One thing is clear from the rise of social media giants such as YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and more: videos are the dominant medium in today’s digital marketing age. Businesses, celebrities, movie stars, and anyone with a smartphone can now create visual memories of their family members, friends, or followers.
The audience you are trying to reach with visual content such as videos will determine how much visual content is appropriate. Therefore, video editors are a crucial component for all video content makers to create effective video content.
Video editing was once a challenging art form that required advanced tools and was only accessible to professionals. However, it is now much easier to edit videos than ever before. Many paid and free options are available if you’re looking for editing software to help you edit videos.
It is challenging to find the right solution when looking for editing software that can edit your video for free.
Continue reading to find out the pros and cons for each to decide which online video editor suits your needs.
Here are they:
Table of Contents
1. Hitfilm Express Is The Best For Advanced Hobbyists
HitFilm Express does not have a professional license. Therefore, it cannot be used while editing Hollywood movies, but it can be used to make visual effects compared to Marvel movies. It comes with VFX tools. Its difficulty is somewhere between Lightworks and DaVinci Resolve, so you should be prepared to spend time learning it.
All the essential features editing enthusiasts require are included for free. But if you are willing to add more features, you will need to pay a dollar 9 for each feature.
This software might be for you if you are an avid hobbyist passionate about visual effects. This software comes with among the most comprehensive VFX tools available. The video editor is free and includes keying effects, light swords, lens flares, and color adjustments.
HitFilm Express is an inexperienced video editing tool, but it does have some surprising features, such as a puppet tool or Unified 3D Space.
Pros
- Customizable user interface
- Tools for professionals
- Upload directly to an online video platform like Youtube
Cons
- A complex interface that requires more time to master
- Professionals need to be proficient but not sufficient
2. Openshot Is Best For Beginners Eith Advanced Features
Openshot is more complex than VideoPad, but it’s still very easy for beginners. In addition, this software will give you access to more advanced tools and more freedom to learn.
Open source means that anyone can modify the program to suit their needs.
Intermediate users will enjoy the unlimited layering options and the real-time previews and built-in templates.
Openshot is not recommended for professionals. We found some features that didn’t work as expected, which could frustrate people working under tight deadlines.
Pros
- Unlimited layers
- Open-source
- Beautiful interface
Cons
- Few video tutorials
- Editing can be frustrating because some features aren’t working.
3. Best For Presentations – VSDC
VSDC is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a way to create business presentations. The software is easy to use and includes all the tools necessary for creating engaging videos.
The program has advanced editing capabilities, such as color blending or masking effects. But, again, this is something you won’t find in a basic free program.
Although VSDC is better suited for creating presentations, casual video editors will still find enough features to create fun videos with it. You can even make family video greeting cards.
VSDC makes it easy to create videos and charts for multimedia devices.
Pros
- Motion tracking
- Export to social networks is easy
- Subpixel accuracy
Cons
- Unpolished interface
- Submenus conceal too many features
4. Ideal For Intermediate Users – Kizoa
It is a cloud-based, online video editor that helps its users create and edit videos very easily. With a few simple clicks and you will be ready with a top-quality video without spending much time and money.
This video editing tool has a simple drag and drop interface that works wonders for beginners, while the advanced features are a must for professional editors. The tool also comes with easy-to-edit pre-made video templates that can be used to make the video editing procedure easier.
One thing that makes this tool a very powerful video editor is its fully automated feature allowing users to create videos the way they want and that too in a matter of a few minutes. The best feature of this tool is its templates. There are hardly any video editing tools available in the market that come with the plethora of templates available with this tool.
One thing also worth noting about this tool is that the templates can be edited easily by changing text, audio, color, videos, and animations. This cloud-based tool has all its changes saved automatically, enabling users to download their video files once the editing is complete.
Pros
- Good for beginner and seasoned users alike
- Free in-built stock media library with 8M+ royalty-free images and video clips
- Offers completely customizable pre-made video templates
Cons
- The duration of your final export must be under 15 minutes since the editor is entirely browser-based.
5. Movie Maker Online Is The Best For Online Use
Based on our review, Movie Maker Online is the best tool for free online editing. Online editors will not be able to compete with top-of-the-line video editing software on a computer. It can’t be as fast or feature-rich. An online editor is a good option if you only look for minor edits and don’t require any advanced features.
Movie Maker Online is an extremely useful tool if you want to create a simple video. Upload your videos to the site, edit them, and download the final video.
Movie Maker is the best low-performance video editor because it doesn’t require RAM or an operating system. The only problem with Movie Maker Online is that it does not offer advanced editing.
Pros
- Music collection for free
- Stock photos available for free
- Slideshow maker
Cons
- Advanced editing is not possible
- An internet connection is required
6. DaVinci Resolve Is The Best For Professional Editors
DaVinci Resolve, one of the best video editors available on this list, is free. It can be intimidating and overwhelming for people who don’t have any editing experience. However, if you are an experienced editor and want a powerful program to help you edit, Resolve may be the best choice.
DaVinci Resolve overall is an intuitive, clean program that is entirely free. You can edit your skin, eyes, and lips with intelligent color-correction tools. You can also create high-quality visual effects as well as audio-editing capabilities.
You don’t have to pay for Avid or Adobe Premiere Pro if you create a narrative or feature film. However, this editor is not for you if you are only interested in making home movies.
Pros
- Non-linear professional editing
- Artificial intelligence-based magic mask
- The audio engine that supports 2,000 tracks
- Broadcast quality motion graphics and cinema-quality visual effects
Cons
- Expert-level knowledge and experience are required
- To run smoothly, you need a powerful computer
7. PowerDirector: Best Overall
PowerDirector is our top-rated free video editing program overall. It’s an excellent choice for video makers at all levels. Its intuitive and straightforward interface makes it easy to make and edit videos. However, PowerDirector’s high-tech features and hardware acceleration will please the skilled video editors.
You can get right into it with the simple and effective effects and transitions without spending on the advanced properties or having any previous experience in creating videos. PowerDirector is free and will meet all of your editing requirements.
Did you know PowerDirector is one of the prestigious brands that received the PC Magazine Editors Choice award multiple times? Techradar Pro highly recommends it. This software includes AI-powered and professional tools that will transform your video content into a high-quality masterpiece that can be shown in Hollywood.
Pros
- For all levels of experience, from newbie to proficient, it is user-friendly
- Many compositing tools are available, such as blending, chroma key masking, etc.
- Multiple AI Tools, like motion tracking and sky replacement, audio enhancement, etc.
- Plug-ins include video collage design and screen recording.
Cons
- Export formats are not allowed except for a limited number of export formats
- The free version does not allow permission to use iStock or Shutterstock built-in atheneum.
