Top 10 Free Video Editing Software

Top 10 Free Video Editing Software:

Today’s world is a world of videos. If you look around, you can see a ton of video content around you, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other platforms. Video content becomes a very strong tool to present your work or to present yourself. To create such content either you can hire someone professional or create by your own. If you have a good budget then the first option is possible and stress-free but if you haven’t then you have to create on your own. 

In creating a video content, the most challenging and head-shaking part is editing. Editing needs good editing software and certain understanding which you learn slowly by doing editing. In this blog, we will spotlight the top 10 best free video editing software for pc in 2020, we enlisted this software based on certain criteria.

 Criteria:

1. Free to download and use.
2. Best for the novice.
3. Video tutorials must be available online (very important).
4. Simple interface.
5. Having almost all features essential for video editing.

After doing research and experience multiple editing application we enlisted these applications into our list but before getting into the topic, we have to first categories these into two categories.

• Entry-level: This category for those who are completely new in video editing and never use any editing software before. 

• Professional: Professional one for those who are already using some basic video editing software and wants to shit to professional software. 

Best video editing software for free?

This is the most commonly asked question. Even in my initial stage, I was also looking for a solution to the same but after earning experience I find out that it is actually wrong question. why, because the best editing software is not one who creates impressive videos. It is the editor’s creativity and skills that he can make a standing video to an outstanding one. So, after a little bit correction the right question is ‘ What is the best suitable video editing software for me?‘. Every person has a different purpose for video editing like some for YouTube, some for home videos, some for Movie editing and so on. And there is no absolute software, every software or application weather it professional or beginner has its own pros and cons. In professional editing software also, we use various plugins (A small additional software component use for a specific feature) because the existing feature is either, not effective or convenient. So, in this list, you will get all the clarification about choosing a video editing software. 

Top 10 best free video editing software

Entry-level (order is average to best): 

1. Openshot: It is completely a free source video editing software for a beginner. It is very simple, easy to understand and easy to handle.

     Software Interface: Openshot has a very basic interface which is easy to use and eye-catching.  

Every feature is displayed by an icon which good for beginners. The interface is divided into three basic segments like other video editing software such as Timeline, Output preview screen and Source File segment. 

Editing Features: It has all the features required for basic video editing. It is based on FFmpeg 

library so, it can read and write most of video and image formats. Some of the important features are:

Curve based keyframe animations, Drag and drop support, Unlimited tracks and layers, Clip resizing, scaling, trimming, snapping, rotation, and cutting, Video transitions with real-time previews, Compositing, image overlays, Title templates, title creation, 3D animated titles and effects, Scrolling, panning, zooming and snapping,  Time-mapping, slow/fast, forward/backward, Audio mixing and editing, brightness, gamma, hue, greyscale, chroma-key.

Tutorials: You can get tutorial easily from YouTube, official website and you can also get a user 

guide manual on the website which is very helpful.

    System requirement:

• • • 64-bit Operating System (Linux, OS X, Windows 7/8/10).
    • Multi-core processor with 64-bit support.
    • 4GB of RAM (16GB recommended).
    • 500 MB of hard-disk space for installation.

Opinion: Openshot is a great video editor to start and experience video editing fir YouTube videos, 

family video and other small video projects.

1. Windows Movie Maker: We all are familiar with windows movie maker. Windows movie maker is a great tool to learn and experience video editing. It is very simple, easy to understand, use and absolutely free. It comes with two versions; one is free and another is chargeable which is a pro one.

Software Interface: Interface very basic which is easy to use and learn. The interface is divided into three basic segments like other video editing software such as Timeline, Output preview screen and Source File. 

Editing Features: It has all the features required for basic video editing. Some of the 

important features are:

Rotate, Trim, Join video clips, Add and edit background music, Support media formats (mp4, wmv, mkv, mov, avi, mpeg, mpg, mts, jpg, png, gif, mp3, m4a, wav), Overlay text, sound clips, Title slides, Animated pan-zoom, Photo enhancement filters, 30+ Transition effects, 30+ fashionable fonts, Music editor with audio clip trimming, fading-in and fading-out effects, Adjust the audio volume, HD video quality

Tutorials: You can get video tutorial easily on YouTube. 

  System requirement:

•   64-bit Operating System (Windows 7/8/10)
• DirectX (Minimum version 9)

Opinion: Best software for those beginners who have system issue because it can easily run at the normal Windows PC.

1. VideoPad: It is a free video editing software powered by NCH software. It is very simple, easy to understand. It comes with two versions; one is free and another is chargeable.

Software Interface: Interface very simple which is easy to use and learn. The interface is divided into three basic segments like other video editing software such as Timeline, Output preview screen and Source File segment. 

Editing Features: It has all the features you required for basic video editing. Some of the important features are:

Supports all popular video formats, Fine-tune colour, Slow down, speed up or reverse video clip playback, Video stabilization, Plugin support to add thousands of tools and effects, Create looped gif videos, Use lossless export for optimal quality, Split, crop, trim, Export in multiple resolutions including full HD, 2K and 4K, Video transitions, 3D video editing and 2D to 3D stereoscopic conversion, Add text, overlays and effects to 360-degree videos, Overlay text, Movie credits, Chroma key green, Create title text animations.

