Open Source Alternatives
  • Alternatives
  • Categories
    Categories by size882 projects
    • Developer Tools461
    • AI & Machine Learning404
    • Web Development196
    • Business & Productivity191
    • Communication & Collaboration126
    • Security & Monitoring126
    • IT Management123
    • Product & Project Management106
    • Cloud & Hosting105
    • Data & Analytics104
    Browse all 21 categoriesLLMOps & AI Tooling, Design & Creative and 9 more
  • Blog
  • Advertise
SearchNotion, Slack, password manager.../
Submit
Open Source Alternatives
  • Alternatives
    • Developer Tools461
    • AI & Machine Learning404
    • Web Development196
    • Business & Productivity191
    • Communication & Collaboration126
    • Security & Monitoring126
    • Browse all 21 categories
  • Blog
  • Advertise
Submit your project

New open source projects by email

The projects we add and every new guide. Free, unsubscribe any time.

Open Source Alternatives LogoOpen Source Alternatives

Handpicked Open Source Alternatives to Paid Softwares

Product

  • Categories
  • Tag
  • Advertise

Resources

  • Blog
  • Collection
  • Submit

Company

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Refund Policy
  • Sitemap

Alternatives

  • Claude Code
  • Jira
  • Notion
  • Slack
  • Linear
  • Wispr Flow
  • All alternatives
© 2026 Open Source Alternatives. All rights reserved.
Open SourceAlternatives
Home/Categories/Design & Creative/LiVES
LiVES app icon

LiVES

Open source alternative to Resolume, Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve Studio

  • 102 stars
  • GPL-3.0
  • Last commit 794 days ago

Last verified Oct 13, 2026

Edit and VJ live video on Linux with a free, open source tool for real-time effects, clip mixing, and non-linear editing.

Visit websiteGitHub102 starsDeploy on Hostinger
image of LiVES
TL;DR

LiVES is a GNU/Linux video editing and VJ performance tool for creators who need both non-linear editing and live visual manipulation. It suits experimental video work, performance setups, and Linux-first media workflows.

Read the full breakdownHide the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs and the FAQ
who it's for

Who LiVES is for#

Live visual performance

LiVES fits VJs who need to trigger and manipulate video in real time on Linux systems.

Skip if:

You only need a conventional timeline editor for polished studio production.

Experimental open video editing

Artists can use LiVES for projects that mix prepared edits, effects, and performance-driven playback.

Skip if:

Your workflow depends on commercial plugin ecosystems or team review tools.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Most video editors optimize for timeline post-production, not live performance. VJs and experimental artists need to trigger, mix, process, and manipulate clips in real time while still keeping editing tools available.

Linux creators also face a smaller set of mature media tools than macOS and Windows users. LiVES fills a niche for people who want an open video workflow that can move between editing, effects, and live playback.

how LiVES solves it

How it solves it#

Real-time video manipulation

LiVES is built for live visual work where clips, effects, and playback need to respond during performance.

Non-linear editing workflow

The tool also supports timeline-style editing, which helps creators prepare and refine material before performance.

Linux-first media tooling

LiVES gives GNU/Linux users an open video editor and VJ tool without depending on proprietary desktop suites.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

  • Strong live-performance fitLiVES is more relevant to VJs and experimental video artists than many standard open-source editors.
  • Flexible creative workflowCombining editing and performance features lets artists keep one tool in the loop from preparation to live output.

Trade-offs

  • -Niche interface and workflowEditors coming from Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve should expect a different workflow and should test project-format needs first.
tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages
CC++PerlPython
frequently asked

FAQ#

What is LiVES used for?

LiVES is used for video editing and live VJ performance, especially on GNU/Linux systems.

Is LiVES only for live performance?

No. LiVES includes non-linear editing features as well as real-time performance capabilities.

Who should choose LiVES?

