17 years helping South African businesses
choose better software

OpenShot Video Editor Reviews

About OpenShot Video Editor

OpenShot is an open-source video editing solution providing video transitions, watermarks, image overlays, title creation, and more.

Learn more about OpenShot Video Editor

Pros:

It has a lot of built-in functions, pre-made titles and you can integrate with blender and Inkscape to create your own animated titles.

Cons:

So far I don't have much problem during using of this software, But I think it is some difficulties I felt during the making of subtitles. It was a little bit of getting more time.

OpenShot Video Editor ratings

Average score

Ease of Use
4.3
Customer Service
4.1
Features
4.1
Value for Money
4.5

Likelihood to recommend

8.2/10

OpenShot Video Editor has an overall rating of 4.3 out 5 stars based on 172 user reviews on Capterra.

Have you used OpenShot Video Editor before?

Share your experiences with other software buyers.

Filter reviews (172)

Gabriella
Gabriella
Process Design Engineer and CEO in South Africa
Verified LinkedIn User
Mining & Metals, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

A great video editor that needs a 'splash'

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: I enjoy using OpenShot, but it would be great if they added a splash screen and a notification window?
It works well and competes favorably with similar programs, even with paid programs, given that it is free.
Its performance is good overall but I have found that the processor you use plays a role.

Pros:

OpenShot is a great video editor, I have been using it for over two years now. Its option to separate sound from video in an imported and loaded clip is very good. I use this feature quite a bit and I have not experienced any errors or problems with it. I also like how after separating out the sound I can either remove it or edit it. Another feature that stands out is the razor tool, it makes removing unwanted sections easy. Bringing the remaining clips together is even easier, you just drag and drop, this is something I have found to be a bit messy with other programs. I like how it's not too heavy, I have successfully ran it on an entry-level processor. It would occasionally slow down to load, but the plus here was that it would not crash and I wouldn't lose my work. However, I would be amiss if I did not mention that the processor you use makes a difference!

Cons:

The issue that I have or perhaps an ask to OpenShot is that they add a splash screen to show that the editor is starting as well as a notification window that asks you to confirm if you want to open more than one instance. When starting OpenShot it's often not clear whether it's opening or not. I tend to end up with several windows open. Then it becomes a mission to close the extra windows and then wait a bit before starting work to see if there will be more windows opening up. Adding a splash screen and a notification window would be quite helpful, it would save time & effort and eliminate any frustrations!

Nicholas
President in US
Consumer Goods, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

OpenShot Video Editor Great Aid to Business For Creating YouTube Videos

4.0 4 years ago

Comments: We got OpenShot because we were so frustrated with the cost of Camtasia. We may add that program back to our software arsenal, but for now are very happy with OpenShot.
As a company, we created a YouTube video channel and we are creating content for that channel. OpenShot is very easy to use to create those videos. Our goal is 2 per day for the first 60 days. We would do more, but we run 4 or more tracks per video and the save process for export is time-consuming.

Pros:

It shows the whole functioning video creation process on one screen and has very easy access for multiple tracks. For me, this is a must. I want to see all of my tracks or at least have easy access to preview them. OpenShot has a little preview screen so you can preview what you are making as you go, frame by frame if necessary. At first, I had my doubts about this software as a video editor because I had trouble figuring out how to do certain tasks. I quickly found YouTube video tutorials by the program creator that make it so easy. I'm still experimenting and look for video tutorials to learn to do things right when I want to try new things. My newest endeavor is exploring the many transitions offered. The program allows us to align frames on each track to make seamless videos. I'm sure we have not even hit the halfway point of learning other benefits we will eventually use.

Cons:

Easy to set up video tracks, frames, etc, but this program takes a long time to Export videos so we can then upload them to YouTube. We actually have learned to open other windows to work with while it is exporting video. Otherwise, we cannot minimize during this process and it impedes us from other work.

Cristhian Josue
Cristhian Josue
CEO in Mexico
Verified LinkedIn User
Design, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Openshot, the free video editor that everyone should try

3.0 3 years ago

Comments: Openshot is a fantastic tool, I like it very much, it fulfills very well the function of being a free and competitive video editor, it allows us to do almost everything related to post-production, to a greater or lesser extent, but we can do it. If you want to create simple videos, this is a good option

Pros:

One point I really like about Openshot is that it's free... just kidding. This video editor allows us to create infinite layers, something that I personally like a lot because I usually used multiple layers, sometimes by the need of the project or simply to have a working order in my timeline. In my opinion, this video editor is a good tool for those who like me some time ago, only want to create simple montages with good quality, "Openshot" satisfies me, it's light and any PC can run it, even the editing in this video editor is done nicely, I like it.

