Ranking Free Video Editing Apps
Joe Dante, the director of Gremlins, said, “Editing is where movies are made or broken. Many a film has been saved, and many a film has been ruined in the editing room”. Video editing is by far the most crucial part of filmmaking and has now graciously transcended to reels and YT videos.
Of course, some of them are pure cinema, especially when there is a 16-year-old behind it. But all of it has been accessible because of free video editing apps. So in this article, we will rank the best free video editing apps that can make your videos come out like cinema – by paying with just effort.
Best Free Video Editing Apps
1. DaVinci Resolve
Interestingly, in the early 2000s Davinci system was just a color grading software that was used in Hollywood. In 2010, BlackMagic Design, a camera-making company, brought Davinci Resolve to life. It developed to be one of the best free video editing apps.
Key Features
- Hollywood-level color grading
- Supports 8K editing and multi-editing (linear and timeline)
- In-built audio editing software – Fairlight
- Very own VFX studio – Fusion
- Supports 3D audio editing
Best features
- Cloud-based collaboration
- Smooth editing and rendering with GPU acceleration
- Supports multiple projects
- Works on Windows 11, Linux and Mac
- Perfect for professional and advanced editing
Cons
- Takes time to get used to
- Not the best for beginners
2. IMovie
IMovie was Steve Jobs’s way to bring creativity into a box, encouraging young people to make home videos — and we know his love for garages. And the best thing is it’s completely free.
Key Features
- Simple drag-and-drop editing
- Trim, cut and paste format
- In-built templates
- Supports 4K editing
- Easily add voiceovers and audio tracks
- Chroma key stabalisation
Best Features
- Green Screen background replacement
- Audio-ducking – it lowers the background noise when speaking
- iCloud Photo Library integrated
- Great for new beginners.
Cons
- Only works on Mac devices
- Only supports 16:9 aspect ratio
3. Clipchamp
Microsoft hit hard on the free video editing apps market with the ClipChamp video editing software – it’s simple, and it’s AI-powered.
Key features
- Completely free video editing tool
- Text-to-speech voiceovers
- Multi-track audio editing for superior quality
- Auto-captions generator
- Cloud-based computing
- Compatible – Windows, Mac and Chromebook
Best Features
- Supports 4K video editing
- Easy drag-and-drop editing
- Voice recording and screen recording built-in
- AI-enabled background remover
- Timeline editing with trim cut system
- Beginner-friendly
Cons
- Web-based editing can happen only on Chrome
4. Lightworks
Some of the classic favourites of Hollywood – Wolf of Wall Street, Pulp Fiction and even Batman Forever 1995 have been edited in the mighty Lightworks. Now that you’re impressed, here’s what we love.
Key Features
- Hollywood-level advanced color grading and correction
- Own VFX studio – integrated with Boris FX and After Effects
- Non-linear editing for better control
- Supports 4K, HDR and HFR videos
- Easy for beginners – especially when working with VFX
- Render in MOV, MP4, ProRes and AVI
- Perfect for both TV and online streaming editing
Best Features
- Supports multi-cam editing
- Fast rendering
- Cloud-based editing allows collaboration
- Provides keyboard shortcuts for fast editing
Cons
- The free video editing app does not allow rendering videos more than 720p
- Most best tools are behind the paywall
5. ACDSee Luxea Video Editor
ACDSee’s developers saw a problem: too many Hollywood-like free video editing apps were filling the market. Most of them, complicated and too time-consuming to learn.
Key Features
- Edits with over 500 camera models that give you professional-level editing
- Does not tamper with original editing with non-disruptive editing
- Advanced color gradient
- Multi-track video editing where you can add layers
- Screen recorder – perfect for gaming and streaming
Best Features
- AI face tag – automatically recognises faces
- Green Screen for easy background removal
- Multiple Special effects
- Batch processing allows you to resize and rename multiple images at once
- Does not require a high-end graphics PC – works well even in a home laptop
Cons
- Free but with limited features with a one-time purchase option
6. OpenShot
The app was developed to be a simple replacement for highly demanding video editing apps – OpenShot ws free and easy. But over the years it became so much more that today it has millions of downloads and is considered one of the best free video editing apps.
Key Features
- Make real-time changes with real-time previews
- Effects like slow-mo and time-lapse
- Layered editing that allows you to edit audio, video and text together
- Keyframe animation
- Works on Windows, Mac and Linux
- Integrated with Blender for superior animation
Best Features
- Waveform audio editing
- Easy alignment of audio and video
- Drag and drop feature
- Chroma Key green screen
- Lightweight compared with heavy editors like Premiere Pro
- Open source editing lets you collaborate with editors globally
Cons
- None
7. PowerDirector
Bringing AI and creativity together, PowerDirector has made a great impression on its users. It is loved by both content creators and business people alike.
Key Features
- AI integrated features – remove background, enhance audio and track motion
- Multicam editing feature
- Keyframe animation – customize by frame
- Layer videos
- 3D and animated texts
- Voice changer and audio ducking for clarity
- Directly upload on social media
Best Features
- Renders in 4k, 8K and HDR
- Directly upload to social media
- Optimised GPU acceleration
Cons
- None
8. ActivePresenter
Most free video editing apps are targeted towards content creators and YouTubers. ActivePresenter looked the other and perfected itself for creating presentations, e-learnings, software demos and course creators.
Key Features
- Screen recording and webcam capture: best for streaming
- Chroma Key Green Screen
- Text-to-speech and audio editing
- Add annotations – arrows and cutouts
- Multitrack timeline editing
- Supports SCORM and xAPI Support
Best Features
- All-in-one e-learner with interactive elements in the interface
- Can be exported in 4K MP4, MKV, HTML5, WebM and AVI
Cons
- Not beginner friendly
- Free video editing app comes with limitations
- Not for cinematic editing
Conclusion
Video editing has evolved from an exclusive, high-budget process to something accessible and free for anyone with a creative vision. Whether you’re a professional filmmaker, content creator, educator, or casual user, these free video editing apps offer powerful tools to bring your ideas to life.
However, while free apps remove financial barriers, they often come with limitations, such as watermarks, resolution caps, or missing pro tools. The key to mastering video editing isn’t just about the software—it’s about your creativity, effort, and storytelling skills.