Video is changing our way of communication and expression. More and more people tend to record vlogs, share them with friends and family members, share their knowledge and experience on YouTube, or use the video to boost business online.
With more and more high-quality video editing software available, if you are new to the video editing world, you may wonder which one is the best choice for beginners. Is there any free video editing software for Windows PC users?
I’ve updated the best free video editing software list for Windows recently. In the following part, you'll see our overview of each video editor so that you can pick up the best free video editing software for Windows PC based on your needs.
- 1. PowerDirector Essential
- 2. DaVinci Resolve
- 3. Blender
- 4. Animoto
- 5. WeVideo
- 6. Shotcut
- 7. Avidemux
- 8. VideoPad
- 9. VideoProc Vlogger
- 10. HitFilm Express
1. PowerDirector Essential
PowerDirector ranks as our best free video editing software overall because it is an excellent choice to edit videos for all skill levels. We found its interface to be intuitive and the design straightforward which makes it easy for beginners to edit videos. At the same time, its robust advanced features and hardware acceleration will satisfy even the most experienced video editors.
Dive right in and edit videos with its easy-to-use tools, effects, transitions, and titles without paying for advanced features or needing any prior video editing experience. The free version of this video editor for PC will suit all your everyday video editing needs.
PowerDirector is a long-time winner of the prestigious PC Magazine Editors' Choice award and is highly recommended by TechRadar Pro. This free video editing software includes professional and AI-powered tools to turn your videos into studio-quality masterpieces.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Price: Free; Premium features available for free for 30 days, then $4.33/month
2. DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve is one of the most advanced free video editing software on this list. While it can be overwhelming and intimidating for those without previous editing experience, if you have a deep understanding of how to edit videos and need a powerful program, Resolve is your best option.
Overall, DaVinci Resolve is a clean, intuitive program that you would never guess is free. This video editor for PC, Mac, and Linux offers a wide range of advanced features, including intelligent color-correction tools that let you edit skin tones, eye color, and lip color at the touch of a button.
If you’re creating a feature documentary, narrative film, TV commercial, or show, you should definitely try DaVinci Resolve over expensive professional software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Avid. However, if you’re only looking to cut together home movies or social media posts, this is not the free video editing software for you. For influencers and beginners, we recommend our top choice PowerDirector.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux
Price: Free; Premium version available for $295 for DaVinci Resolve Studio
3. Blender
Blender is an open-source free video editing software for animators, illustrators, and VFX artists. It comes with a plethora of compositing, 3D, and animation tools. Blender’s pro-level effects tools make Blender a popular video editor for PC for intermediate and advanced users to edit videos without paying for expensive software like After Effects.
This free video editing software includes wide-ranging effects capabilities like motion tracking, particle simulation, onion skinning, and 3D painting tools. The ability to add plug-ins means you can constantly enhance your experience and find exactly what you need for any project.
Blender has everything you could need to make amazing motion graphics, animations, and custom VFX, as well as basic editing tools. However, it has a very steep learning curve and is not for beginners. We placed it below DaVinci Resolve, because while Blender is specifically for animation or effects, DaVinci covers all post-production and video editing needs.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux
Price: Free
4. Animoto
Animoto is a cloud-based free video editing software for content creators or small businesses that have a tight turnaround to release content. This video editor for PC and Mac has hundreds of time-saving templates you can quickly customize with your own media, or choose from Animoto’s stock libraries.
This free video editing software makes it easy for beginners and those with no design or video editing experience to edit videos. All of Animoto’s templates are ready for easy upload and adhere to social media best practices. The paid versions include helpful features such as brand kits and team collaboration tools.
Animoto is a good choice for social media posts, ads, and events, but not for long-form or plot-driven YouTube videos. While we like it for those with little design know-how, most of the reviews we found complained of the lack of creative control, an issue we also came across in our test. We also found issues with poor customer service. We recommend PowerDirector Essential for anyone who likes to use templates as a jumping-off point for their own creativity.
Compatibility: Web Browser
Price: Free; Premium subscriptions available for $8/month for Basic, $15/month for Professional, and $39/month for Professional Plus
5. WeVideo
WeVideo is a web-based free video editing software. WeVideo comes with tons of social-media-friendly video templates for anything from new home listings to back-to-school nights. We think these customizable templates are perfect for beginners or busy influencers.
