Making videos is not a cheap hobby. Between cameras, lighting fixtures, and microphones, most of us don’t have the money to spend on professional video editing software. Fortunately, for those on a tight budget, there are many free video editing software options.
In this article, we’ll rate some of the best free video editing software out there.
What characterizes good editing software?
Some software options only give you basic functionality, locking all the useful tools behind a membership fee or the “Pro” version. There will always be drawbacks when using free software.
However, all of the options on this list give you plenty of features. Some have paid versions, but the free options are definitely useful.
Each suggestion on the list has some unique characteristics, which is why we included them. We hope it gives you everything you need to know to make the right decision for you.
Tik Tok
Tik Tok In fact, it has many great tools to help you get creative with your videos. In addition to allowing you to add music or voice to your videos, TikTok also has filters, transitions, and even a green screen. The platform also provides you with popular music and a tool to sync the music with your video.
The biggest disadvantage of using TikTok for video editing is that you can only publish your videos on TikTok. There are a lot of great editing tools, but they don’t help you with lighting or sound. You will need to purchase your own setups if you want to have the best sound and lighting for your videos.
Another drawback is the length of the video. TikTok has done a lot to improve the length of videos you can post, starting at 15 seconds and now reaching 10 minutes. However, if you have something that is longer than 10 minutes, then TikTok is not the one for you. All of your videos will also have the TikTok logo and your username at the bottom right of your videos, as well as a logo page at the end of your video. It’s not particularly intrusive, but it’s still clearly visible.
Overall, TikTok has a lot of great options for video editing and it’s all completely free. However, if you want your videos to be on other platforms, TikTok is not recommended. If you just want to make short videos with your phone, TikTok is a top-notch app that lets you do everything with your mobile device. Something to remember is that your TikTok videos will be recorded in portrait mode to accommodate mobile devices.
Adobe Premiere fever
Adobe Premiere Fever It still offers quite a few good options for those who don’t need anything advanced. Premiere Rush has options for mobile and desktop devices. You can access any work you do on any of your devices through Adobe’s Creative Cloud.
In addition to transitions, Adobe Premiere Rush offers automatic and manual color correction, custom title cards, and even some special effects like slow motion. Adobe’s free offering is pretty solid for free software. It even lets you upload your videos directly to YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, converting the files to match each platform’s specifications.
Adobe Premiere Rush has very few drawbacks. It offers some of the best video editing tools on the market, for free! Plus, you get 100GB of storage space, allowing you to do a lot of editing without any hassle. There are some features (like 10TB of space) that are locked behind a paywall. Adobe charges $9.99 for its basic plan, but it will unlock all the premium features in Premiere Rush. If you plan to do a lot of editing for different platforms, Adobe Premiere Rush is a great free option.
Windows video editor
Hidden there, among all your other programs, is free video editing software you didn’t even know you had. Windows video editorformerly Windows Movie Maker, it comes preinstalled on all computers running Windows 10. To access it, simply click “Photos” in the “Start” menu and then the “Video Editor” tab.
Windows Video Editor has many useful features that you can use to edit videos. You can add music, credits or titles, add some 3D effects and there are even some good options for easy cuts.
Windows Video Editor is completely free, making it ideal for beginners or those who only need the most basic video editing software. However, it does not offer options for more advanced video editors. It is not recommended for long videos, because it is made more for photo slideshows than videos. However, it is still functional and, most importantly, free!
iMovie
Mac users are often spoiled for choice when it comes to multimedia projects. Apple offers a great set of free tools for those working in media and iMovie is not an exception. iMovie comes installed on all Mac computers. There is no Windows version, so PC users are out of luck.
iMovie offers 4K support, giving users the best video quality available. Plus, you have access to the Apple cloud, where you can drag and drop files between all your Apple devices. iMovie has filters custom designed for specific genres, like westerns or horror movies, making it easy to add atmosphere to your video. It also offers speed controls and audio recording tools so you can add voiceover or music seamlessly.
