Content creation has exploded in recent years, making it even easier to generate movies that can be shared for a portfolio, a project, or a variety of other purposes. This is where our selection of Best video editing software free suites comes into play.
There are several Best video editing software free available with simple capabilities for creating these videos, but it may be difficult to sort through them to find the ones that provide the best value when working on your desktop or laptop.
There was a time when we could fire up Windows Movie Maker or iMovie on our PCs and instantly create a film to send to friends via a chat software like MSN Messenger.
The five we’ve chosen will be able to edit the movies you’ve taken into a format suitable for the service you intend to post them to, especially if you’re using a laptop from our list of the best Best video editing software free laptops.
If you have a new Microsoft Surface or Apple’s M1 iMac, you may be looking for a new Free online video editor to take advantage of the M1 chip. In this situation, there are many of options below to explore which one best suits your workflow.
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The best free video editing software in 2021
Lightworks is the finest free choice for anyone looking to make professional-quality movies and videos without spending a dime. While it isn’t a match for a tool like Adobe Premiere Elements, it does handle multitrack video and is a non-linear editor, so the quality of your film will not be compromised during the editing process.
Lightworks includes a slew of high-end features that are generally reserved for more expensive products like Final Cut Pro. These include the ability to import and render material in the background, as well as the ability to evaluate video effects in real-time.
The only disadvantage is that learning how to use Lightworks can take some time due to the interface’s complexity. Drag different editing windows around to create an almost limitless amount of layout variants, and you may configure custom keyboard shortcuts to speed up your editing tasks.
Lightworks is available for free download and installation on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. If you decide you want to invest in a better experience later on, you can upgrade to Lightworks Pro. You’ll be able to export your creations in several formats, create 3D masterpieces, and upload directly to YouTube with this enhanced edition.
Hitfilm Express, like Lightworks, is a free video editing software that strives to provide everyone with a professional editing experience. With this software, you can easily modify color balance, cut clips, and export your work in a variety of video formats.
The Hitfilm Express feature set, on the other hand, goes well beyond that. You can also use this free video editor to make bespoke video masks, set green screen chroma keys, and take your film to the next level with a variety of 3D compositional tools. Although it may be a little complex for first-time users, the HitFilm Express user interface will be recognizable to anyone who has ever dealt with an expert video editor.
This Free online video editor has only two minor drawbacks. The first is that it is technically demanding, necessitating the use of a strong CPU on a PC or Mac. Second, the installation procedure is overly complicated. To gain access to the Hitfilm Express program, share a link to its developer, FXhome, on social media.
Shotcut began as a best video editing software free for Linux and was then ported to Windows and Mac machines after it had been in use for a few years. This journey of development has resulted in a little odd-looking user interface, but Shotcut is still one of the greatest free video editors available today.
Some components of the Shotcut system are simple and straightforward, such as dragging media assets into your project. However, there is little denying that this Free online video editor has a higher learning curve than most. For example, you’ll need to customize your display by installing the necessary modules.
However, after you’ve mastered Shotcut, you’ll understand why this Free online video editor has such a wide fan base. The best Shotcut feature is the enormous number of filters available for use on audio and video content. Once applied, you can layer and adjust filters to obtain the desired effect.
VSDC Free online video editor was once considered as one of the more cumbersome free video editing apps. Fortunately, the latest version of the software has a significantly enhanced interface with a fresh-looking dark theme and the ability to detach individual windows, which is great for editing on several monitors.
VSDC best video editing software free , like Lightworks, is a non-linear video editor capable of competing with more expensive video editing software. It is available in both free and premium editions, and there are minimal prompts for free users to subscribe. The only significant drawback is that the free version lacks multiple color chroma key capabilities and cannot be utilized for resolutions higher than 1080p.
Animations, sprites, transitions, watermarking, blending, overlaying, and masking are just a few of the helpful video editing features supported by VSDC best video editing software free . Another fantastic feature is a free video stabilization tool, which is ideal for improving the clarity of shaky smartphone movies.
Other free options to try:
Adobe Spark is an acronym for “Adobe
If you need to cut a video and don’t mind the watermark, Adobe Spark can do it swiftly and easily online. The basic version is free to use, but to remove the watermark and execute more advanced editing operations, you’ll need to upgrade to a premium account.
This simple online application may be just what you need when you need to trim a video to a specific aspect ratio. It isn’t designed for large files, but you can choose the dimensions, choose from a selection of presets, and place the crop area manually.
Video editors FAQ
Should I pay for a premium video editor?
To say the obvious, best free video editing software have advantages that cheap ones do not. These benefits typically take the form of resources: resources to develop apps that get the most performance out of high-end hardware, resources to develop better effects, resources to fix show-stopping bugs, resources to ensure the app works on the latest hardware, resources to polish the interface and create help files and how-tos, and everything else you’d expect from a professional. But, of course, this comes at a cost – around $300 for Final Cut Pro X, for example.
