20 Best Video Editing Software & Free Video Editors for Windows, Mac And Linux 2021
Do you want professional video editing software on Mac, Windows Or Linux so that you can perfect your videos? Whether you are a beginner or a professional, it is essential that you edit your videos before uploading them to any video hosting website (Vimeo, YouTube, etc).
Today we review the best Video editors and Video editing software available in 2021. We’ll take you on a journey from free audio editing to fully professional software that includes various VST plugins, bells and whistles tailored to the needs of your audio file editor!
In this guide we share the best video editing software for YouTubers, photographers, and other videos professionals. The best video editing software can help to focus a video, highlight your most important subjects and turn an average video into something truly incredible.
But the question for most video professionals is how to choose the right video editing software to complement their skills.There are tons of options out there to choose from, from better known systems such as Photoshop and Light room from Adobe to simple but effective choices such as Building Canvas And Converting Videos which can be use as best 3D video animation software. There are even some great free options.
On this post we are going to answer the question “What is The Best Video Editing Software Free Download For Professional And Beginners 2020 For Windows, Mac And Linux?” By Giving Complete List Of Software And Different OS And Also By looking at:
- High-quality Software on the Market (free and paid)
- Characteristics of each Software
- And Lots More, Grab A Bottle Of Beer Or Juice and Let Rock!!!.
- Why Would You Edit Your Video?
- The Best Video Editing Software Free Download For Windows
- Avidemux
- Adobe Premiere Pro CC
- Adobe Premiere Pro CC
- Kdenlive – Free and Open-source Video Editing Software
- Free Windows in-built Movie Maker – Windows Movie Maker & Windows Photos APP
- OpenShot
- DaVinci Resolve – Free Professional Video Editing & Color Correction software
- Lightworks – Powerful Free Video Editor for Professionals
- The Best Video Editing Software Free Download For Mac
- Movavi Video Editor
- ADOBE PREMIERE PRO CC VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
- FINAL CUT PRO X VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
- ADOBE PREMIERE ELEMENTS VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE 2020
- VIDEOPAD VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
- HITFILM EXPRESS VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
- APPLE iMOVIE VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
- The Best Video Editing Software Free Download For Linux
- Kdenlive Video Editing Software
- OpenShot Video Editing Tool
- Shotcut Video Editing Software
- Installing Shotcut
- Flowblade Video Editing Tool
- Blender Video Editing Tool
- Conclusion
Why Would You Edit Your Video?
Editing your videos not only brings out their beauty, but it also helps reduce file size. Smaller video files help increase the speed of your WordPress site and improve your search engine rankings.
With an intuitive and user-friendly video editing software, you can quickly edit your videos and take them to the next level.
So let’s look at some of the The Best Video Editing Software Free Download For Professional And Beginners 2021 for Windows, Mac And Linux
Note: Some of these video editors are either completely free to use or have an excellent free version, varies from simple to advanced so check out the list…
The Best Video Editing Software Free Download For Windows
In this part of this Research i have Listed All the list of Video Editing Software that are available
for windows And typically, these Are desktop programs have more editing tools and functionalities compared with the online video editor or mobile editing apps, which can satisfy the needs for creating Hollywood style master piece or just family videos.
Avidemux
Avidemux one of the best free video editing software, is available on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Avidemux is an open source program that is completely free to use. Avidemux is actually designed as a 3D animation suite, but it comes with a very useful video editor.
Avidemux video editor should be sufficient for most of your video needs. With the editor you can perform basic operations such as cutting videos and splitting. This also allows you to perform more complex tasks, such as video masking. This makes it a very flexible video editor and is suitable for both starting and advanced users.
The Avidemux Video Editor contains the following functions:
- Live preview, luma waveform, chroma vectorscope and histogram display.
- Audio mixing, synchronizing, scrubbing and waveform visualization.
- Up to 32 slots for adding video, images, audio and effects.
- Speed control, adjustment layers, transitions, main frames, filters and more.
That being said, Avidemux is a great ideal for any advanced projects where 3D animation is possible.
Adobe Premiere Pro CC
Adobe Premiere Pro CC is one of the most powerful video editors on the list. It is full of useful functions. The free version should be more than enough for most users. The pro version costs very high and it’s monthly based subscription
This video editor contains the following in the free version:
- High precision video cropping. Multicam support.
- Export to 720p for YouTube.
- A wide range of video formats supported.
Although most features are included, 4K video support for YouTube and Vimeo is only included in the paid version of the software. For example, compared to Adobe Premiere Pro CC,
Adobe Premiere Pro CC
has many great video tutorials that help you get started faster.
