head to head · open source
Shotcut vs OpenShot
Shotcut has 15,577 GitHub stars, 1,558 forks, 52 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenShot has 6,734 stars, 831 forks, 418 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Shotcut leads on adoption by 131% (15,577 vs 6,734 stars). Shotcut is written in C++ under GPL-3.0; OpenShot is written in Python under a custom or non-standard licence. Shotcut has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, OpenShot 12%. OpenShot was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (gplv3), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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
| Shotcut | OpenShot | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 16K | ★ 6.7K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | C++ | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 831 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Shotcut if
- You weight community size — 16K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- 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 Shotcut
Shotcut a free, open source, cross platform video editor Features: Roadmap: Install Binaries are regularly built and are available at Contributors Dan Dennedy : main author Brian Matherly : contributor Dependencies Shotcut's direct (linked or hard runtime) dependencies are: MLT: multimedia authoring framework Qt 6 (6.4 minimum): application and UI framework FFTW FFmpeg: multimedia format and codec libraries Frei0r: video plugins SDL: cross platform audio playback See for a more complete list including indirect and bundled dependencies. License GPLv3. See COPYING. How to build Warning : building Shotcut should…
read the full Shotcut overview →
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…
read the full OpenShot overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Shotcut or OpenShot more popular?
Shotcut has 15,577 GitHub stars and OpenShot has 6,734. Shotcut has the larger community by that measure.
Are Shotcut and OpenShot free?
Both are open source. Shotcut is licensed under GPL-3.0, and OpenShot has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Shotcut and OpenShot?
Shotcut is written in C++ 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, Shotcut or OpenShot?
Choose Shotcut if you want the larger community (15,577 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose OpenShot if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.