Tutorials: You can get video tutorial easily on YouTube and from the official website you can get a list of YouTube tutorial which is very helpful.

  System requirement:

• Windows 10, XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1
• 64-bit Windows
• Mac OS X 10.5 or above

Opinion: Best software for beginners who have system issue because it can easily to run at normal Windows PC.

1. Shortcut: It is completely free video editing software for both Windows, macOS and Linux. It is more than an entry-level software you can experience and learn the professional video editing software touch in Shortcut.

Software Interface: Interface is quite professional, simple and easy to use. It is divided into three basic segments like other video editing software such as Timeline, Output preview screen and Source File segment. 

Editing Features: You can get almost all the features in Shotcut for impressive video editing. Some of the important features are:

Support almost all latest audio and video formats, Multi-format timeline, Support for 4K resolutions, Audio scopes, Audio filters, Video scopes, Video Filters, Audio Dance Visualization, Audio Light Visualization, Audio Spectrum Visualization, Audio Waveform Visualization, Blend Mode, Blur, Brightness, Choppy, Chroma Hold, Chroma Key, Contrast, Color grading, Corner Pin, Crop, Distort, Dither, Elastic Scale, Flip, Glitch, Glow, Gradient, Grid, Halftone, 3D LUT, Mask, Mirror, Mosaic, Nervous,  Noise, Old Film, RGB Shift, Rotate and Scale, Size and Position, Sketch, Spot Remover, Stabilize, Swirl, Text, Threshold, Timer, Trails, Vertigo, Vignette, Wave.

Tutorials: You can get video tutorials easily on YouTube and in official website you can get a list of YouTube tutorial which is very helpful.

  System requirement:

• 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7, 8, 10, Mac OS 10 – 15, Linux.
• 2 cores for HD, and 4 cores for 4K
• RAM: 4 GB for SD, 8 GB for HD, and 16 GB for 4K

  Opinion: Best software for beginners and those who want more than basic video editing 

software then it is a great choice.

1. VSDC Video Editor: It is a completely free video editing software for Windows only. VSDC is very much close to a professional video editing software and you can get almost all the features or effect of a professional video editing software in it. 

      Software Interface: Interface is very much professional but simple and easy to use and learn. 

Editing Features: You can get almost all the professional video post-production features in VSDC video editing software. Some of the important features are:

Non-linear video editor, All Visual and audio effects, Blending modes and Instagram-like filters, Masking, Motion tracking, Easy export to social networks, Subpixel accuracy, Support for popular formats, 4K and HD export, Creation of videos for specific multimedia devices, Video stabilization tool, YouTube uploader, Built-in DVD burning tool, Desktop video capture, Video capturing.

Tutorials: VSDC has YouTube tutorial channel where you can get all the tutorial. In the official website, you can get a user guide about ‘how to use VSDC video editor’.

  System requirement:

• 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7, 8, 10.

• Multicore processor (1.5 GHz or higher).
• RAM: 4 GB minimum. 
• Minimum 300 MB of free disk space

  Opinion: VSDC is a great start for those who want serious video editing.

1. Kdenlive: It is a completely free video editing software for Windows and Linux. Kdenlive is very much close to a professional video editing software and you can get almost all the features or effect of a professional video editing software in it. 

         Software Interface: Interface is very much professional but simple and easy to use. 

Editing Features: You can get almost all the professional video post-production features in Kdenlive video editing software. Some of the important features are:

Multi-track option, Support any audio and video formats, Configurable interface/shortcuts, Align and Distribute, Shadows, Outlines, Gradients, Embedded Crawl /Roll tool for text animation, Unicode decoder, Rotate and Zoom, Template, Dozens of effects, Colour grading, Audio adjustments, Audio Meter, Histogram, Waveform, Vectorscope, RGB Parade, Proxy editing, Automatic backup, Online resources, Timeline preview, Keyframe effects, Themes for the interface, 

Tutorials: You can get tons of YouTube tutorial to learn.

  System requirement:

• 32 bit or 64-bit Windows 7, 8, 10/Linux.
• Multicore processor.
• RAM: 4 GB minimum. 

  Opinion: Kdenlive is a great start for those who want serious video editing.

Professional (order is average to best): 

• Lightworks: Lightworks video editor comes in free and paid version. It is a completely free professional video editing software for Windows, Linux and Mac OS. Lightworks is a professional video editor so you can do all the things related to video editing in it. Lightworks also support hardware I/O equipment like Blackmagic, Matrox etc.

     Software Interface: Interface is very much professional but simple and easy learn. 

Editing Features: You can get almost all the professional video post-production features in Lightworks video editing software. Some of the important features are:

Drag-and-drop interface, Content management, Video routing, Colour correction, Blend modes, Keyframes for effect, Color LUTs, Chromakeys, Fusion compositor, Boris FX plug-ins, s Boris FX and Grafitti Pro Bundle, Multi-cam editing, Multiple monitors, Keyboard Shortcuts, Support professional video and audio format.

