9 Free Video Editing Software in 2024

|   24 May 2024

Table of Content

During my journey as a Video editor, I have worked on several projects that required different Video editing software that provides the best productivity.

As a beginner, I was confused about choosing the software for my projects, which led me to engage deeper and try out different tools that are free in the market for Video editing.

If you are in that place now, do read this blog, where I provide the best Video editing software, with its pros, cons, and other effects available inside.

These are not the “Have a short trial and then pay”  type, these are completely available for free!  

HitFilm

  • HitFilm packs animation tools for crafting and tweaking audio and video transitions sans composite shots—a big time-saver! It helps you with stunning 3D effects for films, music videos, and YouTube clips. 
  • Bonus: it's loaded with features typically found in premium video editing software, like 360-degree editing. 
  • It's got all the editing tools you would need and the core layer compositing interface.

                     

Pros:

Unlimited video and audio track creation.

Create professional-looking videos using motion tracking and stabilization.

Cons:

HitFilm has advanced tools and features, so there may be a little lag for the budding editors at the beginning.

Lightworks:

  • Lightworks offers many features including final stock videos and licensed music clips. It provides a user-friendly interface tailored to beginners, complemented by comprehensive video tutorials for enhanced accessibility. 
  • Notable features include precise video trimming, seamless speed optimization, multicam editing capabilities, and other advanced colour features for a paid version. 
  • A perfect start for your editing works!

Pros:

Supports a bunch of video formats, allowing you to dive straight into editing.

Cons:

The free version doesn't support 4K and custom formats, so if you are producing videos for large screens, you’ll need to upgrade to a premium version which is priced at $5.49 per month as of now.

iMovie:

  • iMovie, included with macOS, offers a user-friendly editing experience. Its drag-and-drop interface makes transferring files a breeze, perfect for YouTube marketing videos or personal projects.
  • You can work on your projects interchangeably across iPhone, iPad, or Mac devices. Additionally, regular updates here provide you with a good experience.
  • Key features include 4K resolution, studio-quality title and credits animations, genre-specific video filters, a built-in music and sound effects library, voice-over recording, and speed controls for action scenes and slow-motion highlights.


 

Pros:

  • Cross-Device Continuity: Start editing on your Mac and seamlessly continue on your iPhone with iCloud. This flexibility lets you work on your videos from anywhere.
  • Creative filters are available for making Cinematic storytelling videos.
  • Voiceover Recording: Keep audio and video perfectly synchronized. The voiceover feature lets you narrate your content while ensuring seamless alignment with the visuals. 

Cons:

As Apple’s native video editing software, iMovie is designed for Mac users only.

DaVinci Resolve:

  • DaVinci Resolve is the ultimate tool, seamlessly integrating professional 8K editing, color correction, visual effects, and audio post-production. Loved by film editors, TV creators, and commercial producers, it offers offline and online editing capabilities.
  • Its high-performance playback engine handles tasks like trimming clips with ease, even with demanding file formats like H.264 and RAW. While its advanced features may seem daunting, the free version of DaVinci Resolve is perfect for high-end projects too.
  • Notable features include a dual timeline for quick navigation, a dedicated trimming interface, intelligent auto-editing for audio-video sync, picture-in-picture functionality, stabilization, dynamic zoom, facial recognition, automatic people-sorting tools, motion estimation speed changes, and frame rate conversions. It's everything you need in one powerful package!

Pros:

A dedicated trim interface that gives you the ability to edit in minute detail.

Cons:

DaVinci offers complex video editing software features that might not be the best suitable for low-level content creation projects.

Clipchamp:

Clipchamp is an online video editing tool that strikes a balance between simplicity and advanced features. You can create videos using various templates and tailor them for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The platform also includes a library of stock video and audio files. However, collaboration features are not available currently. And the free version provides a watermark for your Videos.

Pros:

Best for Freelancers and individuals on a budget.
You can create unlimited watermarked videos for free using your own media.
Up to 1080p HD

Cons:

Paid plans start at $9 per month, and provide increasing access to stock media libraries and higher download resolutions.
Unlimited watermark-free exports when installed with Microsoft 365

Filmora:

Filmora is heaven for video editing. It has various features for editing, adding effects, or minimizing the length of the video. It is available on both PC and Mobile.

It provides inbuilt transition effects that you need for your videos and gives a variety of options and formats to customize your videos. 

Pros:

Totally fit for video editing and helps in faster video creation, improved video quality, and a more efficient and cost-effective way to produce video content.

Cons:

The basic plan is free for every user but for more modalities, one needs a paid subscription.

Vimeo:

Vimeo Create is a free video editing software that works seamlessly with your E-commerce store. Even if you’re new to video editing, Vimeo Create can transform your product images and text into polished e-commerce videos. Here’s how it works:

Answer Questions: Start by answering a few questions about your product.

Add Footage and Logo: Upload your existing footage and add your logo.

Customise Style: Customise the video style using Vimeo Create’s AI-driven features. It suggests colors, themes, music, and fonts.

Scale Up: Vimeo Create is great for creating videos at scale, such as launching a YouTube channel for your business.

All-in-One Solution: Manage, host, and distribute your videos from a single platform.

Notable Features: Enjoy over 1,000 templates, facial recognition, auto-cropping, and access to unlimited stock images from iStock. Plus, there’s a commercially licensed music library.

Pros:

Also, Vimeo has  Video management and other products to create content in minutes and gain access to Video templates as well.

Cons:

Better for batch editing videos that need minimal corrections.
Only 1 GB of storage is available in the free version.

Kdenlive:

This software offers advanced features like live track editing for both audio and video. It streamlines your workflow, allowing you to focus on storytelling. Integrated workflows enhance your final output, and you can polish your work without leaving the timeline. Please note that it was originally designed for Linux users and may have some issues with non-Linux operating systems.

Pros:

  • Format Compatibility: It supports almost all audio and video formats.
  • Customizable Interface: You can configure the interface and shortcuts.
  • 2D Titles: Create 2D titles for your videos.
  • Rich Effects Library: Access a huge library of effects and transitions.
  • Audio and Video Monitoring: Use scopes to monitor audio and video levels.
  • Automated Backup: Enjoy automatic backup functionality.

Cons:

  • Glitches and Slowness: Mac users may experience glitches and slow performance.
  • Feature Differences: The Windows version lacks certain features found in the Linux version.
  • Render Times: Rendering can be slow.
  • Frame Rates: It doesn’t support multi-frame-rate video editing.
  • Team Collaboration: You can’t add team members to a project.

Canva:

Canva makes it easy for anyone to create, edit, and publish high-quality clips for social media with an online video maker. No professional experience is needed to use this and has a brand kit that helps us create consistent designs to create more brand awareness. Your business posts, your social media posts, YouTube thumbnails, or any format of visuals can be done here.

 All these make Canva the best place to start your Video Marketing Journey. They made it so simple to use and explore.

Pros:

  • User-Friendly: Very easy to use.
  • Feature-Rich: Offers a huge range of design features, including powerful AI tools.
  • High quality mobile app is available.
  • Very easy to use.

Cons:

  • Limited selection of output video formats.
  • Can’t be used offline.
  • Simple and cannot be used for extreme editing works.

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