head to head · open source
lightcraft vs OpenShot
lightcraft has 15,438 GitHub stars, 5,922 forks, 347 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenShot has 6,741 stars, 833 forks, 418 open issues and last shipped yesterday. lightcraft leads on adoption by 129% (15,438 vs 6,741 stars). lightcraft is written in Rust under Apache-2.0; OpenShot is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence. lightcraft has attracted 38% as many forks as stars, OpenShot 12%. lightcraft was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| lightcraft | OpenShot | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 15K | ★ 6.7K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Rust | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.9K | ⑂ 833 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick lightcraft if
- You weight community size — 15K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick OpenShot if
- You want the OpenShot feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and OpenShot fits your workflow better
About lightcraft
LightCraft Your photos. Your pixels. Your machine. English · 简体中文 Photo library and raw development; an open source, clean room reimplementation of Adobe Lightroom, rebuilt in pure Rust. Native on macOS, Windows and Linux. In the browser via WebAssembly. Drivable end to end by AI agents over MCP. LightCraft on getartcraft.com · ArtCraft · All Crafting Apps Ansel Adams, "The Tetons and the Snake River" (1942). Public domain, U.S. National Archives. Developed in LightCraft. [!NOTE] ArtCraft is a community of artists from all walks of life. Digital, generative, music, games — if you make things, you're one of…
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About OpenShot
OpenShot Video Editor OpenShot Video Editor is an award winning free and open source video editor for Linux, Mac, and Windows, and is dedicated to delivering high quality video editing and animation solutions to the world. Build Status Features Cross platform (Linux, Mac, and Windows) Support for many video, audio, and image formats (based on FFmpeg) Powerful curve based Key frame animations Desktop integration (drag and drop support) Unlimited tracks / layers Clip resizing, scaling, trimming, snapping, rotation, and cutting Video transitions with real time previews Compositing, image overlays, watermarks Title…
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Frequently asked questions
Is lightcraft or OpenShot more popular?
lightcraft has 15,438 GitHub stars and OpenShot has 6,741. lightcraft has the larger community by that measure.
Are lightcraft and OpenShot free?
Both are open source. lightcraft is licensed under Apache-2.0, and OpenShot has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between lightcraft and OpenShot?
lightcraft is written in Rust and OpenShot in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, lightcraft or OpenShot?
Choose lightcraft if you want the larger community (15,438 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose OpenShot if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.