Best Video Editing Software Free For Youtube

In this post, we will show you 6 best video editing software programs for PC, which are totally free-to-use with no watermark. They are free to download, easy-to-use and give no watermark to your videos. Of course, nothing is perfect, so does the free video editing software without watermark. SEE ALSO: 15 Best Cameras for YouTube Videos You Can Buy The Best Video Editing Software You Can Use For YouTube Videos. If you’re currently looking forward to start your own professional YouTube channel, it’s high time you realize that post-production is equally important as purchasing a high-end camera. SEE ALSO: 15 Best Cameras for YouTube Videos You Can Buy Best Video Editing Software To Get You Started. At last, you have reached the end of the article and hopefully, now you have a fairly good idea which video editing software you should go for. The choice really depends on your need, skills, and budget.

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  • I’m doing YouTube for past 7 years, and while going from 0-250k subs, I’ve gone through several video editing software.I started with free Windows movie maker, then tried a couple of intermediate ones, like Power Director, Sony Vegas, and finally, once I got my Mac, I settled for Final Cut Pro.
  • Is there any free video editing software for Windows PC users? I’ve updated the best free video editing software for Windows list based on my recent research, I’ll share my overview of each video editor in the content below, so you can pick up the best free video editing software based on your needs.
  • 10 Best Video Editors for YouTube in 2019 – Edit YouTube Videos Easily. Before 2017, YouTube Video Editor was the best editor for all YouTubers, but then Google announced that only people having more than 100,000 views on their videos could save the changes they made.
  • There's no reason to spend a fortune on video editing software for your Mac or PC. Here's the best free software that can handle most (or all) of what paid software packages can accomplish.
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Sep 17,2019• Proven solutions

In the last couple of years, the amount of video content that is being uploaded to various social media networks has skyrocketed. YouTube is currently the largest video sharing platform on the Internet that hosts unimaginable amounts of videos. In 2017 alone, more than 4 million hours of content has been uploaded to YouTube each day, and these numbers are expected to continue to rise.

Editing the videos you shared on YouTube is important because the raw footage needs to be organized and cleared of mistakes if you want your videos to attract the attention of millions of viewers. That's the reason why we've selected the 11 best video editing software for YouTube that you can use on Windows and Mac OS, that can help you produce visual content that meets professional standards. Among these best YouTube video creators, some of them are the best choice for YouTube beginners to edit videos, some of them are for professional video editors.

Best YouTube video editing software for beginners and semi-pros [Windows & Mac]: Wondershare Filmora9

We list Wondershare Filmora9 as one of the best video editor for making YouTube videos for beginners and semi-pros. Filmora9 is much powerful than Windows Movie Maker on Windows and iMovie on Mac machine, while it also allows you to make a professional looking YouTube video with hundreds of presets such as filters, overlays, elements, transitions, and mixing multiple layer of effects and audio to empower your YouTube story. Hence, it is recommended at the first place as the best YouTube video creator on PC and Mac. Watch the video below to know more features of Filmora9.

We’ve made a Topic Page about YouTube Video Editing, hope you’ll enjoy it.

      • Windows Movie Maker [For Windows7 Users]
      • Virtual Dub
      • Wondershare Filmora9
      • Pinnacle Studio
      • Corel VideoStudio
      • Vegas Pro
      • iMovie
      • Blender
      • Final Cut Pro X
      • Adobe Premiere Pro CC
      • Lightworks

Part 1: Best Video editing software for YouTube on Windows [Free & Paid]

Over the course of the last decade, PCs have become powerful enough to enable their users to edit video material captured with all types of cameras. These are the five best free and paid options for PC owners who want to edit their videos on a PC before they upload them to YouTube. Besides Filmora9, you can also try these two easy to use YouTube video editors on Windows if you are new to video editing.

Section 1: 2 Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube Videos [for Novices]

The following video editing software is free to use, yet the function is limited. It is recommended if you haven't made any single video before and don't want to cost much in editing software.

1 Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker was never a powerful video editing software, but it always provided a quick and simple way to edit videos for Windows 7 users. However, on January 10. 2017, the iconic video editing software that was bundled with all versions of Windows in the last couple of decades has been discontinued.

