Editing your videos will allow you to make professional looking videos. And the good news is that there are plenty of free tools out there which you can use to edit your videos without having to go for paid alternatives.
The best video editing software with free trials
One of the best ways to get free video editing software to dip your toes is through free trials. This way you get powerful fully featured software free for a limited time.
1. Premiere Pro: the best video editing software overall
You can try Premiere Pro for nothing for seven days. Adobe’s video editing software, which works on both PC and Mac, is the industry-standard software, with the best features all round.VIEW DEAL
2. Final Cut Pro X: the best choice for Mac users
Mac-specific Final Cut Pro also has a great reputation in the industry as the best video editing software for Apple users. It offers a generous 90-day free trial to test it out.VIEW DEAL
3. Adobe Premiere Elements: the best option for beginners
If you’re new to video editing, you might want to start with Adobe Premiere Elements. A simplified version of Premiere Pro, it’s also cheaper and currently has a 30-day free trial.VIEW DEAL
The best free video editing software
These are your best options if you’re looking for video editing software that’s completely free forever, but note that they can’t compete with the paid for options above in terms of power and features.
01. Lightworks
The best free video editing software overall
SPECIFICATIONS
Platform: Windows, macOS, LinuxKey features: Multicam editing, Customizable UIBest for: Advanced usersWatermarks: NoTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Real-time project sharing+Import and export videos in the background+Multicam video editing
REASONS TO AVOID
-Complex user interface-Free version only renders videos in MPEG format
Lightworks is a free video editor with a drag-and-drop user interface. It boasts powerful features like multicam and multi-track video editing, which allows you to edit clips from multiple cameras into a single project. It also enables you to share projects with other users and collaborate with them while editing videos in real time.
In addition, Lightworks lets you import and export videos in the background while continuing to work on something else in the foreground, which is a useful feature for those who like multitasking. A pro version of the software comes with more features, such as direct social media sharing and the ability to export videos in different formats.
One of the software’s biggest strengths is that the user interface is highly customisable, but this is also actually its biggest shortcoming because dragging windows across the interface to create endless layout combinations can be rather confusing for beginners. Thankfully, there are extensive video tutorials to help out. Read our Lightworks review for more.
02. KineMaster
The best free video editing software for mobile
SPECIFICATIONS
Platform: Android, iOSKey features: Instant preview, smart effectsBest for: Beginners and lightweight pro useWatermarks: YesTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Surprisingly rich features+Good enough for professionals+Widely used and popular
REASONS TO AVOID
-Slow on lower-end devices
If you think professional video editing on your smartphone or tablet requires paid-for software, think again. KineMaster is available for Android devices, iPhones and iPads, and goes far above and beyond what you’d expect from a free mobile app. Advertisementhttps://ea57d06d95b6ccfc91e183a01f94d146.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
It has a smart, intuitive and lag-free interface, while features include the ability to edit multiple layers and add handwriting and text annotations. You can experiment with up to four audio tracks, and precisely edit at the frame and sub-frame level.
The catch? Yep, you’ll get watermarks on your videos. To remove them, you’ll need to subscribe to the premium version, but that costs a pretty reasonable $4.99/month or $39.99/year. See our Kinemaster review for more details.
03. OpenShot
The best free video editing software that’s open source
SPECIFICATIONS
Platform: Windows, macOS, LinuxKey features: Layer-based editing, drag and drop UIBest for: Open-source loversWatermarks: NoTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Simple, drag-and-drop interface+Free and open source+Unlimited layers
REASONS TO AVOID
-Occasional lagging, slow response-Bugs and glitches
OpenShot is a solid basic video editor with some nice extra features. It has a minimalistic design with a drag-and-drop interface that’s easy to used, even for newbies. While there isn’t a lot of complex features, the software’s completely free and open-source, so there are none of the usual ads, watermarks, or paid upgrades to frustrate you. Advertisement
Layer-based video editing capabilities let you stack an unlimited number of layers in your video, be it soundtracks, overlapping videos, or custom images. OpenShot also offers a range of title-card templates that can be customised. In addition, there are all the usual options to adjust and enhance your video, including crop, trim, rotate, and resize. You can also adjust elements like brightness, contrast, colour grading, and gamma.
There are some problems, including not insignificant lag issues and the fact that the features don’t always work the way they’re supposed to (or when they do work, they take a long time to apply, making the editing process frustrating). Ultimately, however, for free video editing software, Openshot has everything you could expect.
04. DaVinci Resolve
The best free video editing software for colour correction
SPECIFICATIONS
Platform: Windows, Mac, LinuxKey features: Colour correction, audio tools, compatible with Fairlight consoles, multi-user collaborationBest for: Professionals and enthusiastsWatermarks: NoTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Colour correction+Audio post production+Collaborative working
REASONS TO AVOID
-More suited to finishing footageAdvertisement
DaVinci Resolve is a free video editing tool that offers professional 8K editing, colour correction, visual effects, and audio post-production all in one place. It’s often used on big-budget film and TV productions thanks to its powerful colour correction and audio capabilities.
As well as traditional colour features such as curve editors and primary colour wheels, there’s also facial recognition and tracking, so you can adjust skin tones, eye and lip colour. For audio, DaVinci Resolve uses Fairlight, a suite of high-end editing tools that enable you to mix and master up to 1,000 channels.
It’s incredible really that this software offers a free version with nearly all of its features present. There are no watermarks added to your videos either, unless you use a non-free effect such as noise reduction. So if you’re looking for the best free video editing software for Windows or Mac, this could well be your best bet. To learn more, see our Da Vinci Resolve review.
Conclusion
Editing videos can take hours out of your time, but there are also some great free tools to help put together your next video or podcast in no time at all. You can turn pictures and video clips into a video in just a few minutes using the tools I’ll share with you here.