Windows open source video editor windows

Video editing nowadays is always a hot topic, as most people cannot do it properly, making it one of the rarest skills. If you are planning to start your career, with video editing, go for it. There are numerous scopes. If you are having certain other skills, or have a lot of knowledge about something, you can also post videos, become an online influencer, become famous, and earn money. You know, what I am talking about. In the age, when most people watch YouTube in their free time, and on their way to the offices, the importance of video editing is quite evident to everyone. Yes, making videos make sense, but, why video editing software! You must be liking quality videos, and for that, video editing plays an important role.

As far as video editing software are concerned, you can find a number of great free video editing software, if you are planning to start a YouTube channel, or just want to learn the basics of video editing. Adobe Premiere is one of the most popular video editing software, and most professionals use Adobe Premier for all their needs. But, oh! It is expensive. Don’t worry, you can surely get many video editor free software, to learn, before you make your big investment and purchase a paid video editing software.

Best OpenSource Video Editor to look in 2021

Let’s have a look at all the 11 best free and open-source video editing software for Windows, macOS, and Linux, worth using. Thank me later to save your time.

Shotcut (Open Source)

If you are planning to start your new YouTube channel and is looking for a video editing software for YouTube free, or just want to learn the basics of video editing, without spending any money, Shotcut is the best video editing software, which you should choose, without looking at the other alternatives. Shotcut features a very beautiful and user-friendly interface, making it the perfect choice for the beginners. Though, the software is free, don’t think it is cutting down on features. On using Shotcut judiciously, you can get hands on some features, available only on premium video editing software.

With the help of Shotcut, you can even blend video with audio, add a number or transition effects, and do almost all the things, which are elementary in video editing. Shotcut is open source, and is available Windows, Linux, Mac, making it the best friend for video editors, for all the platforms. Shotcut also support a plethora of video and audio formats, which will eventually make your life, and video editing experience, a lot easier.

Avidemux (Open Source)

For those looking for a video editing tool which will also function as a video encoder, Avidemux is the best video editing software for beginners. It comes with a number of great tools, which most users will surely need, to make their videos look cool and crispier. The bottomline of Avidemux is that you can find a number of great filters, for different tasks, and come with numerous encoding options.

The only feature, missing in Avidemux, is the timeline feature, which can be a problem for certain class of users, but it is definitely not a deal breaker. To give the final touch to your video, Avidemux is the best tool, which you can find, for all your requirements. Just like Shotcut, Avidemux is open source, which makes it available for Windows, Linux, and Mac.

Hit Film Express (Free / Paid for extra add-ons and functionalities)

If you are not having any plans to invest in a video editing software, but want a professional video editing software free download, Hit Film Express is the perfect one for you. It is one of the best professional video editing software for free. By having a look at the user interface, the power of the software will be evident to you. Yes, it comes with all the features, which most people need out of their video editing software. It comes with a huge library of visual effects, making it the perfect piece of video editing software for everybody.

The only problem is that all the features should be learned before you can become the master of Hit Film Express. If you are having a lot of time to dedicate, for learning Hit Film Express, go for it. Once you dedicate the time, you will not regret it, for sure. Though the software is completely free to use, you can get some extra features by paying some nominal one-time money for the software. Thus, if you are long for a cheap video editing software, Hit Film Express is for you, as well. But, if you are willing to learn using the software, go for the free version, and it will surely fulfill most of your needs.

OpenShot Video Editor (Open Source)

OpenShot video editor is yet another great open source video editing tool, available for Windows, Linux, and Mac. If you are looking for an easy to use video editing tool, without spending a lot of time in learning it, OpenShot Video Editor is going to be the best tool for you. There are a number of great color enhancement options, and most features are easily available directly on the screen. Lest you find difficulties using OpenShot, you can find numerous OpenShot Video Editor Tutorial on the internet.

The user interface offered by OpenShot is also very user-friendly, which is another reason to download and use it. Working with multiple audio and video files, and adding them to a timeline is a charm, with OpenShot Video Editor. The rendering is also very fast, compared to other video editors, on the same hardware, making OpenShot Video Editor download the first task for video editing enthusiasts. OpenShot being open source, and because of the love it gets, from the programming groups, the software is updating itself constantly. Apart from using OpenShot personally, I read numerous OpenShot video editor review, and none of them gave negative reviews about the software.

