# Shotcut review (2026): is it any good? > Free open-source video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. Shotcut is a free, open-source video editor built on the MLT framework and FFmpeg. It edits many formats natively on a multi-format timeline, captures from screen, webcam and audio devices, and supports 4K and 8K, 10-bit and HDR video. Releases are dated and arrive about every two months. - **Category:** Screen Recording & Video - **Made by:** Meltytech, LLC - **Website:** https://shotcut.org - **Runs on:** Windows, macOS, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want templates, AI captions or one-click social videos, as the features page lists no AI tools. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, Shotcut is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Free and open source, with downloads offered at no charge and no paid tier listed. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Shotcut | $0 | The full editor, free to download for Windows, macOS and Linux. | Read from https://shotcut.org/ on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Shotcut before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - People who want a free editor with no watermark or account - Linux users who need a native video editor - Editors who work with mixed formats and frame rates ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. Shotcut is a free, open-source video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux with a timeline, filters and a wide range of formats. It has no AI tools and no cloud sharing, and it's a program you learn rather than a template you fill in. - **Value for money: A.** Free to download, with no paid tier. A program anyone can download and run counts as free. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Nothing is locked: no trial, no watermark and no paid tier on the page. - **Features: C.** Timeline 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: C.** No store rating on record. A full timeline editor has a learning curve. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Windows, Mac and Linux, which counts as computers only. No web or phone version. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Shotcut'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 - Shotcut's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 65 of the 84 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 9. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 74 of 84) and worst on features (C, above 0). - Shotcut 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.** Shotcut 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 65 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. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with Blackmagic Design, 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-shotcut) - [OpenShot](https://toolgpa.com/tools/openshot): Free, open-source video editor for Linux, Mac and Windows. [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-shotcut) - [Lightworks](https://toolgpa.com/tools/lightworks): Pro video editor with a free tier and paid Create and Pro plans. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/lightworks-vs-shotcut) - [Vegas Pro](https://toolgpa.com/tools/vegas-pro): Windows video editor with AI tools, now published by Boris FX. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/shotcut-vs-vegas-pro) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://shotcut.org/ - https://shotcut.org/download/ - https://shotcut.org/features/ - https://shotcut.org/about/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/shotcut Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).