Open-source creative software on Linux covers digital painting, video editing, audio recording and editing, live streaming, and transcoding. The main options in the Stackora catalog are Krita for painting and illustration, Kdenlive and Shotcut for video editing, Audacity for audio, OBS Studio for streaming and screen recording, and HandBrake for converting video files. Most of these are desktop applications listed under Desktop Apps and Linux apps, and all of them are free to use.

This roundup covers the creative tools in the catalog that fit this topic. Support for 3D modeling is not represented by a product in this list, so it is not covered here.

Digital painting and illustration

Krita

Krita is a free, open-source desktop app for digital painting and illustration. It is built on KDE and Qt and is aimed at artists creating finished artwork from start to finish. It is licensed under GPL-3.0 and has about 10,551 stars on its repository. Choose Krita when your main work is drawing, painting or illustration rather than photo retouching or layout.

Video editing

Kdenlive

Kdenlive is a free, open-source desktop video editor for Linux, macOS and Windows. It is built on the MLT Framework and KDE Frameworks and supports multi-track editing. It is licensed under GPL-3.0 and has about 5,869 stars. It is a good fit when you need a multi-track timeline on Linux.

Shotcut

Shotcut is a free, open-source, cross-platform video editor for Windows, macOS and Linux. It is also built on the MLT multimedia framework and Qt. It is licensed under GPL-3.0 and has about 15,429 stars. Because it shares the MLT foundation with Kdenlive, it is a practical alternative if you work across several operating systems and want the same engine on each.

Audio recording and editing

Audacity

Audacity is a free, open-source, multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, macOS and GNU/Linux. It is used to record, edit and mix sound. The catalog lists about 18,744 stars for its repository. It is the go-to choice when you need to record voice or instruments, clean up audio and mix multiple tracks.

Streaming, screen recording and transcoding

OBS Studio

OBS Studio is free, open-source software for live streaming and screen recording. It lets you capture, composite, encode and stream video. It is licensed under GPL-2.0 and has about 77,584 stars. Use it for tutorials, live shows and capturing your screen as source material for editing.

HandBrake

HandBrake is an open-source desktop video transcoder for Linux, macOS and Windows. It converts existing videos into MP4, MKV or WebM for phones, TVs and browsers. It has about 24,682 stars. It is useful as the final step after editing, when you need to produce files for a specific device or web player.

Playback and supporting tools

VLC is a free, open-source media player and multimedia engine that plays most video and audio formats on Linux, Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. It is licensed under GPL-2.0 and has about 20,064 stars. It is the simplest way to check your exports before you publish them.

calibre is a desktop ebook manager that views, converts, edits and catalogs e-books. It is licensed under GPL-3.0. It applies if your creative work involves publishing e-books rather than audio or video.

How to choose

Start from the kind of media you produce.

  • For painting and illustration, use Krita.
  • For editing video, choose Kdenlive if you only work on Linux and want a KDE-integrated timeline, or Shotcut if you want the same editor on Windows and macOS.
  • For audio recording and mixing, use Audacity.
  • For recording your screen or streaming live, use OBS Studio.
  • For converting finished videos into device-friendly formats, use HandBrake.

Check the license before you bundle any of these into a product or distribution. Audacity and HandBrake are listed without a license in the catalog, so confirm their terms on the project pages before reuse. The GPL-licensed tools carry copyleft obligations if you distribute modified versions.

A common setup for Linux creators is Kdenlive or Shotcut for editing, Audacity for sound, OBS Studio for capture, and HandBrake for the final export. Browse the Linux apps category and the publishers list to see who maintains each project.

Recommendation

For most creators on Linux, start with Kdenlive or Shotcut for video, Audacity for audio, and Krita for drawing. Add OBS Studio when you record or stream, and HandBrake when you need to convert the final file. Pick one editor and learn it well before adding more tools.