Video editing can mean different things to different people. Are you just trying to put some clips together for a social media post? Maybe you want to add some background music, or some text on the screen too? The more video effects you want to add, the more complicated your edit will become.
Video editing software doesn’t need to be super complex, or expensive. If you’re looking for something that will get the job done without all the confusing bells and whistles, there are some great free software options to help you get started.
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Top Choice: Capcut
If you’re looking for a free video editor for beginners, Capcut is my top choice by far. It has the most capabilities and functions available, including trendy effects and templates. Capcut was created by ByteDance and was specifically designed to work seamlessly with TikTok.
Capcut is at the top of this list because it’s extremely easy for beginners to get started, especially with “Magic Tools” available to do the complicated effects for you. The editing process is all drag and drop, with sliders at the edges of each clip to adjust the length, and the software can output to both MP4 and MOV formats, making it great for Mac and PC users alike. Capcut also offers Generative AI tools to help you create a script, voice over, and visual media, all for free.
Capcut has additional features that you don’t find on every other free video editor tool, like audio transcribing and subtitle generation, which automatically handles the timing of the text to match your video’s audio. There’s also a tool that will turn your longer videos into vertical Shorts clips, which makes it a great option for editing video to post not only on TikTok, but any social media platform. There are some premium AI tools and templates behind a paywall, but the free version of Capcut has many unique features that make it my first pick for anyone who wants to get started with basic video editing.
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Second Best: Canva
Canva has a lot of commercials and ads, and is used by so many marketing campaigns that the name is associated with ‘cringe’ in many circles. But when it comes to free video editing capabilities, you can’t argue with Canva’s tools. I can’t help but also note that Canva looks exactly like Capcut when you log in. Much like Capcut, you can choose to edit in a horizontal or vertical format.
While Canva is mainly geared towards marketers and its main function is to create graphics for flyers and social media posts, it does have a basic video editor with many easy-to-use, built-in animations. Very much like Capcut, it offers drag-and-drop clip placement, sliders to adjust the clip length, plus titles and basic royalty-free music options. Canva offers much better templates, graphics, music, and AI tools behind their paywalled Premium subscription.
The Premium service isn’t needed for basic video editing, though. If you are just trying to make a simple video with some titles, Canva will have you covered. Canva also provides several output options, including MP4 and animated GIF files, but there’s no MOV option. You can download the Canva app, or you can use their web-based software.
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Third Time’s The Charm: Adobe Express
When it comes to web-based video editing, there’s a third clone in the mix, and this one is from Adobe. Their free software, called Adobe Express, has a lot of the same functions as Capcut and Canva, but the stock imagery and video collection is top-notch from Adobe.
There are some really high quality stock images behind a Premium paywall, but the Adobe Express Generative AI tool makes it easy to create a graphic of anything you’d need, so stock photos might not be necessary anymore. You can choose from all types of templates for different video sizes, making this another tool that has everything a beginner needs to make videos for social media, YouTube, or just to share with family and friends.
Since Adobe Express is part of the Adobe family, Creative Cloud subscribers have access to premium features, Adobe fonts, and the full stock image library. It might seem unnecessary to need something like Adobe Express if you already have the Creative Cloud suite, but the Express software is certainly fast and easy to access from any web browser or via the mobile app, making it a great choice for Adobe fans on the go.
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For the Apple Faithful: iMovie
If you’re a Mac user, you probably already know about iMovie. This software is built into macOS and included on every Mac computer pre-installed. You can also download the iMovie app onto iPhones and iPads. This means that iMovie isn’t really an option for PC/Android users. Luckily, the video editors mentioned above are all fantastic options to consider instead.
iMovie is another solid option for drag-and-drop video editing. The main perk of iMovie is that you don’t have to deal with paywalled content. If you have it pre-installed on Apple hardware, then you’re good to go. iMovie has pre-made backgrounds, and a tool for selecting background music, with a variety of options to pick from. The output format for iMovie is a Quicktime MOV file. It’s a great option for all video editing beginners who specifically want to stay in the Apple ecosystem, and it includes seamless integration with iCloud.
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Mobile Magic: YouCut
Maybe you don’t like the idea of editing on your computer, and just want a video editor for beginners that you can use on your phone. My go-to option for video editing on a mobile app is YouCut. This app is very easy to use and is available on the App Store and Google Play.
My favorite feature in YouCut is the ability to crop your video to specific sizes for different social media apps. There are also interesting filters and effects you can try out, but the ‘better’ options are almost always behind a paywall for the Premium version of the app. I find that I’m able to create basic videos using the free version without any roadblocks.
If you think that these video editors are too basic, or not offering enough features to satisfy your video concepts and vision, you might need something more advanced. Most industry standard video editing tools like Adobe Premiere or Avid come with a big price tag.
But if you need something free and can spend a bit of time adjusting to its complicated user interface, you can check out the DaVinci Resolve video editor. Like everything else, there’s a paid and a free version of this software. The free option has all the capabilities of the big name video editors, but admittedly, it’s also very hard to learn how to use. DaVinci Resolve gives you lots of advanced functionality, including color correction and title effects.
With so many free video editing options out there, it’s easy for anyone to start creating videos using whatever type of software they are most comfortable using. In most cases, the paid ‘premium’ features of these video editors are not really necessary; they are mostly just fancy bells and whistles that you don’t really need. Don’t let the little crown symbols and premium sales ploys fool you! Just find the right tool for the job, and you can edit your masterpiece completely for free.
