Best Video Editor for Beginners on Windows and Mac
Wondershare Filmora is one of the most popular video editing software among YouTubers, download and have a try.
Video content creation is becoming the trend because it retains human attention longer than images or writings do. As a beginner who is not so familiar with video editors, getting free video editing software for beginners might prove difficult.
In this article, you will learn the best free video editing software for beginners, its features, and its pros and cons. Also, you’ll learn some extra tips that will make your video editing seamless.
Part 1: Best Free Desktop Video Editing Software for Beginners in 2024
1. Apple iMovie
Apple iMovie is a free video editing software for beginners; it comes pre-installed on Mac devices. It is known for having a simple interface that makes it user-friendly.
Supported on: Mac
Apple iMovie Main Features are:
- Chromakeying: With iMovie, you can change the background of a video from blue/ green to an image of your favorite place.
- Sound Integration: iMovie lets you record voiceovers, add music from iTunes and add special sound effects.
- Video tools: Add filters, titles, animations, and photos to the video.
- Speed control: fast track and add slow-mo effects to the video.
Pros
- It supports 4K videos.
- Professional standards.
- Chromakeying feature.
Cons
- It does not support Multicam and 360 video editing.
- Exported files take up a lot of space.
- Available for Mac and iOS users only.
2. Microsoft Photo App
Microsoft Photos app is a free photo and video editor for beginners. It was created to replace the Windows movie maker. Many might not know about the existence of the app and its ability to edit videos and photos.
Go to the search bar and type photos, and then select the Photos app to bring a menu where you can create albums, edit photos and videos. To edit videos, click on video projects to create a video from scratch or create video automatically.
Supported on: Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11
Microsoft Photos app main features for video editing are;
- Motion graphics, 3D effects, and animations.
- It allows the addition of background music or audio from the computer.
- It allows the addition of title cards and text backgrounds.
- Change of photo or video durations and speed
Pros
- It is free and readily installed in Windows 8 and above
- Easy to use
- Face detection
- Album collection and arrangement
Cons
- No essential video editing tools like transitioning and layering
- You can't use it professionally.
- Does not allow video preview before exporting
3. VSDC Free Video Editor
VSDC is a free video editing software for beginners that can edit 4K UHD, 3D, and VR 360 videos. VSDC is one of the best video editors for beginners to edit complex videos. VSDC has a busy interface, making it less user-friendly than the other free video editing software for beginners.
Supported on: Windows
VSDC’s video editor has;
- Non-linear video editing tools
- Social media support features; VSDC has Instagram-like filters and lets you share edited videos directly to your social media.
- Audio Effects; The 360 editor has many audio effects like equalizer, audio delay, and volume correction.
- Video editing tools; VSDC has color-correction tools and tools to hide and replace unwanted elements. You can also transform videos with their subpixel resolution.
- Numerous 3D templates you can choose from.
Pros
- It supports many audio and video formats.
- 4K and HD exports
Cons
- Reduces video quality after editing
- Professional tools like stabilization, beat syncing, and motion graphics are only available in the pro version.
Part 2: Best Free Online Video Editors for Beginners in 2024
1. Clipchamp
Clipchamp is an online free video editor for beginners. Clipchamp can create social media videos, ads videos, presentations, and other short videos. It has a unique feature that allows teams to collaborate and edit videos projects.
Clipchamp has basic video editing features like:
- Text-to-speech feature; This feature allows you to add text that will become voiceovers in the video. You can choose the gender and nationality of the voice.
- Thousand of templates to choose from
- Video transitioning and layering.
Pros
- It allows auto-captioning capabilities on the mobile app.
- Video compression
- Allows Screen recording
- It can convert videos to WMV, which you can use in PowerPoint presentations.
Cons
- Not available on Android devices
- It uses selective browsers like Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
- It is not optimized for touchpad screens.
- The best quality video requires registration for the premium version.
2. Hippo Video
Hippo Video is one of the best video editors for beginners free online. You can use it on Mac, Windows, Android, iPhones, and iPads. Hippo is an all-in-one platform to create, record, edit, and share videos across different social media platforms.
Hippo video can;
- Create GIFs from videos.
- Trim, cut, and add emojis and tags to a video.
- Hide or blur unwanted objects in the video.
Pros
- It has other marketing features like email marketing, campaign management, and social media sharing.
- It can be added as a chrome extension to be used for screen capturing and recording.
Cons
- Watermarked in free version
- Limited video quality download in free version
- Long load time for video in between uploads.
3. Kapwing
Kapwing is an online free video editing software for beginners. The video editor is made for creators to create, edit and subtitle video content. Kapwing can convert MP4 videos to any file format as well as save the edited file in the cloud.
Primary Features
- It supports text overlay and drag-and-drop function
- Cut, resize, merge, split and trim videos.
