Shotcut Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Shotcut uses custom pricing as of May 2026. Contact Shotcut directly for a personalized quote. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
Yes, Shotcut offers a forever free plan as of May 2026. The free tier includes 8 features with limits on usage. Pricing verified from 1 sources by CostBench.
Shotcut's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Full editing suite
- 4K resolution support
- Native timeline editing
- Wide format support (FFmpeg)
- Hundreds of audio/video filters
- Cross-platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
- No watermark
- No usage limits
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like advanced automation
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Shotcut branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Shotcut free?
Yes, Shotcut offers a forever free plan with 8 core features included. However, there are limits on users and features that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Shotcut's free plan?
Shotcut's free plan includes: Full editing suite, 4K resolution support, Native timeline editing, Wide format support (FFmpeg), Hundreds of audio/video filters, and 3 more features. Key limits include basic usage caps.
03 What's NOT included in Shotcut's free plan?
The free plan excludes: advanced features, premium support, and higher limits. You'll also have Shotcut branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Shotcut's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like advanced automation, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $0/month.
05 Is Shotcut's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Shotcut's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.