With the free video-editing apps of today, you can create movie masterpieces with a smartphone. Consumer Reports checks out apps from Adobe, Apple, GoPro and Magisto. Product Reviews.
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If you are new to the video editing world, a free video editing software can be the best choice for you. Although most free video editors are feature limited, they are easy to use and can meet almost all of your basic video demands like cutting, trimming, cropping, or rotating. Our top 10 list focuses on the best free video editing software for Windows we could find, and it will give you an overview of what you can expect from each video editor.
Are you also looking for video editors for Mac, Linux, mobile phone, or online? Check our latest post 36 Best Video Editors for All the Platforms.
Part 1: Choosing the Right Video Editor for Windows
As we mentioned before, there are so many video editing software [free & paid] available on the market, but how to choose the right video editing software especially when you are a newbie and want a free video editing software before you dig deeper?
- Interface: For a newbie, a user-friendly interface can help you save a lot of time from learning and getting familiar with the program. Some users like to use modern and intuitive free video editor, while others just like to use old style editors.
- Formats: Make sure the software you choose enables you to export common used formats like MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, etc, so that you can easily share your work on YouTube or other social media platform. Friendly reminder: generally speaking, MP4 is the most used format, so it is wiser to find a free video editor that supports MP4 at least.
Part 2: Best Video Editing Software for Beginners (Video Tutorial)
Wondershare Filmora9 - Recommended
You might find that the video editing software below are either too simple to meet your demends like audio editing and color correction, or too difficult to understand the workflow, then you should look at Wondershare Filmora9, which has significant improvement in overall performance, making the product faster, more powerful, and taking the user editing experience to a new level. It is perfect for helping beginners and intermediate users create stylish videos by providing an intuitive user interface and built-in effects.
- A wide support for different formats, including MP4, AVI, MOV, AVCHD, MKV and more.
- Enables you to crop, trim, cut, split and combine in a few clicks.
- Various top-tier video effects including motion elements, animated titles, royalty-free music, and transitions.
- Make your footage look like Hollywood film with color tuning tool
- Perfect your sound with audio keyframing, background noise removal, and an audio equalizer.
- Make exciting GoPro/action cam videos with precise speed controls, video stabilization, and fish-eye lens correction.
- Real-time rendering will keep your editing experience smooth, even if you’re working with 4K footage.
- Burn to DVD or upload to YouTube, or transfer to any popular portable devices.
How to Edit Videos with Wondershare Filmora9
Import Media Files
Import media files from your computer or cameras and smart phones, and directly drag-n-drop to the program.
Edit Your Video
Easily crop, rotate, split or cut videos on the timeline. Then add effects and filters to enrich your video.
Save & Enjoy
Save your video to different formats, or upload to YouTube, Vimeo, burn to DVD and more.
Part 3: Top 10 Best Free Video Editing Software for Windows
The following best video editing software list is ranked by skill level only.
Level | Products | Input formats | Output formats | Pros | Cons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
For beginners | Windows Movie Maker | ASF, AVI, DVR-MS, M1V, MP2, MP2V, MPE, MPEG, MPG, MPV2, WM, WMV | Windows Media Video (WMV) or DV AVI | Free, meets your basic editing demands | Service discontinued; No support for modern file formats |
VideoPad Video Editor | avi, wmv, mpv, divx and many more | WMV, AVI | Intuitive interface | Certain features become unavailable when using the free version of the software over a longer period of time. | |
Avidemux | AVI, MPEG, MOV, MP4, etc | AVI, MPEG, DIVX, XVID, MP4, etc | Has solid encoding options and its interface is user-friendly. | There are no video effects or transitions. | |
OpenShot | QuickTime, AVI, WMV, MPEG, etc | mpeg, avi, mp4, mov, etc | Free as well as powerful | Need to install add-ons if the OS you are using doesn't meet the software's system requirements. | |
