the video. - 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 Blender, FFmpeg **Tags:** Video editing, Open source, Screen recording ## Alternatives - [Kdenlive](https://toolgpa.com/tools/kdenlive): Free, open-source non-linear video editor from the KDE community. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/kdenlive-vs-openshot) - [Shotcut](https://toolgpa.com/tools/shotcut): Free open-source video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/openshot-vs-shotcut) - [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-openshot) - [WeVideo](https://toolgpa.com/tools/wevideo): Browser-based video editor with screen recording for schools and teams. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/openshot-vs-wevideo) - [Wondershare Filmora](https://toolgpa.com/tools/filmora): Desktop and mobile video editor with AI tools and a stock library. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/filmora-vs-openshot) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://www.openshot.org - https://www.openshot.org/download/ - https://www.openshot.org/features/ - https://www.openshot.org/about/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/openshot Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).