If you are using Windows 7 operating system, you are luck to use Windows Movie Maker: adding titles, trimming or cutting videos in this software doesn't require you to be a professional video editor, and to make things even better Windows Movie Maker offers support for a lot of different video and audio file formats.

In Model SpaceWhen annotation objects are created in model space, the following must be considered:. Change annotative scale in autocad.

Check more about Windows Movie Maker Editing Tips and Tricks

However, the software doesn't provide any filters or visual effects which significantly limits your possibilities. Windows Movie Maker is one of the best video editing software for beginners which is totally free, but it is designed for quick edits that don't require a lot of video editing skills, so semi-professional and professional YouTube video producers will be better off using some more powerful video editing suite for their projects.

Platform: Windows

Pros:

  • It is easy to use. If you are using Windows version below 7, this editor is best for YouTube
  • Ideal software for photo slide shows as it can import multiple photos
  • It also provides fun transitions when making a video for YouTube

Cons:

  1. Advanced users get irritated by using it as its functionas are limited
  2. Limited options for editing videos
  3. Susceptible to crashing down
  4. Not Available on Windows 10 [And Microsoft will officially begin the Windows 7 end of life phase on Jan. 14, 2020.]

2.Virtual Dub

The first version of this open-source software was released in 2000, and since October 27, 2013, VirtualDub hasn't released new versions any more. The software was quite popular in the early 2000's but its fame quickly faded, due to its limited video editing capacity.

This free YouTube video editor is aimed for video editing beginners. VirtualDub's users can capture footage, edit, or assemble videos from TGA and BMP files. Cutting, resizing or trimming video clips is possible, but the software only offers support for AVI file format, so you may experience difficulties if your camera captured footage in some other format.

Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux

Pros:

  • It can process large number of files to edit large YouTube video
  • Overcome the problems associated with digital cameras, so after eidting video, you can uplaod to YouTube
  • DV capture from type 2 FireWire controllers is also supported by it
  • Ability to develop a video file in Windows Bitmap file formats and it also supports the YouTube video formats

Cons:

  1. Insufficient editing power for advanced editing
  2. It cannot write MPEG-1 files

As up-rising stars, Davinci Resolve and HitFilm Express are two FREE video editing software for Windows and Mac, even though paid versions DaVinci Resolve Studio and HitFilm Pro are more famous among professional film makers because of the powerful editing features. Note: If you add effects with “AddOn” green badge, there will be watermark after exporting in HitFilm Express. And for the free DaVinci Resolve, the animation stuff and VFX and 4K supporting features are lacked.


Section 2: 3 Paid video editing software for YouTube on Windows [for Video Editing Enthusiasts]

The following software is a little complicated since providing more powerful abilities to edit YouTube videos.

1. Wondershare Filmora9 Video Editor

Platform: Windows, Mac

Becoming a skilled video editor takes years of practice, but with Wondershare Filmora9 video editor you can produce YouTube videos that have a professional look and feel, even if you are new to the world of video editing. This YouTube Video Creator has big icons and intuitive interface, so those YouTubers who edit videos for the first time can quickly make a video.

As one of the best video editing software for beginners, Filmora9 YouTube Video Editor contains all the tools you'll ever need to create a well-rounded video with the video & audio editing features, stunning effects, and efficient color grading.

Besides the fact that you can easily add as many video, photo and audio files to your projects, this YouTube video creation tool also enables you to perform all basic video editing actions such as trimming or cutting video clips, or advanced editing features such as de-noise, video stabilization and more.

The software's rich effects library enables you to enhance the colors in your videos, add text or image overlays. Wondershare Filmora9 also offers royalty free audio library which includes music track and sound effects you can use to create a perfect soundtrack for your videos that can be exported to YouTube directly from the editor (for personal use). You can add text and add emoji with animations and save it as preset to use in the future. You can also make some creative videos with the split-screen video or chroma keying feature.

Pros:

  • Extremely intuitive and easy to use
  • Beautiful and fashion effects, royalty music, sound effects
  • Simple color correction and audio editing (audio keyframe included)
  • Advanced features like PIP, Green Screen, Tilt-shift, Mosaic, video stabilization, etc
  • Compatible with the most commonly used formats like MP4, MKV, MOV, FLV, etc

Cons:

Filmora9 is a freemium video editing software, and you need to pay to remove the watermark in the Free Trial Version.