Kdenlive – Free and Open-source Video Editing Software
Kdenlive – Free and Open-source Video Editing Software the best free video editing software is available on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Like Kdenlive – Free and Open-source Video Editing Software is a fully open source program. This means that after downloading you can access all functions without needing a paid upgrade. This video editor supports a wide range of video formats and has a great collection of instructional videos.
Although this video editing software has great functions, some users may find the interface somewhat quirky. This software was originally designed for Linux and you can see it. But under the hood it is still a high-quality video editor. Two of the most striking features are support for 4K HD resolution and editing the timeline. Not many free versions of the software offer support for 4K resolution.
Kdenlive also does not require that you import your video into the editor: this can be a time saving if you are dealing with large video files.
Free Windows in-built Movie Maker – Windows Movie Maker & Windows Photos APP
Windows Movie Maker was once the world’s most popular free video editing tool for Windows and users can make home movies by simple drag-and-drop. It contains features such as video effects, video transitions, adding titles/credits, audio track, timeline narration, and Auto Movie.
free video editing software for windows
After you finish video editing, you can share video directly to social media platform including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. If you don’t know your computer’s system requirement, you can try this one.
Windows Movie Maker is built for Windows 7 and can also be used on Windows8, but since Microsoft will stop the support for Window 7 on January, 2020, you may have the same question as many other Windows Users: Does Windows10 have a free video editor as well?
If you are looking for some free video editing software for Windows 10, the good news is that you can try Microsoft Windows 10 Photos app.
OpenShot
Another open-source video editor which offers basic video editing features like trimming and slicing. It also provide lots of transitions and audio effects to help you make simple videos.
This free video editor can offer you unlimited video tracks in timeline. You can add many videos and audio clips. It also includes tile templates and video effects, so if you want to have more touches on your video, this free video program can also help you.
For audio editing, you can use waveforms to visualize your audio. It includes more than 70 languages. This free video editor is updated regularly, so you can always use the lasted video editing technology. However, you need to fix bugs or problems on your own as it is an open source editor, and the video effects are also limited.
- Imput formats: QuickTime, AVI, WMV, MPEG, etc
- Output formats: mpeg, avi, mp4, mov, etc
- Advantages: Free as well as powerful.
- Limitations: Need to install add-ons if the OS you are using doesn’t meet the software’s system requirements.
DaVinci Resolve – Free Professional Video Editing & Color Correction software
If you had access to the video editing pro level, then you must try DaVinci Resolve 14. Except for multi-camera editing, 3D editing, motion blur effects, and spatial noise reduction which are only available on the paid version DaVinci Resolve Studio, you can almost do any professional video/audio editing and color correction with DaVinci Resolve 14.
- Supported formats: ARI, MTS, MXF, AVI, CIN, DNG, DPX, CDX, MP4, MXF, EXR, MOV
- Advantages: Stunning image quality. Color correction and audio editing are also excellent in Davinci Resolve.
- Limitations: Learning curve is steeper for beginners.
Lightworks – Powerful Free Video Editor for Professionals
Lightworks is a great free video editor featured with many video effects. It can edit up to 256 video, audio, and still image clips. But the user interface is very technical so many people find it hard to use. The pro version costs $25 a month.
free video editing software for windows
Lately, it comes a new version 14.5. For more than 25 years, many movie makers use it as a professional tools to edit videos. You can use it to edit YouTube video and 4K films. Speaking of 4K, you can use proxy for smooth 4K video editing experience. If you want to edit 4K videos, this one is best for you.
- Imput formats: latest audio and video formats
- Output formats: mp4, MXF, Quicktime, AVI, mts, mpg, m2t
- Advantages: Well designed interface, many advanced features.
- Limitations: Not for beginners.
The Best Video Editing Software Free Download For Mac
When choosing the best video editing software For Mac, you need to consider many things. For example, consider the Your computer Speed you’re using, file transfers (inputs), editing features like filters, transitions, video, and audio settings, and video file rendering (outputs).
Movavi Video Editor
Sharing love and joy with your closest friends and family is priceless. Using Movavi’s movie maker for Mac is probably the best way to do this through video. Create an evocative movie about your family traditions, your last vacation, or your baby’s first steps. Movavi will help you preserve your happy memories for a lifetime.
Don’t know how to edit videos on a Mac? Happily, there’s no need to learn – the simple drag-and-drop interface makes it possible to start editing videos on your MacBook or any other Apple computer right away. Save your movies in MOV, AVI, MP4, or any other format compatible with macOS.
