Video editing software allows you to manipulate video clips and audio tracks, creating home movies that are fun to make and enjoyable to watch. You can add transitions, effects, titles and create montages using this software. You’ve probably heard the terms “non-linear editor” or “NLE” before, which refers to this type of computer program.
The best video editing software for beginners will give you an easy way to edit your videos, as well as a great experience while you’re doing it. This is particularly important if you’re just starting out and are not sure how much time you want to invest in learning this skill.
The best beginner video editing software will also be affordable. There are free options available that get the job done, but the advanced features are often worth the price.
Not all software is right for a beginner, however. Some programs don’t offer enough options for someone who is new to video editing, and could cause frustration when trying to learn certain aspects of the program.
Best Video Editing Software For Beginners
1. Apple iMovie
Ok—so to those of you working with PCs, this one won’t really apply; but we’d be remiss to leave it off the list. If you’re looking for simplicity and elegance, it doesn’t get much better than Apple iMovie. iMovie’s ten high-fidelity filters are some of the classiest in the video editing game; and if you’re shooting on your iPhone, or have been editing a project on your iPad, you can use AirDrop to wirelessly and seamlessly transfer your project over to your Mac.
One of iMovie’s most coveted features is its green-screen, or “chroma-key” tool, which allows you to place your characters in exotic locations—Hawaii, say—at a moment’s notice. Want to overlay the scene with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”? iMovie ties directly in with iTunes and GarageBand, so you can easily implement custom tracks and sounds. When your movie’s finally ready to ship, release it into the wild using iMessage, Facebook, YouTube, or any other of iMovie’s succinctly connected platforms.
- Standout Features: Seamless Apple product integration; green-screen; audio and social platform integration
- Pricing: Free with the purchase of a Mac
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2. Lumen5
Lumen5 markets itself as a tool that turns blog posts into social promos. While the process isn’t perfect, and you’ll likely have to do some tinkering to get your blog content looking just the way you want it, the rest of the video creation process is a cinch. Merely refine some copy that teases your blog post; drag and drop some gifs, screengrabs, or video clips; add some music; and your engaging social video will be ripe for Facebook and Twitter.
- Standout Features: Blog-to-social-promo creation; drag-and-drop interface
- Pricing: Create as many 720p videos as you want with the free version. Remove the watermark for $11 per month, or upgrade to 1080p for $59 per month.
3. Animaker
Animaker has its own online video editor that enables anyone to easily create videos from their own videos, photos, text, and audio. Absolutely no video editing experience required. It’s a lightweight app that works in your web browser, so there’s no complex timeline, layers, or complexity. Just an intuitive drag-and-drop experience to tell your stories.
- Standout Features: Lightweight app without a complex timeline, easy drag-and-drop option with real-time collaboration
- Pricing: Starts at $10/mo, goes up to $49/mo
4. Nero Video
One of the cheaper options around ($49.99), Nero Video holds its own on this list—it comes well-stocked with a lot of the tricks and effects you’ll find among other products vying for video editing supremacy, and as far as software for beginners, you can certainly do worse. If you’re going to spend money learning how to edit videos, however, you might want to steer clear. Nero just doesn’t have the speed and functionality of some of the other products listed here, and if its value proposition is its price, $50 is still not all that cheap.
- Standout Features: Low pricing
- Pricing: One-time payment of $39.95
5. Corel VideoStudio
Corel VideoStudio has all the characteristics of the other top-of-the-line products on this list, including 360-degree VR and 4k support, but it also has the distinction of being the first piece of consumer video editing software to offer motion tracking—which, if you’re not already familiar, is a feature that allows you to track specific objects throughout your cut (if you wanted, say, to point an arrow at one of your characters, blur out his face, or bestow him with a funny hat). Most of the products on this list come equipped with motion tracking, but VideoStudio still boasts one of the best motion tracking systems around.
One of the knocks on VideoStudio is its speed, which lags notably behind some of the faster systems on this list, like CyberLink PowerDirector and Pinnacle Studio. Still: for a one-time payment of $99.99? You can do much worse.
- Standout Features: Motion tracking
- Pricing: One-time payment of $99.99
best video editing software free
1. Lightworks
The best overall free video editing software
Lightworks includes a simple and intuitive interface, so it’s easy to pick up. Lightworks also offers a collection of detailed video tutorials, making it one of the more accessible and easy to learn Linux video editing software options on this list.
Lightworks has a suite of original stock videos and music clips licensed for use in any videos you edit on the program, letting you give a polished look to any marketing video.