You can share the video made with Filmora9 to YouTube directly. We have also made a video to introduce some of the best video editing software for YouTube videos, no matter you are using Windows or Mac, you will find the free and paid software based on your needs.

2. Pinnacle Studio 21.5

The wide range of input file formats this video editing software provides guarantees that you'll never have to worry about the camera you're using to capture your YouTube videos. The Pinnacle Studio bring advanced video editing tools to inexperienced users and it simplifies the video editing process.

The software is equipped with all of the basic video editing features, while the paint effects or 360-degree video editing support enable you to add a special flavor to each project you are working on.

YouTubers will find the mosaic blur with motion tracking feature useful, because it allows them to conceal private information in a video, but this feature is only available on the Ultimate version of the software. If you choose to purchase Plus or the Ultimate Pinnacle Studio versions you'll be able to edit 3D and 4K videos.

Platform: Windows

Price: Pricing plans start at $49,95

Pros:

  • Multi-cam editing for creating varioud YouTube video
  • Dual preview to better your video
  • Audio ducking is the best feature for most YouTubers

Cons:

  1. Live screen cannot be captured

3. Corel VideoStudio

This award-winning software features multi-track video editing option, as well as a number of professional video editing features. The Lens Correction tools, 3D video editing, or Stop Motion Animation features are just a few out of many reasons why Corel VideoStudio is one of the best video editing software products for PC owners. You can crop or resize videos, while the split screen feature is also available if you want to have more than just one video source in your video.

To make things even better VideoStudio is equipped with video hardware acceleration technologies that shorten the amount of time required to render a video. The software's users can export their projects to YouTube, Flickr or Vimeo, so they can save time on the exporting and uploading videos manually to these video sharing platforms.

Platform: Windows

Price: $69.99

Pros:

  • You can edit YouTube videos by using 4 angle multi-camera video editors.
  • Multi-track timeline editing is essential to edit YouTube video

Cons:

  1. It is not suitable for beginners, so pro YouTubers can use other options

4. Vegas Pro

Image resource: from Internet

Platform: Windows

Price: $599.00

For Windows users who are looking for a professional and advanced video editing software, Sony Vegas Pro maybe one of the solution that you should consider. The interface in Vegas Pro is not so intuitive and not very modern-looking, so you have to spend some time to figure out all the features and how to use them.

For beginners who are new to video editing, there may be a steep learning curve, since Vegas Pro has a tons of advanced features like 3D editing, compositing, color correction, automatic corssfades, multicam-editing, chroma keying and various special effects.

Pros:

  • Advanced video editing features availbe
  • Support multi-cam video editing is convenient for YouTube editing
  • Auto White Balance and Masking tools to make your video creative

Cons:

  1. Expensive
  2. Old looking interface is not trendy
  3. Steep learning curves for some YouTubers

Part 2: Best Free and Paid Video editing software for YouTubers on Mac

Some of the greatest movies in history were edited on Mac computers, but if you are not a professional video editor that doesn't mean you can't use your Mac to create impeccable YouTube videos your followers are going to adore.

Section 1: Best Free video editing software to edit YouTube videos on Mac

iMovie and blender are free to use, but one is targeted on starters, another is specialized in modeling. You can choose which one to use based on your YouTube niche and editing skills as well.

1. iMovie: Best free video editing software for beginners for Mac Users

If you are a video editing newbie and do not want to download any third party editor for your YouTube videos, you can try iMovie, which is one of the best option for YouTube Video Creator beginners for Mac users. iMovie was released in 1999, and since 2003 it has been included in all new versions of Mac OS. The software offers basic video editing features, that enable its users to crop, trim and arrange their video clips in any way they want. Adding titles, applying visual effects or editing audio files is also on the list of features iMovie provides. The latest versions of the software offer support for HD and 4K videos, which means that you can edit footage captured with iPhones, GoPros, and all other modern digital video cameras.

