Kdenlive

Kdenlive, short for KDE Non-Linear Video Editor, is a free desktop editor that works on Linux, Windows, macOS and BSD. The project was launched in 2003 by Jason Wood and became an official KDE application in 2015; a Windows version followed in 2016.

Kdenlive offers multitrack editing on a timeline with a virtually unlimited number of video and audio tracks, proxy editing for 4K and larger footage, keyframeable effects with linear or smooth curves, nested timelines, 3-point editing, and audio and video scopes. Kdenlive also includes subtitling with AI-supported speech-to-text and animation through Glaxnimate integration. Version 26.08.1 was released on 11 September 2026.

Kdenlive is developed by a small, mostly volunteer team and belongs to the KDE Community, whose legal entity is KDE e.V., a registered German non-profit at Prinzenstrasse 85 F in Berlin, entered in the register of associations at Amtsgericht Berlin (Charlottenburg) under VR31685.

Kdenlive is free software under the GNU General Public License. It is written in C++ with Qt and the KDE libraries on top of the MLT framework, which relies on FFmpeg for decoding and encoding. Because Kdenlive is a local program that needs no registration, no footage has to leave your computer to edit or render it.

Kdenlive costs nothing: the project states that there are no licence fees, no registrations or subscriptions and no premium features that require payment, and it asks users to consider a donation instead.

Windows users need Windows 10 or newer and Mac users macOS 13 Ventura or newer, with separate builds for Apple Silicon and Intel. Kdenlive ranks first here because it combines a verifiable European non-profit, a free licence and the widest platform list of the seven. Editors who need a vendor with a paid support contract, or cloud collaboration with comments on a shared timeline, will not find that at Kdenlive.

What Kdenlive does well

• Kdenlive is released under the GNU General Public License and has no paid tier or premium features
• Kdenlive runs on Linux, Windows, macOS and BSD, with Apple Silicon and Intel builds for the Mac
• KDE e.V., the legal entity behind the KDE Community, is a registered non-profit in Berlin (VR31685)
• Kdenlive offers a virtually unlimited number of video and audio tracks and proxy editing for 4K footage
• Kdenlive requires no registration or account to download or use

Where Kdenlive falls short

• Kdenlive is developed by a small, mostly volunteer team, so there is no commercial support contract
• Kdenlive on macOS requires version 13 Ventura or newer, which excludes older Macs
• Kdenlive offers no hosted collaboration or cloud rendering; everything runs on your own hardware
• Kdenlive depends on donations and past crowdfunding rather than on recurring licence income

Standout feature. Kdenlive is the only editor in this list that pairs a dedicated video timeline with a GPL licence, four operating systems and a registered German non-profit as its legal home.