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Free Video Editing Software for Beginners
The best way to kickstart your video production journey is by using free video editing software. Luckily, there are tons of options in the market. You’ve likely heard that Da Vinci Resolve 19 is the best. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t facing serious competition.
91% of businesses are already making videos to enhance their content marketing strategy. Videos dominate every industry, are engaging, and make conversions that steal the spotlight.
Using a good video editing tool that meets your pre- and post-production needs is important for this reason. As a beginning filmmaker, you may be on the quest for the ultimate VFX suite. Or maybe you’re a hobbyist dabbling in typography animation projects. But don’t worry. We have your back!
Our team has carefully reviewed the best free video editing software in the industry for 2024. If you’re specifically looking for mobile options or don’t have high-end hardware that could break the bank, you can use them. Read on to learn more about our 2024 top free video editing software picks below.
How to Decide Which Free Video Editing Software to Use?
Look for free video editing software that produces high-quality results with zero watermarks and offers powerful integrations. At the very least, all the apps on our list will let you cut together clips, import, and export in different formats, and create finished digital products that are fit for the likes of YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Use the following criteria to decide what to start editing with:
- Editing features: Simple timelines and the ability to arrange clips the way you want. Analyze how beginner-friendly and intuitive the user interfaces are. Because that’s the first screen you stumble upon and you don’t want it to be daunting. Compare the filters, overlays, themes, effects, and other editing features in each of these apps.
- Usability and Render Formats: See if you can export in 720p HD format minimum. Some of these free video editing software may handle 4k video resolution as well and support multi-cam editing. The playback and video preview windows on these apps must be smooth. You don’t need to invest in high-end hardware to achieve professional results necessarily.
- Learning curve: Consider if there is ample support, documentation, and helpful guides for your app. The last thing you want is to run into troubleshooting issues or buggy apps. Project lag is one of the most dreaded enemies of every video editor; you’d want to choose a platform that can help you avoid that.
What makes the best free video editing software for beginners?
As you search for the perfect free video editing software, you'll want to consider a few key factors. First, think about your level of expertise. If you're a complete beginner, you'll want software that's easy to use and has a gentle learning curve.
Look for intuitive interfaces, clear tutorials, and a minimalistic approach to editing. Next, consider the types of files you'll be working with. If you plan to edit 4K footage or work with multiple audio tracks, you'll want software that can handle those needs. You also want a decent library of filters, overlays, transitions, and effects.
Just because it’s free doesn’t mean you can’t achieve professional-grade results with it. Really think about the features you want. Is it advanced color correction tools, motion graphics, or seamless integration with other apps?
Some products may lock out advanced features and unlock them for a fee. But that’s okay since you are starting out free. You can always upgrade later. The key features you want are trimming, joining clips, slicing/splicing, and the ability to render or export in various file formats. Professional features that are nice to have are chroma keying, exclusive lenses for cams, video stabilization, 3D titles, and audio effects.
Finally, check if your PC or laptop is compatible with the video editor. If you are editing on your tablet or smartphone, you want a lightweight video editor. You can also benefit from using project templates and speed up the video creation process. If your video editor doesn’t support a specific format, simply use a free video converter to convert and compress the file, then import it for editing.
Top 10 Free Video Editing Software for Beginners in 2024
Here’s a comprehensive list of the best picks for 2024:
1. Typito Video Maker
If you are looking for a no-nonsense and easy-to-use video maker for marketing your brand, try Typito! It can create stunning videos in minutes and generate automatic captions. Typito is perfect for startups, online store owners, and anyone who wants to produce engaging content. It will up your content game and drive sales.
A free plan is available and it is highly recommended by Spocket. It’s great if you need to publish high-quality content for your dropshipping business but don’t want to spend too much time learning the technical ins and outs.
Pros:
- Takes minutes to set up
- No prior video editing experience needed
- Great for video ads and brand posts
Cons:
- It’s not as advanced in terms of features, unlike other free video editing software
2. Vidjet - Shoppable Videos
Offer your customers video-based experiences and make online shopping truly immersive. We truly recommend Vidjet if you are an entrepreneur, business owner, or run a digital marketing firm. It has a free plan available and comes with a 14-day free trial for its premium features.
The videos you design are meant to boost sales. This free video editing software works well with popular platforms like Klaviyo, Google Sheets, Google Drive, TikTok, and YouTube. It was launched on December 15, 2020, and is available in French, English, and Spanish. You can download Vidjet from Spocket Shopify Apps.