The software's video-sharing capabilities are impressive since it enables its users to share 4K videos to YouTube, Facebook or Vimeo with just a few clicks. Even though iMovie offers a lot of powerful video editing tools, professional video editors may find the software's features underwhelming.

Platform: Mac, iOS

Pros:

  • Shaky video can be fixed easily for YouTube editing
  • Offers background music and great visual effects
  • You can also change audio over a video clip

Cons:

  1. It can be accessed by Mac and ions users only
  2. Support various importing formats

2. Blender: Free YouTube Video Creating Software for video editing & modeling professionals]

Blender is much more than a simple video editing software since it can also be used for modeling, animation, rendering, VFX or game creation. The amount of video editing features Blender offers is limited, but you can still trim videos, insert transitions or apply filters. The software's timeline allows you to add as many video, audio and image files to your projects as you want, and it grants you access to chroma vectorscope, live preview, and histogram displays.

Audio mixing and waveform visualization options provide a considerable amount of creative freedom to the software's users, while speed control and layer adjustment features broaden the scope of video editing actions you can perform with Blender. Despite the amazing animation, modeling and video editing features, this software fails to live up to the standards set by professional video editing software products for Mac.

Platform: Mac, Linux, Windows

Pros:

  • It has 3D graphics. Some YouTubers think it is great for editing video
  • Advanced features like compositing system and a node-based material
  • It supports most of the commonly used systems like Windows and Mac

Cons:

  1. Slow speed somtimes when running
  2. Not the best choice for inexperienced video editors. For some YouTuber, they think it is difficult to eidt video

Section 2: 3 Paid software to edit YouTube videos for Mac [for video editing professionals]

The following 3 software are for professionals and may be hard to use if haven’t enough editing experience.

1. Final Cut Pro: Professional Video Editing Software on Mac

This video editing software is famous for its high-end video editing capabilities on Mac and it is frequently used by the industry's leading professionals on demanding projects. Final Cut Pro is designed for non-linear and non-destructive video editing and it offers tools that make working with large amounts of video, audio and image files easier. The recent versions of the software offer support for 4K and 5K videos, while the 360-degree video editing is also an option that is available to the video editor's users.

A brief look at the list of feature Final Cut Pro offers will leave you wondering if there is anything this software cannot do. That's the reason why YouTube video producers can only benefit from editing their videos in Final Cut Pro, one of the best video editing software for Mac ever created.

Platform: Mac

Pros:

  • It is convenient to use for YouTubers
  • You will get updates regularly. If you don't want to update, you can turn it off

Cons:

  1. It supports only Mac operating system.

Cost price: $299,99, free trial available

2. Adobe Premiere Pro CC: Advanced Video Editing Software

Gone Girl or Deadpool are just a few cult movies edited with Adobe Premiere Pro, The software is reliable and offers features that surpass the demands even the most advanced YouTube video producers have. However, this doesn't mean you can't use the Adobe's video editing software to perform quick and simple edits on your footage. Importing and organizing video files is easy in Adobe Premiere Pro while applying transitions or removing the unwanted parts of a video clip is a simple operation which even the novice video editors can perform.

The software offers support for nearly all video file formats, including the 8K footage produced by professional video cameras. Adobe Premiere Pro CC also enables you to edit VR or 360-degree videos, while adding motion graphics or customizable transitions is also on the list of features the software provides.

Platform: Mac, Windows

Pros:

  • Improved Mercury Playback Engine for editing YouTube video
  • Latest editing tools is liked by YouTube community

Cons:

  1. Highly expensive, so many YouTubers can't affort it

Cost Price: $20,99 per month, billed annually

3. Lightworks: Professional Video Editing Software for Making Hollywood-Like videos

The features Lightworks offers may seem intimidating to inexperienced video editors, but this software is also a perfect learning tool. The user-friendly interface is equipped with a rich selection of visual effects, transitions and superb trimming options which guarantee that each YouTube video you edit in Lightworks is going to be a small masterpiece.

The software supports all popular video file formats, including 4K videos, and you can export your videos to YouTube easily. What's more, Lightworks is optimized to save time on exporting files, so you won't have to spend a lot of time waiting for your videos to be uploaded to your YouTube channel. Professionals will enjoy the Multicam editing feature that enables you to work with the footage captured by two or more video cameras.