- Supports HD resolution
- Lots of editable social media templates
- Convert video to any form (GIF, JPG, MP4)
Pros
- It does not add its watermark; instead, you can add your logo to create the video. Kapwingis
- Auto-generated subtitles.
- Background removal function
- It backs up videos on the cloud.
Cons
- It cannot export a video longer than 60 minutes
- On-site technical glitches
- To export files above 250MB or 7 minutes, you have to upgrade to the premium version.
- Only available online
4. Online Video Cutter/ 123 apps video editor
Online Video Cutter is an online-based video editor used to edit videos. It is used primarily for trimming videos to desirable sizes. Online video cutter is one of 123 apps to edit and convert different file formats. The video editor can trim, crop, rotate and resize videos.
With Online Video Cutter, you can;
- Frame the video or change the frame proportions of the videos.
- Change the angle of a video up to 270 degrees; this comes in handy when you want to change a video's view from landscape to portrait.
- Flip, resize, change volume and add texts and images to your video.
- Trim, equalize, and record sounds to be added to the video.
Pros
- Supports all video format
- Privacy is guaranteed as you are the only one with access to the video.
- It works well in most browsers.
- It does not require sign up before use
- Converts files to any format
- Can upload files larger than 4GB in size
Cons
- It takes up a lot of time to upload files
- Decreases the video quality
- Cannot upload a file of more than 700MB in the free version
5. FlexClip
Flexclip is an online video creator and editor with essential editing tools. Flexclip has numerous templates and presets that let you create videos in a short time. You can create your video from scratch, templates, and previously saved videos.
Main Feature
- Audio effects: you can record voices and add background music to the video.
- Video tools: trim, merge, compress and convert videos.
- Customization: you can add your logo or watermark to the video.
- Allows video transition and GIF production
- Allows you to increase video brightness and add filters to video.
Pros
- It has more than 4 million pictures and pictures to add to videos.
- Allows preview of videos before exporting.
- It supports different video resolutions.
- Templates for various events are available.
Cons
- Limited video resolution download in free version
- The free version can only create a 1-minute video and hold 12 projects.
Part 3: Best Free Video Editing Apps for Beginners on iPhone and Android
1. CapCut
CapCut is a free video editing software for beginners suitable for TikTok content creators. It was formerly known as Viamaker. Cap cut is easy to use for beginners, and it can create spectacular videos automatically by cutting, reordering, and merging recorded videos.
Supported on: Android and iOS
Cap cut allows you to:
- Split, merge, and reverse videos.
- Control the video speed
- Add filter, special effects, stickers, and texts to videos.
- Overlay and add sounds to the videos
Pros
- You can export directly to Tiktok.
- It has a vast music library, including copyrighted songs.
- Exported videos are of high quality.
Cons
- It does not support Multicam and 360 video editing.
- Effectiveness depends on the phone’s processor and features.
- Limited editing features.
- Video cannot exceed 15 minutes.
- You can only add a music track per video.
2. Quik
Quik is a free video editor for beginners produced by the makers of GoPro. Quik is an auto-video maker that puts together pictures, videos, and music with a few selections.
Supported on: Android and iOS
Main features
- Auto-video: Quik will create a video with transitions and soundtrack when you select several pictures and videos.
- Video editing tools: you can adjust the brightness, add texts and stickers, and add filters to a video.
- Adjust video speed: you can add slo-mo and freeze effects to the video.
- It allows direct sharing to social media pages.
Pros
- Allows HD video download
- Video styles template for new users.
- Unlimited cloud backup.
- Changes video ratio to suit different social media
Cons
- Limited editing features in the free version.
- Not suitable for videos longer than 60 seconds
- Limited font styles
Part 4: What to Look for in Choosing the Best Video editors As Beginners
When trying to choose a video editor as a beginner, you should look out for:
What video editor has the most commonly used editing tools and intuitive interface
Some essential video editing tools should be available in a video editor. These include Video tools (cropping, rotating, merging, cutting, and splitting of videos), effects and animations, audio effects, the addition of texts, and other features necessary to the purpose of the video you are editing.
Templates for different occasions to create videos quickly
As a beginner video editor, you might not be creative enough to edit professional videos. Video editors that have ready-made templates will come in handy when you want to create a video quickly.
Ready-made templates give a guide to a beginner video editor to create professional-looking videos.
Tutorials and Supports
The best video editors for beginners are user-friendly, and they provide free tutorials to guide new users on their video editing journey. Some video editing software targets digital marketers and video content creators, so they release tutorial videos every week to help them improve their skills.
Are you a creator, influencer, or marketer, and you need to join the trend of creating video content that converts. Check out the list to know which free video editing software best suits your niche.
These are beginner-friendly video editing software that you can use to create professional-looking video content. Watch tutorials and get to work. The more videos you edit, the better you get at it.