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The best free video editing software is often a good way to test the waters if you're considering getting into videography, or if you want to make simple edits to personal video projects. Free video editing software can't match the power and features offered by the best paid-for software, but if you don't have the budget for that, or you're not ready to commit, free options can get you some of the way there.

There's a wide range of free video editing software available now. Many programs are offered free as a promotion or trial for the full paid version (See all the paid-for options in our best video editing software post). Others are completely free forever, but note that some of these come with a lot of ads or put a watermark on your work.

We've weighed up the pros and cons of the best options around to make it easier to choose which suits your needs. Below you'll find direct links to the best paid for video editing software that offers free trials, and below that our pick of the best free forever video editing software. We've looked for options with powerful features like stylised filters and transitions, layer-based editing, and even audio editing. It's hard to find free software that offers all of that in one package, but some come very close. Make sure you also check out our best video editing apps, many of which are free or at least very cheap.

One of the best ways to get free video editing software to dip your toes is through free trials. This way you get powerful fully featured software free for a limited time.

These are your best options if you're looking for video editing software that's completely free forever, but note that they can't compete with the paid for options above in terms of power and features.

01. Lightworks

The best free video editing software overall

Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux

Key features: Multicam editing, Customizable UI

Best for: Advanced users

Watermarks: No

+Real-time project sharing+Import and export videos in the background+Multicam video editing

-Complex user interface-Free version only renders videos in MPEG format

Lightworks is a free video editor with a drag-and-drop user interface. It boasts powerful features like multicam and multi-track video editing, which allows you to edit clips from multiple cameras into a single project. It also enables you to share projects with other users and collaborate with them while editing videos in real time.

In addition, Lightworks lets you import and export videos in the background while continuing to work on something else in the foreground, which is a useful feature for those who like multitasking. A pro version of the software comes with more features, such as direct social media sharing and the ability to export videos in different formats.

One of the softwares biggest strengths is that the user interface is highly customisable, but this is also actually its biggest shortcoming because dragging windows across the interface to create endless layout combinations can be rather confusing for beginners. Thankfully, there are extensive video tutorials to help out. Read our Lightworks review for more.

02. KineMaster

The best free video editing software for mobile

Platform: Android, iOS

Key features: Instant preview, smart effects

Best for: Beginners and lightweight pro use

Watermarks: Yes

+Surprisingly rich features+Good enough for professionals+Widely used and popular

-Slow on lower-end devices

If you think professional video editing on your smartphone or tablet requires paid-for software, think again. KineMaster is available for Android devices, iPhones and iPads, and goes far above and beyond what you'd expect from a free mobile app.

It has a smart, intuitive and lag-free interface, while features include the ability to edit multiple layers and add handwriting and text annotations. You can experiment with up to four audio tracks, and precisely edit at the frame and sub-frame level.

The catch? Yep, you'll get watermarks on your videos. To remove them, you'll need to subscribe to the premium version, but that costs a pretty reasonable $4.99/month or $39.99/year. See our Kinemaster review for more details.

03. OpenShot

The best free video editing software that's open source

Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux

Key features: Layer-based editing, drag and drop UI

Best for: Open-source lovers

Watermarks: No

+Simple, drag-and-drop interface+Free and open source+Unlimited layers

-Occasional lagging, slow response-Bugs and glitches

OpenShot is a solid basic video editor with some nice extra features. It has a minimalistic design with a drag-and-drop interface that's easy to used, even for newbies. While there isn't a lot of complex features, the software's completely free and open-source, so there are none of the usual ads, watermarks, or paid upgrades to frustrate you.

Layer-based video editing capabilities let you stack an unlimited number of layers in your video, be it soundtracks, overlapping videos, or custom images.OpenShot also offers a range of title-card templates that can be customised. In addition, there are all the usual options to adjust and enhance your video, including crop, trim, rotate, and resize. You can also adjust elements like brightness, contrast, colour grading, and gamma.

There are some problems, including not insignificant lag issues and the fact that the features dont always work the way theyre supposed to (or when they do work, they take a long time to apply, making the editing process frustrating). Ultimately, however, for free video editing software, Openshot has everything you could expect.

04. DaVinci Resolve

The best free video editing software for colour correction

Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux

Key features: Colour correction, audio tools, compatible with Fairlight consoles, multi-user collaboration

Best for: Professionals and enthusiasts

Watermarks: No

+Colour correction+Audio post production+Collaborative working

-More suited to finishing footage

DaVinci Resolve is a free video editing tool that offers professional 8K editing, colour correction, visual effects, and audio post-production all in one place. It's often used on big-budget film and TV productions thanks to its powerful colour correction and audio capabilities.

