Shotcut
Free video editor that is simpler than most. A gentle first timeline editor for anyone coming from Movie Maker.
Our verdict
Shotcut is the video editor to start with if timelines make you nervous. Drag your clips in, trim them, drop a transition between them and export. There is less on screen than in Kdenlive, which is the point.
It accepts more or less any file a phone or camera produces without converting first, which removes the most common beginner frustration. Titles, filters and basic colour and audio adjustments are all there when you want them.
It is also the safest app to practise with before you leave Windows, because the same version runs there. The limitations are depth and polish: fewer effects than Kdenlive, a plainer look, and slow exports on older hardware. Save often, as with any free editor.
What's good
- Easier to get started with than most timeline editors
- Handles nearly any file type without converting first
- The same Shotcut runs on Windows, so a switcher can learn it before moving
- Free, no watermark, no export limit
What to know first
- The interface is plain and the panels can be confusing to arrange
- Fewer effects and less polish than Kdenlive or a paid editor
- Exporting is slow on an older machine
- Occasional crashes on long projects
The details
- Cost
- Free
- Open source
- Yes (GPL-3.0)
- How you install it
- App store (Flatpak), AppImage download, App store (Snap), Built-in app store
Windows apps it can replace
Last checked . Sources: