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What is Shotcut?

Shotcut is an open-source video editing solution designed to help businesses of all sizes add audio, video, and editing effects to create visuals. The platform enables editors to use various audio filters including bass & treble, copy channel, high pass, downmix, expander, and swap channels to mix sounds across tracks. It also overlaps shots to cross-fade audio and video dissolve transitions. Teams can also use thumbnails and waveforms to track multiple timelines at once.

Who Uses Shotcut?

On-premise open-source video editing solution that helps users edit videos and add effects with webcam, screen and audio capture.

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Reviews of Shotcut

Average score

Overall
4.5
Ease of Use
4.1
Customer Service
3.9
Features
4.3
Value for Money
4.8

Reviews by company size (employees)

  • <50
  • 51-200
  • 201-1,000
  • >1,001

Find reviews by score

5
57%
4
36%
3
7%
1
1%
Christian
Christian
Marketing assistant in Cameroon
Verified LinkedIn User
Accounting, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Shotcut, One of the best free video editing softwares

4.0 last year

Comments: A good experience with beautiful video montages. I don't regret downloading it.

Pros:

What's great about Shotcut is the interface which is simple to understand.Indeed, everything is done to make handling as easy as possible.

Cons:

Honestly, for a learner, Shotcut is great, but its library is pretty small in terms of video effects.

Gerald
Creator in US
Entertainment, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Fantastic Free Open Source Video Editor

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: So far I've had no problems with Shotcut. Since the amount of scene transitions is limited I find myself concentrating more on the quality of the scenes themselves instead of the transitions, which is a good thing. This program is perfect for those on a budget or for a beginner. If you can master Shotcut, you'll be in perfect shape to advance to a more expensive program later on. This will definitely teach you the basics for free before you decide to lay out your cash. All in all I'm very pleased with Shotcut, I highly recommend it.

Pros:

You can't beat the price (Free!). This program gets the job done. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles as expensive programs but it does plenty enough to do most basic projects. I've done numerous music videos and little comedy skits that I've uploaded to YouTube and they come out great. They look totally professional and the feedback I've gotten has been very positive. My action camera records in .mov format which is hard to edit with. I convert my raw files to .mp4 which makes editing much easier and I'm unable to discern any loss of video quality. All in all, Shotcut has been a great choice for me.

Cons:

Some of the functions aren't intuitive. It takes a little while to figure out how everything works. Also it's slow while it publishes your final work but if you're patient it's well worth the wait to save money. It lacks a variety of scene transitions that more expensive programs have but it does have the basics.

Darren
Entrepreneur in Ireland
Banking, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source
Source: SoftwareAdvice

Never ever use shotcut

1.0 last year

Pros:

I loved how, even though I have a powerful laptop capable of running any program smoothly, if I do almost literally anything on shotcut I have to give it a couple of seconds to process. Dragging clips, cutting clips, etc etc., literally any BASIC function of a video editor I need to wait at least an extra second or two every time I essentially click anything on shotcut, so it's great for at least doubling the actual time it should take you to edit a video!I liked how sometimes when I dragged or tried to extend or shorten a clip or even A JPEG, not only would the editor sometimes lag, but just do something completely random with the file, like fully extend it over the entire video track and mess up all the other clips.My FAVOURITE thing about shotcut, has to be when you hit the undo button, you know, to undo the mistake you didn't do in the first place, and after waiting for about 5 working days for shotcut to process it, IT COMPLETELY REARANGES YOUR TIMELINE AND RUINS ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE. I'm not even doing anything remotely complicated either.

Cons:

Nothing, didn't run into any problems at all.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Construction, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Best things are free and Shotcut is one of them!

4.0 3 years ago

Comments: Shotcut worked for my set up without need of any hardware upgrade. It enhanced my knowledge about effects and transitions. I loved it!

Pros:

The story of my video editing somewhat would not be without Shotcut. Before I could be able to purchase a better computer or even afford a NLE video editing software, Shotcut provided a platform where I could learn and do some simple editing tasks and play around with effects and transitions. The drag and drop feature felt much at home and makes the software very easy to use. This had to be just the best Software to introduce myself to Video editing. Very easy to learn!

Cons:

It is quite basic but worth it all. However, some features or lack of them can be a bit frustrating such as having to search for the export formats for things like Facebook. Most video software would have this as export options included.

Roshen
CEO in US
Computer Games, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Shotcut: The Free Editor You Have Been Missing Out On

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: Overall, I think Shotcut is a great free video editor that anyone can use after a little bit of practice and through some of my testing I found out that it can even process some raw 8K footage from a camera we rented.

