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Choosing Video & Motion alternatives: 6 free/open-source options

Cutting, motion, audio & color grading. Below, 6 tools cover 4 vendors; 3 have been hands-on tested by us, the rest are marked "not tested yet" — no invented verdicts.

Compare at a glance

Tool	Replaces	License	Runs on	Chinese UI	Online
EffectCraft	Adobe After Effects	Apache-2.0 (commercial use OK)	online / desktop	no (English UI)	online, ready to use
FilmCraft	Adobe Premiere Pro	Apache-2.0 (commercial use OK)	online / desktop	no (English UI)	online, ready to use
SoundCraft	Pro Tools / audio workstations	Apache-2.0 (commercial use OK)	desktop	no (English UI)	desktop only
DaVinci Resolve not tested yet	Adobe Premiere Pro	Proprietary & free	desktop	yes	desktop only
Shotcut not tested yet	Adobe Premiere Pro	GPL-3.0 (commercial OK, derivatives must stay open source)	desktop	yes	desktop only
CapCut not tested yet	Adobe Premiere Pro	Proprietary, free with paid tiers	online / desktop / mobile	yes	official online

Pick by need (conclusions first)

Want it now, no install: prioritize the "Online" column; for tools without an online build, use the official online version.
Need a Chinese UI: pick only rows with Chinese UI = yes; an English UI still works, but you will be reading menus by icon.
Commercial use / second-party development: check the license column — MIT / Apache-2.0 are the most permissive; GPL derivatives must stay open source.
Sensitive files: pick self-hosted or desktop tools that process files locally; avoid online services that require uploads.

All 6 tools

EffectCraft

tested

Positioned against After Effects. Maturity: in development. Our hands-on: the web build en

See hands-on test →

FilmCraft

tested

Positioned against Premiere Pro. Maturity: in development. Our hands-on: the web build ent

See hands-on test →

SoundCraft

tested

Positioned against Pro Tools. Maturity: in development. Our hands-on: the web build enters

See hands-on test →

DaVinci Resolve

not tested yet

The free version is already feature-complete; the Studio version is a one-time purchase

waiting for hands-on test

Shotcut

not tested yet

Fully free and open source

waiting for hands-on test

CapCut

not tested yet

Basic features free; stock assets / premium features are paid

waiting for hands-on test