DaVinci Resolve
Free tierby Blackmagic Design
Hollywood-grade editing and colour grading, free.
- Industry-standard colour grading
- Full non-linear editor plus Fusion VFX
- Fairlight audio post-production
6 Best Free Video Editing & Conversion Software for Linux in 2026
Non-linear editors, encoders and 3D tools — including software used on genuine professional productions. Every program below runs on Linux.
- 6 Linux programs
- 5 open source
- ₹0 to download
Free video editing & conversion programs for Linux
Shotcut
Open Sourceby Meltytech, LLC
Straightforward open-source video editor with wide format support.
- Wide native format support via FFmpeg
- Timeline editing with filters and transitions
- Four-point and ripple editing
Kdenlive
Open Sourceby KDE
Mature multi-track open-source video editor.
- Unlimited video and audio tracks
- Proxy editing for large files
- Wide range of effects and transitions
OpenShot
Open Sourceby OpenShot Studios
Simple, beginner-friendly video editor.
- Drag-and-drop simplicity
- Unlimited tracks and layers
- 3D animated titles
HandBrake
Open Sourceby HandBrake Team
The standard tool for converting and compressing video.
- Device-specific presets
- Batch queue encoding
- Hardware-accelerated encoding
Blender
Open Sourceby Blender Foundation
Professional 3D creation suite — modelling, animation and VFX.
- Full 3D modelling and sculpting toolset
- Cycles and EEVEE render engines
- Animation, rigging and simulation
Choosing video editing & conversion software on Linux
All 6 programs listed here have a native Linux build — this is not a list of software that merely "might work" through a compatibility layer. 5 are open source.
Since every option is free, testing two or three on your own files is usually faster and more reliable than reading further comparisons. DaVinci Resolve is the most widely adopted of these and a reasonable starting point.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free video editing & conversion software for Linux?
DaVinci Resolve hollywood-grade editing and colour grading, free. Shotcut and Kdenlive are the other most common picks.
Are these really free on Linux?
Yes. Each is labelled with its licence — open source, free, or free tier — so you know exactly what you are getting before you download.
Where do the downloads come from?
The publisher's own website, every time. We host no installers, which is the single most effective protection against the bundled adware that plagues software download portals.