Olive

Overview

Olive is a free and open source non-linear video editor built around a node-based compositing engine, distinguishing it from timeline-only editors by letting effects and transitions be assembled as connected graphs of operations. Development began in 2018, led by Olive Team founder Olivier Faisan, and the project has continued as a community-driven effort since. It’s released under the GPL-3.0 license, with source on GitHub.

Because it’s earlier in its development lifecycle than long-established editors like Kdenlive or Shotcut, Olive has a narrower feature set and fewer built-in effects, and some workflows that are routine in mature NLEs are still being built out. It’s best approached as a promising, actively developed project rather than a drop-in professional replacement today.

Key Features

• Node-based compositing — Effects and transitions built as connected node graphs rather than fixed timeline stacks
• Multi-track timeline editing — Standard non-linear editing across multiple video and audio tracks
• Cross-platform — Builds for Linux, Windows, and macOS
• GPU-accelerated preview — Hardware-accelerated playback and rendering where supported
• Open development — Public roadmap and active GitHub issue tracker for contributors

Use Cases

• Learning node-based compositing — A free way to work with a node-graph editing model
• Simple video editing projects — Cutting and assembling footage without needing a full professional toolset
• Open source contributors — Getting involved with an actively developed video editor

Who It’s For

Olive suits hobbyists and open source enthusiasts who want to try a node-based editing workflow at no cost, or contributors interested in shaping an early-stage project. For production-critical or professional editing today, a more mature open source option like Kdenlive or Shotcut, or DaVinci Resolve’s free tier, is currently the safer choice.