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Kdenlive

A free multi-track video editor from the KDE community.

Instead of Adobe Premiere Pro

M · ToolOpen sourceFreeNo accountWorks offline
kdenlive.org
Screenshot of the Kdenlive website

Screenshot from kdenlive.org, taken 2026-10-23, shown to help you recognise the tool. It belongs to its maker. Ask us to remove it.

Jason Wood started Kdenlive in 2002, and it is now developed by the KDE community, a nonprofit. It is free and open-source video editing software under the GNU GPL that runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and FreeBSD, and it has been funded through community drives and, in 2025, an NLnet grant for a new dopesheet feature.

Kdenlive scores a 5 on power and longevity, a 4 on lock-in and delivery and a 3 on footprint and self-direction.

It handles serious editing work with multiple tracks and no watermark or subscription, and exports to standard video formats. Video is heavy on hardware, and the interface is busier than Premiere's.

It is a good fit for people who want to own their editing tools.

    What stands out

  • Multi-track video editing with no watermark or subscription
  • Developed by the KDE community, started in 2002
  • Exports to standard video formats
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For comparison, we also reviewed Adobe Creative Cloud (12/30) as a benchmark.

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