Open source video editors include source code that enables you to customize the program according to your current needs. Therefore, anyone with a little coding knowledge and video editing experience will prefer open source software.
11 Best Open Source Video Editor
OpenShot – Our Choice
Blender – Professional Video Sequence Editor
ShotCut – Modular Video Editor with Portable Version KDEnlive – The Best Open Source Video Editor on Linux Lightworks – for fast special effects
Pitivi – for video editing with nanosecond accuracy
Avidemux – for simple changes and spitting out modified files
LiVES – for VJing and real-time editing
VidCutter – with For Basic Editing
Flowblade – for Linux
Natron – Best Choice for VFX
Users have limited choices when it comes to open source video editing tools. Only a few companies provide the source code of their programs. Please note Live, they are not stable across various builds and may not be completely free.
In this article, I have introduced the best open source video editors that have cross-platform features and do not require any financial investment due to budget constraints , which means a lot for small businesses and startups.
1.OpenShot – Our Choice
The best Free open source video editor
Compatible with most formats
Keyframe animation framework
Desktop integration (drag and drop support)
3D titles and effects, ability to resize clips
Advanced graphics with pan, scroll, zoom and snap capabilities
Not detected
OpenShot
Free Download
Conclusion: OpenShot offers an installer for Mac, eliminating the need for manual compilation and installation. It is the best free video editor on YouTube, known for its simple interface and integrated guide that offers an unlimited number of tracks .
Drop any type of media into any track, drag and drop it to import or work on the timeline.
This free open source video editor features a range of transitions with live preview, slow speed Motion and speed modification, time effects and 3D animation, keyframe-based animation and 3D animated titles.
OpenShot includes a title editor and file manager. Additionally, users can visualize audio files by audio signal, mix and edit audio using Video editing with Mac devices.
2.Blender
Professional video sequence editor
2D/3D modeling toolset, snap-in
Large community, Steam
Extension support, VFX
Integrated composer, preview
Feature redundancy Not the easiest option for newbies
Blender
Free download
Conclusion: Blender is a stable and High-performance advanced 3D graphics package and free animation software for creating animated films, 3D applications, video games and visual effects.
It offers an extensive modeling toolset, as well as topology, sculpting and curves. Blender is an integrated non-linear video editor. The application is present in stable versions of Ubuntu, Debian and Fedora.
Blender is the best open source video editing software as it features 3D modeling, rigging, texturing, animation , rendering, skinning and motion tracking capabilities. The video editing toolset includes transitions, filters, keyframe speed control, adjustment layers, video masks, audio mixing, clearing, synchronization and waveform visualization.
3.ShotCut
Modular editor with portable version
Compatible with all FFmpeg format
Dockable panel, keyboard shortcuts
JACK transfer sync
Portable Windows version, dual monitor support
Certain learning curve
Missing "Import" Version
ShotCut
Free Download
Conclusion: ShotCut is a reliable non-linear and easy-to-integrate video editor Editor. It offers everything from color correction, waveform correction, histograms to adding transitions. Simple minimalist interface based on system flags and sliders complemented by feature modules.
This open source video editor for Windows handles 4K content, supports stereo, mono and surround sound. Blender free video cropping software enables users to edit their own timeline without importing, create media playlists, drag and drop clips to the timeline, with a complete feature set such as Add tracks, clip clips and crop.
4.KDEnlive
Linux open source video editor
Compatible with all FFmpeg formats
Lots of transitions and effects, customization
Fast proxy editing, automatic backup-copy
Customizable interface, keyboard shortcuts, desktop integration
Manual compilation and installation on Mac
KDEnlive
Free download
Conclusion: Based on MLT media environment and running on KDE Running in a desktop environment, it is the best free open source video editor on Linux. Kdenlive's timeline supports an unlimited number of video/audio tracks, visible audio signals, pre-rendering and JKL playback shortcuts.
Kdenlive comes as a set Excellent transitions, creative effects and filters please users. Clips are not difficult to drag and drop, modify their settings and preview them in real time.
When exporting the finished video, you can choose from a large number of presets and file types. Kdenlive support 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios for PAL, NTSC, various HD and HDV standards, with experimental AVCHD support. Users can export videos to DV devices or copy them to DVD.
5.Lightworks
For quick special effects
Lots of special effects
Synchronized videos from different cameras 2D/3D text animation
Dedicated mouse and keyboard for acceleration
Unable to export 3D video
Difficulty publishing 4K clips
Lightworks
Free Download
Conclusion: Lightworks is an Emmy Award-winning open source video editor for PC. It is compatible with SD and HD format resolutions up to 4K. The interface is slightly different than most free video editors. But it is customizable, allowing users to modify various controls and windows to suit their needs.
