Being a filmmaker like video production Manchester costs much—from equipment to software, you need to afford good quality resources to produce great content. While it’s crucial to scrimp on gears, but you can definitely do so with video editing software. This is most especially applicable to aspiring filmmakers who are just building their portfolio. The good news is that there are several free video editing software that you can use, whether your editing skills are for beginners or intermediate.
The costs of video editing software can go high up as much as $1000. You might find this pretty expensive, most especially if you are only beginning in the field. While some think that quality output from these paid tools is worth the price tag, it can be overwhelming for beginners.
Even if you are a total beginner, you can quickly transform your editing skills from zero to hero with the free video editing software we’re going to share with you. Here are the best editing software for desktop you can try for absolutely free:
Wideo
Wideo is a versatile online video editing platform that empowers users with a wide array of editing capabilities to transform their videos. With Wideo, you can seamlessly trim your footage, incorporate engaging text, enhance visuals with filters and effects, and create smooth transitions to ensure your video flows flawlessly.
In addition to video editing, Wideo also offers audio editing tools, enabling you to fine-tune your sound quality for a more immersive experience. Furthermore, it provides an excellent platform for crafting captivating slideshows, making it a comprehensive solution for both beginners and experienced video editors.
With Wideo, you can bring your video ideas to life, tell your story creatively, and engage your audience effectively.
Highlights:
- Versatile video editing with trimming, text, filters, and transitions.
- Robust audio editing capabilities for top-notch sound quality.
- Effortless creation of engaging slideshows.
- Suitable for both beginners and experienced video editors.
- A comprehensive platform to bring your creative video ideas to life.
Visme
For in-browser video editing, Visme will come in handy. It gives access to an online video editor with lots of customization options to unleash your creativity. You can tweak fonts and colors, add text overlays, embed data widgets, and set transition effects to direct viewers from one scene to another in a visually engaging flow. With animated graphics, your video will feel dynamic, while voiceover will let you set the right mood for your story telling.
Visme’s drag-and-drop functionality will make editing a breeze even for first-timers. Also, you won’t need to start the whole process from scratch – there’s a lot of ready-to-use video templates for literally any use case – social media ads, promos, workshops, trailers, testimonials, intros, outros, etc.
Highlights:
- Ready-made video templates
- A rich set of graphic assets
- Custom animations and transitions
- Royalty-free stock videos and images
- Support for different video sizes (16:9, 1:1, 9:16)
Cost: Free; premium plans start at $12.25
Shotcut
(For Windows, macOS, and Linux)
Shotcut is among the top free video editing software anyone can get their hands to. It is an open-source, cross-platform video editing tool that allows users to work with a wide array of video resolutions and formats. Its major highlight is the broad compatibility of its format support, which makes editing swift. It supports hundreds of formats, including FFmpeg, 4K, DNxHD, ProRes, and more.
With a customizable interface, any beginner can easily navigate through the software. It also boasts of intricate audio effects and transitions that will level up your editing game.
Highlights:
- Compatibility with latest video and audio formats
- Native timeline editing
- Multi-format timeline
- Inclusion of advanced audio filters
Cost: Free
If you need a comprehensive tutorial on how to master Shotcut, here’s an online class for you: How to Use Shotcut – Video Editing for Beginners. Expect to reap heaps of tricks on how you can amp up your video editing skill with the free software.
Hitfilm Express
(For Windows and macOS)
Most professional editors recommend Hitfilm Express for beginners as it offers everything an editor needs in his timeline. Even more, it is worth mentioning that Hitfilm has established a strong reputation with the professional industry as it was released by FXHome Limited, a community of coders responsible for the development of Imerge and Action Pro.
FXHome has ties with Hollywood studios, software companies, and YouTubers, which manifests how good it is. It allows both 2D and 3D compositing, 4k support, 360-degree video editing, and lens distortion correction for action cameras.
