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DaVinci Resolve is a proprietary video editing and color grading suite from Blackmagic Design, free for most features with a paid Studio tier unlocking advanced tools. Full details →

DaVinci Resolve’s free edition is generous, but the application itself is closed source, and its most advanced color, audio, and VFX tools remain locked behind a paid Studio upgrade. Kdenlive and Shotcut are both fully open source non-linear editors built on the MLT Framework, covering multi-track editing, color correction, and a wide range of effects and filters without any paid tier at all. Neither matches Resolve’s dedicated color-grading depth or its integrated Fairlight audio and Fusion compositing tools, but for straightforward timeline-based editing, color correction, and export, they cover the same core workflow as a fully auditable, community-maintained alternative.

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Open Source Alternatives

Kdenlive

Free and open source non-linear video editor

Kdenlive is a free, open source non-linear video editor built on MLT and KDE Frameworks, offering multi-track editing and many effects.

GPL-3.0-or-later
  • Linux
  • Windows
  • macOS

Shotcut

Free, open source, cross-platform video editor

Shotcut is a free, open source, cross-platform video editor built on the MLT Framework, offering native timeline editing and wide format support via FFmpeg.

GPL-3.0
  • Linux
  • Windows
  • macOS