21 Best Free Video Editing Software For Professionals

Priya Naha

Senior Writer

Best Free Video Editing Software

Today, you do not really need to break the bank to make cutting edge, high quality and professional videos. In this article, we will discuss and take a closer look at the best free video editing software in the market. When it comes down to choosing a video editing software, there really isn’t one size that fits all.

Looking for Video Editing Software? Check out SoftwareSuggest’s list of the best video editing solutions.

Video editors have their own set of requirements from a video editing tool. We will attempt to demystify what you can expect from each video editor and also suggest some workarounds to make the most of them. All the video editors featured in this article come completely free of cost or have highly capable free versions.

21 Best Free Video Editing Software

Software NamePlatformsFeatures
Windows, Mac, LinuxIt facilitates audio mixing and waveform visualization. It also supports other audio editing features such as syncing and scrubbing
Windows, Mac, LinuxSeamless and high-precision video trimming
Windows, Mac, LinuxFree 4K HD resolution support
WindowsColour correction, Audio editing
WindowsRemove audio tracks, Supports AVI and WMV files
Windows, Mac, LinuxFacilitates simple cutting, Enables encoding
Mac, WindowsInteractive and engaging tutorials, Highly advanced cutting tools
Windows, Mac, LinuxProfessional-grade trimming, Multi-camera editing support
Windows, Mac, LinuxGreat audio mixing features, Realtime previews for video transitions
MacPre-made transitions library, Great for video trimming
WindowsPre-made transitions library, Supports movie export in multiple resolutions
WindowsIt can convert movies with subtitles, Allows you to cut, join and rotate clips
iOSSimple interface, Edit and cut videos with a few taps
iOS, AndroidAutomatically identifies videos containing seemingly great moments
iOS, AndroidOther features such as transitions, colour correction, Freeform mode gives you the editing control
iOS, AndroidSimple, easy-to-use
iOS, AndroidAutomatically creates videos using photos, videos and music of your choice
iOS, AndroidBoomerang converts a burst of up to 10 photos into a mini video
iOS, AndroidAuto-transcription of audio files and podcasts into videos
iOSStabilization technology, Share video directly on Instagram
Online, browser-based applicationHundreds of professional animations to choose from, Perfect for short-form content like ads, promos, and social media

1. Blender

Blender

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

USP: 3D animation

Primarily a 3D animation suite, Blender also comes with a great video editor. Video cuts, splicing and video masking are all achievable with this tool.

Features

  • It enables live preview and also offers luma waveform as well as a chroma vectorscope along with histogram displays.
  • It facilitates audio mixing and waveform visualization. It also supports other audio editing features such as syncing and scrubbing.
  • A generous number of 32 slots that accommodate audio, video, effects and images.
  • Great advanced video editing features to facilitate speed control, transitions, filters as well as adjustment layers and keyframes, to name a few.

Pros
  • Advanced video editing features
Cons
  • teeper learning curve and limited video editing training resources

 2. Lightworks

Lightworks

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

USP: Desktop video editing

Lightworks is an exceptionally powerful and feature-rich that makes it possible to bypass the pro version altogether.

Features

  • Seamless and high-precision video trimming
  • Multi-camera support capabilities
  • Export at the rate of 720p for YouTube
  • Supports diverse video formats
  • Great video tutorials

Pros
  • Possibly the most powerful free video editor for advanced editing
Cons
  • 4K video support comes at a cost

3. Shotcut

Shotcut

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

USP: 4K HD video editing projects

Shotcut is a fully open source program with a quirky interface that supports a large number of video formats. Originally designed for Linux, it is a high-quality video editing tool. 

Features

  • Free 4K HD resolution support 
  • Timeline editing

Pros
  • Saves time as there is no need to import video into the editor
Cons
  • Interface

4. VSDC Free Video Editor

VSDC Free Video Editor

Platforms: Windows

USP: Editing projects on Windows

The free version if the VSDC Free Video Editor is packed with features and is easy to learn and use. 

Features

  • Colour correction
  • Audio editing

Pros
  • User-friendly
Cons
  • Paid technical support, Windows-only application

5. Machete Video Editor Lite

Machete

Platforms: Windows

USP: Video splicing

Possibly the simplest video editor on the list, Machete Lite is great for quick and fuss-free editing tasks. 