LiVES is best for Linux creators, VJs, and experimental video artists who need open tools for editing and live manipulation.

also worth a look

Similar open-source tools#

Shotcut

Alternative toAdobe Premiere Pro

Open source video editor for native timeline workflows on desktop

  • 15,459 GitHub stars
  • GPL-3.0Licence GPL-3.0

OpenShot

Alternative toAdobe Premiere Pro

Free open source video editor for Linux, Mac, and Windows

  • 6,663 GitHub stars
  • GPL-3.0Licence GPL-3.0

Pitivi

Alternative toAdobe Premiere Pro

Non-linear video editor for Linux, powered by GStreamer

  • 239 GitHub stars
  • LGPL-2.1Licence LGPL-2.1

Kdenlive

Alternative toAdobe Premiere Pro

Free non-linear video editor for Linux, Mac, and Windows

  • 5,907 GitHub stars
  • GPL-3.0Licence GPL-3.0

Cinelerra GG Infinity

Alternative toAdobe Premiere Pro

Professional video editing software for Linux, fully free

  • 17 GitHub stars
  • GPL-2.0Licence GPL-2.0

Flowblade

Alternative toAdobe Premiere Pro

Free non-linear video editor for Linux with GPU support

  • 3,099 GitHub stars
  • GPL-3.0Licence GPL-3.0
by category

Open source tools in these categories#

98

Design & Creative

ComfyUI, Excalidraw, Godot Engine191

Business & Productivity

OpenClaw, Excalidraw, RustDesk463

Developer Tools

REA (Reverse Engineer Anything), superpowers, Skills for Real Engineers
Hostinger

Run LiVES on your own server

Self-host LiVES on a Hostinger VPS.

Deploy on Hostinger

Featured

Omnara

Alternative toCClaude Managed Agents

Open-source agent deployment API. Self-host or use Omnara Cloud.

  • 2,957 GitHub stars
  • Apache-2.0Licence Apache-2.0
  • #AI Agents

rakazo

Alternative toGrok Bot

AI teammates you own: your keys, your model, your machine.

  • 4,904 GitHub stars
  • Apache-2.0Licence Apache-2.0
  • #AI Agents

Inbox Zero

Alternative toSuperhuman

AI email assistant that drafts replies and clears your inbox

  • 12,712 GitHub stars
  • AGPL-3.0Licence AGPL-3.0
  • #Email
Feature your project

New open source projects by email

The projects we add and every new guide. Free, unsubscribe any time.

Find open source alternatives to paid software

/
  • Claude Code to OpenCode
  • Jira to Windshift
  • Notion to AppFlowy
  • Slack to Mattermost
  • Linear to GitLab
  • Wispr Flow to Handy
  • CapCut to Concat
  • Grok Bot to rakazo
  • Superhuman to Inbox Zero
  • Airtable to AITable
  • Muse to OpenClaw
  • GitHub Copilot to Cline
  • Datadog to Netdata
  • Microsoft Teams to Rocket.Chat
  • Pinecone to Qdrant
  • Zapier to n8n
  • Devin AI to OpenHands
  • Firebase to Supabase
  • 1Password to KeePassXC
  • Confluence to Docmost
  • Contentful to Strapi
  • Adobe Premiere Pro to Shotcut
  • ChatGPT to AnythingLLM
  • LangSmith to Langfuse
  • Claude Code to OpenCode
  • Jira to Windshift
  • Notion to AppFlowy
  • Slack to Mattermost
  • Linear to GitLab
  • Wispr Flow to Handy
  • CapCut to Concat
  • Grok Bot to rakazo
  • Superhuman to Inbox Zero
  • Airtable to AITable
  • Muse to OpenClaw
  • GitHub Copilot to Cline
  • Datadog to Netdata
  • Microsoft Teams to Rocket.Chat
  • Pinecone to Qdrant
  • Zapier to n8n
  • Devin AI to OpenHands
  • Firebase to Supabase
  • 1Password to KeePassXC
  • Confluence to Docmost
  • Contentful to Strapi
  • Adobe Premiere Pro to Shotcut
  • ChatGPT to AnythingLLM
  • LangSmith to Langfuse