Features and built-in content
- Basic video editing tools
- Filters, transitions, titles, effects
- Automatic video creation
- Maximum number of tracks on the Timeline
ADOBE PREMIERE PRO CC VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
Adobe Premiere Pro CC is a leading video editing software. It has well-integrated workflows so you can edit your video without exiting your timelines. This software is time-efficient thanks to the Adobe Sensei technology, which gives you an array of automated tools.
With Premiere Pro CC, you can work with the latest video formats. You can edit video footage in ultra, high-end 8k as well as in virtual reality. Content delivered on Premiere Pro CC is appropriately optimized for any screen. This software is compatible with other top Adobe CC products like Adobe Stock, Audition, and After Effects. Therefore, you can easily download a motion graphics template from Adobe Stock or After Effects seamlessly without needing to leave Premiere Pro’s interface.
One notable feature is its end-to-end VR 180 capability. Here, you can make the most of immersive video, deploying VR 180 support which optimizes your effects and format. You can easily publish your content on Youtube, Vimeo, (or just any other platform) using their Google VR180 format.
Color grading and color correction are also robust features. With Lumetri Color tools, your curve adjustments become more accurate and precise, and chroma key options remove backgrounds with ease.
Premiere Pro excels when it comes to audio editing too. With innovative sliders in the Essential Sound Panel, you can easily add effects like reverb, flangers, compression, amplification, and stereo balance. Plus, with native functionality with Adobe Audition, you can take your audio to professional levels.
Ultimately, Premiere Pro gives you the complete package you would need to create a professional video. As a beginner, you’ll enjoy their streamlined interface, especially its drag and drop tools, and dedicated companion mobile app.
FINAL CUT PRO X VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
Apple’s popular Final Cut Pro X is a prosumer video editing package that perfectly blends professional video features with a smooth learning curve for consumers. With over 2 million users and a steeply reduced price from the original $999 to $99 on Amazon, it’s more popular than ever.
The interface uses a three-pane view with a trackless, Magnetic Timeline, which is excellent for using dual monitors. Clips can be imported and organized as Roles in the library, which can be assets like video, music, titles, voiceovers, effects, and more.
Once video production completes, you can use their 149 video effects, 109 audio effects, 183 title animation templates, and 100 transitions. These transitions are effortless to implement with keyboard shortcuts, which can save with custom keyboard combos.
Final Cut Pro X has native support for MacBook Pro Touch Bar Editing, allowing you to use touch controls for things like timeline scrubbing and text customization. Text editing is fun, too, with its 3D capabilities. There are different 3D templates, textures like plastic and concrete, and lighting effects that you can add from ay angle on the screen.
Some other great features include multi-cam editing, unlimited video tracks, chroma-keying, lots of exporting options like 4k and 360 videos, and super-fast performance, even on older MacBooks.
ADOBE PREMIERE ELEMENTS VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE 2020
Based on versatility, Adobe Premiere Elements 2019 is one of the best video editing tools for beginners.
Premiere Elements has a ton of great features like hundreds of transition effects, enhanced face detection, haze removal, focus adjustment, and more. There is also live search functionality, an improved guided editing interface as well as video collage and touch-based editing.
Adobe Premiere Elements 2019 is not compatible with 360-degree video and other innovative capabilities like multi-cam editing. All these are forgivable when you consider its vast range of capabilities.
There are three modes to create your video: Quick, Guided, and Expert.
With quick mode, you can select your preferred media for your video, and the program arranges it for you on the timeline. It automates aspects of your video like automatic motion tracking, video stabilization (excellent for GoPro), and smart toning.
Guided mode is more assisted as the name suggests. The software educates you on its features and functionalities, and you learn every component of the interface and how it works as you go.
Finally, Expert mode is more for more experienced users, and you control everything yourself. While Adobe Premiere Elements 2019 isn’t as advanced as other tools on this list (and isn’t the fastest either), it’s a great entry-level app. It only costs $69.99, and they also have a free trial available.
VIDEOPAD VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
If you are a YouTuber, VideoPad is an easy-to-learn, intuitive editor.
There are two paid versions – the Home Edition and Master Edition. The Home Edition restricts you to two audio tracks and no external plugins. On the other hand, with the Master Edition, there are restrictions on the number of audio tracks or external plugins.
VideoPad has been updated recently to support 360-degree video capabilities. You can also add animated titles, background clips, simple text, and image overlaps courtesy of the new “Add Objects” command situated on the editor’s Home tab.
