Free video editing software make your users focus on your content rather than how it was made to be. But there are hundreds out there, so it can be hard to choose.
By looking at the features presented in this article, usability, support and cost of 30+ free video editors (including Open Source ones), You can decided which free video editing software to use.
PowerDirector Essential: The Best Free Choice Overall
PowerDirector’s comprehensive collection of free features and affordable add-ons satisfy editors ranging from beginners to industry professionals. You can get most of its features for free and subscribe if you’d like to add on the extras. If you are looking to start your own YouTube channel or cut together home movies or a short film you’ll have all the tools you need and then some.Free Download
Secure DownloadDownload from the App Store for iOS and Android.
Blender
Available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Blender, one of the best free video editing software on the market, is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Blender is an open source program that is entirely free to use. The tool was actually designed as a 3D animation suite, but it does come with a very good video editor app. Blender’s video editor should be enough for most of your video needs.
The editor allows you to perform basic actions like video cuts and splicing. You can also use it to carry out more complex tasks like video masking. This makes it a very flexible video editor that caters to both beginner and advanced users.
The Blender Video Editor includes the following features:
- Live preview, luma waveform, chroma vectorscope, and histogram displays.
- Audio mixing, syncing, scrubbing, and waveform visualization.
- Up to 32 slots for adding video, images, audio, and effects.
- Speed control, adjustment layers, transitions, keyframes, filters, and more.
Pros: Perfect for advanced users who are not put off by all the features.
Cons: The sheer array of features make the learning curve a little steeper. Most of the tutorials are focused on the 3D animation/modeling side. The resources to help you with the video editor are very limited.
Best for: More advanced projects that may involve 3D animation.
Blender Reviews: Check out Blender user reviews
Lightworks
Available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Lightworks is another great free video editing software, available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Lightworks is one of the more powerful video editors on the list. It’s packed with tons of useful features. The free version should be more than enough for most users.
- Lightworks’ free version includes: High precision video trimming.
- Multicam support.
- Export to 720p for YouTube.
- A wide range of video formats supported.
While most features are included, 4K video support for YouTube and Vimeo is only included in the paid version of the software, which costs around $25 a month.
Compared to Blender, Lightworks has many great video tutorials which can make it quicker to get up and running. Check out this feature comparison to make sure the free version has what you need. If the free version doesn’t meet your requirements, you can consider one of Lightworks’ paid video editor programs.
Pros: Very powerful video editor with many advanced features.
Cons: 4K video support only in paid version. Some users may find Lightworks too advanced.
Best for: All-round desktop video editing.
Lightworks Reviews: Check out Lightworks user reviews
Shotcut
Available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Shotcut is one of the best free video editing software for Windows, and it also works great on Mac and Linux PCs .
Shotcut, like Blender, is a fully open source program, so you get access to all the features without the need for a paid upgrade.
While this video editing software has great features and tutorial videos, some users may find the interface a little quirky. That’s because Shotcut was originally designed for Linux and it definitely shows. But, under the hood, it’s still a quality video editor.
Two of Shotcut’s most striking features are 4K HD resolution support and its timeline editing. Not many free video editors offer 4K resolution support. Plus, Shotcut doesn’t require you to import your video into the editor: this can be a timesaver if you are dealing with large video files.
What’s more, Shotcut also caters to those looking for a 1080p video editor. The app supports 1080p videos at 60 FPS (frames per second). Also it offers 3 lossless export formats, allowing you to transfer videos with no loss (the only downside is the huge file sizes).
Pros: Native timeline editing and 4K resolution support.
Cons: The quirky interface may be off-putting for some users.
Best for: 4K, HD and 1080 video projects.
Shotcut Reviews: Check out Shotcut user reviews
DaVinci Resolve
Available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
DaVinci Resolve is arguably the most advanced video editor on the list. While it has many professional video features, its interfaces remain intuitive. Alongside video slicing and trimming, you can master audio and correct color. The app also gives you the option to add 2D and 3D titles to your video.
If you just want to trim and upload your videos, the rich feature set of DaVinci Resolve may be too extensive. However, if your video project is a little more advanced, the free version of this software is hard to beat.
DiVinci Resolve’s features include:
- Advanced trimming
- Multicam editing
- Color correction
- Audio mastering
Pros: Intuitive interfaces and incredible color correction.
Cons: Its wide array of features make it a little overwhelming, and not all tutorials are free.
Best for: More advanced projects where you need to correct colors.
DaVinci Resolve Reviews: Check out DaVinci Resolve user reviews
Openshot
Available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Openshot is entirely open source, which makes it one of the best video editing software that is accessible.
It may remind some Mac users a little of iMovie with its easy to use drag and drop interface. However, Openshot packs more features than iMovie, including unlimited layers and audio mixing.
This free editor strikes a nice balance between advanced features and a simple interface. It also allows real-time previews when you create transitions between clips.
Openshot’s features include:
- Unlimited tracks/layers
- Clip resizing, scaling, trimming, snapping, rotation, and cutting video transitions with real-time previews
- Compositing, image overlays, watermarks
- Title templates, title creation, subtitles 3D animated titles (and effects)
- Advanced Timeline (including drag & drop, scrolling, panning, zooming, and snapping)
Pros: Open source, unlimited layers.
Cons: Not that many video tutorials.
Best for: Great for users just starting out with video editing.
