Free Video Editing Software

Top 5 Best Free Video Editing Software in 2023

Content creation has exploded in recent years, and it has become easier to create videos that can be shared for use in a portfolio, a project, and more. This is where our free video editing software suites are selected.

There are many free video editors that come with direct features for creating these videos, but finding the best ones when trying to do the job on your desktop or laptop can be a challenge.

There was a time when we could upload Windows Movie Maker or iMovie to our computer, and quickly create a video to share with friends in chat apps like MSN Messenger.

The five curates we've made will enable you to edit videos taken in your format that will be suitable for the service you plan to upload it to, especially if you use a laptop from our list of the best video editing laptops.

With a new Microsoft Surface or Apple's M1 iMac, for example, if you're buying one, you're looking for a new video editor to take advantage of the M1 chip. In this case, there is plenty below to see which one fits your workflow.

THE BEST FREE VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE IN 2021
FREE VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE


1. Lightworks

Lightworks is the best free option for those who want to make professional-quality movies and videos without paying a penny. While it may not yet be considered a match for a program like Adobe Premier Element, it supports multitrack video and a non-linear editor, so the quality of your footage will not be compromised during processing.

With Lightworks, you'll find all sorts of high-quality features that are usually only available with expensive packages like Final Cut Pro. These include the ability to import and render footage in the background and the ability to preview video effects in real-time.

One downside is that it can take some time to learn how to use lightworks because the interface is fairly complex. You can drag various editing windows to create almost an infinite number of layout variations and set custom keyboard shortcuts to speed up your editing work.

You can download and install Lightworks for free on Windows, Mac and Linux devices. If at a later date, you decide you want to invest in an enhanced experience, you can upgrade to Lightworks Pro. This upgraded version allows you to export your projects in various formats, create 3D masterpieces and upload them directly to YouTube.


2. Hitfilm Express

Like Lightworks, Hitfilm Express is free usable video editing software that aims to create a professional editing experience for everyone. With this software package, it's easy to adjust color balance, trim clips, and export your projects to a variety of video formats.

But the Hitfilm Express feature goes beyond the set. You can use this free video editor to set green screen chroma keys, create custom video masks and take your footage to the next level with 3D compositional tools. Although first-time users may find this a bit confusing, the Hitfilm Express user-interface will be familiar to anyone who has worked with an advanced video editor before.

This video editor has only two small aspects. The first is that it is technically demanding, so you will need a PC or Mac with a powerful processor to run it. And, secondly, the installation process is unnecessarily complicated. To gain access to Hitfilm Express software, you need to share a link on social media with its developer FXHome.


3. Shotcut

Shortcut started life on Linux as a free video editor and was ported to Windows and Mac machines after it had already been around for several years. This development journey has turned into a somewhat weird looking user interface, but Shotcut is still one of the best free video editors you can download right now.

Some aspects of the shotcut system are simple and intuitive, such as the process of dragging media files into your project. However, there is no doubt that this video editor has a steeper learning curve than many. For example, you need to configure your display by adding the modules you need.

But once you get the hang of it, you'll discover why this free video editor has so many followers. The best shortcut feature is a large selection of filters that can be applied to audio and video content. Once added, you can layer and customize filters to achieve the exact effect you're looking for.


4. Movie Maker Online

Some people call it Nostalgic, Movie Maker Online is a video editor that runs in your browser. To edit a video, you just need to upload it to an unusual vertical project timeline where you can crop the clip and add filters or transition effects.

Other free video editors listed here are software packages that can be installed and run locally. However, these are not the only free video editors available. There are also many great browser-based tools and one of Movie Maker Online.

The great advantage of an online editor is that you can access it from any desktop device, and there's no need to worry about content storage. Another big bonus is that the glasses on your computer are not so important, the age of your hardware does not matter when using an online video editor because everything happens in the cloud.

If you want to enhance your video or movie with music or stills, Movie Maker Online gives you access to a large archive of royalty-free images that can be inserted into your project's timeline with one click.


5. VSDC Video Editor

VSDC Video Editor was known as one of the free video editing programs in Clankier. Fortunately, the latest version of the software has a dramatically improved interface with a fresh-looking dark theme and the ability to separate individual windows, ideal for editing with multiple monitors.

Like Lightworks, VSDC is a non-linear video editor capable of competing with more expensive video editing packages. It comes in both free and premium versions, and has some pleasurable prompts for free users to subscribe. The only serious annoyance is that the free version does not have multiple color chroma key tools and cannot be used for resolutions above 1080p.

VSDC supports a lot of useful video editing functions, including animation, sprites, transitions, watermarking, blending, overlays and masking. Another great feature is a free video stabilization tool, which is great for improving the quality of clumsy clips held on a smartphone.


Other free options to try:

Adobe Spark

If you want to trim a video and don't mind the watermark, Adobe Spark can get the job done online quickly and easily. The basic version is free to use, but you'll need a premium account to remove watermarks and perform more advanced editing.


EZGif

When you need to crop a video in a certain direction ratio, this simple online tool can be exactly what you need. It is not suitable for very large files, but you can set dimensions, select from a list of presets, and locate the crop field itself.


