CapCut provides a free video editor with AI tools like automatic captions, text-to-speech, and background removal, plus templates, effects, and royalty-free music. Users appreciate its mobile-friendly approach that makes trimming and merging straightforward, though some report more features being pushed behind paywalls recently and express privacy concerns related to Bytedance.
Kdenlive is the top-ranked alternative and offers open-source multi-track editing with AI subtitle generation for serious desktop workflows. Shotcut ranks second as an open-source option with multi-format timelines and frame-accurate seeking across platforms. Omniclip positions itself as fully free and open-source in the browser, targeting users tired of paying to unlock editor features.
Camtasia includes built-in screen capture plus editing, making it better suited for tutorials and demos that start with recording. The landscape spans from mobile-first social editors to pro desktop suites and open-source tools.
Open source alternatives like Kdenlive, Shotcut, and OpenShot provide transparent licensing and full desktop timelines without relying on CapCut. Linux users have native options in Kdenlive, DaVinci Resolve, and Shotcut, giving desktop editors alternatives beyond mobile-centric workflows.
Web-based editors like Clipchamp, Omniclip, and Mastershot run in browsers, helpful when you can't install software on work or school machines. For privacy-focused users, Omniclip and OpenCut offer self-hosting options on your own infrastructure. Android users have mobile-first options in InShot, YouTube Create, and LightCut with effects, music, and captions for creators who rarely touch desktop editors. Windows-only desktop suites like VEGAS Pro, Pinnacle Studio, and Corel VideoStudio target users who want dedicated pro-style desktop workflows exclusively on Windows systems.
Edits is one of the only similar alternatives. It prioritizes mobile, is easy-to-use, and directly competes with CapCut. I'm not a big fan of the app, but it is a viable alternative.