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OpenShot/openshot-qt

A free, open-source desktop video editor for Linux, Mac, and Windows, built on FFmpeg with keyframe animation, titles, and effects.

Open-source alternative to:Adobe Premiere ProFinal Cut ProDaVinci Resolve

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What is it?

OpenShot Video Editor is a cross-platform desktop application for editing video, audio, and images. It runs on Linux, Mac, and Windows, and uses FFmpeg to import and render many common media formats. The editing workflow covers multi-track timelines with unlimited layers, clip trimming, cutting, scaling, rotation, and snapping, along with frame-by-frame stepping for precise cuts.

Beyond basic editing, OpenShot includes curve-based keyframe animation, video transitions with real-time previews, compositing and watermarks, and digital effects such as chroma key, brightness, gamma, and hue. Titles can be created from templates or SVG files, and it supports scrolling end credits, 3D animated titles, and time-mapping for slow or fast motion. Project files can be exchanged with other tools through EDL and XML.

The application is written in Python with a Qt interface and relies on the separate libopenshot and libopenshot-audio libraries for media processing. Pre-built installers and daily builds are available, and the project provides a user guide and video tutorial for new users.

Key features

  • 01Cross-platform support for Linux, Mac, and Windows
  • 02Multi-track timeline with unlimited layers and snapping
  • 03Curve-based keyframe animation and time-mapping for speed changes
  • 04Transitions with real-time previews, chroma key, and other digital effects
  • 05Titles, SVG vector credits, and 3D animated titles
  • 06Import and export through EDL and XML, with FFmpeg-based codecs

Use cases

  • Editing home videos, vlogs, or tutorials on a free desktop tool
  • Adding titles, credits, and simple animations to short films
  • Adjusting clip speed and applying chroma key effects in a personal project
  • Exchanging timeline edits with other editors via EDL or XML

Quick start

  1. 1

    Download a pre-built installer from the OpenShot download page

  2. 2

    Install the defusedxml dependency for running from source

    python3 -m pip install defusedxml
  3. 3

    Launch OpenShot from the openshot-qt source folder

    python3 src/launch.py

Things to know

  • Running from source requires separately installed libopenshot and libopenshot-audio libraries.
  • Hardware encoding and decoding is marked as experimental.
  • Licensed under GPL v3, a copyleft license.

In collections

AI video & audio toolsDesktop GUI apps & toolkits

Topics

#video-editing#video-production#ffmpeg#qt#python#desktop-app#animation#multimedia#c-plus-plus#gplv3

FAQ

What is openshot-qt?
A free, open-source desktop video editor for Linux, Mac, and Windows, built on FFmpeg with keyframe animation, titles, and effects. OpenShot Video Editor is a cross-platform desktop application for editing video, audio, and images. It runs on Linux, Mac, and Windows, and uses FFmpeg to import and render many common media formats. The editing workflow covers multi-track timelines with unlimited layers, clip trimming, cutting, scaling, rotation, and snapping, along with frame-by-frame stepping for precise cuts.
Is openshot-qt free to use? What license does it have?
openshot-qt is open source under the Other license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is openshot-qt still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to openshot-qt was on Oct 24, 2026.
What can I use openshot-qt for?
Editing home videos, vlogs, or tutorials on a free desktop tool Adding titles, credits, and simple animations to short films Adjusting clip speed and applying chroma key effects in a personal project Exchanging timeline edits with other editors via EDL or XML
How do I install openshot-qt?
Download a pre-built installer from the OpenShot download page Install the defusedxml dependency for running from source: python3 -m pip install defusedxml Launch OpenShot from the openshot-qt source folder: python3 src/launch.py
Where can I get openshot-qt?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/OpenShot/openshot-qt

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