VSDC Video Editor (Free)

If you are looking for a minimal video editor, with support for non-linear video editing, VSDC Video Editor can be the best free video editing software for windows 7. Don’t worry, I tried it on Windows 7, but there is no reason that it will not work on other Windows editions. The software is lightweight, free, and you can edit up to full HD videos, with this software. You can seamlessly work with photos, videos, and music, add them to timeline easily with the VSDC Video Editor.

Just like every coin has a tail, there are some cons, with the VSDC free video editor. The software is an old one, the output from the video editor will be clipped to 30 frames per second. Thus, if you do not want more than 30 frames per second, go for the VSDC Video Editor. The software can’t take maximum advantage of hardware acceleration, which is another problem. But as I already said, it is a minimal video editor, for bit so heavy video editing tasks.

Cinelerra (Open Source)

For the Linux guys out there, having the interests of video editing, or want to start a YouTube career, don’t look anywhere else, and download Cinelerra today. The software is loaded with a number of great features, just like premium video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro and others. The user interface is very simple and user-friendly, making it a great video editing software for beginners, as well.

The timeline feature can come handy for users, who want to work with multiple multimedia elements at once and export them to video files. Cinelerra also supports multiple video and audio formats, and the software is a 64-bit version, which makes the software function pretty fast, compared to other software of its class. There is hardly anything to dislike about Cinelerra, when the full software is offered for free. Using the software for some time will surely make the users, master of Cinelerra.

VideoLAN Movie Creator (Open Source)

The VideoLAN Movie Creator is one of the best video editing tool, which you can use, in order to give the finishing touch to all your videos.  I will not recommend VideoLAN Movie Creator, as a one-stop video editing tool, as it is not that powerful. But if you want to do some basic video editing, work with multiple videos and audio elements in a timeline, I will recommend, VideoLAN Movie Creator, and it will fulfill your needs.

VideoLAN Movie Creator offers a clean user interface, where importing media files is quite easy, and come with a preview pane, to ensure, you are working in the way you want. But, if you want to play around with the software, I will recommend you not to do that, as the software might become unstable in such cases. Just use the software for all your video editing needs, supported by VideoLAN Movie Creator, and it will be your best friend. VideoLAN Movie Creator is one of the best open source video editing windows 10, which is also supported on other platforms like Linux, Mac, etc.

Flowblade (Open Source)

Another good news for the Linux users out there is that Flowblade is one of the best lightweight video editing tools, which you can use, as a YouTube video editor. If you are planning to start your careers as a YouTube online influencer, Flowblade can come in handy for you. But, if you are looking for a great and premium set of features, Flowblade is not for you. Most YouTubers hardly need heavy video editing.

The Flowblade software comes with a great library of effects, which can help you show short clips, photos, within your video recording, which is too handy for most users out there. Need a video editing tool, with everything simple, and do not need a lot of time to learn! Go for Flowblade. Unfortunately, Flowblade is available only for Linux, and thus, sorry, Windows and Mac users. If you are looking for an alternative to OpenShot video editor for Ubuntu, give Flowblade a try.

Windows Movie Maker (Free / Paid)

For the majority of the Windows users out there, Windows Movie Maker is the best video editing software for YouTube entrepreneurs and other video enthusiasts. I will not say, it is a full-fledged video editing tool and meant for professionals, but if you are looking for a limited set of features, Windows Movie Maker is the best one for you. Don’t worry, the features are not that limited. You can get a huge library of effects, and get a timeline features while working with Windows Movie Maker.

Windows Movie Maker can be downloaded from the Windows store, for free, if you are having Windows 10, if you are using an older version, most Windows editions like the Windows Ultimate editions come with Windows Movie Maker pre-installed. Even if you are a professional video editor, but want to do some basic tasks with your video, you can use Windows Movie Maker, and you will surely not the complaint about it.

