INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
whole movie or just need to trim a single video clip.The best free video editing software will make everyday tasks like trimming, combining
and applying filters to clips as simple as possible
All the tools we've picked here are totally free to use, and won't leave unsightly watermarks on your finished projects.If you're ready for
something more advanced, opting for a paid product will get you high-end extras like 360-degree video support, motion tracking and multi-cam
editing, but that's just the start
The extra resources available to commercial projects help to refine the entire package, often bringing more accurate and configurable
effects, an enhanced interface and a faster rendering engine.If you're a total beginner, there are affordable video editors that will make
the whole process as easy as possible, with automated tools that will optimize and transform your clips with just a couple of clicks
These user-friendly editors offer a gentle introduction to video editing, so you'll learn the basics and be able to make the step up to a
more advanced program when you're ready.1
Adobe Premiere ProDedicate the time to mastering Premiere Pro and reap the rewardsPlatform: Windows/Mac | Free trial: 7 days | Upload
straight to YouTube: Yes | 8K support: Yes | 360 support: Yes | Purchase type: SubscriptionSupports 360-degree and VR videoHuge assortment
of filtersCustomizable interfaceExcellent audio editingAdobe Premiere Pro is an industry-standard video editor and getting the most from it
interface (based around panels and a timeline) is often aped but rarely bettered
Unlike other apps, however, Premiere Pro is highly customizable
Once you've mastered the basics, you can tailor the interface to suit your own workflow.Whereas previous versions of Adobe Premiere Pro
required users to switch to different apps for some parts of post production, the latest edition tucks everything into one neat interface,
including captions and audio editing.It's hard to do justice to all of Premiere Pro's features, but there's a vast assortment of
stackable audio and video filters, support for 360-degree and VR video, native support for a huge number of raw file formats, and the
ability to work collaboratively with others
as part of the Creative Cloud suite (a better investment if you want more than one of Adobe's apps)
If you join CC, you'll benefit from easy transferring of project files and other resources between Adobe apps like After Effects.This kind
of power doesn't come cheap and the monthly or annual subscription fee adds up, but the lack of a large initial outlay makes Premiere Pro
It's worth downloading a trial of the other video editors here before making a decision, but Premiere Pro is extremely versatile and the
cloud-based model means you won't have to pay for upgrades as they're released.2
Apple Final Cut Pro XA premium editor for Mac owners, with a unique interfacePlatform: Mac | Free trial: 30 days | Upload straight to
YouTube: Yes | 8K support: Yes | 360 support: Yes | Purchase type: RetailSmart 'trackless' timelineExcellent file format supportPrice
premium video editor, and it's every bit as polished as you'd expect
It's also exclusively for macOS, so Windows users will need to look elsewhere.This is a video editor aimed squarely at the professional
end of the market, but it's not needlessly complicated
Its interface is a little different to most, and is built around a 'trackless' timeline that encourages you to organize elements into
specific 'roles', such as voiceover, music and titles
It's a clever design and works well in practice.If you're looking for a video editor to pair with your drone, Final Cut Pro is an
It supports raw video from all the major makes and models, and is regularly updated with additional profiles
It also supports 360-degree video editing (fast becoming mandatory for premium video editing software) and HDR, with advanced color
grading.Rather than adopt a subscription model like Adobe, Apple has chosen to make Final Cut Pro available for a one-off flat fee
It's relatively expensive, but includes all major updates and will work out cheaper than Premiere Pro if you keep using it over a couple
If you own a Mac and are torn between Apple and Adobe, we recommend taking the free trials of both for a spin before making up your mind.3
CyberLink PowerDirector 16A video editor that puts premium tools within reach of newcomersPlatform: Windows | Free trial: 30 days | Upload
straight to YouTube: Yes | 8K support: Yes | 360 support: Yes | Purchase type: RetailWizard optimizes videos in secondsBeginner and advanced
video editing projects, take a look at CyberLink PowerDirector 16.Although PowerDirector is a premium, feature-packed video editor, it's
also very forgiving, and offers a gentle introduction to post production that won't faze complete beginners
The Magic Movie Wizard is the ultimate example, paring the task of combining and optimizing videos down to a few clicks
You'll achieve better results by spending a while in the timeline editor, but for anyone who just wants to quickly piece something together