Cons:

Openshot looks very antiquated in some aspects, it has 3D animations but they look like they come out of PowerPoint or some version of windows 2000. This video editor can't compete in the graphical aspect with other free editors, let alone paid software or software focused on 3D designs. Simply Openshot isn't an option if you want to use or create animations in your video editor.

Kendel
Owner in US
Graphic Design, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Open Source Video Editor

5.0 4 months ago

Pros:

Being open-source, OpenShot is completely free to use, which is a significant advantage for creators on a budget.

Cons:

OpenShot's stability can be unreliable, often crashing when handling large projects or processing large video files.

Fernando
CEO in Brazil
Education Management, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

excellent free video editor

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: Overall I am very satisfied with the software. I'm making my edits in a simple way and with an almost professional result.

Pros:

This software offers all the basic features for professional video editing. While simple, most of the features are pretty powerful.

Cons:

The operational layout functionality can still be improved and the action response can be a little faster still.

Qasem
Receptionist in Jordan
Sporting Goods, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Program review openshot

4.0 last year

Comments: Overall, the experience was successful, but it needs more modification and development

Pros:

Produces high quality video/It's fast and the video doesn't get cut off while you're working

Cons:

Slow if the video quality is high / Need to develop more

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Entertainment, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

OpenShot - Power and Professionalism

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: For a small business, and even personal use in the form of social media videos, promotional videos I think it's brilliant software. The fact that it's free it's amazing and it doesn't sacrifice quality in the form of having an extensive list of effects and transitions. I find it easy and fast to make videos that look professional, make me look professional online. If you ever get stuck with how to use a feature, there are lots of tutorials online, as well as the built-in tutorial. Really stunning editor that I'll recommend to anyone wanting to make their business's online video presence comes across professional and polished.

Pros:

The first feature that has to be mentioned is that this is free software, and that it offers being able to work in 4K. I am impressed that the media library has so many options, that include built in effects, transitions, ability to use titles for vectors and fonts. It's collaboration with Blender means it has those sleek looking 3D effects and titles built in as well, a nice quick way to add something extra to your project to make it stand out. The interface is clean, simple and easy to get used to and adjust to for seamless editing, as well it being free to edit as many clips as you need to, no limits there. I like that it doesn't have a steep learning curve that most video editors do, but it still allows you to do professional editing as you would on a premium software, and advanced edits. I'm transitioning into teaching online, and I've used it to make my own promotional videos for various companies. It's always a pleasure to use as I can make changes fast, add an effect, sometimes play around with what would look good, and not have to dedicate hours to editing anything. When I'm done it looks polished and professional, as if I had used a high-end editor, which I appreciate as building a small business means you don't want to go spending extensively on software.

Cons:

I think that if you need to edit a whole movie, it may give you issues with loading, with lag. I noticed that if I tried to import large files, a few hours of a holiday video, that there was an issue with it freezing. However, for most of my work I don't need to edit hours of footage, so I didn't really have an issue with this. I think for most people who are making social media videos, promotional material for their business like I do, even longer advertisment-type edits, OpenShot is perfect for our business or personal editing needs.

Sylvester
Sylvester
Founder & C.E.O in Kenya
Verified LinkedIn User
Public Relations & Communications, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

NO BUDGET VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE, It's powerful and gets the job done

4.0 4 years ago

Comments: OpenShot is both a SIMPLE and POWERFUL video editing software with the ability to produce great videos.
OpenShot can make dazzling recordings, movies, and activities with a simple to-utilize interface and a rich arrangement of highlights. It can be used on Linux, macOS, and Windows operating systems.

Pros:

It has all the basics you need to edit and produce great videos. Most importantly, it's FREE, SIMPLE, easy to use, and makes editing faster.

Cons:

Some elements and features need improvement.

Chandrakeerthan
Chandrakeerthan
student in India
Verified LinkedIn User
Higher Education, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

best for video editing

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: For both novice and expert users, OpenShot Video Editor is a great video editing programme. Despite a few small flaws, the feature set it provides for free makes it a desirable option for those looking to edit films for their own or their employer's benefit.

Pros:

Using photo, audio, and video data, OpenShot Video Editor is a potent video editor that enables you to produce high-quality compositions. With a tonne of useful functions, it is an entertaining and simple video editor. It is an excellent tool that everyone may use because it is open source.