Pros:

What I liked most about the software was that it had the features of a professional video editor such as Adobe Premiere Pro. It could also process 4K HDR 10 video at 120FPS which other video editors struggled to render these types of video formats. My favorite part about it is that it doesn't have an ANNOYING WATERMARK. Basically some of the other editors I tried showed a giant watermark across the screen that said the company name or it said Free Version but Shotcut has no watermark.

Cons:

Originally when my team picked this software for free I thought it was going to be easy to use but I thought wrong. But after a few days of learning I was using Shotcut in no time. I just think people should know that because it isn't easy to learn at the start doesn't mean you can't learn it.

Cristhian Josue
Cristhian Josue
CEO in Mexico
Verified LinkedIn User
Design, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Shotcut, a lightweight and useful cross-platform video editor

3.0 3 years ago

Comments: Sometime I got to produce a visual series for an LP using this video editor, I was able to produce something visually appealing, but on occasions, I was limited by the features and tools of this software, Shotcut saved me when my PC couldn't handle powerful video editors and allowed me to design something that my clients ended up loving. Sometimes we don't need to invest much money to captivate our clients.

Pros:

What I like about Shotcut is that it is free and very light, few video editors bet on a multiplatform network that permits us to continue our project on any operating system, and this is the most looking thing about this software. If what you're looking for is a video editor that leaves you to work on any PC, this is the right one, because just as you can work on a low-specs Windows, you can work on a Mac of previous generations.

Cons:

This video editor looks and works like an early version of any top video editor, if you miss windows movie maker, Shotcut is that limited and basic software that for some reason you're looking for. The possibilities of making professional projects with this video editor are impossible, aspects like colorization or effects are so basic if not almost non-existent. If you have the possibility to install a heavier video editor there are free alternatives that would be more useful.

Michael
Founder in US
Religious Institutions, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Great video editing but a steep learning curve

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: We have been used to doing "once and done" v instructional videos for a while now and that has worked well. When we decided we wanted to add more (graphics, multiple cameras, etc.) we began looking for a good yet inexpensive video editing software. Shotcut kept coming in near the top. It is not as user friendly as some yet it has enough features to do exactly what we need! I have had to do quite a bit of research on how to make Shotcut do what we need it to because the tutorials in the software are not user friendly. Overall it has been the best basic yet feature rich video editing software we have come across!

Pros:

Shotcut is a great basic video editing software. For a basic user it is useful yet powerful. Using the basic setup I have been able to do all of the video editing of YouTube instructional videos without a hitch. It does not have an overabundance of features which is the best feature! It is not trying to do more than advertised.

Cons:

There is a steep learning curve as tutorials are not as helpful as they could be. I found myself searching YouTube for tutorials and How-To videos every time I wanted to do something new.

Oscar
Director in Trinidad & Tobago
Entertainment, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source
Source: SoftwareAdvice

With great Respect

5.0 last year

Comments: Producing a movie on shotcut for the first time

Pros:

I have tried many software over the yrs and found Shotcut to be reliable and stable to a professional standard

Cons:

Text is to complicated and to me unnecessary so I don't use it.

Géovanny
Géovanny
graphic designer in Cameroon
Verified LinkedIn User
Graphic Design, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Shotcut: a free and easy to use video editing software

5.0 2 years ago

Pros:

Shotcut is a free, open source video editing software that I use often. It has a user-friendly and customizable user interface that makes it easy to perform simple to advanced editing tasks. It offers many advanced features such as support for multiple file formats, the ability to add effects and transitions, as well as the ability to adjust playback speed and create slow motion or fast motion. In addition, it is cross-platform, which means that it can be used on Windows, Mac and Linux, and does not require powerful hardware configuration to work properly.

Cons:

Despite its advantages, I have found that Shotcut can sometimes lack stability and crash when processing large files or long videos. It can also be difficult to use for beginners due to a fairly complex user interface and some advanced features that may require technical knowledge

Nadeem
Nadeem
Owner in United Arab Emirates
Verified LinkedIn User
Professional Training & Coaching, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Short Shotcut Review

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: I have tried several other programs for my YouTube video editing, but I am now stuck onto Shotcut for all my stuff as it saves me precious time, compared to editing on other editing platforms.

Pros:

For beginners-mid level pros, this program is super easy to get hands on experience of multiple video editing formats. The most prominent feature of Shotcut is the simplicity of use and a range of options available within the program to produce some real great end results. Highly recommended for YouTube video creators.

Cons:

The main issue that I face during editing is with the video transitions. There seem to be plenty of options available to set the transitions, but I find them quite ineffective. Other comparable video editing programs have better transition features that show prominently in the edited videos.

