Free cross-platform video editor
Screenshots
Completely free to download, Shotcut is a powerful, full-featured video editing program that works across a number of platforms. The open-source software has a customizable interface and works well even with lower-end computers, making it suitable not only for amateur video makers but also for those with more technical requirements. With Shotcut movie-making is easy as importing video, cutting and splicing, and adding transitions, titles and effects are quick and simple.
Is Shotcut safe?
When you download open-source video editor Shotcut from a reputable source it is completely safe. The program is free of malware, spyware, and adware, and does not come bundled with any unrelated software such as browser toolbars or download managers. The cross-platform video editor works on Microsoft Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, and Linux, and system requirements vary between devices.
Being open-source, Shotcut is regularly upgraded by a community of developers and as such has lots of interesting, evolving features, as well as being very robust and stable.
For amateurs looking for alternative video editing software, the free-to-download OpenShot is good but a little less sophisticated than Shotcut. VSDC Free Video Editor and Filmora, meanwhile, are both excellent options for absolute beginners. On the other end of the spectrum, the paid-for Davinci Resolve is a high-end video editor that has more features than Shotcut, while the powerful Lightworks and Adobe Premiere Pro offer more complete video creation packages.
How good is Shotcut?
Shotcut is easily as good, if not better, than many other free video editing programs. While it’s not as easy to jump straight into Shotcut as it is with other free video editors, most users will still only need half an hour or so to figure out how to make a basic video. There are lots of tutorials available on Shotcut’s website that can help you get going too.
More experienced video editors will appreciate the uncluttered user interface and the customizable workspaces that allow you to set up your screen exactly the way you want it. The interface can be as complicated or as plain as you want and that versatility is a big plus point for Shotcut.
Getting going on your project and inputting media is simple, using the drag and drop functionality. You can then preview your clips by double-clicking on them before setting the required In and Out points and dragging the file from the preview pane into the timeline. It’s all fairly straightforward and intuitive and works just like most other professional video editors do.
Shotcut has excellent support for a wide variety of audio and video formats and codecs and supports resolutions up to 4k. You can import media from SDI, HDMI, webcam, JACK & Pulse audio, IP stream, X11 screen, and Windows DirectShow devices. The software also allows native editing of media files, has multi-format timelines and gives you information on resolutions and framerates within your project.
Information viewable on-screen includes details on media properties, an encoding panel, a filter panel, and a job queue. You can also see recent files, playlists with a thumbnail view, and your recent search history.
Is Shotcut good for YouTube?
Shotcut can produce a great video for YouTube and other video sharing platforms. With its limited but useful range of advanced editing features, along with a fairly easy learning curve, Shotcut allows you to produce good-quality videos for social media quite quickly.
The only potentially frustrating element of Shotcut for YouTubers is that it does not feature animations, such as moving text. It’s possible to add and customize text, but you don’t be able to get it to move around the screen. You can, however, import animations from other sources and use them in the program, but the process requires a bit more technical know-how than just simply customizing elements that are already provided.
An excellent free video editor
Shotcut offers good basic functionality and an enjoyable editing experience, making it one of the best free video editing software programs available. While it might be missing the more sophisticated features found in other video editors – like VR, multi-cam editing, and motion tracking – this probably isn’t a problem for most entry-level movie makers.
While predominately aimed at beginners, Shotcut is also a good choice for more experienced users who are looking for a free app with a good range of features and moderate system requirements. Shotcut simply doesn’t need as powerful a computer as some other higher-end video editing programs and is therefore good for quick, simple editing projects.
