Using free video editing software is a convenient way to edit your videos. Plus, most of them are so easy to use that they're great for beginning editors.
You might want a video editing program if you need to extract audio from a video or add different audio, cut out parts of the video, add subtitles, build a DVD menu, merge video files, or fade a video in or out. Most vloggers need a video editor of some kind.
Because most free video editors limit their features to advertise their professional versions, you may find roadblocks that stop you from making advanced edits. For editors with more-advanced features but that aren't free, check out mid-level digital video software or top professional video editing programs.
In the nature of filmmaking and video editing, one way to pick the computer is to select one based on the kind of video editing software you are planning to use. For example, if you intend to use Final Cut Pro X to complete your video editing, then you will need to purchase a Mac computer. OpenShot™ was created in 2008, in an effort to build a free, simple, open-source video editor for Linux. It is now available on Linux, Mac, and Windows, has been downloaded millions of times, and continues to grow as a project! Jahshaka, previously known as CineFX, combines video editing, 2D and 3D animation, compositing, color correction, and video effects into across-platform over Mac, Linux and Windows package. It is probably best compared to Adobe After Effects in terms of what it delivers, but for free it might be worth a punt. Using free video editing software is a convenient way to edit your videos. Plus, most of them are so easy to use that they're great for beginning editors. You might want a video editing program if you need to extract audio from a video or add different audio, cut out parts of the video, add subtitles, build a DVD menu, merge video files,.
If you need to convert your video files to different file formats such as MP4, MKV, and MOV, this list of free video converters has some great options.
OpenShot (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
What We Like
The easy-to-use interface.
It's open source.
Great user forum.
What We Don't Like
The application has multiple layers of setup.
Occasional lag.
Editing videos with OpenShot is extraordinary when you see everything you can do with it. You can download it free for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems.
The supported features in this free editor include desktop integration for drag-and-drop, image and audio support, curve-based keyframe animations, unlimited tracks and layers, and 3D animated titles and effects.
OpenShot is also good for clip resizing, scaling, trimming, snapping, and rotation, plus motion picture credit scrolling, frame-stepping, time-mapping, audio mixing, and real-time previews.
The fact that you get all of this for free is reason enough to download it yourself and try it out before you purchase a video editor.
VideoPad (Windows and Mac)
What We Like
Supports a wide range of video formats.
Easy to install and use.
Another video editing software program for both Windows and Mac is VideoPad, from NCH Software. It's free for non-commercial use.
It supports drag-and-drop, effects, transitions, 3D video editing, text and caption overlay, video stabilization, easy narration, free built-in sound effects, and color control.
VideoPad can also change the video speed, reverse the video, burn DVDs, import music, and export movies to YouTube and other similar sites and a variety of resolutions including 2K and 4K.
Freemake Video Converter (Windows)
What We Like
Supports many input formats.
Burn files directly to a disc.
Easy-to-use editing features.
What We Don't Like
May require purchase of needed features.
Can be slow to make conversions.
Limited number of output formats.
Freemake Video Converter is a free video converter with simple and easy-to-use editing features that set it apart from some of the more complex and confusing editors.
Being able to do light editing to your videos with the same tool you use to convert the file to a variety of other formats, or even burn the files directly to a disc, is convenient.
Some of the video editing features of this program include adding subtitles, clipping out sections you don't want in the video, removing or adding audio, and merging or joining videos.
VSDC Free Video Editor (Windows)
What We Like
Features you won't find elsewhere.
Exports to a variety of file formats.
Includes optional screen recorder.
Video Editing Mac Or Pc
What We Don't Like
Not super user-friendly.
Some video lag with free version.
VSDC is a full-featured free video editing tool that you can install on Windows. A fair warning though: This program might be a little hard to use for beginners because of the sheer number of features and menus.
However, if you poke around for while and play with your videos within the editor, you'll find that it's not quite as daunting as it seemed when you first opened it.
There's even a wizard you can run to make things easier. Use it to do add lines, text, and shapes, as well as charts, animations, images, audio, and subtitles. Plus, as any good video editor should, VSDC can export videos to a variety of file formats.
The VSDC Video Editor setup lets you easily install the company's video capture program and screen recorder. These are optional, but they may come in handy in certain projects.
iMovie (Mac)
What We Like
Easy-to-use interface.
Plenty of tools to improve video and audio quality.
Supports 4K.
What We Don't Like
Limited features available.
Output controls not robust.
iMovie is free for macOS users. It offers many options for editing video and audio plus adding photos, music, and narration to your videos.
One of the best features of iMovie is its ability to make 4K-resolution movies. You can even start doing so from your iPhone or iPad and then finish on your Mac. That's pretty cool!
Movie Maker (Windows)
What We Like
User-friendly with a classic Microsoft feel.