Cons:

Although the OpenShot video editor has all the functionality and a great user interface with all the necessary buttons, I would really want to see them offer some third-party plugins for 3D animations.

ERIC EMMANUEL
PROPRIETOR in Philippines
Animation, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

CONTENTED OPENSHOT VIDEO EDITOR USER.

5.0 11 months ago

Pros:

Open-source app. Available for Windows, Linux and OS X. Simple and easy to navigate interface, wide selection of effects, filters, transitions and emojis. Easy file handling (uploading of raw files). Compatible to many video file formats. Unlimited video length in editing. Hi resolution render.

Cons:

None, everything you need as a newbie editor is here.

Nisar
YouTube Freelancer in Pakistan
Media Production, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

OpenShot, The Best Free Yet Loaded Video Editor

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: Being a Youtube vlogger, I use OpenShot extensively for editing my videos and to apply voice overs. I love it for its ease of use and availability of all useful tools. Apart from vlogging, I also use it to experiment with advanced video effects which is quite fun. It used to work very slow but after I upgraded my computer system, it now works very well.

Pros:

OpenShot is one of the best video editing software, and its ease of use allows new users to utilize it to its full potential. It is an open source software and is completely free to use yet. It is compatible with all major audio and video formats and can give output any where in the range from 360p to 4k video quality. It is supported by all computer operating systems. It supports drag and drop feature which makes it easy to combine video clips, images and audio together or to separate audio files from a video or adjust the audio settings along with scaling the video by merely dragging it. You can also resize and adjust the quality of a video in it. Along with that it features hundreds of effects that you can apply to your videos. Apart from adding 3D animations and overlays, it also supports chroma keying thus enabeling you to alter the background extensively. OpenShot developers also constantly release updates thus keeping it up to date. To sum up, this video editor serves the purpose of everyone, from youtube and facebook vloggers to professional video editors.

Cons:

OpenShot sometimes encounter to freeze or auto quit while processing heavey files like 4k videos in Microsoft Windows. Also they need to make its interface more pleasant on eyes as it has not changed from quite a lot of time.

Farhan
Farhan
Booking Officer in Pakistan
Verified LinkedIn User
Transportation/Trucking/Railroad, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Open-source and Award Winning Free Video Editing Software

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: For me, OpenShot is really important. Because I always create my business videos using the OpenShot software. Especially I apply slow motion and different animations to my videos. So my overall experience with this software is outstanding.

Pros:

OpenShot is an open-source and award winning free video editing software. You can create stunning and beautiful videos using different professional transitions and effects. The software is really easy to understand and use. You can use different video and audio layers. There are lots of video effects you can apply to your videos.

Cons:

According to my experience, there should be more 3d animations and transitions for the beginners. No doubt, we have thousands of good animations, transitions and effects in the software. But some few more 3d transitions will be awesome.

Souaibou
Communication manager in Burkina Faso
Information Technology & Services, 5,001–10,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Openshot review

5.0 2 years ago

Pros:

The software is free and easy to use. And even if the features are outdated, it allows you to edit not-so-bad videos

Cons:

Lack of cutting means with viewing and exporting videos takes time

miracle
editor in US
Arts & Crafts, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Best video editor compared to others

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: OpenShot Video Editor is a great choice for anyone looking for a free, yet powerful video editing software. Its user-friendly interface and wide range of features make it a great option for beginner and advanced video editors alike.

Pros:

User-friendly interface: OpenShot Video Editor has an intuitive and straightforward timeline interface, making it easy for users to manipulate video clips and add different elements to their projects.

Cons:

stability issues when using OpenShot Video Editor, such as crashes or freezes while working on a project.

Gnankoye
Data Engineer in Guinea
Internet, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

OpenShot Video Editor

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: OpenShot Video Editor is really nice for video editing

Pros:

Thank you very much OpenShot Video Editor, I was very confused in editing my videos, but this software has solved all my worries

Cons:

Honestly, I was convinced without any problem

Cedric
Marketing and communication officer in Burkina Faso
Banking, 201–500 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Openshot

5.0 2 years ago

Pros:

For me it's one of the best software to make a video it's easy to use and the quality of the videos is incredible

Cons:

No drawbacks I use it frequently and I haven't found any

Boukary
Ceo in Burkina Faso
Internet, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Arguably the best video editing software.

5.0 2 years ago

Pros:

Openshot is the best video editing software. It is simple and practical and moreover less expensive. The synchronization of videos is very simple and the audio mixing too

Cons:

Really nothing to say on this point, the software is extremely efficient

Debjit
Freelancer in India
Information Technology & Services, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Opensource video editor with cloud and api capability.