Openshot Reviews: Check out Openshot user reviews
Avidemux
Movie Maker Online: Best free video editing software for online use
Movie Maker Online is incredibly useful if you are looking to make a simple video without having to download software. Upload your videos directly on the site, make all your edits, and download the finished video.
Finding the ideal video editor for your needs may take some time and research. If you’re looking for some quick suggestions, check out the YouTube round up of top video editors for Windows below or check out the rest of the article for additional information.
PowerDirector Essential
Best free video editing software overall
Free version: PowerDirector Essential is a free editing suite with all the basic and advanced features you’ll need to create a professional video.
Pros:
- Simple, easy-to-navigate audio and video editing
- A wide selection of essential editing tools
- Several choices of editing style
- Designed for all experience levels, beginner to professional
Cons:
- Exported videos include a watermark
- Limited free export formats
If you’re new to the video editing world, you will appreciate the comprehensive free features that PowerDirector Essential offers.
This free version introduces you to the mechanics of the program, letting you dive into its fundamental video editing tools, effects, and transitions without paying for the advanced features. You’ll find that the free version of PowerDirector suits all your everyday video editing needs.
However, if you are looking for something extra, the premium version is an affordable alternative. PowerDirector is a long-time winner of the prestigious PC Magazine Editors’ Choice award and comes highly recommended by Techradar Pro. It includes professional tools that don’t break the bank but can turn your videos into Hollywood-level works of art.
The free version of PowerDirector includes features such as:
- Storyboard, Timeline, and Slideshow interfaces
- Access to Cyberlink’s tutorials
- Speed Controls
- Chroma Key
- Masks and Blending Modes
- Special effects
- Overlays
- Titles
- Transitions
Download the free video editing software:Free Download
Secure DownloadDownload from the App Store for iOS and Android.
VSDC
Available on Windows.
This is an open-source, free video editor available only on Windows. It’s a good video editing software solution that supports almost all video formats and codecs. VSDC has both free and paid versions. The free version is good enough for almost all of your routine video editing needs. For professionals, the paid version offers more advanced features. It’s relatively simple to use and has features like color correction, visual and audio effects, blending modes and filters, etc.
💡 Features
- Visual and audio effects
- Blending modes and Instagram-like filters
- Masking
- Motion tracking
- Support of popular formats
👶 Ease of Use
VSDC has a modern and intuitive interface that makes use of different wizards so video creation and editing are simple and hassle-free. Despite the simplicity of the interface, the program offers plenty of features that allow users to create long and complex videos.
📹 Advanced Editing Tools & Extras
VSDC is a full-featured video editing tool with visual and audio effects, blending modes, filters, and more. While the Pro version gives you access to even more tools, the free version is by no means lacking.
💸 Pricing
VSDC Free is the free plan. You can get more advanced features with VSDC Pro for $19.99.
Pros & Cons
- 🤩 Simple to use tool for day-to-day video editing
- 😞 Available only for Windows users
- 😞 The free version lags sometimes
Lightworks
Compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux.
This is another powerful video editing software solution power-packed with useful features. It has a free as well as a paid version. However, the free version is more than enough for non-professional use.
Some of its best features include high precision video trimming, multi-cam support, and the ability to export to 720p for YouTube. The tool supports a wide variety of video formats and has a lot of video and audio editing options. The paid version of this tool supports 4K videos, but the free version does not.
It’s easy to start using this tool because it comes with many video tutorials to help you understand and work on it.
💡 Features
- Universal projects
- Social media templates
- Easy timeline editing and trimming
- Royalty-free audio and video content
👶 Ease of Use
All the tools you need are accessible right from the video timeline. Plus, Lightworks has a ton of tutorial videos that show you how to do just about everything you’d ever need to do.
📹 Advanced Editing Tools & Extras
Even the free version of Lightworks has all the video editing tools you need. This includes access to more than 100 effects, original production music, and stock video from Audio Network and Pond5.
💸 Pricing
Lightworks is free to use. You can get access to more features with one of the three Lightworks plans:
- Lightworks Pro Monthly: $29.99
- Lightworks Pro (+ Boris FX) Yearly: $209.99
- Lightworks Pro (+ Boris FX) Lifetime: $525.59
Pros & Cons
- 🤩 A good tool with numerous video editing features
- 🤩 Perfect tool for YouTube video creators who often want to produce nice-looking movies to share online directly
- 😞 A bit advanced for beginners, but the video tutorials can help
- 😞 Only 1 option to save the project to MP4
Shotcut
Free video editing software for intermediate editors
Free version: Free download on the website
Pros:
- Multi-platform compatibility
- Open-source program
Cons:
- Little support for advanced projects
- An unusual interface that takes time to learn
For editors who have moved on from base-level editing software like Movie Maker, Shotcut is an excellent next step. This program is open source, so once you download it, you will have access to all of its features and can customize your interface to your liking. Shotcut offers advanced effects and filters that will help you produce a high-quality video for free.
Shotcut features:
- 4K HD resolution
- Timeline editing
- Video and audio editing
Conclusion
Video is the future of marketing. It is no surprise that video marketing has become a big deal. According to Cisco, internet traffic will account for 82% of all consumer traffic in 2017, with video making up more than 70% of that total. And eMarketer reports that online videos are watched 4 billion times per day! From my own experience with video marketing, it is no question that video is the best way to reach consumers. It grabs their attention and keeps them engaged longer. That said, below are some great tools to help you start with video editing.