Great for beginning video editors.
Movie Maker was Windows' pre-installed free video editing software. While it is no longer pre-installed, you can still download this application from some third-parties and use it to create and share high-quality movies.
It's included in this list because it's already on lots of Windows computers, which means you might not even need to download anything in order to start using it.
Online-Only Options
If you've tried out these video editing programs but prefer some other options or you're more interested in editing videos online for free than downloading software, there are several online editors that function in the same way as these downloadable tools:
These services are great for re-editing and remixing web videos, and some even let you produce DVDs of your videos.
Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.
The Rundown
- Best From Hobbyist to Pro:Final Cut Pro X at Apple.com, “A video editing software that you can use even if you don’t have much experience.”
- Most Accessible Apple Editor: Apple iMovie at Apple.com, “If you haven’t done video editing before, this is a good place to get started before moving on to more serious software.”
- Best for Pros:Adobe Premiere Pro CC at Amazon, “A powerful video editor for professionals putting out movies, short films, and the like.”
- Easiest-to-Use Cross-Platform Editor:Adobe Premiere Elements 2018 at Amazon, “An easily approachable video editing software for those just getting started.”
- Best Open-Source Software:Shotcut at Shortcut.org, “A multi-track editing software like any other serious software, and you can readily rearrange the workspace to suit your editing needs.”
- Best Starter Freeware:Lightworks at Lwks.com, “Whether or not you need the free or paid versions is a question you can answer for yourself.”
- Best Freeware:DaVinci Resolve 15 at Blackmagicdesign.com, “Plenty of functionality to take your footage, organize it with data to help you find what you need, and edit it all together.”
- Best for Tutorial and Presentation Videos:Camtasia at Techsmith.com, “It’s a screen recorder and video editor built into one product.”
Our Top Picks
Best From Hobbyist to Pro: Final Cut Pro X
If you want a video editing software that you can use even if you don’t have much experience (and you plan on growing as a video editor while using it), then Final Cut Pro X is well worth your consideration. It may take a few tutorial videos to really get yourself ready to start doing much, but once you get your feet wet, you can do basic editing and learn more and more advanced tricks over time.
While Final Cut Pro X is a professional video editing tool, it’s approachable enough for hobbyist videographers to get on board with. And it has a bit more reasonable price than some of the other serious pro video editing software. As a pro software, it comes packed with handy features to help you realize your vision.
The latest version of Final Cut Pro X has the multi-track timeline needed for editing but brings in the future of video and pro features. It supports 360-degree video, graphics, and effects. You can edit together video from multi-cam recording setups and easily switching between multiple angles. And, you can create HDR content. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Apple offers a free trial so you can see if this one is up your alley before you dive all the way in.
Most Accessible Apple editor: Apple iMovie
If you really just want to get started editing videos on your Mac, or even on your iPhone or iPad, then the easiest way is to get Apple iMovie. This is Apple’s free video editing software, and it runs on both Mac OS and iOS platforms, so you can do you video editing just about wherever you go.
For hobbyist and amateur filmmakers, Apple iMovie will have approachable tools to help you easily take your footage and edit a video with a clear flow. You’ll be able to combine multiple video files, layer different video and audio tracks, and add title screens to your video without much fuss. It even includes video filters and some special effects, including picture-in-picture.
The latest version of Apple iMovie keeps up with the trends in video, supporting 4K video editing. So, all that 4K video you capture on your iPhone can be turned into a movie in iMovie. If you haven’t done video editing before, this is a good place to get started before moving on to more serious software.
Best for Pros: Adobe Premiere Pro CC
Adobe’s Premiere Pro CC (Creative Cloud) software is a powerful video editor for professionals putting out movies, short films, and the like. Of course, it’s also a viable option for hobbyists looking to sharpen their teeth on a video editor that gets used in professional positions. If you’re not trying to go professional with your editing quite yet, you may want to check out the next pick.
Adobe Premiere Pro CC is a constantly evolving video editing software, as Adobe rolls out updates over time. Rather than buying a single edition of the software, you pay for a subscription as long as you’re using it. An added perk is that the software isn’t exclusive to Mac, so you can switch between different computers with different operating systems if you need to.
That subscription gives you access to Premiere Pro for editing all sorts of video, from 3D and even 8K. You’ll also be able to handle audio tracks, add graphics, manage light and color, and effectively put together whatever video you can imagine. If you use Adobe’s other software, like Photoshop or Illustrator, then Premiere Pro will be a great option for easily integrating different workflows.
Easiest-to-Use Cross-Platform Editor: Adobe Premiere Elements 2018
Adobe Premiere Elements 2018 is almost exactly what it sounds like. It’s a stripped down version of the pro Premiere software. This does make it a little less capable, and new features aren’t constantly rolling out to it, but it works as an easily approachable video editing software for those just getting started. And, without a subscription model, you can pay for the software once and you’re set.