VSDC Video Editor | AVI, QuickTime (MP4/M4V, 3GP/2G2, MOV, QT), HDVideo/AVCHD (MTS, M2TS, TS, MOD, TOD), WindowsMedia (WMV, ASF, DVR-MS), DVD/VOB, VCD/SVCD, etc | AVI, DVD, VCD/SVCD, MPEG, MP4, M4V, MOV, 3GP/3G2, WMV, MKV, RM/RMVB, FLV, SWF, AMV, MTV | Intuitive interface, friendly to beginners. | Technical support is not free. | |
For amateurs and pros | Kdenlive | QuickTime, AVI, WMV, MPEG, etc | mpeg, avi, mp4, mov, etc | Allows you to extend your capability with free add-ons. | No technical support. |
Blender | latest audio and video formats | .MOV, .MPEG4, .MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, 3GPP, WebM. | A lot of advanced features, perfect for advanced users | Learning curve is steeper for beginners; Very limited learning resources. | |
DaVinci Resolve | ARI, MTS, MXF, AVI, CIN, DNG, DPX, CDX, MP4, MXF, EXR, MOV | ARI, MTS, MXF, AVI, CIN, DNG, DPX, CDX, MP4, MXF, EXR, MOV | Stunning image quality. Color correction and audio editing are also excellent in Davinci Resolve. | Learning curve is steeper for beginners. | |
HitFilm Express | AVCHD, AVI, DV, MP4, MPEG, MOV, MMV | AVI, MP4 | Offers a wide spectrum of transitions and video effects | Feature limited while exporting video files, not friendly to beginners. | |
Lightworks | latest audio and video formats | mp4, MXF, Quicktime, AVI, mts, mpg, m2t | Has a free version | Not for beginners |
1. Windows Movie Maker - Free Built-in Video Editor on Windows 7
Windows Movie Maker was once the world's most popular free video editing tool for Windows and users can make home movies by simple drag-and-drop. It contains features such as video effects, video transitions, adding titles/credits, audio track, timeline narration, and Auto Movie. Although Windows Movie Maker is built for Windows 7, and if you are looking for some free video editing software for Windows 8 or Windows 10, then you should skip Windows Movie Maker to use Microsoft Windows 10 Photos app. However, Windows Movie Maker has been discontinued by Microsoft, you can still find installation packages on some third-party authoritative download sites:
After you finish video editing, you can share video directly to social media platform including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. If you don't know your computer's system requirement, you can try this one. However, you must know it won't upgrade anymore, so you are not able to enjoy some innovative and high video editing technology.
The Windows Movie Maker includes some features listed below:
- Input formats: ASF, AVI, DVR-MS, M1V, MP2, MP2V, MPE, MPEG, MPG, MPV2, WM, WMV
- Output formats: Windows Media Video (WMV) or DV AVI
- Advantages: Free, meets your basic editing demands
- Limitations: Service discontinued; No support for modern file formats; Lacks color correction tools, visual effects or any other advanced video editing options.
2.VideoPad Video Editor
VideoPad is a cross-platform software for beginners. Although the free version limits the video exporting options to just two file formats. The VideoPad's interface doesn't take much time to get used to, and it perfectly adjusted to the needs of inexperienced video editors.
This is an intuitive, feature rich and easy to use video editing platform. Beginners can enjoy easy editing with its drag and drop type timeline and the loads of transitions, effects and speed adjustment features make customization easier.
If you like to use transitions and have various video clips, VideoPad includes more than 50 transition effects. After applying transitions, you can also adjust video speed to make slow motion or fast speed video effect. For audio, you can also record narations to make your video more detailed, which is a bonus for game lovers. However, this free video editor can't be used to make slideshow, so just pass it if you really care this function.
Features of this free video editor you should know:
- Input formats: avi, wmv, mpv, divx and many more
- Output formats: WMV, AVI
- Advantages: Intuitive interface
- Limitations: Certain features become unavailable when using the free version of the software over a longer period of time.
3.Avidemux
Avidemux is a free video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks. You can use it on Windows 10/7/8. It supports various file types, including AVI, DVD compatible MPEG files, MP4 and ASF, using a variety of codecs.
As its interface is so clear, it lacks timeline, so you can't add filters and transitions. The whole design of Avidemux is that many functions are for practical use, not stylish purpose. If your needs is very basic, this free video editing software is a choice. For advanced video editing, it can't let you have more controls. The good thing is you can use it smoothly and learn it quicly if you are a new users in video editing industry.