Platform: Mac, Windows, Linux

Pros:

  • Compatibility with all the major operating systems
  • Good speed when editing YouTube video
  • Multi-camera editor is great
  • Custom-made interface is what YouTubers need

Cons:

  1. The free version of the software has limited export capabilities
  2. Demanding system requirements

Cost Price: Free version available, $24,99 per month, One Year License: $174,99

We have also made a comparison table to help you find the best video editing software for YouTube videos, hope this will save your time when picking the right video editing software for your YouTube videos.

Price Supported system Pros Cons
Filmora9 Freemium Windows & Mac Easy to use yet powerful enough, various presets and effects, Limited Customizable Options for Pros
Windows Movie Maker Free Windows Easy to use;Provides fun transitions Limited options for editing videos
Virtual Dub Free Windows, Mac, Linux Process large number of files at one time Can't write MPEG-1 files.
Pinnacle Studio 21.5 Start at $49.95 Windows Multi-cam editing Live screen cannot be captured
Corel VideoStudio $69.99 Windows Multi-track timeline editing Not suitable for beginners
Vegas Pro $599.00 Windows Support multi-cam video editing Old looking interface
iMovie Free Mac Shaky video can be fixed Limited importing formats
Blender Free Mac, Linux, Windows 3D graphics Slow speed
Final Cut Pro $299,99 Mac Convenient to use Supports only Mac operating system
Adobe Premiere $20,99 per month Mac, Windows Latest editing tools Highly expensive
Lightworks $24,99 per month Mac, Windows, Linux Custom-made interface Demanding system requirements

Conclusion

Above are our picks for the best video editing software for YouTube videos on the market, from some free video editing software for Windows and Mac, to the paid solution to edit your YouTube videos. Some of the video editing software are best suitable for video editing beginners such as iMovie and Windows Movie Maker, some are creative professional software like Adobe Premiere. If your favorite YouTube video creating and editing software is not listed above, share your recommendations in the comment below with us. Check the video below to know how to empower your imagination with Filmora9 YouTube Video Creator easily. Download it and have a try now!

Easy-to-use and powerful video editor for all creators.

Bring up your video to a professional level with straightforward tools.

1 Comment(s)
  • Choosing Video Editing Software
  • Video Editing Tips
Best Overall

HitFilm Express

Balancing creativity, ease of use and performance is a trade-off, but HitFilm remains an inspired software package brimming with features, and paired with a dynamic website offering an abundance of fun, funky training videos.

Best for Mac Users

Apple iMovie 10.1.8

iMovie is the ultimate Mac video app for novice filmmakers, combining professional trailers and themes, abundant special effects, and an easy-to-learn interface.

Best for Beginners/Social Media

VideoPad

Beginners looking for a free app to quickly edit and output a movie to YouTube or other social networks should check out VideoPad.

Unless you're editing the next Star Wars trilogy, there's no reason to spend a fortune—or anything, for that matter—on video editing software for your Mac or PC. While there are many reasonably priced video-editing suites, going for less than $100, completely free or freemium editing packages can accomplish most or all of what some of the paid software packages can do.

After testing numerous suites, our favorite free video editing software is HitFilm Express for its lavish cinematic capabilities and high-powered interface. Our favorite video editor for Mac owners, Apple's iMovie, is a no-brainer choice, because of its macOS integration, top-notch output, professional themes and trailers, and support for professional shooting and editing techniques.

Best Overall

HitFilm Express

Reasons to Buy

Playback options that speed up editing
Flexible and intuitive export features
Many new features derived from the $299 Pro version

Reasons to Avoid

Some playback options remove special effects

Hitfilm Express's high-energy style appeals to budding filmmakers who want to put a special touch on a personal event or get creative with a video blog, but it's still easy enough for the adventurous friends-and-family crowd. The one concession you have to make is that you have to give the software maker a shout out on social media in order to download the free app.

New features include animation keyframing in the editor, motion blur, enhanced preview options, a new layout panel, improved masking in composite shots, additional workspaces and new export features.

Other great features include the ability to create your own lightsaber battles, support for 4K video, as well as such features as 3D effects, 360-degree video editing and lens distortion correction from action cameras. Our one quibble is that some features, such as picture-in-picture and animated text require a $9.99 expansion pack.