Free programs are geared at a more tolerant and less demanding consumer. That isn’t to suggest they can’t accomplish amazing things. They are capable. However, they frequently take a hand-holding approach that concentrates on the fundamentals while denying you access to the finer points. They may take a “good enough” attitude to performance rather than a “Steven Spielberg needs this NOW!” no-compromise approach, and their effects may be simpler than those of professionals.
Is free video editing software good enough?
It is possible. Over the years, films created with Apple’s iMovie have astonished audiences at film festivals, and some people have created perfectly good films using only it and an iPhone.
It’s worthwhile to be a little pedantic here and distinguish between free commercial software and free open source software. The former is frequently a trimmed-down version of a full product supplied for free in the expectation that you will purchase its bigger brother. The latter is typically a complete product made accessible by people or groups of volunteers with no expectation of financial compensation. While open source acts may lack the polish and/or user-friendliness of commercial software, they may provide all of the capabilities you require without cost.
Why should I care about free software?
Video is the new rock’n’roll: whereas children used to aspire to be rock stars, they now aspire to be YouTube vloggers. Meanwhile, video has become the internet’s language franca, from viral videos and video answers to indie films and glitzy corporate presentations.
Editing is the one thing they virtually all have in common. It could be as simple as cutting a clip at the proper point, or it could include combining many clips, changing the soundtrack, and adding a slew of special effects.
You’ll need a best free video editing software to do these tasks.
How do I choose best free video editing software ?
There are various crucial things to consider, and pricing isn’t always the most important: if it were, every Hollywood film would be done in Apple’s free iMovie!
Let us begin at the end. What kind of video do you want to make, and where are you going to use it? There’s a big difference between quick editing of home recordings for TV and editing anything for Netflix or theater release.
You must examine what formats the software must export in, the level of quality it must generate (HD? 4K? 8K?) and whether it can deliver the visual effects you require. If you plan to collaborate, your app must be interoperable with the apps of others.
There’s also you to think about. Are you experienced, or would a simpler tool that walks you through the entire procedure be more beneficial? Do you want complete control over every pixel, or do you prefer to let the machine do the majority of the work? How far into the future do you want your app to be?
Then there’s the matter of cost. Most, but not all, low-cost or free programs are very limited, and most, but not all, high-end editors are prohibitively expensive. It is possible to overpay and end up with an app that is overkill, or to underpay and end up inventing new and colorful swear words when the software refuses to do what you need it to accomplish.
Keep in mind that the more you can do, the more you’ll want to do. Is it possible for your selected software to expand alongside your imagination?
What video editing software features should I look out for?
That is dependent on the type of editing you want to do. For example, if you’re only editing together video from Uncle George’s 90th birthday party, you might not require many visual effects. However, there are a few crucial points to consider.
First and foremost, what file formats and resolutions does the program support? Is it possible to use the film from your camera without transcoding it? Is it possible to export your finished footage to the destinations where you want to distribute it?
Do you require features like green screen or picture in picture (if you’re a YouTuber, the answer is obviously yes)?
If that’s your thing, can you share immediately on social media?
How many tracks are you allowed to use? Can you import footage and audio from many files and switch between them as needed, or will you need to do some pre-production because the program can only handle a couple of tracks at once?
Is there any smart feature in the program that makes everyday editing easier, such as smart clip clipping or simple editing modes? Is it simple to add titles, transitions between scenes, or change the colors?
Can you migrate your project to a desktop equivalent of the app if it’s a mobile app?
Which programs do professionals use?
That depends on your definition of ‘professionals,’ as well as the industry or sector in question. If you go to Hollywood or a major TV studio, you’ll almost probably find the editing done on Avid Media Composer Ultimate.
Adobe Premiere Pro CC or Apple Final Cut Pro X and allied products such as Adobe’s After Effects, a motion graphics and visual effects app, are more likely to be found in ad agencies, indie film companies, and firms generating YouTube films – see above for how well we evaluate those. These are really good utilities that are designed to work on very good PCs.
Which programs do most YouTubers use?
In general, YouTubers like programs that are basic, effective, and inexpensive. Lightworks, which is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms, is one of the top free programs. It includes YouTube exporting as well as a slew of pretty spectacular real-time effects. It looks incredibly awful when compared to something like Microsoft Photos, but it’s not difficult to use and it’s a fantastic free video editing software
HitFilm Pro includes a free version as well as a robust professional version. The free app DaVinci Resolve is quite good, especially for color correction, and while the VSDC Free Video Editor lacks the hardware acceleration of paid-for editing apps, this isn’t a big deal if you don’t work in a busy office.