As the world keeps on connecting virtually, a well-produced video can bring in more engagement from your audience. Our study found that 70% of people believe that video is the best way of communication and makes brands memorable.
Whether you are an aspiring film or music producer, YouTuber, or content creator, picking the right tool to edit your video is going to be crucial to your whole post-production process.
There are countless high-quality free and affordable video editors available to get started. But how do you pick the one best suited for your needs?
Check out our pick of the best video editing software that you can download for Windows. We have made sure to include assorted options according to budget, quality, and convenience.
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro is considered to be the top of the bunch when it comes to video editing on Windows. A lot of creative professionals use this software to put their videos together and have praised its features.
It provides cloud storage of 100 GB and can handle a vast number of imported video tracks from any source at once. Along with other video editing tools, it also has automatic sync to keep your multi-angle shots in one place.
Additionally, it provides free access to a companion app on your phone, Adobe Premiere Rush.
It is priced at $20.99/month or $239.88/year. Though, there is a 30-day free trial available for the ones just starting out. The features this software comes with, price shouldn’t matter.
Filmora9
Wondershare’s Filmora9 video editor is one of the most convenient tools. Its user interface is easy to understand with a plethora of features.
There are built-in titles, filters and effects for aspiring content creators. Also, there is a library of a considerable amount of royalty-free sound effects and music to add more impact to the videos.
It is priced at $39.99/year or $59.99/lifetime as a one-off fee. Another price plan, Filmora unlimited, which is priced at $99.87 throws in unlimited downloads and new effects each month from the stock library.
There is also a free version available with all of the paid tools but the videos will have the brand watermark in the final render.
Read more: Virtual Production – A Renaissance Has Begun
Lightworks
Lightworks is a Hollywood grade, free video editor for Windows 10. Some of the major Hollywood films such as Shutter Island, Pulp Fiction, and The Wolf of Wall street were edited using Lightworks.
It is powerful and gives a high degree of control in trimming video and audio together through its splendidly designed timeline.
On the downside, the user interface isn’t the easiest one to navigate through.
Lightworks Pro is priced at $24.99/monthly or $174.99/yearly. There is also a free version that gives access to every feature, but the final output will only be exported at 720p.
VSDC
VSDC is perfect for jazzing up your video presentations or video client pitches.
VSDC helps in adding text, lines, charts, graphs, Instagram-inspired filters, and assorted special effects such as blurring and color correction.
It also provides masking and video stabilizer tools for obscuring faces and removing camera shakes. These tools work best with GoPro and drone footages.
It is completely free of cost with all of the features accessible to add a spark in your presentations.
Also, check out: Step-by-step Live Action Video Production Process
Shotcut
Shotcut is another free video editing program with powerful editing aspects.
Shotcut comes with a customizable interface to ease the process of understanding the tool. Users find this more approachable and uncomplicated.
It comes with a wide array of special effects, filters, and facilities like dockable and undockable panels.
Blender
Blender is an open-source software that is entirely free to use. It was intended as a 3D animation suite, but it now also boasts a very useful video editing platform.
From basic actions like splicing, speed control, and trimming, users can also perform complex tasks like video masking, chroma vectorscope, and waveform visualization.
Users may get put off by its limited features, but they should be enough for your basic video needs.
DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve is known for its agility and quick turnaround. It encompasses high-quality color correction and audio mastering features.
It also has facial recognition and tracking to adjust eye color, lip color, and skin tones. It uses Fairlight to master and mix up to 1000 audio channels at once.
Though, the free version almost has all the features, the paid version, which is priced at $299 contains multi-user collaboration, stereoscopic 3D tools, dozens of ResolveFX, and FairlightFX plugins, HDR grading, film grain, blur and mist effects.
Openshot
Openshot is another open-source video editor that offers all of the basic features. It is a great option for amateur content creators.
It provides unlimited layers, transitions, and audio mixing. It also has a drag and drop facility.
Openshot is a free video editor that strikes a nice balance between advanced features and straightforward interface.
Also, read: How to Get Your Sizzle Videos to Generate Some Heat
HitFilm Express
This list will not be complete without mentioning HitFilm Express. It helps users produce feature films and music videos with 3D effects. It is also good for producing YouTube or Vimeo videos.
Its free version contains almost all the features that are needed to create a professional-quality video. But by purchasing add-on features for $7, users can benefit from additional capabilities.
VideoPad
VideoPad is a cross-platform software that is a good starting point for those who are just new to video editing.
The user interface is intuitive and simple. It comes with a drag and drop timeline, various transitions, effects, unlimited overlay audio tracks, and speed adjustment.
It is also available for free with just enough capabilities to help beginners learn and master a video editing software.
Information accurate at the time of publishing
Final thoughts
The quality of your video must never be compromised. According to a study, 80% of people will check out a brand’s website if they like their video.
We understand that editing and producing a professional-quality video can be overwhelming and if you’re not up for doing it yourself, you can always hire professionals.
If you have a video project in mind, contact our video strategists today and find out how we can help you reach your goals.