Pros:
- Showcases UGC videos on product pages
- Works with the latest themes
- Can be used directly in the Shopify admin
- No code is needed, bulk embeds videos
- Adds elements like product codes, CTAs, and tags.
- Measures sales, ROI, and engagement
- Real-time marketing and customer analytics
- Over 10+ formats: Stories, Carousels, Floating Bubbles, Video Backgrounds, and more
Cons:
- Caters to mostly eCommerce and Dropshipping businesses
- The free version is limited
3. eyeris.io AI Social Posts &Ads
Do you want to create powerful video marketing content for your dropshipping business? Meet this free video editing software and AI filmmaker then. It can enhance your brand’s social media presence and produce on-brand videos for marketing channels like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest, all in 1 minute!
It can also recommend customized products for your brand. The best part is it uses persuasive marketing messages to connect to your audience. So you’re not just making viral videos, you’re making videos that are relatable and reel your viewers in. It comes with a free plan and there is a 7-day free trial available too for its advanced features.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Lots of stunning editing templates
- Removes backgrounds for your product images
Cons:
- Adds a watermark to videos in the free version
4. HitFilm
HitFilm is one of the best free video editing software for aspiring filmmakers and motion graphics artists. If you are new to the world of video production, it is a great starting point. You can compare it to the likes of Sony Vegas Pro and even Adobe After Effects. Picking it up is very simple and there are plenty of tutorials you can follow along. HitFilm is very accessible for beginners and has excellent color grading and color correction tools. The media library is fairly extensive and contains a lot of built-in music, sound effects, and templates. HitFilm is very easy to browse and navigate when editing. The free version does add watermarks though which you can remove by purchasing a premium-tier subscription (which we believe is a value deal). We recommend it for vlogging and making YouTube videos.
Pros:
- Extremely easy to learn and beginner-friendly
- Free tutorials, assets, and templates
Cons:
- Watermarks your videos
5. Da Vinci Resolve
If you’re looking for Hollywood-grade free video editing software, then Da Vinci Resolve is your best friend. It’s the best free video editing software overall and it can run on Windows 11, Mac, and Linux OS. Da Vinci Resolve uses a powerful node-based special FX system, offers audio production tools, and features amazing color correction capabilities.
You’ll start wondering why it’s free once you start tinkering with it! We dare say it is a strong rival of the paid and premium Adobe Premiere Pro. If you’re looking for a stellar upgrade and want premium features, it just costs USD 295 for a license. The good news is you get most of its key features for free and don’t need the extras for new projects. You can also import projects from your local machine, network, or in the Blackmagic Cloud. We found that its Smart Reframe is great for reframing content for the likes of TikTok. We strongly recommend it for its smart video stabilization tool if you’re planning on recording a lot of stuff with shaky footage. The free version also supports footage up to 4K resolution. There are plenty of free YouTube tutorials and its community is beneficial and huge! Keep in mind that your system will need 16 GB RAM minimum to run Da Vinci Resolve because it’s graphically demanding.
Pros:
- Unlimited video tracks
- Motion tracking
- Multicam editing
Cons:
- Takes a while to learn how to use it and get the hang of the interface
6. Lightworks
Lightworks is a free video editing software for beginners that has been used in the film and television industry for decades. It is perfect for those looking for a powerful and intuitive editing interface. The free version of Lightworks has many of the same features as the paid version, including support for 4K video, multi-camera editing, and advanced color correction tools.
One of the standout features of Lightworks is its unique editing layout, which is designed to mimic the workflow of a professional film editor. It uses a timeline-based approach, with a focus on precision editing and advanced trimming tools. This makes it ideal for newbies who want to create high-quality videos with a professional look and feel. Lightworks also supports a wide range of file formats, including MP4, AVCHD, and HDV, making it easy to work with footage from a variety of sources.
Another advantage of Lightworks is its compatibility with a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Pros:
- Professional-grade editing interface, advanced trimming tools, and support for 4K video and multi-camera editing
- Has a large and active community of users, with many free online resources and tutorials for beginners
Cons:
- The free version has a 720p output limit, so videos exported are capped at that resolution.
