Video editing tools can range from simple drag-and-drop timelines to complex 3D environments with advanced visual effect settings. Even if you’re only evaluating free video editing software, there are a variety of choices that are suitable for different use cases, devices, and experience levels. Some users just want to create simple, interview-style videos or product demonstrations, while others may be looking for a more extensive set of capabilities for enhancements like complex motion graphics. No matter what you need in a free video editor, we’ve collected some of the best options to find the ideal free tool for you.

Already know what editing tool you’re interested in? Read reviews on the best video editing software here.

Table of Contents:

• Our Picks for the Best Free Video Editing Software
  • Best Overall Free Video Editing Software: DaVinci Resolve
  • Best Free Editing Software for Mac: iMovie
  • Best Free Editing Software for PC/Windows: Lightworks
  • Best Free Video Editing App: InShot
  • Best Free Online (Web-Based) Editor: Clipchamp
  • Best Easy-to-Use Free Editor: Canva
• How to Choose the Right Free Video Editing Software
• Free Video Editor FAQs
• Our Methodology

Best Free Video Editing Software in 2025

Before we dive into the details, here’s a high-level overview of our picks, how they stack up, and when to use (or not use) each:

Each of these fits a different niche or use case — for example, iMovie is particularly valuable for Mac users while Canva is a solid choice for beginners. Below, we’ve compiled additional information on each selection with user-backed data, pros and cons, and recommendations.

1. Best Overall Free Video Editing Software: DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve offers a complete, professional-tier post-production suite at no cost. Whether you’re a content creator, film student, or professional editor, its tool offerings can handle everything from basic trimming to advanced visual effects and audio mixing.

DaVinci Resolve’s color grading capabilities are trusted by Hollywood editors for precise and dynamic adjustments. The Fusion module enables intricate visual effects and motion graphics, while its Fairlight panel provides high-end audio editing. With support for 8K editing, multicam workflows, and advanced GPU acceleration, it’s capable of producing broadcast-quality videos, even in its free version.

It will have a higher learning curve than many of the other tools on this list, but that’s because the free version includes more advanced features than most of the other options here. Learning this industry tool will also prepare you for future professional film work.

Reasons to Try

• All-in-One Solution: No need for additional tools — edit video, mix audio, apply VFX, and color grade in one program.
• Professional Quality: Used in film and TV production, it’s designed for high performance and precision.
• Free Version Includes Most Tools: Unlike other options, the free version doesn’t feel stripped down — it offers almost all the features needed for professional projects.
• Cross-Platform Support: Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Reasons to Avoid

• Steep Learning Curve: Beginners might struggle with its sophisticated interface and vast number of features.
• High Hardware Requirements: It performs best on systems with a powerful GPU and lots of RAM.

Best for: Experienced creators, professionals, or serious hobbyists who need a full-featured editor and are willing to invest time in learning how to maximize it.`

2. Best Free Editing Software for Mac: iMovie

iMovie is Apple’s video tool, designed for intuitive and streamlined video editing. It comes pre-installed on macOS devices and integrates well with other Apple products. It’s easy to import footage from iPhones or iPads to Macs, export from iMovie when you’re done, and sync through iCloud.

iMovie features a range of drag-and-drop templates, transitions, and effects. It also includes some more advanced tools like green screen functionality and automated audio enhancements, allowing Mac and iOS users to produce polished videos without needing advanced technical skills.

iMovie doesn’t support multicam functionality or offer other more professional-level features. It’s a good option for social media, YouTube videos, or other shorter single-cam videos. The built-in capability to use iMovie across desktop and mobile makes it especially well suited to creating social media content.

Reasons to Try

• Easy Learning Curve: Ideal for beginners with its clean, intuitive interface.
• Apple Ecosystem Integration: Works effortlessly with iPhones, iPads, Photos, and iCloud.
• High-Quality Features: Supports 4K editing, built-in soundtracks, and advanced effects like split-screen and picture-in-picture.
• Free for All Mac Users: No hidden charges or paid upgrades required.