Tutorials: Tons of video tutorials are available in YouTube and official website.

System requirement:

• 32 bit or 64-bit Windows 7, 8, 10/Linux/Mac OS.
• Intel i7 and Ryzen 5 processor (6 core, 6 thread minimum).
• RAM: 16 GB recommended. 
• SSD hard drive.
• VIDIA and AMD graphics cards

Opinion: Lightwork is great for those who want to try some professional video editing software.

1. Hitfilm Express: Hitfilm Express video editor comes in free and paid both. It is a completely free professional video editing software with VFX for Windows and Mac OS. Hitfilm Express is an industry-grade video editing software. You can also do VFX animation stuff in it.

     Software Interface: Interface is very much professional and eye-catchy.

Editing Features: You can get almost all the professional video post-production features in Hitfilm Express video editing software. Some of the important features are:

Layer and track locking, Combined timelines, Personalizable workstation, Colour coding, Mask editing and rendering, Export Queue, Export presets, Professional formats, Layer and track locking, Animation tools, Composite shot enhancements, Unlimited tracks, Multiple streams, Adaptive Trimmer, Audio mixer, Transitions, Puppet tool, 360° video, Repair your footage, Text and titling, Scopes, Vectorscope, Curves, Colour wheels, LUTs, Chroma Key, Matte cleaning 2D Feature Tracking, Mocha HitFilm, Importing 3D camera tracking data

Tutorials: You can get tutorial videos on their YouTube channel.

System requirement:

• macOS 10.15 Catalina, macOS 10.14 Mojave, or 10.13 High Sierra
• Windows 8/10 (64-bit).
• 4th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors or AMD equivalent (6 core, 6 thread minimum).
• RAM: 4GB (8 GB Recommended). 
• SSD hard drive.
• NVIDIA GeForce 600 (Kepler) series (2012), AMD Radeon R5 240 (2013), Intel HD Graphics 5000 (GT3) (2013)
• Video memory 1 GB minimum (2GB or more required for 4K UHD)

Opinion: Hitfilm Express is great for those who want to try some professional video editing and VFX.

1. Blender: Blender is not a video editing software. Yes, it is a 3D modelling/animation software but it also has a video editing feature which is professional. Blender is compatible with Windows, Mac OS and Linux. It is a free 3d modelling software.

Software Interface: Its interface is not simple, quite crowded like other 3d modelling software. 

Editing Features: You can get almost all the professional video features in Blender. Some of the important features are:

Live preview, Waveform, Chroma, Vectorscope, Adjustment layers, Histogram, Audio mixing, Scrubbing, Visualization, Multi track for video and audio, Masking, Speed control, Keyframes options, Video Filters, Colour grading, Transitions.

Tutorials: You can get YouTube tutorial videos.

System requirement:

• Windows 8/10 (64-bit), macOS, Linux
• 4th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors or AMD equivalent (6 core, 6 thread minimum).
• RAM: 4GB (8 GB Recommended). 
• SSD hard drive.
• NVIDIA GeForce 600 (Kepler) series (2012), AMD Radeon R5 240 (2013), Intel HD Graphics 5000 (GT3) (2013)
• Video memory 2GB or more required for 4K UHD and 3d modelling.

Opinion: Blender is great for those who want to try some professional video editing, VFX and 3d animation.

1. DaVinci Resolve: DaVinci Resolve is a free industrial level video editing and virtual effects software by Blackmagic. Now a day’s big film production house also using this software because of its extraordinary capabilities. It is one of the best professional software in video production market. DaVinci Resolve comes in both a paid studio version and free one. 

Software Interface: DaVinci Resolve interface is very simple, well organized and easy to learn.   

Editing Features: You can get almost all the professional video features in Blender. Some of the important features are:

Dual timeline, Source Tape, Dedicated trim interface, Intelligent edit modes, Fast review, Transform, Retime, Stabilization, Quick export, Media import, Portable editing, Customer timeline setting, Adjustment clips, Facial recognition, Speed warp retiming, Keyframe curve editor, Tape style audio scrubbing, Faster and smarter encoding, Masking, 3d tracking, curves, histograms, keyframe track and so on. 

Tutorials: You can get YouTube tutorial videos, Blackmagic training program, Video tutorial form official site.

System requirement (GPU based software):

• Windows 8/10 (64-bit), macOS, Linux
• Intel® Core™ i7 Processors or AMD equivalent (6 core, 6 thread minimum).
• RAM: 16GB (Recommended). 
• SSD hard drive.
• NVIDIA GeForce 600 (Kepler) series (2012), AMD Radeon R5 240 (2013), Intel HD Graphics 5000 (GT3) (2013)
• Video memory 2GB or more required for 4K UHD and 3d motion tracking.

  Opinion: DaVinci Resolve is a great option if choose editing as a career.