Nowadays you can find free applications for practically everything. In the post of today we are going to focus on free video editorsAs incredible as it may seem, there are a lot on the net, but not all of them offer the same level of quality.
From the following list, I would highlight above all 2 applications, which, even though they are free, are used by film studios and television producers due to the professionalism and number of editing options they offer: Davinci Resolve and Lightworks. On the other hand, if what you need is a simple program that allows you to cut / paste, add text and something else, our recommendation is that you use OpenShot or Shotcut, 2 free video editors that meet the basic needs without much frills.
Top 10 Free Video Editors for PC
Before starting, if you are thinking of creating and editing your own videos, you may also be interested in taking a look at the post «15 royalty-free audio and sound effect banks«. Now yes, let's go!
Lightworks
It is a great video editing tool. It has many effects available and allows you to edit up to 256 videos, audios and images. The only downside may be its interface, which is very technical and difficult to use for less advanced users. Now, if you come from using other editors a little more complex such as Sony Vegas and the like, you will surely find yourself in your sauce immediately.
Lightworks is free and available for both Windows, Linux and Mac with 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
Download Lightworks
OpenShot
OpenShot is a 100% free and open source editor, with a simple interface and very basic functionalities, but at the same time, really easy to use for inexperienced users.
It includes the classic track editing with a timeline and is generally very intuitive. It is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Download OpenShot
Davinci Resolve 16
It seems incredible that the company BlackMagic has released a version as complete as this of a software whose pro version (DaVinci Resolve Studio 16) costs around 300 euros. Resolve 16 has practically all the features of the pro version, which makes it probably one of the best options when it comes to free video editors.
To give you an idea, this tool is used a lot in Hollywood to make color corrections. It is available for Windows, Linux and MacOS and the only requirement to download it is that we register on its platform. If you are looking for quality, you have to try it.
Download DaVinci Resolve 16
Photos (replacement for Windows Movie Maker)
After several years of noble service, Microsoft has decided to retire the classic Windows Movie Maker editor. In Windows 10 it is no longer available, but instead we find the one that comes to be the substitute proposed by Microsoft to perform video editing tasks, the «Photos» application.
It is a free video editor that comes pre-installed with Windows 10 and it has everything you need for simple video editing. It has 3D video effects, filters, speed control, cropping, the ability to add text, and ultimately, the basics to make a video using scraps of other video tracks. If you have just started in the world of editing and still do not know very well where the wind is blowing or you just want to create a simple and uncomplicated video, this is the ideal tool for beginners.
Blender
Blender is a great free and open source video editor, great for 3D modeling. It has many advanced features like modeling tools, character animation, node-based material, and much more. It is undoubtedly one of the best free video editors for both Windows (installable and portable version) and Mac. Also available on Linux and Steam.
Download Blender
VLMC VideoLan Movie Creator
VLMC is an open source video editor based on libVLC, and is available for both Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. It is still under development (in fact, it has been around for several years), but it has a lot of potential. If you want to try something new, give it a try.
Of course, keep in mind that it cannot be installed as an application to use, but you have to work with the source code of the program. You can get more information on its official page HERE.
VSDC Free Video Editor
VSDC is a free non-linear video editor Although in its day it had a rather confusing interface, the truth is that it has improved a lot in recent years. It allows you to add audio and video effects, fades, Instagram-like filters, creation of masks to hide or blur elements, movement detection and much more. It also has a chromatic key function.
Download VSDC Free Video Editor
Shotcut
Shotcut is another open source, free and multiplatform video editor that also has a lot of online tutorials to learn how to use the application (they are in English, they can be consulted HERE).
It supports a large number of formats, including FFmpeg, 4K, ProRes, and DNxHD. The application was originally designed for Linux, so its interface can be a bit strange at first for those who are not familiar with this system. The Shotcut editor is available for Windows, GNU / Linux and MacOS.
Download Shotcut
Movica
If you asked me to give you a reason to try Movica I would tell you to do it for the shortcuts. This video editor has keyboard shortcuts that make editing much easier. Supports WMV, FLV and MPG files.
For the rest, it is an editor that in its day had a lot of fame but stopped updating back in 2014. If you are looking for something a little more recent it is best to try somewhere else, because this is a video editor in its minimum expression, it most similar you can see to the classic Windows Movie Maker. Pure Windows XP.
Download Movica
Wax
Wax is a free, high-performance video editor that can be used for both home and professional use. One of its peculiarities is that it can be used as a separate program as a plugin for another video editor (SonyVegas).
Wax's "as-is" editor function is a bit limited (it has very few effects), so you can get a lot more out of it if you use it as a plugin. This editor stopped being updated back in Windows Vista, so if you like vintage, here is a good place to recreate yourself.
Download Wax
