Kdenlive is a free, open source video editor maintained by the KDE community and built on the MLT engine. It is a full desktop editor for Windows, macOS and Linux, with multi-track timelines, keyframing and a deep effects library, and it keeps every project file on your own computer.
Kdenlive
kdenlive.org
Our take
Kdenlive is the one to reach for when you have outgrown a phone editor and want real control without paying Adobe. It does proxy editing, color correction and hundreds of effects, and it has been in steady development for well over a decade. The trade-off is the learning curve: the interface is dense and can feel overwhelming on day one. Worth pushing through if you edit regularly and want one tool that scales with you.
GitHub at a glance
KDE/kdenlive
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GPL-3.0
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Kdenlive alternatives
Ardour Professional open source digital audio workstation for recording, mixing and mastering.
Shotcut Cross-platform open source video editor with native multi-format timelines, so mixed clips need no conversion.
OpenShot Beginner-friendly open source video editor with a simple drag-and-drop timeline. Cross-platform and free.
OpenCut Open source video editor that runs in your browser and processes footage locally instead of on a server. A privacy-first CapCut alternative.
Tenacity Privacy-respecting open source audio editor forked from Audacity, with the telemetry stripped out.
Kdenlive license, in plain English
GPL-3.0 Strong copyleft
Free to use and modify, but anything you distribute that is built on it must also be open under the same license.
Permits
- Commercial use
- Modification
- Distribution
- Patent use
- Private use
Requires
- Disclose source
- Same license
- State changes
- License and copyright notice
Does not provide
- Liability cover
- Warranty
Why it matters: Strong copyleft keeps every distributed version open. A vendor cannot fold this into a closed product and ship it without releasing their changes.
Plain-language summary of the project's license, not legal advice. Read the full text for the exact terms.