VideoPad Video Editor (Free / Paid)

The VideoPad Video Editor is a video editing software by NCH software, which is developed, keeping the appetite of various users in mind. The VideoPad Video Editor comes with a commercial version for the professional users, a home various, for basic users, a free version, for the novice users. I will recommend you to go for the free version, and I am sure, you will not be disappointed with that.

The free version of VideoPad Video Editor comes with support for almost everything, which most users need. You can get a timeline, a great library of effects, which though is bigger for the paid versions. The only missing feature is the green screen feature, for which, you will have to upgrade to the full version. But, that is not going to be a deal breaker for a video editor, which come with such a huge set of features, just like most other premium video editing software.

Movie Maker Online (Free)

For users, who are comfortable to do almost all the tasks on their browsers, Movie Maker Online is the best free video editor online. You can upload your photos, videos, music from your local storage, and get started. Apart from local storage, you can even add photos and videos from your Facebook account. The user interface is not that familiar with most other online video editing software, but using the software for some time will make you familiar with it.

The only thing, I missed in the Movie Maker Online software, is the option to import from cloud storage. It should be present in all kinds of video editor online, and the same is available on the premium competitors of Movie Maker Online, which are available. Not everything works according to our needs though. But, Movie Maker Online can be the best tool, if you have a large bandwidth to work with videos online, and the option to import videos from cloud storage was available. The website being completely free to use, you can find ads, which is not a big deal to cope with. Just create an online account with Movie Maker Online, and get started.

I tried to include almost all types of video editing software for all kinds of user out there. If you are having a different requirement, or want more from them, you can always keep more than one video editing software, as come on! All the video editing software, I have listed here, are either free or open source video editing software. You just need some extra space for the video editing software.

Hope the small list of video editing software will surely come in handy, if you want to be a professional video editor, and start your journey, with a free or open source video editor. Do not forget to give your feedback, in the comment section down below.

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An open source video editor contains source code that enables you to customize the program according to your current needs. Therefore, anyone with a bit of coding knowledge and video editing experience will give preference to open source software.

11 Best Open Source Video Editors

1. OpenShot – Our choice
2. Blender – Professional video sequence editor
3. ShotCut – Modular video editor with a portable version
4. KDEnlive – The best open source video editor for Linux
5. Lightworks – For quick special effects
6. Pitivi – Video editing accuracy up to nanoseconds
7. Avidemux – For simple changes and spitting out modified files
8. LiVES – For VJing and real-time editing
9. VidCutter – For basic editing
10. Flowblade – For Linux
11. Natron – The best choice for VFX

Users have limited choice when it comes to open source video editing tools. Only a few companies provide the source code of their program. Keep in mind that they aren’t as stable in various build versions and may not be completely free.

In this article, I cover the best open source video editors that have cross-platform capabilities and don’t require any financial investments. It is significant for small businesses and start-ups due to budget constraints.

Verdict: OpenShot offers an installer for Mac without manual compilation and installation. It is the best free video editor for YouTube notable for a straightforward interface, and an integrated guide providing an unrestricted number of tracks.

It is possible to put any type of media in any track, drag and drop it to import or work on the timeline.

This free open source video editor boasts an array of transitions with a real-time preview, slow motion and speed modifications, time effects and 3D animation, keyframe-based animation, and three-dimensional animated titles.

OpenShot incorporates a title editor and file manager. Besides, users can visualize audio files via audio signals, mix and edit audio using their Mac devices for video editing.

Verdict: Blender is a stable and performant advanced 3D graphics package and free animation software for creating animated movies, 3D applications, video games, and visual effects.

It is supplied with an extensive modeling toolset, as well as topology, sculpture and curves. Blender is an integrated non-linear video editing application present in stable versions of Ubuntu, Debian and Fedora.

Blender is the best open source video editing software due to the presence of 3D modeling, rigging, texturing, animation, rendering, skin creation, and motion tracking capabilities.

The video editing toolset comprises transitions, filters, keyframes speed control, adjustment layers, video masking; audio mixing, clearing, syncing, and waveform visualization.

Verdict: ShotCut is a reliable nonlinear and easily integrated video editor. It offers everything from color correction, waveform correction, histograms to adding transitions. A straightforward minimalistic interface based on the system of flags and sliders is complemented by functional modules.