Features

  • Remove audio tracks
  • Supports AVI and WMV files

Pros
  • Easy to use
Cons
  • Windows-only application, supports limited file types, no audio editing

6. Avidemux

Avidemux

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

USP: Great for beginners

Avidemux is great for people just foraying into video editing due to its simple user interface.

Features

  • Facilitates simple cutting
  • Enables encoding
  • Great for filtering
Pros
  • No technical training required
Cons
  • Limited features

7. HitFilm Express

HitFilm

Platforms: Mac, Windows

USP: Excellent for YouTube Vlogs

While the HitFilm Express supports all basic editing tasks like splicing, trimming, and audio editing, it also comes with many advanced editing features enabling high-quality professional video editing. It contains all the features you would expect from a basic editor () plus many more. 

Features

  • 180 special effects
  • Interactive and engaging tutorials
  • Highly advanced cutting tools
  • Green screen effects
  • Great audio and video filters
  • Superior compositing capabilities
  • Supports layers and masking
  • Supports 3D video
Pros
  • Feature-rich
Cons
  • Higher learning curve

8. DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

USP: Great for advanced projects that require extensive colour correction

DaVinci Resolve is the most advanced video editor on the list with an intuitive interface that is great for advanced video editing.

Features

  • 2D and 3D titles for video
  • Professional-grade trimming
  • Multi-camera editing support
  • Great colour correction capabilities
  • Enables audio mastering
Pros
  • Intuitive interface, colour correction
Cons
  • Limited free tutorials

9. Openshot

Openshot

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

USP: Excellent for beginners

You may mistake Openshot for iMovie owing to the drag-and-drop, easy-to-use interface. However, Openshot is fully open source and packs more features than iMovie.

Features

  • Unlimited tracks and layers 
  • Great audio mixing features 
  • Realtime previews for video transitions
  • Supports clip resizing, trimming, scaling, rotation, snapping
  • Offers compositing, watermarks, image overlays
  • Facilitates title templates and title creation
  • Allows addition of subtitles including 3D animated titles and effects
  • The advanced timeline offers drag-and-drop and also scrolling, zooming and panning, snapping
Pros
  • Fully open source with unlimited layers
Cons
  • Limited video tutorials

10. iMovie

iMovie

Platforms: Mac

USP: Excellent for learning video editing

The iMovie is a widely used application that is great for learning video editing. Let’s not forget the legendary intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

Features

  • Pre-made transitions library
  • Great for video trimming
  • Excellent audio editing features
  • Supports split screen
  • Supports 4K resolution 
Pros
  • Short learning curve
Cons
  • Limited advanced features, slow import and render times

11. VideoPad

VideoPad

Platforms: Windows

USP: Great for beginners

VideoPad, again, is a great platform to hone your video editing skills as a beginner. Simple and user-friendly, advanced video editors may however, want to give this one a miss as it may be too basic for them.

Features

  • Pre-made transitions library
  • Supports movie export in multiple resolutions
  • Great for 3D video editing
  • Curtails camera shakes
  • Library of sound effects 

Pros
  • Directly export for YouTube and other social media platforms
Cons
  • Limited advanced features

12.  Freemake Video Converter

Freemake

Platforms: Windows

USP: Convert videos into a diverse range of file formats.

Freemake makes it possible to not just modify and convert videos but also extract audio from video clips while also allowing you to embed videos to websites. If you are looking for a solution that supports an extensive list of video conversions, especially for various gadgets and mobile devices, look no further. It’s great for creating slideshows and video clips as it supports a wide range of audio and image file formats.

Features

  • 500+ formats to convert videos simply and quickly 
  • It can convert movies with subtitles
  • Allows you to cut, join and rotate clips
  • Supports 4K resolution 

Pros
  • No training required
Cons
  • Some features remain locked for three days when you first install the application

13. Splice

Splice

Platforms: iOS

USP: Edit videos quickly when you don’t have much time to spare.

Splice is a popular free video editing apps available for iPhone and iPad users from the makers of GoPro. 

