Today we shall see the best video editing software for Linux. When asked about free video editing software, Windows Movie Maker and iMovie is what most people often suggest. Unfortunately, both of them are unavailable for GNU/Linux. But you don’t need to worry about it, we have pooled together a list of best free video editors for you. Shotcut is a free, open source, cross-platform video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. Major features include support for a wide range of formats; no import required meaning native timeline editing; Blackmagic Design support for input and preview monitoring; and resolution support to 4k.
One of the all-time perks of having an open source operating system is the free stuff. Linux is no way stingy on the loads of free software it offers to its ardent fans. Among this is a bunch of cool Linux video editing software that we will be looking into here.
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1. Lightworks
Lightworks answers every video editors need for features and more features. Not only is it professional and feature filled it is also cross-platform. Lightworks prides itself as well in having resolution and video support for up to 4K and HD and SD formats respectively.
This application comes in two versions:
Pro version has an in-depth selection of features to choose from such as 4K, higher resolution support, and Blue Ray support and much more.
Lightworks features
Lightworks Pros
The software is full of features and professionally put together.
Lightworks Cons
The free version has limitations.
2. Shotcut
Shotcut greets you with a user interface that will easily have you confuse it with a media player. Don’t be fooled though, this software has pretty awesome features. Shotcut gives the user a comfortable stress-free video editing experience. For those basic video editing projects, Shotcut will serve you very well. On the downside should you need to work on some complex pro project Shotcut will exhibit some limitations? Shotcut is still a robust Linux based video editor.
Shotcut features
Shotcut Pros
Shotcut Cons
Many features make the software a bit complex.
3. Kdenlive
This software fits the bill of being both open source and free. With Kdenlive splitting, transitioning, cutting, special video effects and much more are all at your fingertips. It is also worth mentioning that file format and camcorder/camera support is packed into this great software. Working with Kdenlive is quite an enjoyable experience.
Kdenlive packs an array of features including;
Kdenlive Pros
Kdenlive Cons
4. Pitivi
If you prefer intuitive video editing Pitivi is here for you. This free non-linear open source software is loaded with multiple feature support. Cut, snap, trim and split clips to your preference. Pitivi’s user-friendly UI is a plus since complex operations have been simplified to a drag and drop with direct manipulation model. Pitivi is a pioneer in open source as a software supporting Material Exchange Format (MEF). Use keyboard shortcuts and the Pitivi curve system to work also on audio mixing. Best of all it is free.
Pitivi pros;
Linux Video Editing Software 2017 Free Download
Pitivi Cons;
5. Avidemux
Avidemux is one of the acclaimed cross-platform video editors. Though simple in its video editing approach you will comfortably edit and output your videos hassle-free. As you work around with it note that Avidemux supports AVI, MP4, MPEG, ASF and many more formats and codecs. Filter, cut, merge, split and encode your videos then output them to your iPad, PSP, iPhone or other devices at the click of a button.
Avidemux Pros
Avidemux Cons;
6. Cinelerra
Cinelerra pushes for user-friendly interface accompanied by sample level accuracy when handling all video editing projects. Cinelerra’s tools will capture, compose and edit your videos to your satisfaction.
Cinelerra features
Cinelerra Pros
Cinelerra Cons;
7. LiVES
The developers at LiVES put together this software for the Linux OS. Linux users can now enjoy optimized video editing while experiencing video performance in real-time. Some settings are automated with video format and frame aspect ratio adjusted within the software. This leaves you with the sole focus of making and editing your videos effortlessly. Since LiVES can mix clips, switch and multitrack timelines being the local Video Jockey has never been easier.
Some main features of LiVES:
LiVES pros;
LiVES on the downside;
Lack of broad community support
8. Blender
Blender has made its name as a 3D computer graphics application. Produce animations and video effects via this interactive software. In terms of video editing, Blender has several features related to video editings like rendering, animating, camera tracking, particle simulation, and others. Blender will not only model something for you it will as well boost your video editing projects at no extra cost.