to publish on Facebook, it's ideal.That's not to say that CyberLink PowerDirector is dumbed down, though; far from it
The software also offers a standard post production interface based around control panels and a timeline
It sometimes takes a little while to drill down to the finer controls, but every filter and option is extremely flexible once you start
want something more flexible than free software, PowerDirector is the tool for you.Read the full review: CyberLink PowerDirector 164
export | Upload straight to YouTube: Yes | 8K support: Yes | 360 support: Yes | Purchase type: RetailIntuitive interfaceSuperb for special
effectsSupports custom 3D modelsOverkill for beginnersHitFilm Pro is a premium video editor that's a firm favourite with fanfilm makers -
It's packed with tools for creating stunning special effects, but is accessible enough for home users.One of HitFilm Pro's biggest
selling points is the ability to tackle pretty much every aspect of video post-production within the editor
Animations, titles, audio editing and color grading are all accessible with a couple of clicks, but the interface is intuitively designed
and never feels cluttered.Effects can be queued, and drilling down through the software's advanced options is a straightforward
process.Unlike the other video editors in this roundup, HitFilm Pro supports importing and animating of custom 3D models, complete with
simulated 3D cameras, custom shadows and dynamic lighting
There are also impressive particle effects, and superb chroma-keying to minimize annoying spill.HitFilm Pro will be overkill for beginners,
but if you have a creative filmmaking project in mind then it's a fantastic choice.5
Adobe Premiere Elements 2018A friendly introduction to video editing for complete beginnersPlatform: Windows/Mac | Free trial: 30 days |
Upload straight to YouTube: Yes | 8K support: No | 360 support: No | Purchase type: RetailExcellent tutorials for new usersAutomated tools
for common tasksSimple step-by-step wizardsYou may soon outgrow itOf all the premium video editors in this roundup, Adobe Premiere Elements
is the most beginner-oriented
It's designed to make video editing as easy as possible, and even its Expert interface is extremely straightforward.Unlike Adobe's
premium software (like Premiere Pro), Premiere Elements is only available as a one-off purchase, so you aren't committed to paying a monthly
It's also one of the most affordable video editors around, which is impressive for a huge name like Adobe.You can create your own video
project from scratch using a timeline, or choose one of Adobe Premiere Elements' templates: Video Story (based around a life event like a
wedding or birthday), Instant Movie (a combination of video clips with a style of your choice) and Video Collage (a fun combination of still
photos and videos).Some video editors assume a certain degree of familiarity before you begin, but Premiere Elements is ideal even for total
Its interface features large buttons, clearly labelled
There are also some excellent tutorials included to help bridge the gap between creating a video using wizards and using the more
traditional multi-track timeline.Our main reservation about Adobe Premiere Elements is that you might grow out of it quite quickly
It's a brilliant tool for total first-timers, but there's a huge gap between this and Adobe Premiere Pro
If you want to work up to more advanced video editing, a tool like CyberLink PowerDirector will make the transition easier.Read the full
review: Adobe Premiere Elements 2018The best free video editing softwareIf you're not ready for invest in premium video editing software,
there are also some fantastic free video editors available.If you just want to cut a clip to size or add a new soundtrack, there are
lightweight editors that will help you get the job done in seconds, and export the video in a format suitable for uploading online, or
playing on any desktop or mobile device.Alternatively, if you're looking for more advanced tools like chroma keying and color grading, there
Some prevent you exporting projects longer than a couple of minutes, offer a very small selection of editing tools, or add unsightly
watermarks to your finished work
Here we've rounded up only the free video editing software that delivers on its promises, making video editing easy and fun, with no
The best free video editor availablePlatform: Windows/Mac/Linux | Upload straight to YouTube: Yes | 8K support: No | 360 support: NoAdvanced
editing toolsReal-time effectsWell designed interfaceLightworks is an incredible tool that's published free with the noble aim of making
professional quality video editing software available to everyone.Lightworks is far more than a simple application for combining video clips
and applying filters; it's been used to produce Hollywood movies including The King's Speech and Road to Perdition.As you would expect
for such a powerful video editor, you won't be able to master it overnight, but that's certainly not something you could hold against