Avidemux includes some features below:
- Imput formats: AVI, MPEG, MOV, MP4, etc
- Output formats: AVI, MPEG, DIVX, XVID, MP4, etc
- Advantages: Avidemux also has solid encoding options and its interface is user-friendly.
- Limitations: There are no video effects or transitions.
4.OpenShot
Another open-source video editor which offers basic video editing features like trimming and slicing. It also provide lots of transitions and audio effects to help you make simple videos.
This free video editor can offer you unlimited video tracks in timeline. You can add many videos and audio clips. It also includes tile templates and video effects, so if you want to have more touches on your video, this free video program can also help you.
For audio editing, you can use waveforms to visualize your audio. It includes more than 70 languages. This free video editor is updated regularly, so you can always use the lasted video editing technology. However, you need to fix bugs or problems on your own as it is an open source editor, and the video effects are also limited.
- Imput formats: QuickTime, AVI, WMV, MPEG, etc
- Output formats: mpeg, avi, mp4, mov, etc
- Advantages: Free as well as powerful.
- Limitations: Need to install add-ons if the OS you are using doesn't meet the software's system requirements.
5.VSDC Video Editor
It has tones of features and you can start for free. There is wide range of filters, overlays, transition effects and color correction abilities. This platform is designed to serve users with smooth editing experience so that even beginners can enjoy creative media projects. Thanks to its wide format support that helps to handle all popular media files with ease.
You can also use the build-in video converter tools to freely convert video/audio format to another format. It is a non-linear tool, which means you can place video clips in the timeline freely. You can also export your video to IG, FB and YouTube, which is powerful as a free video editor. You can also edit 4K and HD videos. For this point, not every free video editor can do.
- Imput formats: AVI, QuickTime (MP4/M4V, 3GP/2G2, MOV, QT), HDVideo/AVCHD (MTS, M2TS, TS, MOD, TOD), WindowsMedia (WMV, ASF, DVR-MS), DVD/VOB, VCD/SVCD, etc
- Output formats: AVI, DVD, VCD/SVCD, MPEG, MP4, M4V, MOV, 3GP/3G2, WMV, MKV, RM/RMVB, FLV, SWF, AMV, MTV
- Advantages: Intuitive interface, friendly to beginners.
- Limitations: Technical support is not free.
6.Kdenlive - Free and Open-source Video Editing Software
Kdenlive is an open-source video editing software which is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. This video editing software combines the simplicity of entry-level video editors with advanced video editing tools frequently used by experienced professionals.
As a free video editor, it is popular at first on Linux, but now you can also use it on Windows. It includes multi-track timeline to use, so you can import various video and audio clips onto timeline. For some special situation, say crash, Kdenlive can back up your file automatically, so no worries about file missing. From online forum and community, you can ask them questions if you have any questions, but sometimes you won't get answered as there is no support team.
- Imput formats: QuickTime, AVI, WMV, MPEG, etc
- Output formats: mpeg, avi, mp4, mov, etc
- Advantages: Allows you to extend your capability with free add-ons.
- Limitations: No technical support.
7.Blender - Free & Open-source & Professional Animated Film Toolset
![Video Editing Apps Free Video Editing Apps Free](https://www.yugatech.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/cutecut.jpg)
Blender is the free open source 3D content creation which supports all major operating systems under the GNU General Public License. Blender has many advanced features, such as modifier-based modeling tools, powerful character animation tools, a node-based material, etc. and is one of the best video editors for both Windows and Mac.
As a beginner users, it is difficult to use as it is designe for pros. It is totally free to use and distribute. The interface is customizable and flexible color settings. On the other hand, if you a semi-pros or want to improve your video edting to a higher level, this free video editor is best for you. The thing is you need to spend many time and energy to learn it. You can have a try to see if you like it or not.
- Input formats: latest audio and video formats
- Output formats: .MOV, .MPEG4, .MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, 3GPP, WebM.
- Advantages: A lot of advanced features, perfect for advanced users
- Limitations: Learning curve is steeper for beginners; Very limited learning resources.
