head to head · open source
rembg vs Kdenlive
rembg has 24,813 GitHub stars, 2,422 forks, 3 open issues and last shipped 12 days ago. Kdenlive has 5,713 stars, 517 forks, 0 open issues and last shipped today. rembg leads on adoption by 334% (24,813 vs 5,713 stars). rembg is written in Python under MIT; Kdenlive is written in C++ under GPL-3.0. rembg has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, Kdenlive 9%. Kdenlive 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
| rembg | Kdenlive | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 25K | ★ 5.7K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-08 | 2026-09-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.4K | ⑂ 517 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick rembg if
- You weight community size — 25K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Kdenlive if
- You want the Kdenlive feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and Kdenlive fits your workflow better
About rembg
Rembg is an MIT licensed Python tool for removing image backgrounds, usable as a CLI, a Python library, an HTTP server, or a Docker container, and aimed at developers, designers, and automated image pipelines that need background removal without depending on a hosted service.
read the full rembg overview →
About Kdenlive
Kdenlive is a free and open source video editor written in C++, released under the GPL 3.0 license, and developed as part of the KDE ecosystem. It builds on the MLT framework for its editing and playback engine, uses Qt and KDE Frameworks 6 for its graphical interface, and draws on frei0r for video effects and LADSPA for audio effects. The project lives within KDE's development infrastructure, with its primary repository hosted on KDE Invent and a GitHub mirror maintained for visibility, and it is distributed through the official kdenlive.org website.
read the full Kdenlive overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is rembg or Kdenlive more popular?
rembg has 24,813 GitHub stars and Kdenlive has 5,713. rembg has the larger community by that measure.
Are rembg and Kdenlive free?
Both are open source. rembg is licensed under MIT and Kdenlive under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between rembg and Kdenlive?
rembg is written in Python and Kdenlive in C++. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, rembg or Kdenlive?
Choose rembg if you want the larger community (24,813 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Kdenlive if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.