Kdenlive Download: Install the Free KDE Video Editor Safely

The official site is kdenlive.org, and its download page lists every current build for Windows, macOS and Linux. KDE's application directory at apps.kde.org/kdenlive links the same project and adds the Flathub and Snap Store listings for Linux. Those are the places to start.

Kdenlive is popular, so download portals and ad-heavy pages repackage it, sometimes with extra installers wrapped around the real one. Because the official builds are free, there is no reason to use a mirror you do not recognise. Start from kdenlive.org, follow its links, and check that the file name you receive matches the version the download page shows.

At the time of writing the download page lists Kdenlive 26.08.3. The release announcement is dated 7 November 2026 and describes it as the last maintenance release of the 26.08 series. Its fixes include recovery of corrupted project files, copying keyframes, a crash when proxying with sub-bin clips, custom effects lost from favourites when renamed, and slow building of long undo and redo chains.

Kdenlive follows KDE's release numbering, which is year and month: 26.08 is the August 2026 feature release, and the third number counts its bug-fix updates. Kdenlive can check for new versions itself; the manual says you can turn that off under Settings, Configure Kdenlive, Environment by unticking Check for updates.

The download page also offers daily builds. The project warns that these binaries can be unstable and can corrupt existing projects, so stay on the stable release for real work.

The download page offers two Windows builds and says both require Windows 10 or newer; the manual specifies 64-bit Windows 10 version 1809 or later.

• Installer: needs administrator rights, installs on your computer, appears in your programs list and is available to every user of the PC. Pick this for your own computer.
• Standalone: does not need administrator rights and is not installed. It is available only to the user who downloaded it and can run from an external drive. To start it, unpack the download, open the bin folder and double-click kdenlive.exe. Pick this for a work or school PC where you cannot install software, or to try Kdenlive without changing your system.

With the standalone version, your personal settings and downloads inside Kdenlive are still stored on the computer you are using, not on the external drive.

macOS: the download page has separate builds for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs and says Kdenlive requires macOS 13 Ventura or newer. Download the one that matches your Mac (Apple menu, About This Mac shows the chip). The manual notes that on first launch macOS may warn that it cannot check the app for malware; to open it, right-click Kdenlive in Finder, choose Open, and confirm Open a second time. Only do this for a copy you downloaded from kdenlive.org.

Linux: the official packages are an AppImage and a Flatpak, and the download page says the stable Flatpak is available on Flathub. The manual explains that the Flatpak integrates properly with your desktop, while the AppImage has to be made executable before it runs. KDE's application page also lists a Snap Store package and your distribution's own repositories. The manual notes that the old Ubuntu PPA ended with release 24.02, so ignore tutorials that still recommend it.

The Kdenlive manual sets out what it needs. Timeline playback relies on the CPU, so the processor matters most.

• Operating system: 64-bit Windows 10 (1809) or newer, macOS 13 Ventura or newer, or 64-bit Linux.
• CPU: x86 Intel or AMD; at least one 2 GHz core for SD video, 4 cores for HD and 8 cores for 4K.
• RAM: at least 4 GB for SD, 8 GB for HD and 16 GB for 4K.
• Graphics: a working, compatible OpenGL 2.0 driver; on Windows, good DirectX 9 or 11 drivers also work.

On a lower-powered laptop, the manual suggests three features to keep previews smooth: lower the preview resolution, use proxy clips (small stand-in copies of your footage that Kdenlive swaps back for the originals when you render), and timeline preview rendering for heavy effects.

Yes. Kdenlive is free and open source, and nothing in the official build is locked behind a paid tier: there is no watermark, no export limit and no account. The project accepts donations through its website, but paying is optional.

Safety comes down to where the file came from. A copy from kdenlive.org, Flathub, the Snap Store or your Linux distribution is the genuine project. A copy from a download portal may be outdated or bundled with other software. Scan any installer with your antivirus before running it; our guide to malware removal tools explains what to do if something has already slipped through.

Kdenlive uses a classic editor layout: a project bin for your media, a clip monitor and project monitor at the top, and a multi-track timeline below. A first edit takes a few minutes:

1. Create a new project and set the frame rate and resolution to match your footage.
2. Drag your clips into the project bin, then onto the timeline in order.
3. Trim each clip by dragging its edges, and cut with the razor tool where you need a split.
4. Add titles, transitions and effects from the effects and compositions panels; keyframes let you animate them.
5. Click Render, choose a preset such as MP4, and export.

The official site lists more advanced features once you are comfortable: multicam editing, nested sequences, audio mixing and voice-over recording, colour scopes and LUTs, automatic subtitle transcription, and motion graphics through Glaxnimate. Kdenlive also saves automatic backups of your project.

Both are free, open-source and cross-platform, so the choice is about how you like to work. Kdenlive suits people who want a traditional multi-track layout with a project bin and dedicated monitors, and it adds features such as multicam and subtitle transcription. Shotcut is lighter, starts with a simpler screen and grows as you open panels; our Shotcut download guide covers it in detail.

Many people try both and keep the one that feels natural. If you only need to shrink or convert a finished video rather than edit it, HandBrake is the better tool, and for recording your screen first, see OBS Studio.

The download page does not publish checksums next to each file, so the most important check is the source itself. Before you run the file:

• Confirm you downloaded it from kdenlive.org, Flathub, the Snap Store or your distribution, not from a portal or a file-sharing link.
• Check the version in the file name against the version on the download page.
• On Windows, right-click the installer, open Properties and look at the Digital Signatures tab if one is present, then scan it with your antivirus.
• Avoid anything sold as a 'Kdenlive Pro' or 'Kdenlive premium' download; the project does not sell one.

Our guide on how to verify downloaded files explains checksums and signatures in more detail.