This open source video editor for Windows works with 4K content, supporting stereo, mono and surround sound. Blender free video cropping software enables users to edit their own timelines without importing, create a media playlist, drag and drop clips to the timeline with a full feature-set, such as adding tracks, clip fragments, and cropping.

Verdict: Based on the MLT media environment and running in the KDE desktop environment, it is the best free open source video editor for Linux. Kdenlive’s timeline supports an unrestricted number of video/audio tracks, visible audio signals, pre-rendering, and JKL playback shortcuts.

Kdenlive pleases users with a remarkable set of transitions, creative effects and filters. Clips aren’t difficult to drag and drop, modify their settings, and preview them in real time.

When exporting a finished video, it is possible to pick from a vast selection of presets and file types. Kdenlive supports 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios for PAL, NTSC, various HD and HDV standards, provides experimental AVCHD support. Users may export videos to DV devices or copy them to DVD.

Verdict: Lightworks is an Emmy award-winning open source video editor for PC. It is compatible with the resolutions of up to 4K in SD and HD format. The interface is slightly different from the majority of free video editors. But it is customizable and lets users modify various controls and windows to meet their needs.

Lightworks enables users to create sophisticated qualitative clips. The video editor is rather straightforward and agile, offering a Hollywood level of detail for video projects that may be shared with other Lightworks users.

Verdict: With each version, Pitivi is consistently being ranked among the best free video editing software. A beautiful and straightforward interface supports the audience: contextual hints about the basics provide the user with the ability to self-document.

It includes time-saving capabilities, such as rippled and roll editing, real-time searching and assets management, grouping and snapping, non-modal cutting, play-head centric zooming and editing, smooth scrolling and automatic zoom adjustment.

Verdict: Avidemux is the best open source video editor for making simple modifications (cutting, saving, adding titles) and uploading the resulting file. Moreover, it is possible to apply filters, color effects and borders that enhance the clip by increasing sharpness or reducing noise; add audio streams or extra clips to the end of the current clip.

If you have plenty of clips to encode, you may queue them for mass processing. As part of export, Avidemux is capable of encoding video and audio into an impressive range of file types with many detailed options, as well as a vast array of codecs.

Verdict: LiVES is a non-linear video editor free with bonus applications aimed at a particular type of user: video jockey or VJ. Along with standard video editing features, LiVES boasts a number of real-time options that let users mix and control video clips to combine them with sound alongside live performance, create custom maps for calling effects or switching between clips at the touch of a button.

One part of the interface is the clip editor that enables users to apply effects, such as fade, swirl, and color, to imported media. Then it is possible to place the clips on a multi-track timeline for immediate rendering or save them for later.

Verdict: VidCutter is the best open source video editor for standard operations, such as cropping or slicing. If you wish to make a quick and effortless edit, VidCutter does a great job of cutting videos. This cross-platform program is capable of importing and exporting the most widespread formats.

Its interface with theme parameters comprises several elements. Imported media files are displayed in the preview area. Thumbnails may be displayed on a timeline from a single track at the bottom.

Verdict: Flowblade is a straightforward and free open source video editor compatible with Ubuntu, Linux and Debian. It is concentrated on offering fast and stable video editing, faster loading and operating experience.

Avoiding a large number of additional capabilities that can slow down and complicate the process, it guarantees speedier video editing. Besides, this makes Flowblade more stable and reduced crashes.

The modern interface of Flowblade is intuitive with timeline tool buttons placed in a row. This slightly stripped-down panel offers enough tools for moving and cropping. Although its «insert edit» model with the automatic movement of clips to the left may take some getting used to.

Verdict: If you are a fan of VFX and motion graphics, Natron will be a decent alternative to free VFX software, although it isn’t a non-linear video editor for cutting and assembling video clips.

It offers an efficient way to handle a significant aspect of video production: creating visual effects (VFX) and moving graphics used to combine various elements in order to produce movie effects in a specific frame or scene.

Effects are built on a series of “nodes”. Users specify and configure the effects’ details on the node and apply them, connecting and stacking multiple layers and node branches as needed.

Moreover, this free video editing software for PC lets users take advantage of the options of moving and resizing 2D/3D elements, a color key to replace the background, and tracking movement as points in the video.