5.0 6 years ago

Comments: If you are experimenting and want a completely free/ open-source solution for your video editing solution this software is for you. I just update it to my KVM VPS and I have a cloud editor all by myself. The feature is simple, effects are not that impressive but it workes.

Pros:

This is the most awesome piece of software for videos editing. I just install it to a VM and use the app to convert/create/edit video using its api. Just awesome. I have also tried the desktop version with GT710 my entry level card and its output was smooth. Playback for 1080/30fps is just smooth and doesn't take many resources. As it is an Opensource and community-driven software I can use it for free and for anything. Some transactions effects and sound channels. It is still its first stage and evolving rapidly.

Cons:

As it is an Open-source software I have to wait if got any problem or find my own solutions for it. The effects are limited due to no team is developing them.

Rafay
Employee in Pakistan
Graphic Design, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Easy and Effective for video editing

5.0 3 years ago

Pros:

It's really effective and easy to use. Really helped me a lot in making creative videos by using its effects and other features. Just WOW!!

Cons:

Not at all. Everything is really awesome!

Sneh
Team Lead in India
Law Practice, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Smart video editor

5.0 last year

Comments: Overall it has been a great experience during our period of usage.

Pros:

I truly like the way OpenShot Video Editor allows us to easily edit different video formats with just a few clicks.

Cons:

It doesn't freeze so ofte, therefore we are extremely happy with the feature set and do not have negative sentiments.

Emanuele
Mr in Italy
Marketing & Advertising, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

A useful tool for linux

4.0 5 years ago

Comments: It's free and it provides basic useful functions to simple edit your videos, but don't push your requests too far...

Pros:

This software is free and is available for linux. You can learn quickly how to use it, as it's very intuitive. There are basic functions that let you edit your videos, merge, cut, and many other available operations

Cons:

Beware, use only with short videos! Every time I use this software with long videos (in my experience 5+ minutes) get ready for a frustrating experience with the timeline... it seems that the displayed time doesn't always correspond to the same frame...

George Rex
George Rex
Co-founder & CAO in Nigeria
Verified LinkedIn User
Information Technology & Services, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

A Free Video Editor that Delivers

3.0 3 years ago

Comments: Openshot is not bad after all. I was able to do a video with some great quality. Openshot can serve where others may be too expensive and/or not available.

Pros:

Openshot is an open-source video editor, making it completely free to use for a simple video editing project. It's pretty easy to use as well, mostly drag and drop with some infusion of inbuilt effects and transitions.

Cons:

Openshot cannot yet comfortably compete with the industry bigwigs because it still lacks cinematic sophistications like video stabilization and unlimited motion tracking. Sometimes it shuts down abruptly when you're working with bigger files.

Jayla
Self Employed in US
Arts & Crafts, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

App Is Amazing for YouTube!

4.0 5 years ago

Comments: Nice movie maker, it reminds me of past Windows Movie Makers. I say some features should be updated once in a while but other than that I will keep using this app. Reminds me of Video Pad only better with rending videos.

Pros:

The software is best for cutting and editing videos for YouTube, has effects for transition and overlaps files easy without over heating. No watermarks and free! Very thankful this app is available! Looks like a bad program at first glance but I'd give it a "open shot" Try it out! More people need to know about this program! I use this for YouTube videos when I need to make quick update videos.

Cons:

Not a lot of features for music or free backgrounds but thats not an issue at all. I wish the looks was updated more to look less like early 2000s but the program is very useful.

Ismaël
Ismaël
Free-lance in Guinea
Verified LinkedIn User
Design, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Software for editing videos

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: Very good video editing tool to recommend for all editors

Pros:

Easy to use and simple above all effective (transitions, animations, interfaces, etc.)

Cons:

Except that the video sometimes loses sound on my pc, everything is perfect

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Internet, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Its Free, Simple and Comprehensive

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: I am majorly using micro user guides and it has been super effective. I started using this about 3 months ago and no major roadblock till now. It's great!

Pros:

I love the fact that Openshot can be used for free on any operating systems. I am using it on Linux. It serves multiple purposes. You can edit videos, add tracks, add transitions and export a High Quality Mp4 very easily. You can pretty much do everything a paid video editor allows.

Cons:

So, when you are playing a video after adding your desired tracks and cropping the videos, the track stutters and looks low quality. However, once you export the video, it seems to be perfectly fine. I didn't realise that fact until I actually exported the video. Overall, it's a great tool.