- There are some limitations on the number of projects and clips that can be imported
7. Shotcut
Shotcut is free, open-source, and perfect for beginners who want a user-friendly, simple, and feature-rich interface. You can import 4k and 360-degree videos, and edit them with ease. It is intuitive, easy to navigate, and comes with a timeline-based editor. Arrange your clips and add transitions with precision. You can squeeze in some great color grading and correction if you’re looking for professional-quality video production. There are no watermarks added to your videos, unlike other free video editing apps.
Shotcut is highly customizable and compatible with a wide variety of OS environments. It supports mainly Windows, macOS, and Linux. We recommend it if you’re looking to do basic video editing tasks and are just starting out as a video maker.
Pros:
- Processes 4k and HD footage with ease
- Very customizable, and supports a variety of media file formats
- Huge library of effects, transitions, and color correction templates
Cons:
- Steep learning curve for accessing its advanced features
- Fairly limited customer support
- Very slow in rendering big projects
- Limited integrations
8. Clipchamp
Climpchamp is a nonlinear free video editing software that lets you edit clips on the go. You can create amazing videos straight from your browser using its drag-and-drop editor. Add motion titles, stock background music, generate subtitles, and edit your clips. You can trim, resize, and edit the speeds of your videos.
What we love about Clipchamp is how it supports screen recording. If you are a tutor, you can stream your online camera or capture footage for web content. There are tons of high-quality video templates to choose from. You can browse through popular categories like AI, Instagram, life moments, reels, and more. If you don’t want to spend time video editing on your own, you can use its AI assistance. For videos with long voice overs, you can clean up the audio and make them very polished. Clipchamp’s Speaker Coach Assistance gives you real-time feedback on how to improve your speaking skills and creates engaging video presentations. And the fun doesn’t just stop there.
Pros:
- Intuitive and beginner-friendly UI
- Cloud-based and supports a wide range of file formats, including MP4, AVI, MOV, and more
- Offers editing features such as trimming, splitting, and merging clips, as well as adding text, music, and effects
Cons:
- Does not include color correction, audio ducking, and chroma keying
- Watermarks exported videos
- The video resolution is limited to 1080p and it only exports in MP4 format
- The free version only allows comments and likes
- No phone or email support available for customer service
9. CyberLink PowerDirector 365
CyberLink PowerDirector 365 cuts through the noise in the video editing industry. It gives you pro-level video editing tools and comes with a clean, clear, intuitive, and usable interface. You get loads of effects, AI tools, multicam and motion tracking options, and it supports screen recording too. Your friends will be amazed with its drag-and-drop video effects. Its AI motion tracking is a definite highlight. CyberLink Powerdirector 365 also gives you access to millions of royalty-free stock images, music, and videos for editing and filmmaking. We especially recommend it for making high-quality cooking content, educational videos, promotional videos, and pro-grade commercial trailers.
Pros:
- Motion tracking, multicam editing, keyframe controls, and blending modes
- Best free video editing software with generative AI tools
- Background remover, AI auto face blur, and more
- Creates ISOs, DVDs, and other disc images
Cons:
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Limited export options
- Can be slow to render complex projects
- Some users find it buggy
10. Blender
Video editing may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Blender but it can do a great job. It features a basic built-in video sequence editor that lets you cut, splice, trim, and edit clips. You can do video masking, color correction, color grading, and text animations. However, the editor is fairly basic and Blender is pretty clunky when you consider the number of features it packs.
The learning curve is pretty steep and you’ll have to create effects in the compositing window. It can edit non-linearly, do fades, and basic effects. The user interface takes some time getting used to but once you master shortcuts, you can navigate your way around it. If you are a freelancer who wants to get into stop motion projects, 3D animation, motion graphics, and want an all-round production powerhouse, then we recommend it.
Pros:
- Completely free, open-source, and great for solo projects
- Can be used to design VR experiences, interactive 3D apps, games, animations, and videos
Cons:
- Not the best beginner-friendly free video editing software on our list; we recommend it overall as it pretty much offers everything you want for future projects
Conclusion
To make great videos, you need more than a solid camera. You need powerful video editing software. But we know that not everyone has the budget when just starting out. These free video editing software picks work great for beginners and pack all the features you need to be a hobbyist or professional. Use eyeris.io for AI video marketing, Blender for everything, HitFilm for YouTube and motion graphics, and Shotcut for basic video editing. But they aren’t the industry’s only top picks which is why we made this list. Explore the other choices above and it will help you determine the best free video editing software for you.
If you’re new to dropshipping, you should try them out today. Start working on your video marketing strategy and get ready to impress clients soon.
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