Shotcut Download: Get the Free Video Editor Safely

The official site is shotcut.org, and the download page links every current build. The installers themselves are hosted on the project's SourceForge and GitHub pages, which is normal for open-source software; GitHub also carries the checksums, the source code and older versions. The download page pledges that its downloads are always free of malware, spyware and adware, and adds that this guarantee only applies if you come to that website to download.

That last point is the key safety rule. Shotcut is popular, so download portals and ad-heavy pages repackage it. Start from shotcut.org, follow its links, and you will end up at the genuine files. The download page also suggests the Microsoft Store on Windows and Flathub or the Snap Store on Linux if you want to avoid ads and get automatic updates.

At the time of writing (2 November 2026) the current version is Shotcut 26.9.27. The download page groups the builds by system:

• Windows 10 and 11: an installer or a portable ZIP for Intel and AMD PCs, plus separate ARM builds. The minimum is Windows 10 build 1809, and the Microsoft Store is offered as an alternative.
• Windows 7 and 8: no longer supported. The last version for them is 22.12.21, still listed as an installer and portable ZIP.
• macOS: a universal build for 64-bit macOS 12 and later, which runs on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. The last version for macOS 11 is 24.11.17, and for macOS 10.14 and 10.15 it is 24.01.31.
• Linux: Flathub, the Snap Store (installed with classic confinement), a portable .txz archive and an AppImage. Listed distributions include 64-bit Mint 21+, Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, Fedora 36+, Manjaro, MX Linux 23+ and elementary OS 7+.

The portable Windows ZIP and the Linux .txz need no installation, which makes them handy for trying Shotcut without changing your system. Our portable vs installer guide explains when each makes sense. If you are unsure whether your PC is 64-bit or ARM, our 32-bit vs 64-bit guide shows how to check.

Shotcut's FAQ lists requirements by the kind of video you plan to edit, which is more useful than a single minimum:

• Operating system: 64-bit Windows 10 (build 1809) to 11, macOS 12 to 27, or 64-bit Linux with at least glibc 2.35.
• Processor: x86-64 Intel or AMD, or 64-bit ARM. At least one 2 GHz core for SD video, 4 cores for HD and 8 cores for 4K.
• Memory: 4 GB of RAM for SD, 8 GB for HD and 16 GB for 4K.
• Graphics: Direct3D 11 on Windows and OpenGL 2.0 on Linux.

Every listed system and processor is 64-bit, so current Shotcut is not an option for 32-bit Windows. The FAQ also notes that Shotcut needs no network connection for activation, subscription checks or usage analytics, so it works fully offline. If your PC sits at the low end of these numbers, see the proxy editing tip below before you give up on HD footage.

Yes. Shotcut is licensed under the GPLv3, and the FAQ says it is free for commercial use, pointing to the GPL's freedom to run the program for any purpose. You can use it for client work, a YouTube channel or a business video without buying a licence. Shotcut is a trademark of Meltytech, LLC, and the editor is built on the MLT multimedia framework.

The FAQ's privacy section says Shotcut does not collect, store or share personal information or usage activity, with the Microsoft Store version as the stated exception because the store has its own data practices. If the difference between open source and freeware is new to you, our open source vs freeware guide explains why the licence matters.

Shotcut's interface is made of panels you can show or hide, which can feel bare at first. A simple first project looks like this:

1. Start Shotcut and create a new project, choosing a folder for it and a video mode that matches your footage, or leave it on automatic.
2. Open your clips, or drag them from File Explorer or Finder into the playlist.
3. Show the timeline panel if it is hidden, then drag clips from the playlist onto a video track in the order you want.
4. Move the playhead to a point you want to cut and split the clip there, then delete the parts you do not need.
5. Select a clip and open the filters panel to add effects such as brightness, crop, text or audio gain.
6. Open the export panel, start with a default preset, and export a short test before the full video.

Export a 10 to 20 second section first. It tells you whether the quality and file size are what you expect without waiting for a long render. If you only need to shrink or convert a finished file rather than edit it, our HandBrake download guide covers a tool built for that job.

Editing high-resolution or high-bitrate footage is hard work for older laptops. Shotcut includes proxy editing, which creates lightweight preview copies of your clips to edit with and switches back to the originals when you export. Turning it on is the single biggest improvement on a modest PC. Other practical steps help too: close browsers and other heavy apps while editing, keep project files and footage on a fast internal drive rather than a slow USB stick, and check that your graphics drivers are current. Our guide to updating drivers safely shows how to do that from official sources.

These four come up most in "which free editor" searches. Based on their official download pages today:

• Kdenlive (version 26.08.2) is another open-source editor with a classic multi-track layout. It needs Windows 10 or newer or macOS 13 or newer, and offers Linux AppImage and Flatpak builds.
• OpenShot (version 4.1.0) is open source under the GPL and aims to be simple. It still offers a 32-bit Windows installer, but its macOS download is for Intel Macs.
• DaVinci Resolve 21 from Blackmagic Design has a free edition that, according to Blackmagic, handles 8-bit formats up to 60 fps at resolutions up to Ultra HD 3840 x 2160. It is not open source, and the paid Studio version adds features such as 10-bit video and higher frame rates.

Shotcut's strengths are its broad format support, its universal Mac build and the fact that it runs fully offline with no account. Kdenlive suits people who like a traditional editor layout, OpenShot suits absolute beginners, and DaVinci Resolve suits people who want professional colour tools and have a strong GPU. Many people try two and keep the one that feels natural; all are free to try from the official sites linked in our video editor guide.

Searches for "Shotcut download apk" and "Shotcut for Android" are common, but the official download page lists only Windows, macOS and Linux builds. Any APK or phone app using the Shotcut name on a download site is not from shotcut.org, and unofficial APKs are a common way to spread adware. On a phone, use a well-reviewed editor from Google Play or the App Store instead, and move to Shotcut on a computer when you need a full timeline.

Shotcut publishes MD5 and SHA-256 checksum files on GitHub alongside each release. Compare the SHA-256 value with the file you downloaded before installing; our guide on how to verify downloaded files shows the one-line command for Windows, macOS and Linux. If Windows shows a SmartScreen or antivirus warning, check that the file came from the official links rather than clicking past it; see our SmartScreen guide for what the message means.