Free Video Editing Tools Anyone Can Use To Design Like a Pro

Published on: 18/11/2021 | Updated on: October 25, 2024

To leverage the power of social media to your advantage, creating informative, entertaining videos is an excellent solution.

Why?

• 87% of marketers say video marketing has helped them increase their website traffic. (Wyzowl)
• 80% of users recall a video ad they viewed 30 days ago. (SmallBusinessTrends)
• 64% of consumers say watching a branded video online influenced their purchase. (Tubular)
• Video will account for 82% of all internet traffic in 2022. (Cisco)
• 54% of consumers want to see more video content. (HubSpot)
• Tweets with videos generate 10x more engagement. (SearchEngineJournal)
• 97% of consumers and online marketers report that video helps customers understand their product. (Wyzowl)

We could go on and on about the statistics showing why you should create videos as an integral part of your social media tactics but in this article, our main focus is to help you discover some of the free video editing tools available online that you can use immediately to boost your next marketing campaign.

Let’s get started.

Lightworks

Launched back in 1989, Lightworks continues to be one of the most powerful Free Video Editing Tools on the market because of its advanced professional tools and wide array of stock video and audio clips that will add flavor to any of your videos.

Pros:

• Non-linear video editor
• Simple and customizable user interface
• No watermarks on videos
• Drag and drop support
• Supports all forms of video formats
• Upload videos directly to different social media channels
• Simultaneously edit and upload or export other videos
• Royalty-free music, effects, and video
• 2D & 3D title and text animations
• Color correction
• Enhanced audio equalizer
• Advanced project sharing (Pro)
• Supported by Mac, Windows, and Linux

Cons:

• Exporting files for the free version are limited to 720p

*If you want to push your video editing skills even further, Lightworks also offers monthly and yearly plans; as well as a one-time payment plan to access all of its tools.

Shotcut

Launched back in November 2004, Shotcut is an open-source, cross-platform video editor originally created for Linux – but is now supported on Windows and Mac as well. This editor is assisted by companies such as MLT Multimedia Framework, The Qt Company, FFmpeg, X264, & WebM.

This editor is ideal for both beginners and experts as it provides multiple tutorials on its website to make learning a breeze while continuing to keep its software up-to-date to cater to a user’s different needs.

Pros:

• Supports a wide range of audio and video formats
• No watermarks
• Native timeline editing
• Multi-format timeline
• Audio and video capture from device
• Large selection of pre-made filters
• Advanced audio filters (Bass & treble, copy channel, delay, normalize, downmix, volume control, and more)
• 3-way color wheel for color correction and grading
• Advanced video filters (360°, speed effect, clip reversal, alpha channel, blur, and more)
• Low resolution preview to speed up the preview of a video project

Cons:

• The interface can become challenging for beginners to navigate
• No preview of filters
• Limited transitions
• No stock media files
• No export presets

Openshot

Similar to Shotcut, Openshot is another open-source, cross-platform video editor launched in 2008 best known for quick edits, clip resizing, and scaling of videos. It supports a wide range of image, audio, and video formats.

What makes this editing tool a preferred option for beginners is its straightforward interface that doesn’t drown you in tools you’ll probably never use; allowing you to immediately access your media library, transitions, and effects.

Pros:

• Drag and drop support
• Basic 3D animation tools powered by Blender
• Green-screen effects
• Unlimited tracks/layers
• Curve based key frame animation
• Over 40 vector title templates
• Over 400 video transitions
• Software is regularly updated to keep up with Blender’s latest features
• Digital video effects
• No watermarks
• Available in different languages
• Supported by Mac, Windows, and Linux

Cons:

• Lacks editing features to make a video cinema worthy
• Users claim to experience bugging or crashing issues
• Changing the speed and time-mapping of clips are only presets

Hitfilm Express

If you want your video to become a hit, Hitfilm Express has helped content creators create videos since 2014 by providing all the tools needed for producing Hollywood-worthy films. They work with some of the biggest names in the video editing industry, including Foundry’s 3D Camera Tracking, Future Learn, Red Giant, New Blue, and Boris FX.

However, since it has all the complexity sought by professionals, beginners may have difficulty navigating through the tools and interface – but, before you consider another video editor, the advanced tools and functions offered by Hitfilm Express are more than worthy of your time and attention. You can learn everything necessary through the free tutorials and masterclasses found on their website.

Pros:

• Motion tracking and animation tools
• VFX software toolkit
• No watermarks
• GPU acceleration
• Over 420 presets of effects
• Export projects in different formats
• Composite shot enhancement
• Customizable interface
• Supported by Mac, Windows, and Linux

Cons:

• High PC requirements
• Complex download requirements

*Hitfilm Express also comes with different bundle plans of video or images.

DaVinci Resolve

Last, but not least on our list is DaVinci Resolve. This non-linear free video editing tools, developed by Blackmagic Design in 2009, is a video editing tool with advanced color correction, visual effects, and a user-friendly interface, making it the perfect avenue for video editors to get the biggest bang for their buck.

Pros:

• Offline free video editing tools
• Facial recognition
• No watermarks
• Advanced color correction and grading tools
• Supported by Mac, Windows, and Linux
• Organize functions into pages to easily switch between tasks
• Customizable keyboard shortcuts
• Export presets
• Advanced project sharing
• Dual timeline
• Free training videos

Cons:

• Steep learning curve

*DaVinci Resolve also comes with a studio version where you can have access to all of its tools and features for only a one-time payment.

Final thoughts

Videos can certainly be time-consuming to create and relatively more costly than simple graphics or images – but the payoff is conveying your message and promoting your product or service in a more compelling and memorable way than your competition.

“Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily.” – Friedrich Schiller