The short answer. DaVinci Resolve is the full post-production application: editing, colour, visual effects and audio, with a free version that is genuinely usable. Shotcut and OpenShot are the open-source editors, with Shotcut the more capable of the two on modern formats. ScreenFlow is the screencast editor, which is a different workflow with a different timeline. Natron is the compositor for effects work. LosslessCut, VidCrop and ffWorks are the trimming and conversion tools — they cut without re-encoding, which is the fastest path from a long recording to a short clip. Nugget is the motion-effects editor and Marker Data extracts markers for a Final Cut workflow. The dividing question is whether you are finishing a film or cutting a clip, because a colour pipeline is wasted on a screen recording and a trimmer cannot grade.

This guide covers 10 video editors for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment. Last verified 2026-10-05.

Quick comparison

App What it is Pricing Licence Version
DaVinci Resolve video editor Freemium not published 21
ffWorks media app not published not published 5.4
LosslessCut media app Open source GPL-2.0 3.69.0
Marker Data media app Open source MIT 2.1.4
Natron media app Open source GPL-2.0 2.5.0
Nugget design tool Free MIT 7.4.1
OpenShot media app Open source not published —
ScreenFlow media app not published not published 10.5.2
Shotcut video editor Open source GPL-3.0 26.9.27
VidCrop media app not published not published —

What actually decides this

  • Finish or cut. A finishing tool has colour management, audio mixing and delivery presets. A cutter has one operation: remove a range without re-encoding. Using the first for the second costs an hour per clip; using the second for the first is impossible.
  • Whether it re-encodes. A lossless cut keeps the original codec and takes seconds. An export re-encodes and takes minutes with a quality loss. For anything that is going to be edited again, the first is the only sensible choice.
  • What the colour pipeline is. A tool with colour management, scopes and a proper grade can produce a deliverable. One with brightness and contrast sliders cannot, and the difference is visible on any calibrated display.
  • What the timeline can hold. One video track is a trimmer. Multiple tracks with effects, titles and audio is an editor. The number of tracks a tool supports honestly is a fair proxy for what it is for.
  • How it handles a long recording. An hour of screen capture is a different file from a three-minute cut. Proxy media, background rendering and a timeline that scrubs without stalling are the features that decide whether a long project is bearable.
  • Whether it fits an existing pipeline. Marker extraction and effects tools only matter if the rest of the workflow is Final Cut or a node-based composite. In a self-contained editor they are irrelevant.

Our picks

  • DaVinci Resolve — Its record describes editing, colour, VFX and audio post in one app with a free version, which is the finishing case. Choose it when you are finishing a project with colour and audio.
  • Shotcut — Its record describes a free open-source editor with 4K, 8K, HDR and 10-bit support, which is the open-editor case. Choose it when you want a capable open-source editor for modern formats.
  • ScreenFlow — Its record describes screencasting and video editing software, which is the screencast case. Choose it when the source is a screen recording and the edit is a tutorial.
  • LosslessCut — Its record describes quick and lossless trimming using ffmpeg, which is the trim case. Choose it when you need to cut a range without re-encoding.
  • Natron — Its record describes open-source node-based compositing software, which is the effects case. Choose it when the work is node-based compositing.
  • ffWorks — Its record describes a comprehensive media tool for macOS, which is the encode case. Choose it when the job is encoding and conversion rather than editing.

The apps

DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is a video editor for macOS. Professional video editing, colour grading, visual effects, motion graphics and audio post production in one application, free for 8-bit work up to Ultra HD with a $295 Studio upgrade for 10-bit, AI tools and higher frame rates. It is freemium.

Strengths. According to the developer, combines editing, colour correction, visual effects, motion graphics, audio post and photo editing in one application rather than several. The free version handles virtually all 8-bit video formats at up to 60fps in resolutions as high as Ultra HD 3840 x 2160. Multi-user collaboration and HDR grading are included in the free version, not held back for Studio.

Trade-offs. It is proprietary software, so the implementation cannot be inspected, modified or rebuilt. The free version is capped at 8-bit video, 60fps and Ultra HD resolution; 10-bit, 120fps and resolutions beyond 4K need the $295 Studio licence. Several of the headline AI features — the Neural Engine, extra Resolve FX, temporal and AI spatial noise reduction, magic mask — are Studio-only. Proprietary software: there is no source code and no open-source alternative to this particular toolset. The minimum macOS version and the supported Mac models are not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks.

Not for. Anyone who needs open-source software they can inspect and modify — Resolve is proprietary. Casual users who want to trim a clip, for whom the breadth of the application is overhead rather than capability.

What it does. Media page for importing, managing and delivering projects, with clip syncing, bins and metadata. Photo page, added in version 21, bringing colour tools to still photos with native RAW support for Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony. Cut page, a streamlined workspace aimed at fast turnaround. Edit page, the professional non-linear editor with a track layout and dual-monitor design.

DaVinci Resolve is listed with current version 21.

Full profile and verified facts for DaVinci Resolve →

ffWorks

ffWorks is a media app for macOS. Comprehensive Media Tool for macOS. Making High Quality Video Encoding Accessible for Everyone. Its pricing is not published.

ffWorks is listed with current version 5.4.

Full profile and verified facts for ffWorks →

LosslessCut

LosslessCut is a media app for macOS. Cross platform tool for quick and lossless video and audio trimming using ffmpeg. It is released under GPL-2.0.

What it does. Lossless cutting of most video and audio formats. Smart cut (experimental). Losslessly cut out parts of video/audio (for cutting away commercials etc.). Losslessly rearrange the order of video/audio segments.

LosslessCut is listed with current version 3.69.0.

Full profile and verified facts for LosslessCut →

Marker Data

Marker Data is a media app for macOS. The avant-garde Marker extraction application crafted for Final Cut Pro. It is released under MIT.

