The perfect free video editing software makes it easy to edit videos for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Vimeo, and YouTube.
As a content creator, you already know that professional-looking videos are more engaging than static images and may increase your conversion rates.
Below, you’ll find a listing of the 15 best free video editing programs from around the net. Each videographer has their very own needs, so this post includes a few of the most useful features of every video editor and the professionals and cons of the tools.
1. HitFilm
Best overall free video editing software program
Available for: Mac and Windows.
Price: Free ($12.99 per thirty days for HitFilm Pro, when billed yearly).
Watermark? No.
In case you don’t have plenty of experience with video editing software, HitFilm may feel somewhat advanced at first. It’s used to provide Hollywood-style movies, however it’s definitely worth the learning curve, because it’s the perfect all-in-one free video editor available. (HitFilm does ask you to share a social media status update once you download the software, but that’s a small price to pay.)
HitFilm includes animation tools for creating and editing audio and video transitions without the necessity for composite shots, which is a big time saver. It also has cool 3D effects for movies, music videos, and even YouTube videos—plus features you’d normally find in a paid video editing software, resembling 360-degree editing and a library of computer graphics.
HitFilm features
- Motion tracking, color pickers, and cropping tools
- Composite shot feature
- Auto-stabilizer to smooth shaky footage
- Adaptive trimmer to re-trim clips after adding them to the timeline
- Smart attribute copy and paste
- Audio mixer for fine-tuning sound output
- Various transition options including push, zoom, and dissolve
Pros
✓
Unlimited video and audio track creation.
✓
Create professional-looking videos using motion tracking and stabilization.
✓
Composite shot enhancement enables you to animate shots together.
✓
With smart copy, select a gaggle of attributes and apply them to several clips or all the project.
Cons
✕
HitFilm has advanced tools and features, so there could also be a learning curve for beginners.
2. Lightworks
Best free video editing software for powerful features
Available for: Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Price: Free ($23.99 per thirty days for Lightworks pro).
Watermark? No.
Lightworks includes an easy and intuitive interface, so it’s easy to select up and use. It also offers a set of detailed video tutorials, making it certainly one of the more accessible video editing software options on this list.
Lightworks works with Linux, and has a set of original stock videos and music clips licensed to be used. Overall, it’s an easy but powerful piece of software that may add polish to any marketing video.
Lightworks features
- Easy trim function for precise video editing
- Speed optimization that enables you to edit while importing content
- Multicam editing for syncing clips from multiple cameras
- Share projects in real time together with your team
Pros
✓
Supports a wide selection of video formats, so there’s no must convert clips before uploading.
✓
Sharing is straightforward with Lightworks. You may export clips to YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and Instagram.
✓
Share your project with other editors by granting live access.
Cons
✕
The free version doesn’t support 4K. In case you’re producing videos for big screens, you’ll must upgrade.
3. iMovie
Best free video editing software for Mac users
Available for: Mac, iOS.
Price: Free.
Watermark? No.
Popular standby Apple iMovie comes bundled with macOS. Like many native Apple apps, iMovie is uncomplicated and uses an easy drag-and-drop interface for moving files out of your drive to your workstation. It’s a simple solution to construct powerful videos that may boost your YouTube marketing efforts.
An enormous advantage to iMovie is that files are saved on Apple’s cloud, meaning you possibly can work on a project interchangeably across iPhone, iPad, or Mac. iMovie is consistently being updated, too, so you possibly can look ahead to recent features and enhancements.
iMovie features
- 4K resolution
- Cloud storage
- Studio quality title and credits animations
- Video filters for specific genres
- Built-in music and sound effects library
- Voice-over recording
- Speed controls for motion scenes and slow-motion highlights
Pros
✓
Start your project on Mac, then finish it via iPhone withiCloud.
✓
iMovie’s filters are a fun solution to add genre cliches to your project, resembling a Western or sci-fi look.
✓
The voiceover recording feature keeps audio and video synchronized.
Cons
✕
As Apple’s native video editing software, iMovie is designed for Mac users only.
4. VideoPad
Best free video editing software for beginners
Available for: Mac, Windows, Android, iOS.
Price: Free.
Watermark? No.
VideoPad is an ideal option for anyone who desires to create high-quality videos without opening your wallet. With VideoPad, you’ll find every kind of straightforward and easy-to-use features—resembling 3D video editing and a sound effects library—to check out different video compositions and styles.
You may edit videos with computer graphics, overlays, texts, and transitions, as well adjust color sound levels. If you’re done, export finished videos to YouTube, Facebook, or Google Drive quickly and simply.
The most important drawback to VideoPad is that it’s too easy for advanced video editing. It doesn’t include as many features as a few of the other best free video editing software on this list—but, with options so as to add light effects, high quality tune colours, and overlay text, there’s enough here to make it definitely worth the free download.