As with previous versions, HitFilm wasn't the fastest at encoding videos, but that's a trade-off we're willing to make for such an expansive feature set.
Editor's Note: Since our initial review, HitFilm has been updated to version 12.3; improvements GPU-accelerated decoding on Nvidia and Intel graphics cards, changes to the interface, and native support for Dolby AC3 audio.

MORE: HitFilm Express Full Review

Best for Mac Users

Apple iMovie 10.1.8

Reasons to Buy

Professional-looking themes and trailers
Theater feature shares movies to all Apple devices

Reasons to Avoid

Lacks multicam, motion tracking and 360-degree features

iMovie is the Mac-based amateur filmmaker’s best friend, delivering themes, Hollywood-style trailers and video effects with minimalistic panache, a cinematic flair, and deep integration and optimization with the Mac OS. Recent updates tweaked the interface and added Touch Bar support for the latest MacBooks.

While you can now edit and share 4K videos, iMovie lacks features found in other free apps, such as the ability to edit 360-degree video, multicam editing and motion tracking. You also have limited control over output settings.

Because it's so deeply entwined with the macOS, iMovie was one of the fastest apps when it came to encoding video. Once that's finished, it also gives you plenty of sharing options: You can upload directly to YouTube and Vimeo, and share any video frame as an image. When you couple iMovie with iMovie Theater and iCloud, you can also view your creations on any Apple device or via Apple TV.
Editor's Note: Now on version 10.1.12, you can no longer share movies to iMovie Theater; you have to save your movies to iCloud Photos to watch them on other devices including Apple TV. On a previous update, Apple has removed the ability to share videos directly to Facebook, but has added an option to export Facebook-compatible videos, which you can then manually upload.

MORE: Apple iMovie 10.1.8 Full Review

Best for Beginners/Social Media

VideoPad

Reasons to Buy

Supports 360-degree camera editing and output
Extensive YouTube, social media and mobile-output formats and specs

Reasons to Avoid

Lacks some advanced features like multicam editing and motion tracking

This free video editor makes it a cinch to export your creations to YouTube, Facebook, Dropbox, Flickr, Google Drive and an assortment of mobile devices through a simple pull-down menu. You have to sign in to these services first. And while YouTube uploaded directly to my channel without incident, you may have to save your video to your hard drive with social media specs and then upload to the social network yourself.

Compared to HitFilm's high-energy interface, VideoPad has a simple, soothing look which makes it more approachable for novices. It works with both Macs and PCs and still lets you edit 360-degree video with the same ease as you would traditional movies, though adding text to 360-degree clips can be a bit tricky. VideoPad also lacks some of the advanced features you'll find with HitFilm, like multicam editing, high-end special effects and motion tracking, but you can purchase a number of add-ons to expand VideoPad's feature set.

Our biggest issue with VideoPad was not knowing which features were disabled in the free version versus the trial and paid versions. We found VideoPad to be a bit slower on our transcoding tests than Hitfilm, too. But that may not matter for those looking for an app that they can use to quickly and easily edit video and then upload to the social media outlet of their choice.

MORE: VideoPad Full Review

DaVinci Resolve 15

Reasons to Buy

Free with no limits or watermarks
Exquisitely deep app for color grading, compositing and audio production

Reasons to Avoid

A powerful computer is needed for high-end graphics functions

Best Video Editing Software Free For Youtube Free

No direct export to social media

A powerful pro-level app, cross platform you’ll want to use a system with discrete graphics to get the most out of this editor.

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The latest version of DaVinci incorporates Fusion, previously a stand-alone application, which brings with it four high-end video-production modules for editing, color correction, audio production, and video effects and motion graphics. This video editor is quite powerful, but has a bit of a learning curve. If its 256-page manual doesn't intimidate you, high-level enthusiasts will find a lot of tools at their disposal.

Editor's Note: DaVinci Resolve 16 is now available, and includes such new features as facial recognition, fast export to YouTube and Vimeo, and 3D audio.

