Today we will bring you the best free and paid Windows video editing programs. Whether you’re looking to do basic video edits or try to find a place on the net like YouTuber, this collection will help you find the right tool depending on the difficulty level or breadth of options you’re looking for.
As you might expect, many of these alternatives lack the wide range of options that other paid, professional video making programs have. However, with them, you will have more than enough options with the basic and advanced versions, and there are also support 4K resolutions.
In our list, you will see some complete but free applications, some that are free versions of other more advanced paid ones, and also some online alternatives that you will find at the end.
We hear his name on everyone’s lips. Adobe Premiere dominates the video editing market, forcing fans and professionals to commit financially every month. We have therefore selected for you the best free video editing software for Windows that meets the needs of beginners and the more experienced.
The best Windows video editing programs
Programs to edit videos
1. Avidemux – Free
Avidemux is a free, cross-platform software application for video editing, which means that its code can be reviewed by anyone for improvement or error checking, and will always be free and compatible with various operating systems. In this case, you have versions for GNU / Linux, Windows, macOS, and PC-BSD.
It offers pretty much all the options you could ask for in a free video editor program. It allows you to add audio tracks and images to your videos, cut and paste snippets of your videos, and a very large collection of filters. It also supports subtitle formats and is compatible with major video formats like MKV, AVI, or MP4.
2. Kdenlive
We come to an application designed specifically for GNU / Linux, but in addition to having installable versions for various distributions, it also has clients for BSD, macOS, or Windows. Its name is an acronym for KDE Non-Linear Video Editor and is a program for creating free videos as described by the Free Software Foundation and complying with the conditions of the GNU General Public License.
Its features include multi-channel video and audio editing, support for almost all video and audio formats, and an interface full of shortcuts to speed up processes. It has a huge collection of effects and transitions, a tool for creating titles, automatic backups, and support for multiple hardware. And if that’s not enough, it also has an additional system to further improve its features.
3. Blender
Beware of Blender, because it has been one of the best programs for making open source video, for creating 3D graphics, modeling, VFX, animation, drawing, and more for many years. It’s completely free and available for Windows, Linux, and macOS.
There are options for rendering, modeling or animation. It also has video editing tools, which have earned it the ability to enter the list. It also allows you to create video games and is a fully customizable video editing app to suit your needs.
4. VirtualDub
VirtualDub is another free and open-source video editing program with a GNU license, compatible with any version starting from Windows 98. It stands out above all for its compression capabilities, splitting, and the ability to add different video tracks. You can also use batch processing to be able to handle multiple files simultaneously.
Its big negative point is that it is already a bit old and not compatible with some modern video formats like mp4. However, if you manage to ignore these shortcomings, you have a good tool that has community support, thanks to which we can extend its functions with third-party video filters.
5. OpenShot
Initially developed for Linux, OpenShot has solidified its reputation in the video editing software landscape. Drawing on the FFmpeg libraries, the tool is able to host a large number of multimedia formats, codecs, resolutions, filters, multiplexers, and demultiplexers.
We appreciate OpenShot ‘s clarity of its interface. A short tutorial helps you to know its most important features. The structure of the main window itself is similar to what we already know: media manager, timeline, and preview window.
Infinite multitrack support is simplified as much as possible to not drown inexperienced editors with a ton of accessory options. Includes video or audio sources that OpenShot detects as such and arranges according to the defined stacking order. Transitions, titles, and other effects answer the call based on the Blender engine, which guarantees clean finishes.
6. Shotcut
Shotcut offers a compelling editing solution aimed primarily at beginners. Apparently Spartan, the instrument actually draws its strength from its modular structure. Only panels with the features you care about can be integrated into the main window according to your needs and requirements.
Interesting originality: Shotcut offers two ways to make a video montage. Thanks to the playlist, users don’t have to worry about timeline subtleties. The dragged sequences, deposited in the block provided for this purpose, are linked together, with the possibility of modifying their order or modifying them independently from each other.
More experienced editors benefit from the traditional multitrack timeline. While it’s more technical to master, it offers the ability to add sounds, effects, transitions or titles, bringing some added value to the final video.
7. VSDC Video Editor
VSDC Video Editor instantly puts users at ease. Its home page knows how to guide the less experienced who, at a glance, adopt all the editing solutions at their disposal. It also lists the main features of the program for making videos that refer to intelligible online exercises.
While creating a new project,
VSDC Video Editor invites you to enter all the technical characteristics of your future editing: name, copyright, resolution, number of frames per second, frequency, background color. The import and export formats are quite numerous.
In terms of ergonomics, VSDC Video Editor features an austere but rather practical modular interface. Project Explorer reproduces the detailed content of your current montages when Object Explorer offers a hand on organizing the scenes, transitions, effects and titles that make up a particular project.
8. Lightworks
The best among Windows video editing programs, preceded by its reputation, Lightworks has long worked with film professionals. He is responsible for editing cult films such as Pulp Fiction or Infiltrates. Opened to the public in a simplified version in 2012, the software remains a complex tool intended for advanced users.
Lightworks displays a fully customizable modular structure. It composes its workspace according to your needs and habits with the possibility of moving, locking, hiding, enlarging the feature windows.
Always with a strictly professional focus, the software stands out for its “rooms”. These isolated spaces allow you to treat the components of the same project in complete independence.
You can create a “room” for audio settings, another for calibration or another for data management. Any changes made in a room have no effect on the entire assembly, which allows you to delete and recreate them at will without fear of damaging the design.
The formats supported by Lightworks cover such diversity that it is possible to import ProRes as Avid DNxHD without transcoding. When exporting, rely on MPEG4 / H.264 720p for the free version with the ability to upload your work directly to YouTube.
9. HitFilm Express
HitFilm Express wears a double cap. In addition to offering very complete video editing software, it has many compositing tools that save you from going through third-party video editing programs for special effects.
HitFilm Express’s interface is comfortable albeit minimalist. Multitrack management makes it easy to integrate sounds, transitions, and other titles that are edited by the dialog for the occasion.
The integration of special effects takes place directly through the software that supports 3D for an even more refined rendering. HitFilm Express has just over 350 free presets and special effects, including a green background for YouTubers, among others.
YouTubers also fully benefit from HitFilm Express‘s compatibility with social networks as it is possible to associate your YouTube account to directly upload your montages. In addition to this feature, users can locally export their projects in Ultra HD 4K with a color depth of up to 8 bits.
10. DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve offers a complete solution that allows you to do editing, calibration, and compositing. The diversity of its functionalities means that the video editing program is intended primarily for professionals. Even beginners can try to get familiar with the software.
In terms of editing, DaVinci Resolve offers an interface full of options that you need to master because it cannot be modulated. Multitrack management is obviously included and takes advantage of high-performance Multicam support that favors the realization of complex projects.
The synchronization of video and audio tracks benefits from the automatic analysis of sound waves, guaranteeing an excellent result. Software compatibility with OpenFX plugins allows you to perform compositing tasks without going through a third-party solution, ensuring speed and preserved image quality.
We just finished talking about the best Windows video editing programs. Have you always used the paid ones for your video montages or did you already use the free ones?
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