VideoPad features
- Double-screen view
- Preset export settings for Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms
- Large library of customizable transitions and visual effects
- Video optimization tools, including stabilization
Pros
✓
Try the double-screen feature to see chosen clips and your complete sequence in a single view.
✓
Social publishing tools are great for those times when you have to edit and share videos quickly.
Cons
✕
VideoPad lacks the advanced editing tools present in other software on this list.
✕
In case you’re a Mac user, you’ll find most of VideoPad’s features are already available in iMovie.
5. DaVinci Resolve
Best free video editing software for advanced editors
Available for: Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Price: Free ($295 for the complete Studio version).
Watermark? No.
DaVinci Resolve combines skilled 8K editing, color correction, visual effects, and audio post-production right into a single production tool, which is why it’s the software of alternative for a lot of skilled editors of movies, television shows, and commercials.
DaVinci allows for each offline and online editing, and its high-performance playback engine saves time when trimming clips—even with processor-intensive file formats resembling H.264 and RAW. DaVinci Resolve’s complex features could also be too extensive for some users, but its free version is ideal for mid-level projects.
DaVinci Resolve features
- Dual timeline for quick navigation and cuts
- Dedicated trimming interface
- Intelligent auto-editing to sync audio and video
- Picture-in-picture, stabilization, and dynamic zoom
- Facial recognition and automatic people-sorting tool
- Motion estimation speed changes and frame rate conversions
Pros
✓
A dedicated trim interface that provides you the flexibility to edit in minute detail.
✓
Facial recognition detects faces in your video and creates bins for everybody that appears.
Cons
✕
DaVinci offers complex video editing software features that could be overkill for less complicated use cases.
6. VSDC free video editor
Best free video editing software with no watermark
Available for: Windows.
Price: Free ($59.98 for the professional version).
Watermark? No.
VSDC’s desktop video editing software is out there in each free and paid versions. Although the free version has reduced features, it still comes with VSDC’s full video editing suite—including a masking tool and chroma key functionality for green-screen video effects. VSDC is a preferred free video editing software used for GoPro footage.
If you’ve got the funds to spring for the complete version, the suite of tools expands to incorporate video stabilization, robust post-production effects, slideshow/presentation capabilities, 3D diagram templates, and direct social media publishing.
VSDC features
- Color-correction
- A full library of transitional effects
- Masking tools for hiding, blurring, or highlighting
- HEVC/H.265 (advanced video-compression standard)
Pros
✓
Share videos on to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Vimeo.
✓
Easy-to-use image filters, just like those found on Instagram.
✓
HEVC/H.265 maintains quality on the minimum file size; essential for processing 4K.
Cons
✕
The free version is for Windows only, and has limited features.
7. OpenShot
Best free video editing software for intermediate editors
Available for: Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Price: Free.
Watermark? No.
OpenShot’s easy-to-use user interface makes it an ideal video editing program for beginner and intermediate editors. More complex tools may offer more editing components, but OpenShot’s minimal design is ideal for easy editing jobs.
OpenShot is an efficient option for small businesses who must make ads and social media posts. It’s best for clip resizing, scaling, trimming, snapping, and rotation. It also offers credit scrolling, frame stepping, time mapping, audio editing, and real-time previews.
OpenShot features
- Unlimited layers for backgrounds and audio tracks
- Customizable title-card templates
- Digital video effects including chroma key compositing
- Key-frame animation for animated videos
Pros
✓
Drag-and-drop functionality for adding video, audio, and image files.
✓
Adjust brightness, gamma, hue, and grayscale, and perform chroma key compositing for green-screen effects.
Cons
✕
Lacks advanced editing tools.
✕
OpenShot is best for trimming and mixing clips than adding effects.
8. Shotcut
Best open-source video editing software for audio editing
Available for: Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Price: Free.
Watermark? No.
Shotcut is an open-source, cross-platform video editor with an unlimited collection of instructional videos. It also supports a wide selection of formats, including FFmpeg, 4K, ProRes, and DNxHD. A warning, nonetheless: Shotcut was originally designed for Linux, so some may find the interface somewhat quirky. Despite this, it’s still a top-notch editor.
Shotcut also has extensive audio editing options, making it ideal for audiophiles. Its host of fine-tuning audio tools lets users make bass and treble adjustments, create bandpass filters, adjust gain, add dynamic compression, and more.
Shotcut features
- File format support with FFmpeg
- Native timeline editing
- Advanced audio filters including bandpass filters and compressor
- AV1 decoding and encoding support
Pros
✓
A multi-format timeline for mixing and matching resolutions and frame rates inside a project.
✓
Import video files directly into your project file slightly than a media library.
Cons
✕
Some feel that Shotcut’s interface is unintuitive.
✕
Shot could also be higher suited to audio editing.