Also Reviewed

VSDC

Reasons to Buy

Variety of stylish built-in effects, transitions and audio filters
Consumer-oriented and easy enough for simple video tasks
Includes a screen-capture tool for recording video and taking still images from the desktop

Reasons to Avoid

No popular features like 360-degree, motion tracking or multicam editing
Windows only

VSDC is not bad for basic edits, but its interface has a learning curve, and it lacks some popular features.

Shotcut

Reasons to Buy

Flexible interface
Large selection of audio and video filters

Reasons to Avoid

Different interface conventions than other video apps

Shotcut has a ton of features, but is not as intuitive to use as other programs.

Best Video Editing Software For Mac

Why You Should Trust Us

We have been testing the leading consumer video-editing suites, both free and paid, for several years. With such knowledge, we can compare things like performance, interfaces and features, and improvements in the various suites over time.

The reviewer, Jackie Dove, is an obsessive, insomniac freelance tech writer and editor in Northern California. A wildlife advocate, cat fan, photo-app fanatic and VR/AR/3D aficionado, her specialties include cross-platform hardware and software, art, design, photography, video, and a wide range of creative and productivity apps and systems.

What to Look for in a Free Video Editor

The Definition of Free: There's free and then there's freemium. Some software, like iMovie, is genuinely free. But just as some video-editing packages are sold in tiers — with more-expensive versions offering more and expanded features — a freemium video program may just be the lowest level of a paid version. Or it may be a trial version that hobbles the end product in various ways, like putting a huge watermark on your video or limiting output formats.

But there are variations on this theme. HitFilm, VideoPad, DaVinci Resolve and VSDC, for example, offer paid versions with high-end features that most consumers probably won't miss, but otherwise allow for full use of the basic program.

Best Free Video Editing Software For Youtube Gaming

MORE: The Best Video Editing Software Under $100

Another hidden 'cost' is periodic or even constant in-line advertising or reminders that an upgrade is available. Our favorite program, HitFilm, never pushes an upgrade on you, but it makes you go through a social media and authorizing song and dance to download the product or switch computers. VideoPad (on the Mac) makes you verify at every launch that you are using the free version for noncommercial purposes.

Both DaVinci and VSDC mix paid features in their basic programs, but they do not explicitly mark these features as such. However, if you try to use them, you'll get an error message and an ad. We can't fault the software companies for trying to get users on board with paid versions, but just be warned that such annoyances are the hidden cost of otherwise-free video apps.

Those looking for a powerful editor with a huge variety of built-in resources and responsive technical support may be better off dropping some cash on a consumer video-editing program, like award winners Adobe Premiere Elements, CyberLink PowerDirector or Corel VideoStudio. However, first consider trying out software such as HitFilm Express 2017, VideoPad, DaVinci Resolve or VSDC, which offer all of the basics for free, and then purchasing additional features à la carte or simply upgrade as your experience and needs grow.

Best Free Video Editing Software For Youtube Channel

Basic Features: The watchword with free apps is often which one offers the best combination of technically complex software for which you would otherwise have to shell out the big bucks. All video editors should, at the very least, have some combination of familiar features like a viewer or playback window, library, timeline, and access to transitions and effects.

Tech support and documentation: One of the big distinctions between paid and free software is the level of documentation and tech support; paid software has more-explicit and -detailed documentation and guides than the free versions. That said, many software packages post instructional videos of the most popular features to YouTube, and more-complex free packages may offer extensive documentation.

Many independent vendors, who are often sole proprietors in charge of the software, make themselves available to users via social media and email to assist with problems, troubleshoot, take suggestions and criticism, and otherwise oversee the software. Programs with intuitive interfaces and tool-tip hints, and even built-in tutorials to greet new users, make free software popular.

System requirements: Many free software packages technically serve most consumer hardware systems with integrated graphics, as opposed to more-powerful discrete graphics cards. If you have a consumer machine like a MacBook or a Windows laptop with integrated graphics, make sure your machine is powerful enough to run them efficiently.

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Export options: Another area where free meets inconvenience may be at the tail end of the project, when you want to export your video, only to discover that the free version will not output to your desired format. Before you start using a free package, make sure that it will save your video to the platform and resolution you need, whether your video will eventually wind up on YouTube or on a Blu-ray disc.