Frequently Asked Questions of Video Editors

Should I pay for a premium video editor?

To put it bluntly, premium video editors have advantages that are not free. Those benefits come in the form of resources: resources for developing apps that snatch the most performance from high-end hardware, resources for developing good effects, resources for fixing show-stopping bugs, resources to ensure the app works, recent hardware, interfaces Resources for polishing and help files and how-tos and all the other things you would expect from professional software. But of course, it comes at a price - ish 300ish for the Final Cut Pro X for example.

If you're a professional, time is money so you spend money to save time, that's when it takes time to render your footage or when you say "why, god, why?" When the app doesn't do exactly what you want or the middle edit crashes.

The goal of the free app is to make users more forgiving and less demanding. That doesn't mean they can't do great things. They could. However they often adopt a hand-holding approach that focuses on the basics and does not give you access to the details. They said, "Steven Spielberg is needed now!" Uncompromising approaches, and their impact can be easier than professionals.


Is free video editing software good enough?

It could be. Movies made on Apple's iMovie have crowded the film festival year after year, and some people have made perfectly good movies using just this and an iPhone.

There are many decent free video apps out there, but there are a few things to consider. Performance, especially encoding and exporting, is not always with big heaters, and you will often find that features are only available if you shop in-app or not at all. Some you stick a huge watermark on the output; Some provide technical support of any kind. Pro-level features are rarely offered because these apps are not designed for video professionals.

It is worthwhile to be a little pedantic here and differentiate between free commercial software and free open source software. The former is often given a free cut-down version of a complete product in the hope that you will buy his older brother. The latter is usually a complete product provided by individuals or groups of volunteers so that no financial rewards are expected. Although open source jobs may sometimes lack the polish and / or user-friendliness of commercial software, they can provide all the features you need without having to spend any money.


Why should I care about free software?

The video is the new rock'nroll: where kids dreamed of becoming rock stars, now they dream of becoming YouTube vloggers. Already the video has become the lingua franca of the internet, from viral clips and video responses to indie films and glossy corporate presentations.


One thing about almost all of them is editing. It can be easy trimming to cut a clip in the right place, or it can involve mixing multiple clips together, changing the soundtrack, and adding a whole bunch of special effects. You will need a video editing app to do these things.


How do I choose video editing software?

There are several main reasons, and price isn't necessarily the most important: if it were, every Hollywood movie would be made on Apple's free iMovie!

Let's start at the end. What kind of video do you want to make and where is it? There is a difference between quick editing of home videos you watch on TV and some editing for Netflix or movie distribution.

You need to consider what format the software should be exported to, what quality is required for the output (HD? 4K? 8K?) And what kind of visual effects you want to use. If you collaborate, your app needs to be compatible with other people's apps.

There you also consider. Are you experienced, or will a simple application that takes you step by step make the whole process more helpful? Do you want to have complete control over each pixel, or do you want the computer to do most of the work? How much future-proof does your app need

And then there are the prices. Most but not all cheap or free apps are very limited; Most but not all high quality editors are terribly expensive. It is possible to pay too much and end up with an app that pays too much, or too little, and end up inventing new and colorful oaths when the app refuses to do what you need to do.


Which video editing software features should I look for?

It depends on the type of edit you want to make. For example, if you have been collecting clips from Uncle George's th 30th birthday party, you may not need too much for visual effects. But there are some key issues to consider.

First, what format and resolution does the app support? Can it use footage from your camera without converting? Can you export it to a location where you want to share your finished footage?

Do you need features like green screen or picture in picture (if you are a youtuber then their answer is probably yes)? What if you could share directly with social media, if that’s your thing?

How many tracks can you use? Can you pull footage and audio from multiple files, switch between them as needed, or do you need to do some pre-production first because the app can only handle a few tracks at once?

Does the app have any smart features to make daily editing easier, such as smart trimming of clips or general editing mode? Is it easy to add titles, transform scenes, or adjust colors?

If this is a mobile app, can you continue editing your project on the app's equivalent desktop?


What programs do professionals use?

It depends on your definition of ‘professional’ and the industry or sector you are thinking of. Go to Hollywood or a big TV studio and editing is often done in Avid Media Composer Ultimate.

In advertising agencies, indie film studios and YouTube filmmaking businesses you are more likely to see apps related to Adobe Premiere Pro CC or Apple Final Cut Pro X and Adobe After Effects, a Motion Graphics and Visual Effects app - see how well we rate them above. These are very, very good tools designed to run on a very good computer.


Which program do most YouTubers use?

Generally speaking, YouTubers tend to have simple, effective and affordable apps. One of the best free apps is LightWorks, which you can get for Windows, Mac and Linux devices. It combines YouTube exporting and a bunch of really impressive real-time effects. It looks absolutely scary compared to Microsoft Photos but it doesn't take much time to learn and it's a really good editing app.

There are many more good options. There is a free version of Hitfilm Pro but it also offers a powerful professional version. The free app DaVinci Resolve is very good, especially when it comes to color correction, and when the VSDC free video editor lacks the hardware acceleration of paid-for editing apps, it's not really a problem unless you're in a busy work environment.

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