Top Free Video Editor for Windows

If you are venturing into videography, good video editing software is a necessity to produce stellar videos. You could be an owner of a studio or a freelance video editor creating your videos for blogs or social media posts. Still, without good video editing software, the quality of your videos can take a beating.

Most video editing software comes with monthly or yearly license fees that need to be paid after the due date to enjoy the features. Some such editing software, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, etc., are used by professional video editors with years of experience in video editing.

But what if you are a budget-conscious beginner? The professional video editing software mentioned above can be a bit expensive, and this software takes time to learn and master before producing a decent video output.

Another drawback of using such professional video software is that these editing tools must be installed on high-end machines with powerful configurations to get effective editing results, which is again a costly affair.

However, you can still carry out your basic video editing tasks by utilizing online video editing tools and free video editors that can be installed and run on machines with basic Windows configurations. And what’s more? You can perform your video editing tasks without any prior experience and in a less time-consuming manner.

If you are looking for free video editing software with the best editing features, then you are at the right place. In this article, you can find top free video editors that are compatible with Windows OS. Here is the list of free best editing software chosen based on their features and specifications.

• Lightworks
• InVideo
• OpenShot
• DaVinci Resolve
• VideoPad

Let’s look into each of these free video editors along with their pros and cons.

1. Lightworks: 

You can opt for Lightworks video editor if you are looking to perform multiple tasks at the same time. This software lets you import and export videos in the background while you are busy editing in the foreground. However, the most notable feature of Lightworks is its ability to edit clips from multiple cameras and combine them into a single project.

Lightworks is compatible with Windows OS, macOS, and Linux, making it user-friendly. Moreover, you can get video outputs without any watermarks imprinted on your edited videos.

      Pros:

• The software comes with a customizable user interface with drag and drops features to create layout combinations.
• You can share your projects with your colleagues in real-time and work as a team to get the desired outcome.

Cons:

• If you are a newbie, you may find the user interface to be complex and confusing.
• You can render your edited videos only in MPEG format, which means you will have to make use of online video converters to get your video in other formats such as MOV, AVI, FLV, etc.

2. InVideo: 

You can create videos in minutes with the help of InVideo. Unlike other editing software that comes with complex operations and interfaces, InVideo has been designed to help newbies perform editing work at ease. This online video editor offers more than 4000 templates that can be included as transitions and graphical effects to make your videos look more professional.

InVideo is the best editing online software when it comes to cross-platform sharing. You can instantly share your videos and post on your social media pages such as Facebook (now known as Meta), Instagram, Linkedin, etc.

Pros:

• Easy to use features along with intuitive user interface.
• InVideo utilizes the intelligent AI that helps you with auto-corrections and provides suggestions related to text alignments, colors, animation speed, and other parameters.

Cons:

• You can export only up to 60 videos a month if you are using the free plan.
• The media file size is limited to 20MB.

3. OpenShot:

If you are looking for a free video editor with added features and minimalistic design, OpenShot is for you. This software allows you to stack unlimited layers on your videos so that you can add extra soundtracks, voiceovers, and customized images to produce a much more creative video output.

Another interesting aspect of OpenShot is that it allows you to adjust video elements such as brightness, contrast, color grading, and gamma.

Pros:

• Basic video editor with drag and drop features to suit the needs of inexperienced video editors.
• You are free from ads, watermarks, and paid upgrades that interrupt very often, as in the case of most other editing software.

Cons:

• This user-friendly software is known for its lag issues which delay the entire editing process.
• Some features take time to apply while creating videos with transitions and effects.

4. DaVinci Resolve:

If you are looking for editing software that is more suitable for high-resolution production, it is recommended you opt for DaVinci Resolve to meet your production needs. This free video editor also offers professional 8K editing along with other production-friendly features such as color correction, visual effects, and audio post-production all at one go.

This software also offers other features such as facial recognition and tracking along with primary color wheels and curve editors to make video editing more efficient and professional.

Pros:

• You can avail all the features that come along with the software by simply subscribing to its free version.
• DaVinci Resolve uses high-end editing tools such as Fairlight to mix and master up to 1000 audio channels.

Cons:

• This software is less friendly to newbies and inexperienced video editors.
• More suitable to provide a finishing touch to the final video produced.

5. VideoPad:

If you are producing a video that relies on audio effects, you might want to try VideoPad. This software is designed to meet the needs of both starters and professionals looking to have better control over their audio.

There are even more exciting features, such as 3D video editing, which will be cherished by video editors looking to be extra creative in their work.

Pros:

• Post video across various social platforms without a need to leave the software.
• VideoPad offers several features when it comes to audio mixing and making 3D videos.

Cons:

• You are not given the basic feature of making slideshows under the free version.
• Videopad is not robust when compared with the other video software mentioned above.

Final Thoughts: 

Apart from the software mentioned above, you can also choose other video editing software such as Windows video editor, VSDC, etc., to cater to your needs. However, you need to be aware of the features that serve you well before buying or even trying any of the video editing software.

If you are looking to post short and simple videos that can be shared easily, simple online editing software can do the trick. However, if you are looking to add more effects and produce high-resolution videos, it is suggested to opt for much more robust software to perform your editing.

Another important factor to keep in mind is device compatibility. Before you download any free software, ensure that it can run on the OS that is installed on your PC.