Are you looking for the best open source video editors for Windows, Android or any other OS? Well, you are in the right place. As video streaming platforms like YouTube are getting more and more popular, there are a lot of content creators out there.

And if you know anything about creating videos, then you must understand that having the right video editing software is quite essential. Unfortunately, most options available out there are quite expensive, and not everyone can afford them.

But even if you can find open source and free video editors, all of those differ from one another. Therefore, today we are here with the 10 free best open source Video Editors for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS.

I have provided some of the best open source video editors for all platforms in this article. You will also find their major features and options in this article. So, if you are a content creator or want to become one, make sure to go through this article till the end. I have also shared the best city-building games.

10 Free Best Open Source Video Editors for All Platforms

Different content creators prefer to use different platforms due to their features and benefits. For example, video editing on a mobile device like iOS or Android allows you to edit on the go.

Similarly, editing on Windows means that you will have a powerful computer with many options and feature. But not all video editing software available for these platforms are free. If you have ever bought a video editing tool in the past, then you must know how expensive these can be.

So, if you are not able to afford one, then you can always install an open-source application on your device. Therefore I have provided various open-source video editors for each platform. And if you want to edit videos on your devices, make sure to go through the below software one by one.

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Free Open Source Video Editors for Windows

1. Shotcut

Shotcut is one of the most popular open-source video editors out there. It is available for both Windows and macOS for absolutely free. This video editing software is perfect for those who are YouTubers.

As most YouTubers who are just starting cannot afford to get expensive software for creating videos. Thankfully, Shotcut is a great free alternative to all the popular editing software.

You will find almost all the features in this editing software. Apart from that, it also comes with a professional user interface, which assists quite a lot while editing videos. I have also shared keylogger apps.

2. Avidemux

If you are new to video editing and want an easy-to-use editing software, then Avidemux can be a great option. While you will not find any advanced features in this program, you will find a great user interface.

And because of this, you can easily learn video editing software using Avidemux. Not only that but if you already know how to edit videos, want a software for quickly creating basic videos, then it can be a great option. It also comes with inbuilt filters and effects which can be useful to give your videos an artistic look.

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3. VideoLAN Movie Creator

VideoLAN Movie Creator is a great open-source video editor developed by the same guys behind VLC media player. And just like VLC media player, even VideoLAN Movie Creator offers various features and options.

But the best part about this video editor has to be its support for various video formats and codecs. Due to this, you can edit almost any kind of video file in this video editor.

On the other hand, other video editors usually have issues in importing video files of non-popular video formats. Talking about its user interface, it is quite sleek and modern due to which you will have a great time while editing videos in VideoLAN Movie Creator. Also, check out anonymous chat apps.

Best Open Source Video Editors for MacOS

4. DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is an open-source video editing software for macOS which is almost as popular as video editing tools like Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas, Final Cut Pro, etc.

This is because due to the reason that DaVinci also has a paid version which is used by professionals. But the free version of DaVinci Resolve offers the same user interface and almost all of the same features.

But some of the advanced features are missing from the free version. That being said, when you consider the fact that this video editor is free, the advanced features are not expected anyways.

5. iMovie

If you just want to edit a video for sharing on social media quickly, then iMovie is perfect for you. It allows its users to trim quickly, merge, apply effects, add images, add songs, and perform other functions without any issues.

And since it is an app developed by Apple, the user interface is straightforward to use. If you have ever used Final Cut Pro on your Mac device, then you will feel that this user interface is quite similar to that.

Even though this is a straightforward and straight forward video editor, it also supports editing 4k videos. Due to these reasons, iMovie is perfect for quickly creating high-quality videos for social media.

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6. OpenShot

OpenShot is a great free to use feature-rich video editor for macOS. You can easily use this video editor for creating short feature films on your Mac device.

OpenShot users will find all kind of features and options in this open-source video editor made for Apple devices. But the best part about this video editor is that you can integrate other apps in it.

For example, you can use OpenShot along with Blender to create animations within your existing video editing project. But if you are used to using modern and sophisticated user interface, you might feel that OpenShot is a bit outdated.