9. Clipchamp
Best free video editing software for Windows 11
Available for: Windows.
Price: Free.
Watermark? No.
Microsoft Clipchamp comes preinstalled on Windows 11. It’s certainly one of the more intuitive video editors on this list, with some neat time-saving features resembling batch editing, auto captions, and text-to-speech.
Clipchamp enables you to edit videos from screen recordings in addition to uploaded video files. There are drag-and-drop editing tools, plus a spread of well-designed templates and music tracks which you could add to your creations.
Clipchamp features
- Speaker coach
- Unlimited 1080p exports
- AI editing features
- Royalty-free music library
Pros
✓
A speaker coach helps you improve your voice-over and virtual meeting skills.
✓
Easy to make use of for novice Windows users.
Cons
✕
Clipchamp is barely free when installed with a Microsoft 365 subscription.
10. Vimeo Create
Best free video editor with AI
Available for: iOS and Android.
Price: Free (Plus subscriptions start at $7 per thirty days).
Watermark? No.
Vimeo Create, a free editing software you possibly can connect on to your Shopify store, robotically turns your existing product images and text into polished ecommerce videos—no video experience needed.
All you’ve got to do is answer just a few questions on your product, add your footage and logo, and select style customizations. Vimeo Create then robotically edits your video in minutes (though you can too select your personal styles, or start from scratch). The AI software even suggests colours, themes, music, and fonts.
It’s especially useful for creating videos at scale (say, for instance, you must start a channel for your online business in an effort to generate income on YouTube and wish to streamline the creation process). Because Vimeo is an all-in-one solution, you can too manage, host, and distribute all of your videos from one place, streamlining your workflow.
Vimeo Create features
- Greater than 1,000 templates
- Facial recognition feature
- Auto-cropping
- iStock integration for unlimited stock images
- Commercially licensed music library
Pros
✓
Easily share your videos across marketing channels.
✓
Harness AI so as to add effects and brand elements.
✓
Skilled auto-editing tools.
Cons
✕
Higher for batch editing videos that need minimal corrections.
11. KineMaster
Best free video editor app for mobile
Available for: iOS, Android, Chromebook.
Price: Free ($3.99 per thirty days for the paid plan).
Watermark? Yes.
In case you’re video editing on the go, consider KineMaster your go-to software. This free (subscription model optional) yet powerful video editing app is ideal for mobile devices. With KineMaster, you possibly can shoot, edit, and upload footage out of your phone or tablet. Mobile editors often sacrifice advanced tools to simplify video creation, but KineMaster does the alternative.
With KineMaster, you possibly can cut, splice, crop, and mix videos easily, with greater than 2,500 downloadable transitions and effects. Use color filters and adjustments to correct and enhance videos in order that they stand out. If you’re finished, easily share to YouTube, TikTok, Reels, Stories, and more.
KineMaster features
- Project backup feature for added security
- Mixing options to create artistic video effects
- Tool for focal shifts and in-camera transitions
- Edit and export 4K videos at 60 FPS
Pros
✓
Visit the asset store to download effects, soundtracks, stickers, fonts, and more.
Cons
✕
KineMaster is meant for mobile use only.
✕
Designed for shooting then editing video, slightly than as a dedicated editor program.
12. Movie Maker Online
Best online in-browser free video editor
Available for: In-browser use.
Price: Free.
Watermark? No.
Movie Maker Online is the perfect browser-based video editor. It’s a free tool for those that need to create videos, but there are some drawbacks. The tool is supported by ads, so that you’ll should navigate around them to edit your videos. It also has a 10-minute maximum duration, which ought to be OK for many use cases.
The interface also has some quirks. The video and audio timelines are positioned vertically, as an alternative of horizontally, like traditional video editors. It’s a bit difficult to get used to at first. Nevertheless, it’s easily accessible on multiple devices since it’s completely browser-based.
Movie Maker Online gives you all the fundamentals you have to make a video totally free. You furthermore mght get access to free music, videos, and photos, which is a pleasant bonus.
Movie Maker Online features
- Royalty-free music, photo, and sound effect library
- Built-in support
Pros
✓
Free, in-browser editing which you could access in seconds.
✓
Ideal for quickly trimming, combining, and adjusting videos
Cons
✕
Some users find the interface confusing.
✕
Movie Maker is supported by ads, which will be distracting.
✕
Maximum clip duration of 10 minutes.
13. Movavi Video Editor
Best free video editor for social media influencers
Available for: Windows and Mac.
Price: Free (trial version only).
Watermark? Yes.
With Movavi Video Editor, you possibly can make polished, skilled videos with an array of dynamic features. With its easy-to-use interface and intuitive features, this software is great for beginners, however it also has advanced features that may appeal to those making social media reels.
With the software, you possibly can create videos that work with virtually any file format: one more reason why Movavi Video Editor is an ideal alternative for individuals who need to create high-quality videos without spending plenty of time learning easy methods to do it.