One of the most attractive features of VideoPad is its intuitive UI, making it super easy for beginners. VideoPad is compatible with macOS and Windows PCs.
With these cross-platform elements, you can easily upload your finished video straight from the editor’s main menu to your selected social media platform.
For its lack of flashiness, VideoPad compensates with ease of use and the essential features needed to start uploading quality videos online – and you can render anywhere from 480p to 4k resolution.
HITFILM EXPRESS VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
HitFilm Express is a free version of the HitFilm Pro – both created by FX Home company. Their Express version stands out for its 180+ visual effects, special effects compositing, and MP4 H.264 exporting support.
With HitFilm Express, you can select your high-quality settings. These include pause and custom playback features. These features speed up playback, saving you the torment of viewing delays familiar with high-resolution formats.
Another powerful feature is its customizable layout panel. With HitFilm Express, you can organize objects in a scene with seamless alignment tools. You can also access 360-degree and colorist workspaces. With these features, you can concentrate on the vital functions on the panel and remove the unimportant ones.
Video rendering and exporting is where Hitfilm Express shines. You can quickly export a movie in the background while continuing to work in the editor.
APPLE iMOVIE VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
If you are a Mac user, Apple iMovie is a classic free video editor to use. It’s a user-friendly tool for basic video editing with support for 4k resolutions with a wide range of features.
iMovie has a crisp performance on modern Macs and works well with both the Macbook Air and Macbook Pro. Recent updates include touch bar support and 4k video functionality. You can also process video clips at speeds as high as 60 frames per second.
Apple’s compatibility is also a strong suit. You can easily import video clips, audio, and photos from iCloud. Plus, you can create slideshows and view your projects right on your Apple TV.
The Best Video Editing Software Free Download For Linux
When asked about free video editing software, Windows Movie Maker and iMovie is what most people often suggest.
Unfortunately, both of them are unavailable for GNU/Linux. But you don’t need to worry about it, we have pooled together a list of best free video editors for you. Let’s have a look at the best free video editing software for Linux. Here’s a quick summary if you think the article is too long to read.
Kdenlive Video Editing Software
Kdenlive is free and open source video editing software from KDE that provides support for dual video monitors, a multi-track timeline, clip list, customizable layout support, basic effects, and basic transitions.
It supports a wide variety of file formats from a wide range of camcorders and cameras, including: raw, avi, dv, mpeg2, mpeg4, h.264, AVCHD, HDV, XDCAM-HD™ streams, IMX™ (D10) streams, DVCAM (D10) , DVCAM, DVCPRO™, DVCPRO50™ streams, and DNxHD™ streams.
Kdenlive features
- Multi-track video editing
- A wide range of audio and video formats
- Configurable interface and shortcuts
- Easily create tiles using text or images
- Plenty of effects and transitions
- Audio and video scopes make sure the footage is correctly balanced
- Proxy editing
- Automatic save
- Wide hardware support
- Keyframeable effects
Pros
- All-purpose video editor
- Not too complicated for those who are familiar with video editing
Cons
- It may still be confusing if you are looking for something extremely simple
- KDE applications are infamous for being bloated
Installing Kdenlive
Kdenlive is available for all major Linux distributions. You can simply search for it in your software center. Various packages are available in the download section of Kdenlive website.
Command line enthusiasts can install it from the terminal by running the following command in Debian and Ubuntu-based Linux distributions:
OpenShot Video Editing Tool
OpenShot is another multi-purpose video editor for Linux. OpenShot can help you create videos with transitions and effects, and adjust audio levels. Of course, it support of most formats and codecs.
You can also burn your film to DVD, upload to YouTube or Vimeo, and export in many common video formats. OpenShot is a tad bit simpler than Kdenlive. So if you need a video editor with a simple UI OpenShot is a good choice.
There is also a neat documentation to get you started with OpenShot Here.
OpenShot features
- Cross-platform, available on Linux, macOS, and Windows
- Support for a wide range of video, audio, and image formats
- Powerful curve-based Keyframe animations
- Desktop integration with drag and drop support
- Unlimited tracks or layers
- Clip resizing, scaling, trimming, snapping, rotation, and cutting
- Video transitions with real-time previews
- Compositing, image overlays and watermarks
- Title templates, title creation, sub-titles
- Support for 2D animation via image sequences
- 3D animated titles and effects
- SVG friendly for creating and including vector titles and credits
- Scrolling motion picture credits
- Frame accuracy (step through each frame of video)
- Time-mapping and speed changes on clips
- Audio mixing and editing
- Digital video effects, including brightness, gamma, hue, greyscale, chroma key, etc.