If you’re an amateur just getting started with video editing, and especially if you’re not planning on going pro, then Premiere Elements 2018 will be an excellent pick for you. While Premiere Elements does give you plenty of tools for putting together multiple video, image, and audio files into one complete video, it also has some tools to help you make a better video if you’re not a savvy editor already. Plus, the software is available on both Mac and PC.
Premier Elements 2018 helps you organize the files you’ll be using in your video, and it can guide you through the editing process from beginning to end. It will also let you add in some fun little effects to spice up your video. And, in keeping with the times, it supports 4K video.
Best Open-Source Software: Shotcut
Shotcut is highly versatile free video editing software available on Mac and PC. Once you get past the somewhat steep learning curve, you’ll find you can do quite a lot with Shotcut. And, since it’s a free software, you have the option of seeing whether or not you like it without having to pay a cent.
Shotcut is a multi-track editing software like any other serious software, and you can readily rearrange the workspace to suit your editing needs. Shotcut supports a wide variety of file types for both input and output, including 4K video. Plus, you can edit audio, color, and lighting effects in Shotcut.
Though Shotcut isn’t the easiest software to just pick up and start editing videos with, the nature of being a free software means plenty of people are using it and making incredibly helpful tutorial videos or guides on how to use it. And, if you want a readily portable option, Shotcut is it, since you can run it directly off an external storage drive.
Best Starter Freeware: Lightworks
Lightworks blends the offerings of a free editing software with a paid one. Compared to Shotcut, it has an easier learning curve, but some of the features that you’ll want may be part of the paid Lightworks Pro version, such as the ability to export your final product in more video formats and higher resolutions.
Whether or not you need the free or paid versions is a question you can answer for yourself later on though, as either will let you import a wide range of file formats, easily edit together multiple files, manage your audio, add titles, and tweak your visuals.
The free version of Lightworks will be a fine option for anyone who isn’t concerned much about video resolution, as you’ll still be able to output web-ready 720p videos. But, if you try out Lightworks, like how it works, and want to stick with it as your video editor of choice, you can upgrade to the Pro software and start putting out high-quality video. Plus, Lightworks is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, so you’ll be able to stick with Lightworks even if you stop using a Mac later on.
Best Freeware: DaVinci Resolve 15
If you’re ready to get started editing all kinds of videos and putting out the final product in a high-quality, 4K format without having to pay a cent to do so, then DaVinci Resolve 15 is a great option. While there is a paid Studio version, you’ll really only need to go with that if you’re planning to do some collaboration or want access to a few of the software’s more advanced tools and effects.
For the most part, DaVinci Resolve 15 is going to give you plenty of functionality to take your footage, organize it with data to help you find what you need, and edit it all together. Once you’re done, you can output in just about any format you need, whether you want the highest quality or something that’s ready to upload quickly to YouTube.
Wondershare Video Editor For Mac
If you want a video editing software you can get serious with, then DaVinci Resolve 15 fits the bill. It’s just a bonus that the free version is so capable because it’ll give you a chance to try it for yourself and see if it feels like something you can really use.
Best for Tutorial and Presentation Videos: Camtasia
Camtasia is particularly handy if you’re planning to make videos that will use footage captured from your computer screen. That’s because it’s a screen recorder and video editor built into one product.
With Camtasia, you’ll be able to record the screen and audio of your computer or even your iOS device. If you’re putting together tutorial videos, this capability will be incredibly useful. Plus, you have the option of adding webcam footage on top of the screen-captured video.
Beyond screen-capture, Camtasia also gives you multi-track timeline editing and tools for transitions, animations, audio and video effects, and annotations. If you want to make a presentation video, you can also add in a PowerPoint. So, whether you’re an educator, business professional, or just trying to put some tutorials up on YouTube, Camtasia offers tools you can use to capture and edit the video you need. A free trial will give you a chance to see if its tool and features a good fit for you.
What to Look for in Video Editing Software for a Mac
Free vs. paid - If you’re a beginner just dipping your toes into the world of video editing, a free software program is probably your best bet. If you have more advanced needs, you’ll likely need to pay to access the features you’ll need. However, most software programs have free trials that let you try them before you buy them.
File compatibility - Before you commit to a new program, make sure it’s compatible with the type of video you’ll be shooting. While some programs support 4K video, others don’t, and yet others will support 3D and 4K. Be sure to consider both the input and output formats you’ll need.
Extra features - Most video editing programs can handle the basics—merging clips, adding transitions, and laying down audio—but the extra features are what will take your video from amateur to expert. Look for handy features like multi-track timelines, filters, special effects, and more.