Head-to-head
Kdenlive vs Shotcut
2 tools, 5 differing data points, mostly pricing and positioning.
The verdict
Kdenlive or Shotcut?
Section 01
Pricing, plan by plan
Every plan each vendor publishes, monthly and yearly where both are offered.
KKdenlive
Free
Free
Free, open-source software with no paid tier
SShotcut
Free
Free
Free, open-source software with no paid tier
Section 02
Pros and cons
From each tool's full review, written from the same checked facts.
KKdenlive
Pros
- Kdenlive is free software under the GNU General Public License, with no licence fees, subscriptions or premium feature gate.
- A multicam tool lets you cut between several cameras while playback is running, alongside color grading with LUTs, curves and professional scopes.
- An Object Mask effect runs Meta's Segment Anything Model 2 locally to isolate an object across a clip after one click, without sending footage to a vendor cloud.
- Compositing tools such as alpha channels, blending modes, chroma key and masking run inside the same app as the rest of the editor.
Cons
- Kdenlive does not support HDR10, HLG or another HDR workflow.
- It has no third-party plugin support such as OpenFX or VST; the project's own AI plugins install separately via a Python virtual environment.
- It has no shared-project collaboration feature for editing with other people.
SShotcut
Pros
- The entire application is free and open source under the GPLv3 licence, with no restricted tier, no watermark and no paid plan.
- Export supports resolutions up to 8K.
- Color grading includes 3-way color wheels and professional scopes such as a histogram, RGB parade, RGB waveform and vectorscope, alongside HDR10 and HLG support.
- OpenFX image effect plugins and VST2 and LV2 audio plugins extend the editor beyond its built-in tools.
Cons
- It has no built-in stock media library, so footage, music and graphics have to come from elsewhere.
- Support runs through a community forum; it has no phone, email or live chat channel.
- It has no shared-project collaboration feature for editing with other people.
Side by side
| Company | ||
| Founded | 2003 | 2011 |
| HQ | Germany | — |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac, Linux | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes, the whole app | Yes, the whole app |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| All plans | Free — Free | Free — Free |
| Positioning | ||
| Best for | Editors who want a free, open-source multicam editor with local AI object masking | Editors who want a free, open-source editor with scopes, HDR support and proxy editing |
| Differentiator | Kdenlive is a free, open-source editor from KDE with multicam editing and local AI masking. | Shotcut is a free, open-source editor with colour wheels, scopes, HDR and proxy editing. |
| Competitors | Shotcut, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere | Kdenlive, DaVinci Resolve, iMovie |
Section 03
Kdenlive vs Shotcut: common questions
Is Kdenlive or Shotcut cheaper?
Kdenlive's cheapest paid plan is Free and Shotcut's is Free. Compare what each plan includes below before going on price alone.
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