That being said, if you can get past its simple user interface, you will have a great time editing videos on your Mac using OpenShot.

Best Open Source Video Editors for Android

7. Kinemaster

Even though Kinemaster is a freemium app, which essentially means that you have to pay for some features, it is still one of the best video editor apps. You can download it from the Google Play Store.

If you have ever used a full-fledged video editor on your PC, then you will find many of the same features right on your Android device. Many small YouTubers use this app for creating videos for their channels.

And even though it is a phone app, the user interface is quite similar to desktop. Due to these reasons, Kinemaster can be used as a great secondary video editor on your Android device other than your computer solutions.

8. Adobe Premiere Clip

Adobe is known for its solutions for creative professionals across various platforms. And they even make innovative apps for Android devices. You can find the Adobe Premiere Clip app on the Google Play Store.

Since it is an Adobe app, it has one of the cleanest and easiest to operate user interface. This video editor app is geared towards the users who want to throw multiple video clips together quickly. It can be a quite useful app if you keep sharing videos on social media via your Android device.

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Best Open Source Video Editors for iOS

9. Splice

Splice is a great video editor available for iOS devices like iPhones and iPads. It features an easy to use design with various user interface elements which are easily accessible.

You will also find various useful effects and transition in this iOS app. And you can use these effects with your video clips to create great videos. It is a perfect app for those who are new to video editing and want to upload videos on YouTube.

You will also find some advanced features and effects in this app, which can be quite useful. Overall, the Splice is the app is perfect for both new as well as advanced users who want to edit videos on iOS.

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10. Quik

Quik is a video editor app developed by GoPro which is geared towards action cam users who quickly want to add some effects to their clips for sharing it on social media.

You will find it much fun to use effects and filters in this app. And you can easily apply them over your videos and share them directly to Instagram.

Apart from that, you can also join or trim videos along with transition effects. If you own a GoPro or any other action camera, then you should definitely install this app on your device.

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Wrapping Up

Well, I hope that you have found the perfect open source video editing software for your platform. If not, then make sure to go through the 10 free best open source video editors for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS mentioned in this article.

Was the article helpful for you? Which one of these open-source editors you would pick? Leave your precious opinions in the comments below.

Whether we are making videos for YouTube or making a project for work or school, video editing is an essential part of the video creation process.

That said, video editing software can be quite expensive.

Although some operating systems do come with their own video editors (Windows Movie Maker etc.), if you want something of higher quality, then it is almost necessary to spend money.

But are there other solutions?

If you need to do some rudimentary video editing and do not require a premium program, here are free best open source video editing tools for windows and Linux.

Open Shot Video Editor

Open Shot Video Editor is one of the best free and open source video editors currently available.

It hosts many features which can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best-paid software on the market.

Apart from being cross-platform, it possesses features such as:

• It allows you to quickly and easily slice your footage
• You can add as many tracks/layers as you want for background music, watermarks, etc.
• There are a host of animations and keyframes which can be used to make your footage more interesting
• Many video effects allow you to transform your footage
• You can visualize and edit your audio as waveforms
• Adding titles and subtitles is incredibly simple with the built-in editor
• The software also has many 3D animations which can help you do things such as add lens flares or snow
• There are time effects available such as slow motion, and you can also speed up footage
• Adding videos to Open Shot Video Editor is as easy as dragging and dropping them from your file editor
• It is available in many different languages
• The user interface is user-friendly and inviting

With a list of features like this, it does not take a movie-making expert to see why Open Shot Video Editor is an amazing piece of open source video editing software.

If you are looking for a free video editor, definitely give it a try: OpenShot

Kdenlive Video Editor

The title is an acronym for KDE Non-Linear Video Editor.

Currently, it works with the GNU/Linux platform but also on MacOS and BSD, and they are working on porting it to Windows too.

As the name suggests, this editor is a non-linear editor, which means that it is more powerful than a beginners’ linear editor. This does not mean that only specialists can use it, however, as with a bit of practice it can be used for most projects.

Kdenlive integrates many different plugin effects both for video and audio editing, a titling tool, a DVD authoring solution etc. This makes it a full package for making videos.

