Next Level Open Source

FilmCraft

Media · 22 Oct 2026

FilmCraft is a free, open-source video editor for cutting and finishing films and videos, with a timeline, trimming tools, colour grading, effects and audio mixing. It runs as an app on Mac, Windows and Linux, and the project says it is still in development.

WebsiteInstall guide
FilmCraft's editing screen: a black-and-white film clip in the program monitor, effect controls on the left and the timeline with video and audio tracks below.

Is it right for you?

People who edit video and want a free editor with the tools professional editors expect, such as a full timeline, trimming and colour grading, and who are happy to use an app the project says is still in development.

Replaces some features, but not everything.

Look elsewhere if you need:

  • You need a finished, dependable editor: the project says FilmCraft is still in development, so it is still changing.
  • You edit on an iPad or phone: the downloads are for Mac, Windows and Linux computers.

What you can do with it

  • Edit on a timeline with source and program monitors (the clip you choose from and your edited film), three-point editing and every trim mode.
  • Keep exact timing at common film and TV frame rates, such as 23.976 and 29.97, with no drift or rounding.
  • Work with H.264, HEVC, ProRes, VP9, AAC and Opus using its own built-in codecs (the code that reads and writes video and sound).
  • Grade colour (adjust the look of your footage) with curves, colour wheels, LUTs (ready-made colour looks) and HDR, and check it with scopes.
  • Add about 55 video effects and 30 transitions, and animate them with keyframes (settings that change over time).
  • Mix sound with a mixer, loudness meters for broadcast standards and built-in audio effects.
  • Run it without its window from the command line, so scripts and AI agents can use it.

Running cost

Running
Where it runs

Nothing to pay for this place itself.

Usage
API usage and online services

No API or online services are recorded. That may mean none are needed, or that we have not checked.

Price estimation

$0.00/month

About $0.00 a month on average, in USD. Over 1 year (12 months) that is $0.

Upfront, paid once
$0
Fixed monthly costs
$0 / month
Usage-based (API) costs
none recorded

Software licence: FilmCraft is free and open source on every platform: there is nothing to pay to use it.

What this assumes

Typical use. Your own computer: The software runs on a computer you already own.

    • You already own the computer, so its price is not counted.
    • Electricity is not counted: it depends on your computer and where you live.

    An estimate built from these assumptions, not a quote.

    Getting started

    Choose how much technical work suits you. Easy takes you to the project’s own ready-made option; the other levels show what you need first and a prompt you can give an AI coding agent.

    Ways to install it

    Running
    ArtCraft Launcher
    Where
    Your own computer
    API usage
    None needed

    Install the ArtCraft Launcher, an app from the same makers that installs FilmCraft, picks the right version for your computer and keeps it up to date.

    Requirements

    • A Mac, Windows or Linux computer (needed)

    What you take on

    • The launcher also offers the other ArtCraft apps, and each update is one click.