Blender features the following;
Blender gets upvotes for;
Blender on the downside;
9. Open Shot
This is all-around software fits the bill in all areas related to video editing. Written in Python and open source, Open Shot offers users better feature support for most image, audio, and video formats. Cut, snap, trim crop, drag and drop seamlessly with it. Your video transitions, 3D effects, compositing are bound to look much better on Open Shot. This software supports keyframe animation, audio and digital effect mixing and editing, video encoding and digital zooming. There is seems to be no limit to what Open Shot can do.
Open Shot features;
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Open Shot pros;
Open Shot Cons;
10. Flowblade
Flowblade is another name in the list. Featuring a multi-track nonlinear editing interface Flowblade has been steadily making its name as a video editor of choice. The tools at your disposal guarantee you a great experience while editing your videos and audios. More than one move and trim tool and diverse techniques of clip insertion and overwriting on the timeline. In addition to these, you have image and audio filters for that overall professional touch on your audio and video projects.
Flowblade features;
Flowblade pros;
Best Video Editing Software Linux
Flowblade cons;
Video editing on Linux gets more interesting and enjoyable by the day. Go ahead give it a shot.
If you aspire to become a professional video editor but hate the idea of switching to a different operating system just to use video editing software, we have good news for you: Linux has many fantastic video editing software applications that let you easily edit videos right in your favorite Linux environment.
What’s great about most Linux video editing software applications is that they tend to be free and open source, which means that anyone can peek under the hood and implement new features or fix bugs. The video editors featured in this article are loosely arranged according to their popularity, but we recommend you go through the entire list because even less popular video editors have a lot to offer.
Pros: Large community, manageable learning curve, powerful multi-track editing capabilities.
Cons: Buggy on Windows and macOS.
If you’re looking for a Linux alternative to Adobe Premier, look no further. Kdenlive is a fantastic free and open source video editing software with a polished user interface, powerful features, thriving community, and comprehensive documentation.
It has been used by many professional and aspiring filmmakers alike, and you can see some of the content it has helped to create on its official website. Unlike Adobe Premiere, Kdenlive doesn’t cost a single dollar, and it works on Linux, Windows, and macOS.
2. DaVinci Resolve
Pros: State-of-the-art colorization tools, professional in every way, 8K support.
Cons: Doesn’t run well on less powerful machines.
DaVinci Resolve is arguably the most professional Linux video editing software. It’s the only video editor that can confidently edit 8K video footage, including color correction, visual effects, and post-production.
The latest version of DaVinci Resolve features a dual timeline that allows users to quickly navigate the whole edit and trim without zooming and scrolling. There’s also a brand-new video editing engine that leverages machine learning to enable features such as facial recognition, speed warp, and others. All in all, DaVinci Resolve shows just how far Linux video editors have come over the years.
3. OpenShot
Pros: Easy to use, multi-platform, free.
Cons: Buggy, lacks features, not ready for primetime yet.
OpenShot is a popular Linux video editor with a tremendous amount of potential but also a tremendous number of bugs and performance issues. If you’re looking for a simple video editor that you can use to quickly trim down your videos or stitch multiple clips together, OpenShot might work great for you.
But if you want to do more than that (work on large projects, apply visual effects and animations, color-correct video clips), you should probably avoid OpenShot until its developers fix at least some of the bugs that plague it at the moment.
4. Olive
Pros: Easy to understand, fully-featured, very active development.
Cons: In relatively early stages of development.
Olive is perhaps the most promising Linux video editor at the moment. It bridges the gap between hobbyist and professional video editors by offering a polished yet easy-to-understand video editing environment for non-linear video editing.
Even though Olive is in the early stages of development (version 0.1.0 Alpha at the time of writing this article), some users are already using it to produce content on a regular basis, and its developers are making rapid progress, which is evident from their activity on GitHub. Hopefully, they’ll be able to keep up the current pace and give all Linux users the video editor they deserve.
5. Shotcut
Pros: Support for hundreds of codecs, easy to work with, stable.