Its features include:

• Editing videos with multiple tracks/layers
• Supports almost every video and audio format
• An interface that is highly configurable so you can set up your workspace the way you want it
• Ability to create high-quality 2D titles and subtitles
• A host of many different effects and transitions
• Check your footage for balance with video and audio scopes
• Many resources available online for it
• A bunch of light and dark interface themes to choose from
• Automatic backup of your projects
• Can keep footage low-res while editing, then render it at high resolution
• You can pre-render certain parts of your timeline to get smooth playback
• Ability to keyframe the effects

This list of features (and for free) is more than enough for anyone just getting into video editing. It is unlikely that Kdenlive Video Editor will disappoint you.

Check out Kdenlive.

#3 LightWorks Video Editor

The makers of Lightworks published it for free because they wanted to give everyone access to video editing software that could perform on a professional level.

It is definitely more than just a simple tool for arranging clips and applying effects.

This is a powerful and complicated video editor, having been used for movies such as The King’s Speech and Road to Perdition. Keeping that in mind, it is easy to conclude that it takes some learning to get good at using it.

Once you do master it, however, it will be a professional-grade video editor right at your fingertips for free.

You do not even need super powerful hardware to run it.

The free license has basically everything you will need for doing some quality video editing, but you can also get the pro version to get extra features such as exporting in formats other than MPEG, publishing directly to YouTube and any other social media routes, as well as exporting 3D videos.

On its list of features you will find:

• A simple and easy-to-use interface
• Access to quality royalty-free video and audio
• A timeline that is easy to edit
• Ability to use lo-res proxy workflows if you are working with 4K videos
• Ready to use audio and video effects in real time
• For the Pro version, ability to export to YouTube or Vimeo

So there you go, an almost premium-quality video editor for free.

Check out LightWorks

Shotcut Video Editor

Similar to Lightworks, this is another video editor that feels professional even though you can get it for free.

It takes some work to master if you really want to harness the amazing capabilities that it offers, but once you do your results should be amazing.

Because it started as a Linux application, the interface can be a bit strange at times, so keep that in mind. This only serves to make the already steep learning curve steeper but should be nothing impossibly difficult.

That said, you can achieve results that are pretty decent just by applying the ready-made filters the software comes with.

However, if you really want to experience all that Shortcut has to offer, then we recommend that you take the time to learn it and use it to its full potential.

Its features include:

• Wide format support which includes 4K, FFmpeg, ProRes etc.
• An impressive array of audio editing tools
• Video effects which by themselves can make your videos seem professional
• Editing features which make the editing process smooth and painless
• Flexible UI and ability to be viewed on multiple displays
• Available on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS
• The software is codec independent
• Supports a wide variety of hardware

Shotcut video editor is a great option for someone who needs a quality video editor for free but is also willing to invest a bit of time in learning how to use it

Pitivi Video Editor

Coming up we have a video editor which is perhaps the least popular on this list.

The reason for this is that it is relatively new and has not had the chance to break out on the market.

The main driving force behind this one is its very intuitive and friendly user interface. Along with being aesthetically pleasing, it is also impressively functional.

This makes this video editor a pleasure to work in.

One great advantage to this video editor is the fact that it is still in development, so its creators are constantly their users for input on how to make the editor better.

Its list of features includes:

• A timeline that is independent of framerate
• A flexible interface that helps you get the job done with things like real-time trimming previews
• Accepts quite a wide variety of formats
• Available in many languages
• Naturally integrates into the Linux desktop
• Accurately and beautifully represents audio in waveforms

One thing to note with the Pitivi Video Editor is that it is currently only available for Linux.

So if you are a Linux user, you are quite lucky to have access to such an amazing piece of open source software!

Check out Pitivi

Blender

Although Blender is primarily a tool for making 3D art renders, the software also features a built-in video editor which is no slouch.

It has a very professional-looking interface so that it feels premium while you are working in it. The software also features a variety of keyboard shortcuts which make working in it enjoyable, quick, and efficient.

That said, Blender’s video editor will not allow you to do more advanced things that other free video editors might, but it is a more than satisfying package for someone looking for the essential tools and interface.

