Portable
Small C and C++ plugins run on GNU/Linux, macOS and Windows without special video hardware.
frei0rFree video effects, shared
A minimalistic plugin API and a portable collection of free and open source filters, generators and mixers.
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What frei0r is
frei0r is both a minimalistic video-effect plugin API and a large collection of plugins implementing that API. A host gives a plugin one or more video frames; the plugin transforms, mixes or generates frames and returns the result.
The deliberately narrow contract makes effects easy to implement, inspect and reuse. It has played a role for free video software comparable to the role LADSPA played for audio plugins: a small common interface that avoids repeatedly reimplementing useful algorithms.
100+ video-effect plugins
4 plugin types: source, filter, mixer2 and mixer3
3 major desktop platforms
What it is not
frei0r is not a complete video application or a general framework for every kind of media plugin. It intentionally omits complex event, timeline and UI systems. Applications and frameworks such as FFmpeg and MLT provide those higher-level capabilities around the effects.
Use frei0r in your software
frei0r effects are available through widely used free software:
See the full supporting-software list →
An open collection of visual knowledge
The source is useful beyond the plugins themselves. It is a library of readable formulas for color correction, compositing, geometry, blur, distortion, analysis, generators and experimental image processing.
The preservation story
Read frei0r: the free and open source video effect preservation project for the project’s origins, people, software ecosystem and demonstrations.
See the collection in motion
The following rapid demonstration contains flashing and high-contrast imagery.