Lightworks enables users to create complex qualitative clips. Video editors quite Simple and agile, provide Hollywood-level detail for video projects that can be shared with other Lightworks users.
6.Pitivi
Video editing accuracy up to nanoseconds
Any format supports GStreamer multimedia framework
Timeline is independent of frame rate
Integrated with GNOME desktop or Linux desktop environment
Real-time cropping preview
Not the easiest installation
Pitivi
Free to use
Conclusion: In every version, Pitivi is consistently rated as one of the best free video editing software. A beautiful and intuitive interface supports viewers: contextual tips on the basics provide users with the ability to record themselves.
It includes time-saving features , such as ripple and scroll editing, real-time search and asset management, grouping and snapping, non-modal clipping, playhead-centered zoom and editing, smooth scrolling and automatic zoom adjustment.
7.Avidemux
Simple changes
High level video encoding
Ability to copy filters , supports virtual dubbing
Automated custom scenes
Open API and cloud hosting deployment platform
SourceForge official page
Basic video editing
Avidemux
Free Download
Conclusion: Avidemux is the best open source video editor for making simple modifications (cut, Save, add titles) and upload the resulting file. Additionally, you can apply filters, color effects, and borders to enhance your clips by adding clarity or reducing noise; add audio streams or extra clips to the end of the current clip. If you have a large number of clips to encode, you can queue them for batch processing. As part of the export, Avidemux is able to encode video and audio to an impressive range of file types, with many detailed options, and a large CODEC.
8.LiVES
For VJing and Live Editing
Control via MIDI, keyboard and joystick
Multi-track and plug-in support
VJ keyboard control
Compatibility with projectM and LADSPA audio
Not the easiest Installation
Windows support in development
LiVES
Free download
Conclusion: LiVES is a free A non-linear video editor with bonus apps aimed at a specific type of user: the video jockey or VJ. In addition to standard video editing features, LiVES also boasts a number of real-time options that allow users to mix and control video clips, combining them with sound Combined with live performance, create custom mappings to call up effects or switch between clips with the press of a button.
Part of the interface is a clip editor that enables users to apply effects such as fades, swirls, and colors to imported media. Clips can then be placed on the multi-track timeline for immediate rendering or saved for later use.
9.VidCutter
Best for basic editing
Keyframe viewer
Ability to cut, split and add different clips
Compatible with major audio/video formats
Basic UI
Under development
Complicated installation
VidCutter
Free download
Conclusion: VidCutter is the best open source video editor for standard operations such as cropping or slicing. If you want to make video edits quickly and easily, VidCutter does a great job of cutting videos. This cross-platform program is able to import and export to the widest range of formats.
Its theme parameter interface contains multiple elements. Imported media files are displayed in the preview area. Thumbnails can be displayed on the timeline from a single track at the bottom.
10.Flowblade
Best for Linux
Advanced time control
Multi-track editing G'mic Tools
Main audio/video formats for FFMpeg library
Not supported on Windows and OS X
You have to get used to the interface
Flowblade
Free Download
Conclusion: Flowblade is a simple, free and open source video editor compatible with Ubuntu, Linux and Debian. It focuses on Providing fast and stable video editing, faster loading and operating experience.
Avoiding a lot of additional features that can slow down and complicate the process, it guarantees faster video editing. Additionally, this makes Flowblade more stable and fewer crashes.
Flowblade's modern interface is very intuitive, with timeline tool buttons lined up in a row. This slightly streamlined panel offers adequate move tools and cropping. Despite its "insert edit" model (clips automatically move to the left ) may take some getting used to.
11.Natron
Best for visual effects
Powerful Tracker
Key VFX Tools
Shadertoy and G'mic Tools
Compatible with OpenFX plug-ins
Not a non-linear video editor
Natron
Free Download
Conclusion: If you are a fan of VFX and motion graphics, Natron is a good alternative to free VFX software product, although it is not a non-linear video editor for cutting and assembling video clips.
It provides an efficient way to deal with important aspects of video. Video production: creating visual effects (VFX) and moving graphics , used to combine various elements to produce a cinematic effect in a specific frame or scene.
Effects are built on a series of "nodes". The user specifies and configures the effects' details on the nodes and applies them, connecting as needed and stack multiple layers and node branches.
Additionally, this free PC video editing software allows users to replace the background with option keys to move and resize 2D/3D elements, color, and track the movement of points in the video.