Features:
- High-quality simple trim functions for fast and precise video editing
- Speed optimization, letting you continue to edit while importing new content
- Multicam editing for syncing clips from multiple cameras
- Real-time team project sharing with full control over which user has editing access
- Easy sharing of videos, with fast export to YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and Instagram
- Support for a wide range of video formats
Available for:
Windows, Mac, and Linux
Price:
Free; $24.99 per month for Pro version
G2 rating:
⭐⭐⭐ 3.5/5
2. Adobe Premiere Rush
Best free video editing software for beginners
Adobe Premiere Rush is a great option for anyone who wants to make quick video logs on your phone without spending a dime. Creators can easily generate snazzy video content to engage and then grow their social media fan base.
You can edit your videos with special effects, overlays, texts, and transitions, as well as manipulate video speed and sound effects. And don’t forget about using the presets to quickly save your videos offline or share your videos to YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
The only drawback is that it may be too simple for advanced video editors. Adobe Premiere Rush doesn’t come with as many advanced features as some of the other free video editing software on this list, but with options to add light effects, fine tune colors, and overlay text and images, there’s enough here to make it worth the free download.
Features:
- Easy click and drag to add transitions
- Presets to easily create video files optimized for specific platforms—such as Facebook and YouTube—and post them directly from within the software
- Built-in templates for adding and editing polished titles
- 100GB of cloud storage (Upgrade up to 10TB)
Available for:
Mac, Windows
Price:
Free
G2 rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5/5
3. HitFilm Express
Simple free video editor software with professional visual effects and tutorials
If you don’t have a lot of experience with video editing, HitFilm Express may feel a little advanced at first—it’s used to produce Hollywood-style films—but it’s worth the learning curve, as it’s one of the best all-in-one free video editors available. (HitFilm does ask you to share a social media status update when you download the software, but that’s a small price to pay.)
HitFilm includes animation tools that let you create and edit audio and video transitions without the need to create composite shots, which is a huge time saver when editing. It also offers cool 3D effects for films, music videos, and even YouTube videos, plus features you’d find in a paid video editing software, like 4K video, 360-degree editing, and a library of special effects.
Features:
- Professional-grade video editing with motion tracking, color pickers, and cropping tools
- Composite shot enhancements that allow you to animate two separate shots together for surreal video effects
- An auto-stabilizer to make shaky footage look smooth
- Unlimited video and audio timeline track creation
- An adaptive trimmer that lets you re-trim your clips after adding them to the timeline
- Ability to copy a group of attributes from one clip and apply them directly to another or to a whole project
- Audio mixer for fine tuning sound for professional quality output
- Various transition options, such as push, zoom, and dissolve
Available for:
Mac and Windows
Price:
Free; $349 for the Pro version
G2 rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5/5
4. DaVinci Resolve
Top free video editor for advanced professional editors
DaVinci Resolve combines professional 8K editing, color correction, visual effects, and audio post-production in a single production tool, which is why it’s the software of choice for many professional editors of films, television shows, and commercials.
DaVinci allows for both offline and online editing, and its high-performance playback engine saves time when editing and trimming—even for processor-intensive file formats like H.264 and RAW. DaVinci Resolve’s complex features may be too extensive for some users, but its free version is perfect for more advanced projects.
Features:
- Dual timeline for quick navigation, cutting, and trimming
- A dedicated trim interface that gives you the ability to edit in minute detail
- Intelligent auto-editing that syncs audio and video clips for you
- Built-in tools for picture-in-picture effects, retiming, stabilization, dynamic zoom, text, and audio
- Facial recognition that detects faces in your clips and automatically creates bins based on the people in each shot
- High-quality motion estimation speed changes and frame rate conversions to easily and realistically speed up or slow-down clips
Available for:
Windows, Mac, and Linux
Price:
Free; $269 for the full Studio version
G2 rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.6/5
5. VSDC Free Video Editor
Best no watermark editor for Windows
VSDC’s desktop video editing software is available, with no watermarks, as both a free and a paid version. Although the free version has reduced features, it still comes with VSDC’s full video editing suite—including a mask tool and chroma key functionality for green-screen video effects.
If you have the funds to spring for the full version, the suite of tools expands to include video stabilization, robust post-production effects, slideshow/presentation capabilities, 3D diagram templates, and direct social media publishing.
Features:
- No watermarks
- Color-correction tools for a more professional look
- A full suite of transitional effects
- Easy-to-use image filters, similar to what you’d find on Instagram
- Mask tools for hiding, blurring, or highlighting specific elements
- Social media link for sharing videos on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Vimeo
- HEVC/H.265 (an advanced video-compression standard), for maintaining the highest quality at the minimum file size—essential for processing 4K and HD files
Available for:
Windows
Price:
Free: $19.99 for Pro version
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