Highlights:
- Best for professional editing
- Advanced trimming tools
- 3D video support
- Composite shot enhancements
- Unlimited track creation for both audio and video
- Easy copying of group attributes
- Advanced audio mixer for professional quality
Cost: Free; $847 for Pro Suite
iMovie
(Exclusive for macOS)
If you are a Mac user, you probably know what iMovie is. It is the free video editing software that comes bundled in your Mac device. This is the best option if you are a serial Mac user who does not want to install other software to perform your editing. It has a simple interface that allows users to drag-and-drop attributes and edit videos with up to 4k resolution.
However, it has limited features that you may seem constricting for more advanced editing. But still, iMovie offers an excellent array of perks like storing files on iCloud and directly uploading videos on YouTube and Vimeo.
Highlights:
- Drag-and-drop surface
- Support for 4k resolution
- Apple cloud storage functionality
- Inclusion of contemporary video filters
- Split screen
- A wide array of available transitions
Cost: Free for macOS
Need a tutorial on how to edit with iMovie? Here’s an in-depth class to help you get started with the software, Make an Easy Promo Video: iMovie Spotlight.
Movie Maker 10
(Exclusive for Windows)
If Mac has iMovie, Windows has Movie Maker pre-installed to any Windows computer. Any Windows user is familiar with the free video editing software, but do not downsize its functionality. Movie Maker 10 may be convenient and too basic for most editors, but it still gets the job done. This is a perfect tool for those who like to edit short clips that don’t need any complexity.
Highlights:
- Best for short clips
- Convenient for beginners
- Library of video effects and transitions
- Animation tab for audio, titles, and credits
Cost: Free for Windows
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Openshot
(For Windows, macOS, and Linux)
Openshot is an open-source video editing tool that’s packed with powerful features. It has a drag-and-drop interface making it similar to iMovie but has more remarkable features than the latter. Openshot is among the top free video editing software for beginners as it has simple interface yet advanced tools that both make editing efficient.
If you are editing simple videos with minimal designs and transitions, this is an excellent software for you. With basic functions and advanced features, the learning curve is smooth.
Highlights:
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Library of advanced video effects like filters, chroma-key composite, hues, gamma, and more
- Unlimited layers
- Customizable title templates
- Keyframe animation functions
Cost: Free
Avidemux
(For Windows, macOS, and Linux)
If you are an absolute beginner who seeks to start with a slow-paced approach in your learning curve, Avidemux is your best option. Its interface is pretty straightforward and simple-to-use. It allows basic functions such as trimming, encoding, adding of filters and transitions, and more.
Since this software offers limited features, Avidemux is a great software to introduce oneself in video editing before jumping onto more advanced options. It might be simple, but it gets the job done for essential functions every editor needs to execute.
Highlights:
- Best for beginners
- Inclusion of basic editing features
- Simple interface
Cost: Free
Blender
(For Windows, macOS, and Linux)
You might be familiar with Blender for animation and 3D sculpting, but it also supports editing and rendering of videos. It is an open-source 3D animation suite that can handle adding intermediate edits, effects, compositing, masking, and more. Don’t be overwhelmed for its animation functionality as the software caters to both beginner and intermediate users.
If you are editing videos that need 3D animations, Blender is made for that exact purpose.
Highlights:
- Best for animated clips
- Suitable for 3D animation
- Advanced rendering process
- A vast library of visual effects and transitions
- Has up to 32 slots for layering of videos, audios, and effects
- Key features of live preview, luma waveform, chroma vectorscope, audio mixing, syncing, scrubbing, waveform visualization, histogram display, and color grading
- Speed controls, filters, adjustment layers, and keyframes
Cost: Free
Beginning your video editing journey doesn’t have to come with an expensive subscription to a paid video editing software. You can definitely wing it through free programs that offer the same functions. Either way, it’s how you inject your creativity that’ll make your content stand out among others.
Ready to pick your first video editing software? Click here to get started.
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