Customize the templates with your own photos and videos or use the WeVideo stock library. The library of this video editor for PC even includes green screen footage you can use to change the background of a scene. There are 30 effects you can apply with one click, however, unlike PowerDirector, WeVideo allows little control over effects.
While the paid version of WeVideo is a great option for content creators, the free version is unrealistic for anyone who regularly edits videos, as it is limited to 5 minutes of exported content a month at a max of 480p. For this reason, we placed it behind the very similar and equally rated Animoto, which has a more robust free version.
Compatibility: Web Browser
Price: Free; Premium subscriptions available for $4.99/month for Power, $7.99/month for Unlimited, $19.99/month for Professional, and $36.99/month for Business
6. Shotcut
If you’re not a professional but looking to move beyond basic free video editing software, then we recommend Shotcut as an excellent option. With a typical drag-and-drop audio and video file manager, plus the ability to export 4k video, anyone with some experience should find it easy to edit videos with this video editor for PC.
Shotcut offers advanced effects and filters that will help you produce a high-quality video for free. This program is open source, so once you download it, you will have access to all its features and can customize the interface to your liking. It may take a little bit of time to get started but it’s worth the effort once you’re up and running.
Shotcut is an excellent next step if you have moved on from a basic-level free video editing software like Movie Maker Online, but are not ready to make the jump to a pro-level video editor for PC like Avid or DaVinci.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux
Price: Free
7. Avidemux
Avidemux is suitable for those who need to encode or configure a video for a particular speaker setup, and for those who need a simple video editor.
Avidemux is a free, easy-to-use video editor that allows users to make quick edits and cuts. Its best feature is its array of export options that give users total control over audio and video encoding.
Avidemux is a good option for those who need a simple video editor and encoding tool, but it lacks advanced features and a timeline.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux
Price: Free
8. VideoPad
If you are just starting your video editing journey and want a very basic free video editing software, VideoPad is a good option. Where PowerDirector is loaded with features, this video editor for PC is comparatively scaled back. It is a great place to start but eventually, you may outgrow it and want to upgrade.
Beginner video editors will be able to familiarize themselves with its editing tools without spending anything. This free video editing software features a variety of pre-made transitions and sound effects, along with a few advanced features such as camera shake reduction tools, within a familiar and easy-to-learn platform.
This video editor for PC offers everything you need to edit videos without much expertise. It performs most of the fundamental functions you can expect in free video editing software but doesn’t go too far beyond that. We placed it above the other 3-Star options, Vegas Pro and VSDC because VideoPad is easier to use.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Price: Free; Premium versions available for $70 for Home Edition and $129 for Master’s Edition
9. VideoProc Vlogger
VideoProc Vlogger is free video editing software that is aimed at beginners, hobbyists, and content creators who need advanced motion and speed effect tools. We think it is a great choice for editing action camera or GoPro footage. It has advanced speed adjustment tools and over 20 speed presets. This video editor for PC also comes with a video stabilizer, time-lapse tools, and motion simulation for applying tilt, roll, and dolly effects.
Even though it has some pretty advanced effects, this free video editing software is beginner-friendly. It also has a learning center with helpful blogs and user guides, and a support center to answer any questions.
VideoProc Vlogger is an easy-to-use video editor for PC for beginners with some advanced speed effects. However, professionals will find it lacking in overall video editing tools. If you have action camera footage you need to edit, we recommend our top choice PowerDirector, which has a dedicated Action Camera Center and a full range of basic editing tools.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Price: Free
10. HitFilm Express
We found HitFilm to be the best video editor for PC for independent filmmakers to edit videos with Hollywood-style visual effects. The software includes one of the biggest free VFX toolkits on the market. This free video editing software includes color adjustments, keying effects, lens flares, and light swords.
It offers all the basic features that editing enthusiasts will need in free video editing software. And for being a non-professional video editor for PC, it offers a few surprising features like Unified 3D Space and a puppet tool.
Unfortunately, this free video editing software can be difficult to use, so prepare to invest time learning the software. Many of HitFilm’s advanced visual effects are saved for paid subscribers, which is why we placed it behind the completely free VideoProc Vlogger.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Price: Free; Premium subscriptions available for $7.99/month for Creator and $12.99 /month for Pro
Above are my ten favorite video editing software for Windows. If you want to know my choices for Mac, check our video editing software for Mac.
Trending Topics