it.Lightworks is described as the professional video editor for everyone, and we reckon that's a fair summary
Despite its power, it will run well on fairly modest hardware, and it handles video capture and advanced editing with aplomb.If you've tried
other free video editors you'll probably find that the interface is a little different to anything you're used to, but you can arrange the
various controls and windows to create something that suits your way of working.The free license has everything you need to make amazing
videos, but TheIndianSubcontinent readers can also get 50% off a yearly Lightworks Pro license using the special discount code
TECHRADAR_LW_PRO_YRGRF_S2018
Lightworks Pro adds the ability to export in formats other than MPEG, publish 4K video directly to YouTube, and export 3D videos
Find out how to use your discount voucher.Read the full review: Lightworks2
Hitfilm ExpressA powerful free video editor that's expandable if you outgrow itPlatform: Windows/Mac | Upload straight to YouTube: Yes |
8K support: No | 360 support: Requires add-onProfessional-grade toolsExpandable via add-onsHigh system requirementsHitfilm Express is
The basic editor is very impressive, with advanced cutting tools, a great set of audio and video filters, layers and masking, compositing
this power is that Hitfilm Express is much more demanding than either Lightworks or Shotcut, which is the main reason it's dropped to
Make sure you check the technical requirements before downloading it to avoid disappointment.Read the full review: Hitfilm Express3
DaVinci ResolvePremium quality software for advanced video and audio editingPlatform: Windows/Mac/Linux | Upload straight to YouTube: No |
8K support: Yes | 360 support: Requires add-onWell designed toolkitsFull audio mastering suiteAdvanced color correctionFree version lacks a
few featuresDaVinci Resolve is a free version of a premium video editing suite, but as with Lightworks, it's so feature-packed you
probably won't miss the few tools it lacks.DaVinci Resolve is a professional-grade video editor, with intuitive interfaces for editing,
color correction, audio mastering and exporting
There's the usual multi-track timeline for arranging video and audio clips, plus context-sensitive trimming, and a vast collection of
filters and effects.Color correction is one of DaVinci Resolve's standout features, whether you want to adjust a whole video or just a
There's HDR support, and you can work on raw files directly from your camera.A few of the filters are exclusive to the premium DaVinci
Resolve Studio, and there's a maximum export resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, but those are the only limitations
It's overkill if you just want to trim a video and upload it to YouTube, but for bigger projects DaVinci Resolve is hard to beat.4
ShotcutIt might look unusual, but master it and you'll reap the benefitsPlatform: Windows/Mac/Linux | Upload straight to YouTube: No | 8K
support: No | 360 support: NoAdvanced, customizable filtersIntuitive interfaceSteep learning curveShotcut is another professional-feeling
free video editor that requires a little patience if you are achieve the results it is so capable of delivering
The slightly unusual interface can be put down to the fact that this started life as a Linux application, and little has changed in its
conversion to Windows.To start with, the interface may seem a little stark
You will need to not only load a video, but also choose which editing mode you would like to work in and which tools you'd like to
use.There's no getting away from the fact that Shotcut has a steep learning curve
It's possible to achieve some impressive results by simply applying one of its many filters to your video, but the real rewards will only
be reaped by those willing to invest the time and energy in fully getting to grips with what's on offer.Read the full review: ShotcutVSDC
Free Video Editor is wonderfully flexible, giving you full control over the clips, photos and audio files you've pieced together to make
VSDC Free Video EditorA non-linear editor stacked with tools, with more added all the timePlatform: Windows | Upload straight to YouTube:
Yes | 8K support: No | 360 support: NoNon-linear video editingEasy to masterNo hardware accelerationVSDC Free Video Editor provides a huge
array of effects and filters to enhance your footage, with both wizards and manual options to suit beginners or more advanced users.VSDC is
highly capable, and can yield superb results
the timeline wherever you like and edit them there.With the ability to not only work with multiple scenes and transitions, but also to add
sprites and text to videos, you can create a professional-quality movie if you're willing to stick with VSDC's slightly odd way of working
and unusual interface.The latest version of VSDC adds extra artistic effects, including smoke
There's also a dedicated Instagram export profile and automatic image stabilization
It's noticeably faster, too
An excellent choice for creative video projects.Read the full review: VSDC Free Video EditorKTyRTAAQjssY59mudhq3KH.jpg#