Features

  • Simple interface 
  • Edit and cut videos with a few taps 
  • Large built-in library for transitions and sounds 

Pros
  • Easy to use
Cons
  • iOS only

14. Quik

Quik

Platforms: iOS, Android

USP: Automatic video editing

Another great offering from the makers of GoPro, Quik is an excellent free video editing app that is similar to Splice. It differs from Splice in that it has auto trim and edit features that speed up the editing process. You can still edit clips manually, should you prefer to do that.

Features

  • Automatically identifies videos containing seemingly great moments
  • Automatically adds transitions. 

Pros
  • Automates the editing process
Cons
  • Limited editing control

15. Adobe Premiere Clip

Adobe

Platforms: iOS, Android

USP: Great for basic mobile video editing

The Adobe Premiere Clip’s popularity comes as no surprise. Not only does it become a formidable application when paired with other Adobe applications such as Lightroom, it’s free version is very easy to use.

Features

  • Choose from a music library or add your own music
  • Other features such as transitions, colour correction 
  • Freeform mode gives you the editing control
  • Automatic mode lets Adobe choose transitions and also trim your clip 

Pros
  • Adobe Creative Cloud support
Cons
  • Missing a few basic functions like clips rotation

16. Horizon

Platforms: iOS, Android

USP: Horizontal videos, position of the phone notwithstanding

With Horizon you can capture videos horizontally regardless of the position of your phone. It comes in handy when you miss out on capturing videos horizontally for any reason.

Features

  • Simple, easy-to-use
  • Tilt phone in any direction to capture horizontal videos

Pros
  • No wastage of vertically captured content
Cons
  • Android version lacks features available in the iOS version

17. Magisto

Magisto

Platforms: iOS, Android

USP: Professional-quality video edits within minutes

A super-impressive award-winning, AI-powered video editor, Magisto can automatically create impressive videos for you. The best part is that the end result will be so great that nobody will believe that you did not spend at least a few hours to create the video.

Features

  • Automatically creates videos using photos, videos and music of your choice
  • Simply select the type of story you want to tell
  • Excellent for Instagram posts

Pros
  • AI-powered video editing
Cons
  • Limited editing control

18. Boomerang

Platforms: iOS, Android

USP: Create engaging content for social media

Created by Instagram, you would have to be living under a rock to not know about Boomerang. Instagram. It is used most commonly to create fun videos for Instagram. 

Features

  • Boomerang converts a burst of up to 10 photos into a mini video
  • It allows you to post the video directly to Instagram.

Pros
  • Easy-to-use application, easy-to-share content
Cons
  • It offers only one feature

19. Anchor Video Maker

Platforms: iOS and Android.

USP: Make engaging video content using audio files

Great videos can also begin to take life by starting out as soundbites. If you are looking to create engaging audio content for your videos, look no further than the Anchor Video Maker. 

Features

  • Auto-transcription of audio files and podcasts into videos 
  • Best suited for creating content for Instagram

Pros
  • Shareable audio files
Cons
  • Proofreading required

20. Hyperlapse

Platforms: iOS 

USP: Engaging time-lapse video content

Time-lapse videos serve as great content. They condense a lot of time into a short video. Hyperlapse is the best tool for the job.

Features

  • Stabilization technology 
  • Share video directly on Instagram
  • Up to 12x time-lapse speed
Pros
  • No need for tripods
Cons
  • Requires a few attempts to obtain great results

21. Biteable

Biteable

Platforms: Online, browser-based application

USP: Studio-quality video content with no editing experience required

Targeted at those who want stunning content quickly, Biteable is a drag-and-drop video maker that requires little to no creativity. It’s simple interface and extensive content library make video creation truly easy.

Features

  • 1.8 million stock images and clips built in
  • Hundreds of professional animations to choose from
  • Perfect for short-form content like ads, promos, and social media
  • Extensive library of video templates to help you get started
Pros
  • Zero learning curve for beginners
Cons
  • Better on desktop than mobile

Conclusion

We hope that this list of free as well as open source and best free video editing software helps you to create awesome video content. In the age of social media, over-communication and over-exposure, everyone has upped their video content game. Videos have almost evolved into a powerful language that can be used to invoke a reaction and even inspire certain behaviour from the target audience. Luckily, creating slick, professional videos for various purposes, does not necessarily have to cost you. 

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