Shotcut

ApplicationMeltytech

Also called shot cut, meltytech shotcut

MeltytechCreative

A free NLE from Meltytech. shotcut.exe is the process. It is not Premiere.

What you need to know

Shotcut is a free NLE. Premiere is Adobe's paid timeline.

shotcut.exe edits MLT projects. Premiere uses .prproj. They are both NLEs. They are not the same app.

What is it?: Free video editor
Still current?: Yes, see Current status
Official download?: Use the vendor link in this article

Feex says

If shotcut.exe is the process, that is Meltytech Shotcut, not Premiere. I would not hunt Adobe Premiere Pro.exe to explain an MLT project.

What is Shotcut?

Shotcut is an open-source nonlinear editor. Projects live in MLT XML. The Windows executable is shotcut.exe.

If you have never used it

Shotcut is Meltytech's free timeline editor. shotcut.exe is the process. It is not Premiere. Download from shotcut.org/download. A .mlt project is this app.

What is it used for?

Timeline cut

Arrange clips. Premiere is Adobe's paid NLE. This is shotcut.exe.

Filters

MLT filters. Premiere effects are a different SDK.

Export

Encode from Shotcut. Media Encoder is not involved.

Who is it for?

People who want a free NLE
Anyone avoiding Creative Cloud
Editors comparing Shotcut to Premiere

Current status

Shotcut (2011) is a current free video editor from Meltytech. The vendor still points Windows users at https://shotcut.org/download/.

How old is it?

Dan Dennedy shipped Shotcut in 2011 on the MLT framework. It is younger than Premiere Pro (2003) and it is still a free NLE. Current Windows builds are the Shotcut.org installers.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Current Windows build

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor
RAM	Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows what you open inside the app
RAM demand: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
shotcut.exe	Main Windows executable

Startup components

Shotcut does not need to start with Windows.

File locations

Common Shotcut locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\Shotcut\

File formats

MLTMP4MKVWEBM

Common problems

Expected Premiere shortcuts

Shotcut keybindings differ. Learn Shotcut. Do not assume Premiere.

Proxy vs full-res mix-up

Shotcut proxies are optional. A soft picture can be the preview setting.

Getting unstuck

Confirm shotcut.exe

Program Files\Shotcut is the app. Premiere is Adobe.

Install from shotcut.org/download

Avoid random Shotcut.exe hosts.

Reset configuration

Shotcut documents a config reset. This is not Premiere prefs.

Alternatives

Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, and CapCut overlap. Premiere does not replace a free MLT project.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	shotcut.org/download/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	shotcut.org/notes/ Vendor support
Official site	shotcut.org/ Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

Shotcut lists 64-bit Windows. Timeline smoothness follows disk and GPU, not a Feex sensor.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Shotcut official site · Vendor product page
Shotcut help · Vendor support
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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