With constant updates, iMovie always works at its best and updates often add new or changed features, keeping everything fresh and exciting. For a free product, iMovie is one of the best video editing programs out there. However, its limitations for Mac make it a fantasy for PC users. Fortunately, the other free software we cover are great options compared to iMovie. Plus, if you don’t have an iPhone or iPad, transferring files to iMovie is slower and more tedious.
Create
Vimeo has been the go-to streaming site for those looking for more professional, high-quality videos. In recent years, it launched its Vimeo Create video editing software. Vimeo Create is a unique editing software because it uses AI and templates to edit videos for you.
In Vimeo Create, you can upload your raw footage and choose a template to edit your video. All you have to do is answer a few basic questions about your video so the AI can use that data to edit the video for you. You’ll add transitions, colors, titles, and any other text you want. This is great for less editing experts who want to save time and publish our videos as soon as possible.
It doesn’t need to be automated, and you can edit videos any way you want, while still taking advantage of Vimeo Create’s entire library of colors, effects, and transitions. You’ll even get suggestions from the AI, if you need creative guidance. Vimeo Create is a great tool for those who don’t have the skill or patience to edit videos.
Blender
Not all videos have to be made with a camera. In fact, there are millions of animation videos on YouTube and Vimeo. Blender is the software for the animators among us, giving users a great set of tools to create great animation videos.
Blender gives you a full range of options when creating animations. With Blender, you can make complete animations from scratch. You can model, add effects like camera tracking and object tracking, and it even comes with its own animation and montage tools. Blender covers everything related to animation. You can also import your own video files and still use all the tools that Blender has. If you just want to add some animations to your videos from your camera, you can do that too.
The best thing about Blender is that it is free and open source. Community contributions are a big part of Blender, so you’ll always find new things to play with. It is the best animation software out there, even professionals use it. Whether you’re a newbie animator or a veteran, Blender is a must-have for all your editing needs.
Master of cinema
Master of cinema It is designed exclusively for videos recorded on mobile devices. Often when the words “mobile version” appear, it usually means that it is missing many features for reasons of size. Kinemaster does not suffer from this problem and gives you a full range of editing options for your phone videos.
You can do everything through the Kinemaster app. Record, edit and upload everything using the app. You can even upload your videos to Instagram, Facebook and YouTube directly from the app. It comes with a full range of tools, including color correction, 4K export, VFX tools, and downloadable camera effects and transitions. There is nothing you can’t do in Kinemaster. Everything is designed to be used on a mobile device, so the user interface has a simple and clean look, making navigation with Kinesmaster a breeze.
Kinemaster is the best option for those who do not want to carry a lot of equipment. Everything is handled from your phone, allowing you to shoot and edit whenever and wherever you want. There is no desktop version as it is designed for mobile devices. It is available on Android and iOS devices.
light works
light works It is an excellent free video editing software. While it doesn’t have many editing tools, it makes up for it with other cool features.
Something unique to Lightworks is the ability to collaborate on edits. By sharing projects in real time, you can control who can edit the video. This allows you and others to work on a project simultaneously, making getting work done quick and easy.
It also has multi-camera editing, which is useful when you have many shots from different cameras. Lightworks also allows you to import files while you continue editing, eliminating wait times and allowing you to work without interruptions. Lightworks may not offer the most comprehensive experience with free video editing software, but it has all the most essential features, as well as some unique features, making it a great option.
Which is the best?
Each of these free video editing software options offers its own set of benefits. However, in terms of overall functionality and accessibility, Adobe Premiere Rush offers the largest set of tools and is available on all platforms, including mobile devices. The paid version is the best on the market and even the free version comes with other Adobe features, saving you more money in the long run.
That being said, all of these software options are a great option. Apple users are spoiled with iMovie and Kinemaster is the best software for mobile users. Blender is possibly the best animation software on the market. Vimeo Create even does the editing for you. You really can’t go wrong with any of them, so happy editing!