What it does. Functionality allowing batch extraction and rendering of stills or animated GIFs based on each Marker’s timecode. Automatically analyse and embed colour swatches from extracted images for shot reference. Integrates with Final Cut Pro, boasting a native Share Destination & Workflow Extension. Precise extraction of Markers, ensuring an accurate representation of metadata.

Marker Data is listed with current version 2.1.4.

Full profile and verified facts for Marker Data →

Natron

Natron is a media app for macOS. Open-source node-based compositing software. It is released under GPL-2.0.

What it does. Open Source VFX Compositing Software.

Natron is listed with current version 2.5.0.

Full profile and verified facts for Natron →

Nugget

Nugget is a design tool for macOS. Video editing software designed for motion effects and versatility. It is released under MIT. It is free.

What it does. Support for all standard formats (mp4, mov, mp3, wav…). Audio mixing. Fast rendering with FFmpeg. Unlimited layers.

Nugget is listed with current version 7.4.1.

Full profile and verified facts for Nugget →

OpenShot

OpenShot is a media app for macOS. OpenShot Video Editor is an award-winning free and open-source video editor for Linux, Mac, and Windows, and is dedicated to delivering high quality video editing and animation solutions to the world. It is open source.

What it does. Cross-platform (Linux, Mac, and Windows). Support for many video, audio, and image formats (based on FFmpeg). Curve-based keyframe animation. Desktop integration (drag and drop support).

Full profile and verified facts for OpenShot →

ScreenFlow

ScreenFlow is a media app for macOS. Screencasting and video editing software. Its pricing is not published.

ScreenFlow is listed with current version 10.5.2.

Full profile and verified facts for ScreenFlow →

Shotcut

Shotcut is a video editor for macOS. Free, open-source cross-platform video editor for macOS, Windows and Linux, with 4K and 8K support, HDR, 10-bit colour, GPU image processing, subtitles and a large filter set. It is released under GPL-3.0.

Strengths. According to the developer, handles 4K and 8K, 10-bit video end to end, linear colour processing, and HDR10 (PQ) and HLG HDR with tone mapping to SDR. Edits natively on the timeline with no import step, and can mix resolutions and frame rates within one project. Builds on FFmpeg rather than system codecs, so format support does not depend on the operating system.

Trade-offs. The current release needs macOS 12 or later; macOS 11 and macOS 10.14-10.15 are limited to older builds, the last of which was 24.01.31. Two advertised capabilities are explicitly work in progress: VST2 and LV2 audio plugins, and OpenFX image effect plugins. The macOS build comes from the project’s own site rather than a store, so nothing updates it automatically. It is a volunteer project, so there is no commercial support and no vendor to escalate to. The breadth of the interface is a learning cost: the filter list alone runs to well over a hundred entries.

Not for. Anyone who wants a simplified consumer editor — Shotcut exposes a professional toolset rather than hiding it. Users who need a vendor support contract, since it is a volunteer project funded by donations.

What it does. Native timeline editing with no import step, and frame-accurate seeking for many formats. Multi-format timeline that can mix resolutions and frame rates within one project. 4K and 8K support, with 10-bit video end to end and linear colour processing. HDR10 (PQ) and HLG HDR, plus tone mapping from HDR to SDR.

Shotcut is listed with current version 26.9.27.

Full profile and verified facts for Shotcut →

VidCrop

VidCrop is a media app for macOS. A simple video cropping tool that supports multiple formats and precise trimming. Its pricing is not published.

Full profile and verified facts for VidCrop →

How to choose

Open source: LosslessCut, Marker Data, Natron, OpenShot and Shotcut (5 of 10).

Common mistakes

  • Re-encoding a clip three times during an edit and then wondering why it looks soft.
  • Using a finishing application to trim a screen recording.
  • Grading on an uncalibrated display and calling the result a look.
  • Keeping an hour-long recording on the timeline when a proxy would make it workable.

How this guide was put together

Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.

A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.

The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.

Verified 2026-10-05.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose between these video editors?

There is no single answer — it depends on what you need. This guide covers 10 video editors: DaVinci Resolve, ffWorks, LosslessCut, Marker Data, Natron, Nugget, OpenShot, ScreenFlow, Shotcut and VidCrop. They differ mainly in pricing model, licence and the trade-offs each one carries. Pick by the trade-off you care about rather than by rank.

Are these video editors free?

Pricing across this group: freemium (DaVinci Resolve), not published (ffWorks, ScreenFlow and VidCrop), open source (LosslessCut, Marker Data, Natron, OpenShot and Shotcut) and free (Nugget). Where we list pricing as not published, the developer does not state a model we could verify — check their own site before assuming anything about cost. We quote a price only where the record carries one from a stated source, and we never estimate one. Prices change and vary by region and by store, so always check the developer’s own page for the current figure.

Which of these video editors are open source?

LosslessCut (GPL-2.0), Marker Data (MIT), Natron (GPL-2.0), OpenShot (not published) and Shotcut (GPL-3.0) are open source.

Do these video editors support Apple Silicon?

Apple Silicon support is explicitly stated for DaVinci Resolve and Shotcut. For the others our data does not carry an explicit statement either way, so we do not infer one.

How do I choose between them?

Start with how you pay: the guide groups these apps by pricing model, because the budget is the constraint most people actually have. Then check the trade-offs listed for each app: the limitations are the part that decides most people’s choice, because they describe what the app will not do for you.

Who should not use these apps?

DaVinci Resolve and Shotcut each list an audience they are explicitly not aimed at. Those notes come from the same verified records as the rest of this guide, and they are worth reading before you install anything.

When was this data last verified?

The facts in this guide were last confirmed on 2026-10-05. Every app page carries its own verification dates and source list, so you can check any individual claim.