Lightworks
Long-standing professional editor for Windows, Mac and Linux with a free tier.
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- 5
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About Lightworks
Lightworks is a professional non-linear editor with more than thirty years of history in film editing, including use on Oscar-winning features. It is known for fast trimming and keyboard-driven editing, and its timeline is now more conventional than the classic interface long-time users remember. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, which makes it one of the few commercial editors on Linux. The free plan includes the professional timeline, effects and export up to 1080p, while paid Create and Pro plans add 4K export, ProRes and Blackmagic RAW decoding, extra titling and effects plugins, and other professional formats. Paid plans are available monthly or yearly, or as a perpetual licence. Its community and third-party tutorials are smaller than those of Premiere or Resolve, and the free version's export limit means serious projects need a paid plan. It suits editors who want a pro tool on Linux or a perpetual licence.
Best for: Editors who want a professional tool on Linux or a perpetual licence.
Pros and cons
What works
- Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
- Free plan with a professional timeline
- Perpetual licence option
Why people leave
- Free plan exports only up to 1080p
- Smaller community and fewer tutorials
- Interface takes time to learn
Top Lightworks alternatives
See all 5- 1
DaVinci Resolve66.5Free professional suite on Linux too, with far stronger colour tools.
- 2
Kdenlive62.6Fully open source with no export restrictions.
- 3
Adobe Premiere59.6Larger ecosystem and easier collaboration with other editors.
- 4
Vegas Pro55.3Windows editor with fast timeline editing and strong audio.
- 5
Avid Media Composer46.7The film and TV standard for long-form and team workflows.
Why people left Lightworks
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Lightworks: common questions
Is Lightworks free?
Lightworks has a free plan and paid plans. Free plan: Yes, 1080p export (checked on Lightworks's own site).
Is Lightworks open source?
No, Lightworks is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Kdenlive.
What platforms does Lightworks run on?
Lightworks is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.
What are the best alternatives to Lightworks?
The highest-ranked Lightworks alternatives right now are DaVinci Resolve, Kdenlive and Adobe Premiere. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.