Whether you’re a beginner needing something simple for YouTube or a professional requiring more advanced features, there’s a free video editor for you. So, coming up, I’ll count down the top 5 best free video editing software for Windows, Mac, and Linux, going over the pros and cons of each.
To qualify, the program must not have any forced watermarks or time limits and must allow exporter projects to be in a resolution of at least 1080p HD. That’s out of the way. Let’s get started.
1. Video Pad
Video Pad: If you’re an absolute beginner, this program makes it easy to get started with many cool features and the ability to share your creations directly on YouTube, Facebook, and other sites. Video Pad has both a free and pro version. While the free plan does lack some of the advanced features, you do get support for stunning video effects and transitions, color control, video stabilization, and built-in audio effects.
You also can export your projects in resolutions up to 4k. Here’s a quick example of how easy it is to add clips from your computer: drag and drop them onto the timeline. I’ll add another one after the clip I just added. To create a professional-looking transition, click the box between both clips to add a transition. For this one, I’ll go with a crossfade video pad that supports many formats and is available for both Windows and Mac.
2. VSDC
VSDC, this non-linear video editor for Windows only, is similar to expensive programs like Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro. Making our top five for the first time, they’ve made significant improvements to their interface that would have previously been described as clunky. Just like Video Pad, VSDC is available with both free and paid plans. With their free edition, you get a ton of useful features, including transitions, video and audio effects masking, and motion tracking.
It also allows up to 4k resolution for any exported project. VSDC is more than just a video editor. When you launch it, your choices are blank project, create a slideshow, and import content video and screen capture. Along with how-to guides for its top features to quickly begin a new project, select a blank project. In the pop-up window, give your project a name. You can leave the rest of these blank. The others you may need to change are the output resolution and the frame rate. When you’re done, click on finish.
Those familiar with the old interface will notice it’s much improved. While CSDC is more user-friendly than it used to be, there’s still a high learning curve on their website. In their how-to section, there’s an extensive list of tutorials that will teach you how to use it.
3. Hitfilm Express
Hitfilm Express spot this is one many people seem to have a love-hate relationship with. While it is feature-packed to help you create professional-quality videos, it does have a steep learning curve, and the installation process can take time and effort. Let’s get the positive out of the way first: the base version of Hitfilm Express includes more than 400 effects and preset motion tracking and supports output resolutions up to 4k with no limit on the number of tracks and transitions.
Add-on packs are also available starting at around 10$, which is a great way to expand its functionality without breaking the bank. Now for the ugly: while the Hitfilm Express download and install process is still a convoluted mess, it’s slightly better than it used to be. We used to have to give the program a shout-out on social media before downloading the installer. When you hit the download Hitfilm express button, it takes you to pay.
If you want a page with more features, the more you pay. If you wish to use the free base version, view the slider to the left and select download. Now fill in the required information and select Send me the Express Download. You’ll now be instructed to check your mail to grab the installer in your email, click the get your express installer link, and finally, you can download the installer.
When you launch Hitfilm Express, you’ll first notice its excellent interface, which is simple enough. Instead of dragging your media directly to the timeline on your computer, you can import it from the media window or drag and drop it into the media window before moving to the timetable. Before installing, make sure your computer meets or exceeds the system requirements. At least four gigabytes of RAM and one gigabyte of video memory are needed for basic projects. If you have a newer computer, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Hitfilm Express is available for both Windows and Mac. Before we get to the top two picks for Windows, Mac, and Linux, here are four bonus programs that might be worth checking out. Open Shot is a free and open-source program with a low learning curve that is great for beginners. It still needs to be fixed, and if you have a load mid-tier system, you may experience lag. For those of you who own a Mac, Apple iMovie is an easy-to-use program for simple edits.
KN Live, developed for Linux, is another free open-source program with dozens of transition effects and other useful features. While it’s also available for Windows and can be run on Mac OS, I recommend installing those versions at this time when the bugs get worked out. Lightworks has been one of our favorites for Windows, Mac, and Linux for many years. It’s a professional-quality editor that’s been used in many Hollywood productions. Unfortunately, the free license has too many restrictions, including the max resolution having a limit of 720p, which is no longer good enough. Otherwise, it would have easily made our top five. Now, let’s head back to the countdown.
4. Shotcut
Shotcut is an open-source program developed in 2004 and regularly updated. It’s completely free and includes a ton of useful features. It offers support for most audio, image, and video formats and allows for the export of finished projects up to 4k.
The video effects include numerous filter transitions and color correction, to name a few. It features native timeline editing, allowing you to drag and drop your media into the timeline with no limit on the number of tracks for video and audio. The learning curve to use shortcuts is moderate, but in a short time, it becomes very intuitive. For example, adding a crossfade is simple.
First, drag a clip from your file manager onto the timeline. Add your second clip to the end of the first. Now, left-click and drag the second clip near the end of the first and let go. Playing it back, you’ll see the crossfade between those two clips that was easy to set up. Shotcut is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac.
5. Davinci Resolve
Taking the top spot at number one, the absolute best free video editing software is Davinci Resolve. Released in 2004, its free edition is better overall and more feature-packed than most paid-for video editors. It includes any feature to create a professional quality project with multi-track timeline editing trimming, HDR grading tools, and support for all major file formats and resolutions up to 4k.
Their fusion tools are built to create unique visual effects and motion graphics. Also included are their Fairlight tools for audio post-production. It has a great layout that looks modern. For those of you asking how to add transitions using DaVinci Resolve, here’s your mini-tutorial. After you’ve added your clips to the timeline, click edit at the bottom of the window. Now, drag and drop one of your clips over the top of the other.
In the toolbar, at the top, select the effects library. As you can see, it’s already selected. Scroll down to video transitions and choose the one you want. Let’s go with the barn door left-click and drag it to the portion of the clip overlapping the other, then let go. You’ll now see a small box on top of the clip. You can change the transition length if you left-click and drag the outermost edge. We’ll leave it right there. Davinci Resolve has a steep learning curve before using it, so I’d recommend checking out the on-site tutorials. It’s available for download on all the major operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Linux.