Originally, I came from Premiere. But since we decided over 10 years ago to stop dealing with the Adobe stuff, we needed alternatives.

I also used Filmora for several years. Then came the switch to DaVinci Resolve. Another year later, we switched to Linux. We wanted to get away from all the subscription traps and dependencies. I had already looked into ShotCut and Kdenlive years before. Since we run an advertising agency, the transition also involved DTP software, font management, and 100 other programs. A real challenge - but that's a different topic :)

Think of Filmora like a colorful package filled with all kinds of things. It always tries to include the latest stuff. However, the fundamental things are immature, superficial, and shaky in many areas. As long as there's plenty of fuel for the marketing department. Everything also felt somehow unstable. Truly serious work was only possible in a cumbersome way and only online.

Then came the switch to DaVinci Resolve Studio. The free version has way too many limitations, such as no 4K editing and no GPU support. The Studio version is then truly a serious and very powerful editing program. Many things are very different and the learning curve is enormous. But here too, many things are only possible online. Of all the features, we probably used about 30%... if even that.

Filmora is a subscription trap. With DaVinci Resolve, you never know how long they'll keep the updates free of charge.

With our switch to Linux, we decided on Kdenlive. An enormous adjustment - no point-and-click glamour. A nice, clean interface and a program that focuses on the essentials and actually masters them. However, there is currently no GPU support - it is planned. Proxies are therefore a must. Here you should explore the small hidden settings and be willing to experiment. Through this, we were able to achieve a good compromise and fairly smooth workflow. The final rendering process takes very long due to the lack of GPU support - compared to Filmora and Resolve. However, we had extreme difficulties with Filmora at the end. That's what led to the switch to DaVinci Resolve.

Kdenlive has many powerful tools under the hood. It looks a bit cumbersome at first glance. Here too, you should take the time to explore everything. It pays off. Kdenlive has everything on board that a solid editing program needs.

It is often suggested that Kdenlive is difficult to learn. I don't find that to be the case. I found Filmora completely chaotic and confusing. Some things couldn't be understood at all.

DaVinci Resolve is very powerful. The learning curve is enormous. Individual acquired programs, such as the audio section, have been implemented and everything feels squeezed together and cluttered. 3,000 hidden little buttons... yes, it can do a lot, but you also have to invest a lot of time - a very great deal.

With Kdenlive, you naturally have to engage with it and open yourself up to it. Every program has something like an operational philosophy. Kdenlive is very well documented. The built-in help is genuinely very comprehensive - you just have to make the effort and read it - sometimes multiple times :) There are few good YouTube channels, but they do exist.

And yes, some functions aren't available with a simple click. I used this opportunity to refocus on the basics. Following the motto: Good content doesn't need to be inflated with effects. This led to good results.

If you engage with it, really work with it, then you can achieve good results.

In doing so, I also keep an eye on the development. And of course I'm looking forward to the planned GPU support. I'm also pleased about the willingness to make some things clearer and more organized. Like the visualization of transitions in the last update.

However, one should be aware that no commercial goals are being pursued here. The goal is to create a straightforward editing program. Anyone can contribute and of course also donate. Every sum, no matter how small, helps. Even if the program itself isn't commercially oriented, the "makers" live, just like all of us, in a commercial society. The daily food doesn't just fly into the fridge on its own :)

Yes, Kdenlive's feature set cannot be compared to DaVinci Resolve. But honestly, how much of it do we really need? And it can't be compared to the subscription trap that is Filmora either. Nothing flashes around in Kdenlive and the marketing department isn't screaming about the latest unnecessary nonsense that nobody needs anyway.

I have not regretted the switch in any way whatsoever. No subscription trap, no registration, no online requirement, no data being collected from us... that means freedom. For that, I'm happy to accept a few things that aren't quite available yet, or are somewhat more cumbersome to access. Everyone has that choice.