Milo
Audio Producer in UK
Music, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Helping creators flurish

5.0 2 years ago

Pros:

¤ Easy to Use¤ Splits Audio Well¤ Takes little time to learn

Cons:

¤ Hard to use Overlays¤ Laggy at times¤ Exporting takes a while

Alain Jove
Consultant in Philippines
Telecommunications, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Unexpectedly packed with features

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: Overall, this is something that editors should consider before jumping into other options. Maximizing this software's features and learning it down to the letter is really worth it. And you'll be surprised with what this baby can do. I myself have underestimated this first and found loving it later on.

Pros:

I find Shotcut very useful although it takes a little while to learn it by heart as it is a bit complicated. It's relatively simple, though looking at its interface if you're used to navigating video and even audio editors. Ironically it is complex as you have to select certain dropdowns to get to what you want to achieve, but I won't tag it as a con as we need to learn the software before saying that it's good or bad. You can't just dismiss a software and tag it as not user friendly just because you don't like how the interface looks. It's not the developer's fault that you're too lazy to learn it. So, the rewards are very satisfying because this software can process 4K videos. And unlike what most people say about it, this one is a professional tool if you just maximize all its feature. For instance, you can easily download LUTs that are free from third party sites, along with filters to spice up your video projects and use it here. I must add that the feature of chroma key is a gem from this software. I was even surprised it has this and it keys in the color like a charm, as it detects decently the edges and does very good blending of foreground and background. If you notice Youtubers nowadays, green screen usage has become a norm and this feature is a holy grail found in this video editing software.

Cons:

I can only point two cons but I guess the crashy and laggy part sometimes when a lot of elements are stacked is due to my RAM and processor. I need to test it on a higher specs computer to be able to have a fair assessment. The second one is for some reason the text/ subtitle elements have a hard time lining up when you're doing adjustments on the timeline. I always make it a habit not to use undo because for some reason it executes two undo commands instead of one, and that's when I notice the text are messed up. Even if it's just one undo command or if you add other elements on the video fragment with the current text, it affects it.

Joshua
Office Administrator in US
Religious Institutions, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Shotcut is a flexible video editing tool that is approachable for the (diligent) beginner

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: In the beginning of the pandemic, my job started involving a lot more video production. I was, and still am, hesitant to pay for an expensive editing product given the fact that I am a beginner. As I have gotten more familiar with Shotcut, I've discovered that it has all the tools I need. Very grateful for this product!

Pros:

Obviously the fact that it's free goes a long way! As a novice in video editing, this tool allows me to do what I need to do without a financial investment. The wealth of online resources on how to use Shotcut means that an absolute beginner can learn enough to create a nice-looking finished product.

Cons:

Open source is a (wonderful) double-edged sword. As with most open source products, Shotcut is less polished than a comparable product from the company that starts with "A" and rhymes with "shmadobe." Shotcut is occasionally buggy and crashy, but I (almost) never lose more than an edit or two. The reality is that the extensibility and flexibility of an open source video editing tool comes with those caveats, and that's something I can live with.

Sashana
Freelance Makeup Artist in Jamaica
Cosmetics, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Great Video Editor!

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: Shotcut is a great video editor for anyone, especially persons who don't want to spend an arm and a leg on an editor. I would definitely recommend it.

Pros:

This is a great video editor and it's free! I am a freelance makeup artist and I occasionally do tutorials on Instagram to promote my business. A friend of mine recommended I use Shotcut to edit my videos and I have not regretted taking her advice. Shotcut is a great video editor. It has all the basics for a video editor (cut, delete, overlay, text, zoom, etc.) and more. It has great features, a unique interface and definitely gets the job done to my satisfaction. I have not found myself spending any extra time editing than would normally be expected and only had a few hiccups. So, I would say it's pretty efficient.

Cons:

Shotcut isn't the most user friendly video editor out there. While there are labels, I still found myself having to search thoroughly for the things I wanted to find and, at some points, I have had to consult Youtube videos for assistance. Also, the interface is really simple; simple to the point of looking bland, but this software definitely gets the job done. I would really love if there was a workable green screen option on Shotcut. This is a feature that I look for in video editors and while editing, I really missed it.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

By far the best cross-platform video editor out there

4.0 7 years ago

Comments: I've been able to make stunning videos, ranging in length and complexity, on a short timeline!

Pros:

Shotcut is a simple video editor. Reminiscent of the discontinued Windows Movie Maker, it has a clean, intuitive interface. Unlike most free video editors, Shotcut has advanced features such as color correction and chroma key. It also lets users rearrange the workspace to their liking.