Movavi features
- Visual enhancement library
- Superimpose video over backgrounds
- Audio balancing
- Add multiple layers of video, audio, and effects
Pros
✓
One-click auto-improve the standard of your video.
✓
Save and share your project in almost any file format.
✓
Suggests changes to your footage and where to separate clips.
Cons
✕
The free version adds watermarks to videos.
14. ActivePresenter
Best free video editor for screencasts
Available for: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android.
Price: Free (paid version starts at $199).
Watermark? No.
ActivePresenter is an all-in-one screen recording and video editing software, available in free and paid versions. Developed by Atomi Systems, it serves the video editing area of interest of instructional and e-learning videos.
ActivePresenter features
- Record in full screen, window, or locked application
- Screenshots hot key
- Picture-in-picture (PIP), text-to-speech (TTS), and audio normalization
- Interactive quizzes
- Export to SCORM and xAPI standards
Pros
✓
Designed for creating interactive elearning content.
✓
A simple-to-navigate design that works well for non-editors.
Cons
✕
Primarily a screen recorder, so lacks advanced features for long recordings.
✕
ActivePresenter is for creating instructional videos and demonstrations, so it might not work for all use cases.
15. Video Grabber
Best free online video editor for brief clips
Available for: In-Browser use.
Price: Free.
Watermark? No.
Video Grabber isn’t only a video downloader but additionally a converter, screen recorder, and basic video editor, making it one of the vital versatile video creation and editing tools on this list. With the identical platform, you possibly can download videos, convert them into different formats, record screen activities, and even perform some basic video editing process.
Video Grabber features
- >Download videos from any online source
- Convert files from a wide selection of formats
- Screen recording function with adjustable settings
- Video subtitling tool
- Batch processing feature
Pros
✓
Super easy to crop, trim, and add effects to videos.
✓
Accessible from any device with web access.
Cons
✕
Designed for easy video editing and lacks advanced features.
Tips on how to select a video editor
There are various desktop-based editing software programs available for businesses trying to create promotional videos. The largest advantage of free video editing software for desktops is that they have an inclination to have more features than most mobile video editing apps.
Whether you’re editing videos for YouTube or TikTok, listed here are some considerations to consider:
- User experience. Search for software that has express editing modes so you possibly can edit videos in your chosen style quickly. Templates are also a bonus. A superb editing software can even have tutorials so you possibly can learn the features and excel.
- Editing features. Check to see in case your software of alternative has powerful video editing tools that may impress viewers. For instance, in the event you’re using drone footage, you’ll want an editing software that may enhance and add effects to video. Possibly you would like chroma key editing or color grading, or more advanced features, like 360-degree editing.
- Hidden costs. Some video editors are “free,” but only work well in the event you pay more cash to access higher features. Completely free editing software could have limited file format support, poor performance, or other limitations. The software you must consider should meet all of your basic editing needs without added fees.
- Support. Customer support is at all times helpful once you’re recent to video editing. If you’ve got an issue a couple of feature, it’s nice to have somewhere to get answers. Check in case your software has support services like email/phone support, FAQs, or community forums where you possibly can get help from real humans.
- Export options. Where will you publish videos? Make sure your video editing software is able to outputting high-quality video in popular formats, so you possibly can upload videos to your social channels with ease.
- Requirements. Some programs are only available for certain computer types. For instance, not every software on this list may fit with Google Chromebook. Before investing time right into a software, be certain that it’s compatible with whatever desktop you employ.
That’s a wrap
Now that you already know your options for locating the perfect free video editing software, try just a few out to see what works for you. While each option comes with its own benefits and drawbacks, hopefully you now have a greater idea of which option is best in your level of video production.
Videos are proven to receive more engagement, on average, across all social media platforms than pictures or text posts. An expert, well-made video will help capture the eye of your audience and develop your brand’s personality.
With so many editing tools to leverage, there’s no limit to the creative potential of your video content.
Free video editing software FAQ
What’s video editing software?
Video editing software refers to tools that help businesses successfully edit, modify, generate, or manipulate a video or movie file. You may cut and arrange video to provide it a greater flow, remove sections, and add effects to enhance the video. Firms, no matter size, can profit from a great video editor to create powerful video content.
Which software do most YouTubers use to edit videos?
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Final Cut Pro X
- Adobe After Effects
- Lightworks
- Freemake
- iMovie
- Shotcut
Is OpenShot video editor really free?
Yes, OpenShot video editor is free. It’s an open-source software, which suggests its source code is freely available and will be modified and distributed by anyone.
Which Adobe video editor is free?
Adobe Express is Adobe’s free video editor. With it you possibly can trim your video and add music and messaging to it. You too can merge video clips and resize your videos for dozens of destinations.