Pros
- All-purpose video editor for average video editing needs
- Available on Windows and macOS along with Linux
Cons
- It may be simple but if you are extremely new to video editing, there is definitely a learning curve involved here
- You may still not find up to the mark of a professional-grade, movie making editing software
Installing OpenShot
OpenShot is also available in the repositories of all major Linux distributions. You can simply search for it in your software center. You can also get it from its official website.
sudo apt install openshot
Shotcut Video Editing Software
Shotcut is another video editor for Linux that can be put in the same league as Kdenlive and OpenShot. While it does provide similar features as the other two discussed above, Shotcut is a bit more advanced, with support for 4K videos.
Support for a number of audio and video formats, transitions, and effects are some of the numerous features of Shotcut. An external monitor is also supported here.
Shotcut features
- Cross-platform, available on Linux, macOS, and Windows
- Support for a wide range of video, audio, and image formats
- Native timeline editing
- Mix and match resolutions and frame rates within a project
- Audio filters, mixing, and effects
- Video transitions and filters
- Multitrack timeline with thumbnails and waveforms
- Unlimited undo and redo for playlist edits, including a history view
- Clip resizing, scaling, trimming, snapping, rotation, and cutting
- Trimming on source clip player or timeline, with ripple option
- External monitoring on an extra system display/monitor
- Hardware support
Pros
- All-purpose video editor for common video editing needs
- Support for 4K videos
- Available on Windows and macOS along with Linux
Cons
Too many features reduce the simplicity of the software
Installing Shotcut
Shotcut is available in Snap format. You can find it in Ubuntu Software Center. For other distributions, you can get the executable file from its download page.
Flowblade Video Editing Tool
Flowblade is a multitrack non-linear video editor for Linux. Like the above-discussed ones, this too is free and open source software. It comes with a stylish and modern user interface.
Written in Python, it is designed to be fast and precise. Flowblade has focused on providing the best possible experience on Linux and other free platforms, so there’s no Windows or macOS version for now. It feels good to have a Linux exclusive.
Flowblade features
- Lightweight application
- Provide simple interface for simple tasks like split, merge, overwrite, etc.
- Plenty of audio and video effects and filters
- Supports proxy editing
- Drag and drop support
- Support for a wide range of video, audio, and image formats
- Batch rendering
- Watermarks
- Video transitions and filters
- Multitrack timeline with thumbnails and waveforms
Pros
- Lightweight
- Good for general purpose video editing
Cons
- Not available on other platforms
Installing Flowblade
Flowblade should be available in the repositories of all major Linux distributions. You can install it from the software center. More information is available on its download page.
Cinelerra Video Editing Tool
Cinelerra has been available since 1998 and has been downloaded over 5 million times. It was the first video editor to provide non-linear editing on 64-bit systems back in 2003. It was a go-to video editor for Linux users at that time, but it lost its sheen after some developers abandoned the project.
The good thing is that it’s back on track and is being developed actively again.
Cinelerra features
- Non-linear editing
- Support for HD videos
- Built-in frame renderer
- Various video effects
- Unlimited layers
- Split pane editing
Pros
- All-purpose video editor
Cons
- Not suitable for beginners
- No packages available
Installing Cinelerra
You can download the source code from SourceForge. More information on its download page.
Blender Video Editing Tool
Blender is a professional, industry-grade, open source, cross-platform video editor. It is popular for 3D works. Blender has been used in several Hollywood movies, including the Spider-Man series.
Although originally designed for 3D modeling, it can also be used for video editing and has input capabilities with a variety of formats.
Blender features
- Live preview, luma waveform, chroma vectorscope, and histogram displays
- Audio mixing, syncing, scrubbing, and waveform visualization
- Up to 32 slots for adding video, images, audio, scenes, masks, and effects
- Speed control, adjustment layers, transitions, keyframes, filters, and more
Pros
- Cross-platform
- Professional grade editing
Cons
- Complicated
- Mainly for 3D animation, not focused on regular video editing
Installing Blender
The latest version of Blender can be downloaded from its download page.
Conclusion
Thanks for staying till now ready and getting enlightened on Video Editing Software for Windows, Mac And Linux. By Now you must have seen so many different Software for professional and Beginner including paid and Free and am glad you stayed till now reading this Article, Please feel free to drop your Review and what you think about this topic.
Review the best Video editors and Video editing software available today in 2021. Fancy a simple free editor or ADOBE PREMIERE, we review them all.