Learn more about Blender >>
8.DaVinci Resolve - Free Professional Video Editing & Color Correction software
If you had access to the video editing pro level, then you must try DaVinci Resolve 14. Except for multi-camera editing, 3D editing, motion blur effects, and spatial noise reduction which are only available on the paid version DaVinci Resolve Studio, you can almost do any professional video/audio editing and color correction with DaVinci Resolve 14.
- Supported formats: ARI, MTS, MXF, AVI, CIN, DNG, DPX, CDX, MP4, MXF, EXR, MOV
- Advantages: Stunning image quality. Color correction and audio editing are also excellent in Davinci Resolve.
- Limitations: Learning curve is steeper for beginners.
9.HitFilm Express - Popular Free Video Editor & Compositor
HitFilm Express is a good alternative to Adobe After Effects, it offers users with many visual effect compositing options, and it lets you use semi-professional video editing tools for free. But beginners may find the software's interface difficult to navigate.
- Imput formats: AVCHD, AVI, DV, MP4, MPEG, MOV, MMV
- Output formats: AVI, MP4
- Advantages: Offers a wide spectrum of transitions and video effects.
- Limitations: Feature limited while exporting video files, not friendly to beginners.
10.Lightworks - Powerful Free Video Editor
![Phone Phone](https://www.imyfone.com/images/2018/01/Splice-App.jpg)
Lightworks is a great free video editor featured with many video effects. It can edit up to 256 video, audio, and still image clips. But the user interface is very technical so many people find it hard to use. The pro version costs $25 a month.
Lately, it comes a new version 14.5. For more than 25 years, many movie makers use it as a professional tools to edit videos. You can use it to edit YouTube video and 4K films. Speaking of 4K, you can use proxy for smooth 4K video editing experience. If you want to edit 4K videos, this one is best for you.
- Imput formats: latest audio and video formats
- Output formats: mp4, MXF, Quicktime, AVI, mts, mpg, m2t
- Advantages: Well designed interface, many advanced features.
- Limitations: Not for beginners.
Check this video to see more best video editing software in the market!
This is the article about free video editing software for Windows, please check some free video editing for mac here. We do love to hear from you in the comment below if there are some other awesome free video editing software for Windows which are worth mention.
Easy-to-use and powerful video editor for all creators.
Bring up your video to a professional level with straightforward tools.
- Choosing Video Editing Software
- Video Editing Tips
There’s no need to head to a Mac or PC to create a custom movie using photos, music, and video. As iOS hardware continues to become more powerful and get closer to a true computer, there are a plethora of video editing apps that allow you to edit and create a video from different media files.
Below we highlight six mostly free video editing app choices for your iPhone or iPad.
1. iMovie
Any list of free iOS video editing apps wouldn’t be complete without Apple’s iMovie. The app should be your first choice for editing on an iPhone or iPad. While the interface might look overwhelming at first, it offers a number of powerful features and is as close to a desktop-class video editor you can find on an iOS device.
There are two major features to take advantage of. The surprisingly powerful editor allows you to select from eight themes complete with matching titles, transitions, and music. Additionally, the app offers 10 different filters to select from. You can compose a movie’s soundtrack from built-in music and sound effects, music from your library, or even your own narration.
If you’re looking for something different, iMovie has a great feature to help you make Hollywood-style movie trailers with the included graphics and scores.
You can save or share both types of movies in 4K or 1080p at 60FPS. Make sure to take a look at our great guide to editing videos on iPhone that includes a number of iMovie tips.
Download:iMovie (Free)
2. Splice
GoPro’s Splice lets you import files stored in other services like Facebook or Dropbox.
The app then lets you choose a soundtrack or add a track from your iTunes library. It has a vast selection of tunes neatly arranged in 13 genres (including pop, rock, and reggae). On the following screen, you can change your background color, transition, photo duration, and more.
When it comes to editing the video, you can select from a number of tools to trim the file, add filters, change playback speed, place text, and change the volume.
The audio editor tab has options to trim your music, download effects, or add aarration. You can then save the video to your device or share it via social media.
Download: Splice (Free)
3. Videorama Video Editor
Videorama is another solid video editor. After opening the app, you can pick from three different video orientations: landscape, portrait, or square. The square size is perfect for Instagram.