Reasons to Avoid

• Limited for Advanced Users: Lacks the depth and customizability professionals may need.
• Mac-Only: Exclusively available on Apple devices, so it’s not an option for Windows users.

Best for: Social or YouTube content creators, hobbyists, or Apple enthusiasts who need a quick, reliable tool for everyday projects.

3. Best Free Editing Software for PC/Windows: Lightworks

Lightworks is a professional-grade video editor that offers a robust free version. It’s an excellent option for Windows users who want advanced editing capabilities without paying a premium. Its non-linear editing system allows users to adjust timelines and footage with precision.

Used in editing major Hollywood films like The Wolf of Wall Street, Pulp Fiction, and Mission: Impossible, Lightworks combines professional tools with an accessible interface. The free version includes real-time effects, advanced timeline editing, and audio mixing.

Lightworks supports multi-cam editing and 3D transitions, making it suitable for more complex projects than iMovie. It’ll also take a little more time to learn, especially for new video editors.

Reasons to Try

• Proven Quality: Trusted in professional filmmaking.
• Flexible Workflow: Allows precision editing with a wide variety of tools.
• Cross-Platform Support: Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Free Tutorials: Includes built-in guidance for new users.

Reasons to Avoid

• Export Limitations: Free version caps exports at 720p.
• Steep Learning Curve: Advanced tools can feel daunting to first-time editors.

Best for: Intermediate and advanced users looking for powerful tools with a proven track record in professional editing.

4. Best Free Video Editing App: InShot

InShot is a lightweight yet powerful mobile app that simplifies video editing for social media creators. Created for on-the-go edits, it includes essential tools like trimming, text overlays, and music integration with a fast, simple, mobile-friendly workflow.

Designed with social media optimization in mind, InShot excels at editing videos for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. Features like aspect ratio adjustments, trendy filters, and sticker overlays are great for influencers and content creators.

While InShot offers some unique social-media-specific features, it doesn’t offer any of the more advanced features some other options on this list have (like color grading or audio correction). It’s also mobile-only, which may make it harder to collaborate or work on lengthier projects.

Free video exports will all be watermarked with the InShot logo in the lower right-hand corner. You can crop this of course, but when you’re filming in a specific aspect for social media this might be a problem. There are also lots of pop-up ads, as is common for free, mobile-exclusive apps.

Reasons to Try

• User-Friendly: Simple interface makes it easy for anyone to edit quickly.
• Platform-Specific Features: Resize videos for Instagram Stories, YouTube, or TikTok effortlessly.
• Affordable Pro Features: Most tools are free, with inexpensive upgrades for advanced filters or watermark removal.

Reasons to Avoid

• Watermark on Free Version: Exports include a watermark unless you upgrade.
• Limited for Professional Use: Lacks advanced editing capabilities like multicam editing or color grading.

Best for: Casual creators and influencers who need quick, social-media-ready edits on their phone.

5. Best Free Online (Web-Based) Editor: Clipchamp

Clipchamp is a web-based video editor that combines convenience with a surprisingly robust set of tools. Its browser-based design means no downloads are required, making it an excellent choice for users with low-spec devices or those who need to edit on the fly. A Windows desktop app and iOS mobile app are available as well.

Its drag-and-drop interface and library of templates, stock footage, and audio make Clipchamp a good choice for marketers, students, and content creators. The ability to export videos directly to platforms like YouTube enhances its usability.

Clipchamp offers a number of features for YouTube videos and other content focused heavily on speech. These include text-to-speech, automatic silence removal, and a speaker coach that monitors pace and filler words. You can also record your screen or webcam directly from Clipchamp, completing recording and post-processing in one place.

Clipchamp doesn’t have DaVinci Resolve’s advanced color grading or multicam capabilities and is better suited for voiceovers, YouTube and social videos, and instructional content than complex films.