As well as traditional colour features such as curve editors and primary colour wheels, there's also facial recognition and tracking, so you can adjust skin tones, eye and lip colour. For audio, DaVinci Resolve uses Fairlight, a suite of high-end editing tools that enable you to mix and master up to 1,000 channels.

Its incredible really that this software offers a free version with nearly all of its features present. There are no watermarks added to your videos either, unless you use a non-free effect such as noise reduction. So if youre looking for the best free video editing software for Windows or Mac, this could well be your best bet. To learn more, see our Da Vinci Resolve review.

05. VideoPad

The best free video editing software for audio professionals

Platform: Windows

Key features: 3D editing, Unlimited audio tracks

Best for: Audio professionals, 3D video editors

Watermarks: No

+Sound mixing+3D video editing+Excellent shareability

-Lacks advanced features-Slideshow-making isn't free

VideoPad is a free video editor with a simple interface suitable for novices but also plenty of features for advanced users. Most importantly, however, it offers a level of control over audio thats not often seen in a video editor, making it a great choice for movie sequences that rely on audio effects.

It supports an unlimited number of audio tracks and provides an entire library of sound effects to play with. Overall, it's not as robust as Lightworks, but VideoPad really stands out from competitors thanks to its audio editing features and sound mixing functionalities all without the price tag of a professional video editor.

VideoPad also allows 3D video editing, a rare feature among free video editing tools. It also has great options for social sharing, with a library of social media-friendly effects and transitions and the option to post videos to platforms like Facebook or YouTube without leaving the software.

06. Windows Video Editor

Built-in video editing software for Windows

Platform: Windows 10

Key features: Custom animations, Simplified UI

Best for: Windows 10 users

Watermarks: No

Paid version: NA

+Simple and easy to use+Pre-existing collection of custom animations

-Very basic, barebones video editor

If you have a PC running Windows, you'll already have Microsofts own built-in video editor, Windows Video Editor. What used to be called Windows Movie Maker was rebuilt from the ground up for Windows 10. It's not a massively powerful editor, but if you're looking for a quick, convenient way to make simple edits to your clips, it might serve you just fine.

It doesnt boast a lot of features in fact, it's really more of a photo editor with some video editing capabilities but Video Editor has enough to get through basic tasks like trimming, cropping, speed adjustments and adding text or audio.It also has a 3D Effects section, which lets you soup up your video with pre-designed animations. These features dont offer a lot of options for customisation, but Windows Video Editor is still a good application for basic video enhancement, especially for novice users looking who enjoy working in Windows. Its biggest advantage is how easy it is to use.

07. VSDC

Free video editing software that's great for presentations

Platform: Windows

Key features: Supports wide range of file formats, built-in DVD burner, chart tool, video stabiliser

Best for: Enthusiasts and beginners

Watermarks: No

+Plenty of special effects+Large range of output formats+Works well with GoPro footage

-More suited to presentations

If you need to add text, lines, charts and other special effects to a presentation (and you use Windows), VSDC is probably the best free video editing software for the task. It has Instagram-style filters, lots of special effects such as colour correction and blurring, plus a mask tool for applying effects to part of a video (for obscuring faces, for example). Theres also a video stabiliser to help remove camera shake from footage taken with GoPros or drones, and a powerful chart tool for adding graphs to presentations.

The free version can export to various formats including AVI and MPG, and it supports most video formats, so you shouldnt have any trouble importing clips. You can even tailor the output so it works well on particular devices for playback, and theres a built-in DVD burner. The paid-for pro version adds in features such as motion tracking, masking, and hardware acceleration. Read our VSDC review to find out more.

08. Hitfilm Express

Free video editing software that's rich in features and add-ons.

Platform: Windows, Mac

Key features: Over 180 visual effects; 2D and 3D effects compositing; MP4 H.264 export; good range of import formats

Best for: Professionals and enthusiasts

Watermarks: No

+Great community and training+3D compositing

-Tricky download process-Powerful computer required

Hitfilm Express is the Swiss Army knife of free video editing software. It's capable of producing feature films or music videos with 3D effects, but its also good for making YouTube videos (it has direct uploading built in).It features a lot of features you'd expect to find only in expensive paid-for software, including 4K video support, 360-degree editing, and hundreds of special effects.

The main downside is that it uses a lot of system resources, so it won't work well on a low-powered laptop, for example. The basic version contains everything you need to make a professional-quality production, but if you want something specific, such as 360-degree text or extra colour grading tools, there are packs of add-on features that start at around $7/6. For more information, see our Hitfilm Express review.

Read more here:
The best free video editing software - Creative Bloq