Its features include:

• A variety of preview modes including live preview, luma waveform, chroma vectorscope, and histogram
• Ability to work with audio in many ways such as mixing, scrubbing, and waveform visualization
• It has 32 slots that you add video, audio, images, scenes, masks, and effects to
• Standard video-editing features such as speed control, keyframes, filters, and visual effects etc.

As the last entry in this list, Blender is awkward only because it is not completely dedicated to video editing.

Disregarding that, it is a great open source video editor.

Check out Blender

Other Free Video Editors (Not Open Source)

DaVinci Resolve Video Editor

DaVinci Resolve is a premium piece of video editing software, but you can get a free version of it that is substantially packed with features—enough that you will not feel like you are missing any.

Resolve’s interface is intuitive and easy to use, its mastering options rich, exporting simple and flexible.

Across the board, it is a professional-level video editing suite, with a multi-track timeline for arranging footage and audio, tons of effects, and content-sensitive trimming.

The software has HDR support and one of its standout features is color correction. It allows you to adjust the colors of either the whole video or just one part of it.

Of course, as with any free version, some things are left out, including support for export resolutions up to 3,840 x 2,160. But these features are only really necessary for super advanced video editing, and the free version should be more than satisfactory for trimming videos and preparing them for YouTube.

Some of the features include:

• A very advanced array of color correction tools
• An audio editing interface which could bring some DAWs to shame
• Incredible 2D and 3D effects
• A simple and easy way to organize media

This is only a very rudimentary list of features, as the software itself has so many that we cannot fit even a good part of them here.

What you need to know is that DaVinci Resolve is definitely one of, if not the best free video editors around.

Check out DaVinci Resolve

Hitfilm Express Video Editor

Among the video editors that provide pro-level features for free, Hitfilm Express is another piece of software which delivers quite nicely.

The free version is quite loaded with features, including amazing video and audio filters, composition options, and even chroma keying for green screen effects.

Of course, as with all of these free versions, you can pay for further features including color correction, a variety of filters, screen masking, and exposure adjustment.

Be warned, however, that Hitfilm Express boasts quite the array of features, which comes at a price. That price is performance.

It takes quite a beefy machine to run Hitfilm Express to its true potential, so make sure to check the system requirements before installing.

In its impressive list of features, you will find:

• A revolutionary workflow which includes combined timelines, personalization options, intelligent search, and much more
• No limit to the number of tracks/layers you can have
• A host of different animation tools
• Has an available particle simulator add-on
• Effortlessly add fire and lightning, muzzle flashes, and lens flare effects
• Specialized effects
• Support for 3D models

And much, much more.

Even the free software version comes packed with features.

Check it Hitfilm

VSDC Video Editor

The VSDC Video Editor is one of those that is just brimming with pre-made filters and effects that you can use on your raw footage.

These can be added manually or with the provided wizard if you are not that interested in customization.

Just like Kdenlive, VSDC is a non-linear video editor, which makes it more complicated to use than simple linear video editors, but the results it yields are often of higher quality.

If you can bear VSDC’s slightly peculiar user interface then it is possible to make professional-quality videos with it.

The new version, especially, is faster and provides lots of new effects which will guarantee a premium-feeling finish.

On top of the standard features it boasts an array of extra ones:

• Change the way your videos blend colors and how those colors are rendered (similar to Instagram filters)
• Masking allows you to apply effects only to certain areas of the video
• Finished videos are easy to export to YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook etc.
• Position objects on the screen with buttery-smooth subpixel accuracy
• Supports all popular formats including HD and 4K
• Create videos for specific devices (phones, tablets)
• Create all different kinds of charts and diagrams

This video editor has many other features such as video stabilization, DVD burning, and many more!

Check out VSDC

Conclusion

This list is not in order.

We could not do full justice to many of the editors in such a short space, but we have given you a general idea.

If you are looking for video editing apps for your smartphone, our friends at Pixpa put together a list of the Top 12 Video Editing Apps.

When choosing which one is best for you, just remember that it is not a matter of better or worse, but rather which one suits you the most.

No two people will have identical video editing needs, and each video editor we have mentioned on this list excels in different things. The key is to find out which features you need the most and choose the software that offers most of those features.