Reasons to Try

• Convenience: No software installations are required and it works in any modern browser.
• Resource Library: Access to free stock footage, audio, and templates.
• Cloud Editing: Projects are stored in the cloud, accessible from anywhere.

Reasons to Avoid

• Internet Dependency: A stable connection is necessary for smooth operation.
• Export Limitations: Some features, such as 4K exports, are locked behind a premium plan.

Best for: Users with lightweight editing needs or those who prefer browser-based tools over installed software.

6. Best Easy-to-Use Free Editor: Canva

Canva extends its user-friendly design platform to video editing, offering a simple toolset that caters to beginners. It’s made to allow users to quickly create professional-looking content regardless of prior editing experience.

Canva offers pre-designed templates for everything from YouTube intros to social media ads, enabling users to create polished videos with minimal effort. Its cloud-based nature allows for easy collaboration and cross-device editing.

Canva’s video editing features are pretty basic. You can trim a video, add a filter, add a transition, adjust playback speed, or change the volume of the video’s audio. You can also add any of Canva’s stock design elements, including text, images, and backgrounds. With premium, you can also automatically remove the background from a video or automatically enhance audio.

If you’re not looking for anything too complex but need to make edits quickly, or if you want to design and make a video from a slideshow, Canva is a good option.

Reasons to Try

• Beginner-Friendly: Intuitive drag-and-drop tools require no prior knowledge.
• All-in-One Platform: Create videos alongside presentations, graphics, and more.
• Ready-to-Use Templates: Thousands of templates for various video formats.

Reasons to Avoid

• Limited Advanced Features: Not suitable for creators looking for precision or complexity.
• Premium Features Locked: Many high-quality assets require Canva Pro.

Best for: Social media managers, small business owners, and anyone who values simplicity and speed.

How to Choose the Right Free Video Editing Software

The “best” free video editing tool is the one that meets your needs without introducing excessive complexity. Because cost is taken out of the equation, the considerations for weighing different options mostly come down to feature sets, preferences, and user ratings. Let’s discuss the key areas that can help narrow down your list and reach a final decision.

Features

The functionality and capabilities that each tool offers are especially important for free software, as price is no longer a differentiator. Because these are free, they typically don’t offer an all-encompassing suite of features like paid versions, meaning that you should look for the tool sets that overlap most with your needs. Don’t need extensive sound mixing capabilities? Try to avoid free tools that include those features, because it likely means they sacrificed other aspects to make room for them.

Some functionalities we recommend keeping an eye out for include:

• User-Friendly Interface: Avoid cluttered interfaces that make it difficult to accomplish the basics.
• Multitrack Editing: Layering visual and audio elements is a key feature of any solid video editor.
• Pre-Built Templates: These can speed up your editing process for things like intros, outros, social media content, and more.
• Transitions and Effects: These allow you to customize videos and make them look more professional.
• Color Correction: The ability to change the color and saturation of videos is critical in ensuring that the final edit looks cohesive and engaging.
• Audio Editing Features: Basic capabilities like background noise removal and audio mixing will go a long way in your edits.
• Text Overlay Customization: Enough customization of fonts, styling, and animation of text overlays to make videos more engaging.
• Speed Control: If you might work with slow-motion or timelapses, being able to adjust the speed of footage can be a major advantage.

Integrations

For social media managers, integrations with platforms like Instagram or TikTok can streamline publishing projects quickly. Other important integrations for video editing software might include storage tools like Google Drive or Dropbox, design tools like Photoshop, or even third-party plugins for libraries of effects and templates. While free options may be limited in the integrations they offer, try to find one that works best with your existing tools and workflows.