Cons:

While Shotcut works beautifully on Windows, I've had some problems using it on Linux systems. There are still bugs the developers are working to iron out. Also, while the rearranging of the interface can be a plus, it also makes it confusing for beginners. For example, the timeline doesn't appear until videos are added to it or a special button is pushed.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Fantastic open source video editing software

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

Shotcut offers a high quality platform to edit videos and create awesome works. The software is free, open source which saves you from having to purchase expensive packages.

Cons:

The user interface could use some work to make it easier for inexperienced users to interact with. This would make editing a faster process.

Krishnan
Retired in US
Telecommunications, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Shotcut - Cuts off your time to create a video

4.0 5 years ago

Comments: short learning curve
and the experience was good when I had to create a video with subtitles embedded in the video.

Pros:

- Videomaker provides various transitions and effects to include in your video - A plethora of export options to explore - It is free for most of the features - Can import images, audio, video and arrange in sequence with various effects and transitions to make your video a professional.

Cons:

- The popup button hep timing is very low. The help popup disappears before we could read and comprehend. - A voice base commands interpreter like a directors voice could be helpful for accessibility

Dylan
Artist in Canada
Arts & Crafts, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

A good solution for free video editing.

4.0 5 years ago

Comments: I don't edit video often but when I tried this software it did exactly what I needed it to and worked as I expected it to function without having to learn a lot of new stuff. I'm sure it could tackle even more robust projects than the simple clips I was using it for. I highly recommend it.

Pros:

As free software, this is very functional and easy to use. It has features that make converting and editing video fairly simple. It was much easier to use than other free video editing software I've tried, and has more features too.

Cons:

Outputing the video to a usable file can be complicated if you don't know what you are doing. Expect to try it a few times before you get what you want.

Maury
Maury
Researcher in Brazil
Verified LinkedIn User
Higher Education, 5,001–10,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Excellent for beginners

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: I needed a video editor for a class I was going to film, my first experience preparing a video. I used OBS and then used ShotCut to prepare the video. That made both the filming process and the editing. After the tutorial I could edit my video quite easily and got a good end-result.

Pros:

Free, easy to install, setup and use,cost and light for a video editing software, it run smoothily in my laptop, which don't even have a dedicated graphics card.

Cons:

The documentation on the software is not so intuitive, but with a good tutorial from youtube it is still rather easy to get.

Vuk
Designer in Serbia
Design, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Shotcut is the best editing software ever!!!!

5.0 6 years ago

Pros:

Shotcut is really easy to use and it is free,exporting is also efficient

Cons:

It needs more and better transitions and effects.

Juan
Owner in Argentina
E-Learning, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

One of the best free ones

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: I use it to cut standup videos in my mac to upload them as reels. It works better than quicktime in my mac.

Pros:

Editing is easy and intuitive, and there are a lot of tutorials in YouTube to demosntrate how to do almost everything with this software

Cons:

I did not find many options for audio enhancing and the video effects are kind of hard to use.

Parker
Musician in US
Music, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

More pro than iMovie

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: Using Shotcut has been pretty good. Other than feeling as if it could be slightly easier to use, it's definitely one of the better video editors on the market.

Pros:

I like that you have tons of options. Basically any kind of effect that you want to do, you can. If you're editing home movies or anything, you can do that and make it looks professional.

Cons:

I think that the learning curve is pretty high but if you have some time to take to learn the features, it's pretty good. I wish that it were a little more straightforward when it comes to more "advanced" techniques like adding picture in picture or doing cutaways, but it's doable.

Sharmila
Project Manager in India
Computer Software, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Good video editor and it is free

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: Able to create nice video announcements with personalised images and text which is what I was looking for.

Pros:

I have just started with video editing for church use and looking for web based editors and couldn't find any and that is when I came across Shotcut which is a opensource editor. My needs are basic and this tool gets the job done. I am able to combine multiple videos add some images and text and the output is really neat.

Cons:

There is a learning curve and I am still learning things on the go. I don't find any fault with the software as yet.

joel
music producer in UK
Music, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

the best beginner editing software

5.0 6 years ago

Pros:

its ease of use is amazing. since I'm an amateur editor this was surprisingly easy to learn and has all the basic features I need. the user interface is a breeze to navigate and its also easy on the eyes.

Cons:

it has some limited features which can slow down your work.

Marcelina
Marcelina
Student in Poland
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

I use it when I need to create some more advanced videos

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

It's REALLY powerful and FREE video editor. Can be a bit complicated but there's a lot of tutorials out there.

Cons:

It's not easy to use at the beginning. Watch some tutorial videos and you'll be proficient in no time.