A free video editor for Linux, with auto captions
Updated 29 October 2026
Most of the popular easy video editors, such as CapCut and Descript, have no Linux app. Cutcrow does: it's a desktop video editor for Linux and Windows with word-timed auto captions, transitions, colour, zooms and voice-over, and an AI agent (Claude Code or Codex) that can do the editing for you. The free version is free for as long as you like.
What runs on Linux?
Cutcrow comes as a single AppImage that runs on Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, Pop!_OS, Fedora, Arch and most other distributions. FFmpeg is included, so there's nothing else to install. Make the file executable (chmod +x, or Properties → Permissions → "Allow executing") and open it. It updates itself.
How do auto captions work?
Click Captions above the timeline and Cutcrow writes captions from what's said, timed to every word. The speech recognition runs on your computer, so your audio isn't uploaded anywhere. Pick one of five styles (boxed, bold, karaoke, word by word or clean), place them at the top, middle or bottom, and fix any word by clicking it; the timing stays.
What else can it do?
- Edit by text: delete words in the transcript and they're cut from the video.
- 35 transitions and 16 title animations, each previewed live.
- Colour looks and sliders, crop, and "Zoom here" punch-ins with keyframes.
- Voice-over: record straight onto the timeline with a count-in and a level meter.
- Audio: fades, volume keyframes, background-noise reduction, even out loudness on export.
- Blur a face or a password, freeze frames, reverse clips.
- Export MP4 up to 1080p in the free version (4K with a licence), GIF or audio, with presets for YouTube, TikTok, Reels, Instagram, X and Discord.
Is it really free?
Yes. The free version has the full editor and the AI agent. Its limits: exports up to 1080p with a small "Made with Cutcrow" mark, up to 3 projects, and personal use only. A one-time licence removes them. The AI editing uses your own Claude or ChatGPT plan; Cutcrow doesn't charge for it. You can also edit entirely by hand without the AI.
How does it compare with Kdenlive or Shotcut?
Kdenlive and Shotcut are free, open-source editors with deep feature sets, and great choices for traditional editing. Cutcrow focuses on fast editing for talking videos, tutorials and short-form clips: captions from speech, editing by text, and an AI agent that can make whole edits from one request. Many people use both.