Ease of Use

As we mentioned above, cluttered and difficult-to-navigate interfaces can slow down editing and lead to frustration. Factors like drag-and-drop functionality, an organized timeline, and a clear video preview make it easy to create a polished finished product more efficiently. However, it’s worth noting that “intuitive” is different for everyone, especially at different experience levels — so look at screenshots and reviews of the interface to get more information on whether it fits your preferences.

Device/Platform Compatibility

Some video editing tools (like Final Cut Pro) are only available on certain operating systems or primarily suited to certain device categories. Whether you edit on the go with a phone or at home on a desktop PC, keep in mind that not all software will be available for your preferred platform. We recommend looking for tools that offer cross-platform support and that are relatively lightweight so they can work on older or less powerful devices.

File Types

A frequent limitation of free video software is their compatibility with different file types (MP4, MOV, AVI, WebM, FLV, etc.) — both for importing and exporting. File formats might change based on the camera used to film a clip, along with numerous other factors, so keep an eye out for tools that can handle all of the common files used by your equipment. Depending on the publishing requirements, you may also need to consider the export options as well.

Watermarks

Keep in mind that watermarks overlaid on exported videos are another common constraint of free video software. If this is a dealbreaker (which it often is), it can completely eliminate certain tools from your consideration. Some companies do this in an effort to upsell users to paid tiers, but there are also plenty of platforms without watermarks to use instead.

User Reviews

Although these tools are free (so you can test them without charge), it’s difficult to know how you’ll like the software’s features and interface just from screenshots on a website. Free tiers, in particular, often receive minimal resources towards areas like customer support and featured use cases, as the companies focus more on the premium versions. Because of this, reviews from actual users often provide higher-quality insights about the product, how it works, what issues you may experience, and more.

Sites like TrustRadius collect thousands of reviews for software products so you can find the perspective that’s most relevant to you. Looking for the pros and cons from a verified user that works on social media content? Or maybe how an individual hobbyist feels about the effectiveness of a particular tool for YouTube editing? TrustRadius has you covered with reviews from verified users so you can feel confident in the choice you make.

Compare Platforms

There will rarely be a single “perfect” product for your needs. This is where comprehensive comparisons to weigh various factors between options can help decide the best fit from a few final choices. TrustRadius offers extensive comparison metrics for your shortlist of software to compare review sentiment, key features, and pros and cons. Side-by-side comparisons are invaluable for coming to a final decision, and TrustRadius can help you find all the information you need.

Free Video Editor FAQs

What is the easiest free video editing software?

Depending on your device, iMovie on Apple products is a great beginner choice for video editing and comes pre-installed on most devices. For non-Mac users, Canva also has a very intuitive and easy-to-use video editor.

What is the best free editing software without a watermark?

Some free video editors leave watermarks on exported projects, with only paid tiers removing them. DaVinci Resolve is not only our top pick for free video editing software, but also doesn’t have watermarks — making it an ideal choice.

What do most YouTubers use to edit their videos?

Smaller YouTubers and social media accounts typically use free video editors like we’ve discussed today (such as iMovie or DaVinci Resolve), while larger channels invest in paid options like Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, or After Effects.

The TrustRadius Methodology

TrustRadius serves as a reliable and trustworthy software buying guide, powered by genuine, verified user reviews. Every review on our platform is authenticated via LinkedIn or a work email and verified by our research team to ensure the reviewer has recent and unbiased experience with the product.

This process maintains high standards of truth, quality, and data integrity, enabling individuals and enterprises alike to make confident technology decisions. With insights from a diverse range of users, TrustRadius offers a reliable resource for objective software assessments and purchasing guidance.

Learn more about our scoring methodology here.

Enhance Your Video Editing with Cost-Effective Options

Ready to start comparing video editing tools? TrustRadius has data on dozens of platforms to help you find the perfect one for your projects. Visit our video editing software category to check out the individual tools and their reviews. Or, select up to three products to compare side-by-side to see how they stack up for your needs.

Looking for more specific video capture or editing tools? Browse our list of the best video marketing tools or the best screen capture platforms.