Cons: Lacking documentation.
Shotcut has been around for more than a decade, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s one of the most stable and dependable video editors out there. Thanks to FFmpeg, it supports hundreds of codecs, allowing users to edit video clips recorded by obscure video cameras without having to first convert them to a different video file format.
The user interface of Shotcut has a lot in common with Vegas Pro, which is a proprietary video editor that was originally published by Sony before it was purchased by Magix. The user interface consists of multiple dockable and undockable panels, which can be easily moved elsewhere.
6. Lightworks
Pros: Good performance, used on many Hollywood movies, many features.
Cons: Poor user interface, free for only 7 days.
Lightworks is a feature-packed video editor with a truly impressive resume. It was used on movies such as The Wolf of Wall Street, LA Confidential, and Pulp Fiction, and there’s nothing stopping you from seeing first-hand why so many professionals like it because you can download it for free and use for 7 days without paying. If you decide that Lightworks is worth your money, you can upgrade to Lightworks Pro and unlock additional features.
Like many professional software applications, Lightworks doesn’t exactly have the most approachable user interface out there. In fact, some users of Adobe Premier have called it “nightmarish,” but we wouldn’t go as far. That said, it certainly requires some getting used to, so keep that in mind.
7. Pitivi
Pros: Uses Gstreamer, free and open source.
Cons: Doesn’t support hardware acceleration.
Pitivi could be described as the Linux alternative to Windows Movie Maker. Both video editors have a clear user interface that doesn’t present its users with a steep learning curve, and both are intended to help regular people express themselves through videomaking. Of course, Windows Movie Maker is no longer in development, whereas Pitivi is developed by a fantastic community of people who believe in open source software.
Pitivi is based on GStreamer, a pipeline-based multimedia framework whose purpose is to link together a wide variety of media processing systems to complete complex workflows. What this means for Pitivi users is that they can import just about any video file format and render projects using any supported container and codec combination.
8. Cinelerra
Pros: 8K support, wide array of editing features.
Cons: Doesn’t support as many codecs as other video editors.
First released in 2002, Cinelerra is a venerable video editor that works only on Linux. It was actually the first 64-bit non-linear editor in the world, which is quite an achievement considering what competition Cinelerra has.
Cinelerra’s user interface is similar to other non-linear video editors, such as Adobe Premiere and Vegas Pro. Its video editing engine can work in both RGBA and YUVA color spaces and edit 8K footage. Unfortunately, Cinelerra doesn’t support quite as many codecs as other video editors.
9. AvidemuxAdobe Video Editing Software
Pros: Great choice for encoding, sharpening, and de-noising.
Cons: Lacks timeline.
Avidemux isn’t like other video editors on this list. It’s actually a video encoder with basic cutting, filtering, and video processing capabilities. Avidemux comes in handy when you want to quickly convert a video file from one format to another. You can also use it to get rid of image noise or increase the sharpness of your footage.
Using Avidemux for simple video edits is certainly possible, but its lack of proper timeline and multi-track editing makes it less than suitable for the job.
10. Natron
Pros: Powerful alternative to Adobe After Effects.
Cons: Uncertain future.
Natron is an open source compositing software that makes it possible to add various visual and 3D effects to videos using industry-standard tools like keying, roto/rotopaint, and 2D tracking. Its relatively simple user interface hides many layers of complexity, which you can explore at your own pace.
From 2013 to 2018, the development of Natron was supported by Inria, a French national research institution focusing on computer science and applied mathematics. With Inria out of the picture, the future of Natron is not certain.
Best Linux Video Editing SoftwareConclusionFree Editing Software
Regardless of whether you’re looking for a simple video editor to help you edit footage recorded on your last vacation or a professional solution fit for an aspiring filmmaker, there’s no reason to switch to a different operating system because the number of fantastic Linux video editors has never been greater. Best of all, most Linux video editors are available for free, so you can realize all your video-editing aspirations even if you’re on a tight budget.
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