Easily the app’s best feature is the ability to download free videos and photos from Pixabay. It also allows you to download video effects, sound effects, and copyright-free music.
On the editing timeline, you’ll see the usual array of editing tools at the bottom including adding text, photos, music, and filters. Tapping the video slider at the top reveals four more tools. These include options to edit the clip, remove it, duplicate it, and add different transition effects.
The free version of the app allows you to create short 720p videos with a Videorama watermark. You can pay for a monthly subscription, or unlock all the features of the app. That will remove the watermark, provide access to premium content and features, allow you to create 1080p 60FPS video, and the ability to share content longer than three minutes.
Download: Videorama Video Editor (Free, in-app purchases available)
4. Quik
Another great app from GoPro, Quik is a solid choice if you want to create a video montage with just a few taps. Instead of a being a true editor like Splice, the app focuses on bringing together different media files for a customizable result.
After importing media files, you’ll then select a theme and its own soundtrack. You can also select the music icon on the bottom of the screen to change the music or add your own track.
If you prefer, you can instead select a number of different built-in templates, each with their own graphics and music. Before saving to your iPhone or iPad or sharing on social media, you can convert the video into a 16:9, square, or portrait format.
Download:Quik (Free)
5. Adobe Premiere Clip
You’ll need an Adobe account to use this app, but creating one is free and provides 2GB of storage. Premiere Clip lets you select media files stored on your device, in a Dropbox account, or within Adobe’s own Creative Cloud accounts. An automatic tool will create a video montage.
But the manual option allows much more control over the final video. You can choose the video’s exposure, highlight, and shadows. It’s also possible to change the playback speed and make duplicate clips on the timeline.
There’s not a wide variety of included music, but it’s easy to add your own. In the Settings section of the app, you’ll find a number of different filters and video effects.
Download:Adobe Premiere Clip (Free)
6. Magisto Video Editor & Maker
With a focus on social media, Magisto takes all the difficulty out of creating a perfect video. Just like Quik, the app handles all the editing itself. Using AI, the editor combines video, photos, music, text, effects, and filters.
After selecting a specific editing style like caring moments, memories, or travel, it’s time to import all the needed media files. Next, there are a number of different songs to select from, including everything from rock to cinematic. You can also choose a specific tune from a music library. Then share the results with just a single tap to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and many other social networks.
The free version will create movies as long as two minutes and 30 seconds. There are two subscription types—Professional and Premium—that bring a number of additional features like longer movies, more editing styles, unlimited movie downloads, and more.
Download:Magisto Video Editor & Maker (Free, subscription available)
Ready, Set, Create With These Video Editing Apps
It’s so simple and quick to capture a photo or video with an iPhone or iPad. But most of us probably have a huge number of media files sitting on our device that we’ll never watch again. Using one of these free video editing apps, you can create a film to help enjoy those memories over and over.
Looking to specifically create a video for YouTube, Instagram, or other social outlets? Take a look at these great video editing apps for social mediaThe 7 Best Video Editors for Creating Social Media PostsThe 7 Best Video Editors for Creating Social Media PostsIf you want to make videos specifically designed for social media sites, check out these nifty video apps and editors.Read More. And if your video is for TikTok, take a look at these tips just for TikTok beginnersHow to Use TikTok: 11 Tips for BeginnersHow to Use TikTok: 11 Tips for BeginnersWhether you're new to TikTok or already know how to use TikTok, these TikTok tips should help you get the most out of the app.Read More.
Explore more about: iMovie, iOS Apps, iPhoneography, Smartphone Photography, Video Editing, Video Editor.
- Does anyone know any video editing apps that allow you to put two videos on top of each other. I mean in terms of having a photo in which you turn into video to use as a background and then another video that goes on top. I know you can in cute cut, but you can only upload 30 seconds of video unless you upgrade to pro.
- Cute cut is also a great app. The PRO version is only about 5 dollars while the regular version is free and does pretty much the same.
- on me
- I agree that iMovie can be difficult to the uninitiated. After some frustration, I attended a learning workshop at the Apple Store. They were very helpful and tailored the session to the exact needs of the participants. After that, I'm much more comfortable in using iMovie.