vioscaleAI
Comparison

Lightworks vs Shotcut

No clear leader: Shotcut (50.1) and Lightworks (46.5) are within the 5-point margin; treat as a tie. The attribute-by-attribute breakdown below, with a source and date on every value, is the honest way to compare them.

Lightworks full profile →Shotcut full profile →
Machine formatsMarkdownJSONGraphQLMarkdown is open. JSON and GraphQL need a free key.
Lightworks47
Shotcut50
Score
vioscaleAI score
Lightworks47 / 100medium · 54%
Shotcut50 / 100high · 75%
Pricing
Free tier
Lightworks✓
Shotcut✓
Model
Lightworksfreemium
Shotcutopen_source
Price level
Lightworkslow
Shotcutfree
Transparent
Lightworks✗
Shotcut✓
Integrations
Count
Lightworks4
Shotcut5
Security
Gdpr
Lightworks✓
Shotcut–
Market
Availability
Content
Faq
Lightworks7 items
Shotcut5 items

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for video editing software. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Editing
Professional NLE (multi-track finishing)
Lightworks✓
Shotcut✓
Colour grading
Lightworks✓
Shotcut✓
Multicam editing
Lightworks-
Shotcut-
Technical
4K/8K + HDR support
Lightworks✓
Shotcut✓
Codec breadth (ProRes / HEVC / AV1 / RAW)
LightworksProRes, AVID DNxHD, AVID DNxHR, H.264, AVC-Intra, Cineform
ShotcutHundreds of formats via FFmpeg, including AV1, HEVC, image sequences, and animat
GPU acceleration
Lightworks-
Shotcut✓
AI
AI features (captions / text-to-video / voice)
Lightworks-
Shotcut-
Capture
Screen recording built-in
Lightworks-
Shotcut✓
Platform
Platform breadth (Win / macOS / Linux / iOS / Android / Web)
LightworksWindows, macOS, Linux
ShotcutWindows, macOS, Linux
Collaboration
Cloud collaboration / team review
Lightworks✓
Shotcut-
Pricing
Pricing model
LightworksFreemium
ShotcutOpen-source
Free / open-source available
Lightworks✓
Shotcut✓

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Lightworks

Desktop-based video editing platform supporting timeline editing, color grading, visual effects, and cloud collaboration. Offers perpetual ownership or subscription options across Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Independently observed

Shotcut

A free video editor that runs on multiple platforms and supports hundreds of audio and video formats natively. It provides professional editing capabilities including color grading, multitrack audio mixing, GPU-accelerated effects processing, and support for 4K/8K video.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Lightworks

freemiumFree tier

Free tier; subscription and perpetual (pay-once) options available

  • FreeFree
    • Timeline Editing
    • 720p HD Export
    • Automatic Saving
    • Advanced Transitions
    • Simple VFX
  • Create-
    • 4K Video Export
    • Social Media Templates
    • NewBlue Titler Pro
    • Dynamic Motion Graphics
    • Powerful Colour Controls
    • +4 more
  • Pro-
    • 10-Bit Support
    • Audio and Video Plugin Support
    • Increased File Formats
    • Advanced Video Effects
    • Custom Format Creation
    • +5 more
as of verify ↗

Shotcut

Open sourceFree tier

Free and open source

as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
macOS
Lightworks✓
Shotcut✓
Windows
Lightworks✓
Shotcut✓
Linux
Lightworks✓
Shotcut✓
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
Lightworks✓
Shotcut✗
Self-hosted
Lightworks✗
Shotcut✓

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

Lightworks

4 total
  • Dropbox
  • Google Drive
  • NewBlue Titler Pro
  • NewBlue TotalFX
Independently observed

Shotcut

5 total
  • FFmpeg
  • Blackmagic Design
  • After Effects
  • JACK
  • PulseAudio
Independently observed
Still deciding?

Lightworks or Shotcut: which one depends on you

A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.

Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.