Shotcut is a free, open-source video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. See features, pros, cons and FAQs before you download.
Shotcut is a free, open-source video editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux, maintained by Meltytech, LLC and lead developer Dan Dennedy. The current version began development in 2011 as a rewrite of an earlier 2004 project, built on the FFmpeg-powered MLT Multimedia Framework that Dennedy also co-created.
Because it is community-driven open-source software rather than a commercial company, Shotcut has no headquarters or corporate employee count, and development is coordinated publicly on GitHub with regular community-driven releases.
Shotcut's use of FFmpeg gives it native support for hundreds of audio and video formats and codecs, so footage can be edited directly on the timeline without transcoding first. It supports multi-format timelines and resolutions up to 4K and beyond depending on hardware, alongside a large library of video and audio filters including color grading, chroma key, masking, and keyframeable transitions.
The editor also includes screen, webcam, and audio capture, network stream playback, and Blackmagic Design hardware support for professional monitoring. Portable, installation-free versions are available for Windows and Linux, letting users run Shotcut directly from a USB drive.
Shotcut is completely free to download and use, with no watermarks, trial limitations, or paywalled export resolutions. The full feature set, including 4K export and the complete filter library, is available to every user at no cost.
Because there is no paid tier, users are not asked to create an account or provide payment information at any point, and the software is distributed under an open-source license.
Yes, Shotcut is completely free and open source with no watermarks, trial limits, or paid tiers.
Shotcut runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
No, exported videos from Shotcut never include watermarks, regardless of resolution.
Shotcut is maintained by Meltytech, LLC and lead developer Dan Dennedy, with the current version starting development in 2011.
MLT is the open-source multimedia framework that powers Shotcut's playback and processing engine, in development since 2004.
Yes, Shotcut supports editing and exporting in 4K and higher resolutions, depending on available hardware.
Shotcut offers a full professional feature set for free, though its interface has more of a learning curve than some simplified beginner editors.
No, Shotcut can be downloaded and used without creating an account or providing payment information.