- The best lightweight video editor for a beginner would be something that is free, and also not taking up a lot of computer resources. As such, my top recommendation is Kdenlive (Kdenlive Libre Video Editor) which is open-source (and thus completely free), and originally developed for Linux.
- OpenShot (Windows, Mac, and Linux) The easy-to-use interface. It's open source.
- Jan 21, 2021 Another lightweight software for editing videos is the Wondershare Filmora.It is a light-weight and easy-to-use application that is compatible with Windows 7, 8, and 10.
Before 2017, YouTube Video Editor was the best editor for all YouTubers, but then Google announced that only people having more than 100,000 views on their videos could save the changes they made. It put creators in a frenzy, making them find free alternatives that offer the same features.
But don’t worry anymore, because we have ten free video editing software that have all the essential features, including cutting, cropping, rotating, and trimming.
Create a new Adobe Spark Video project Click the plus button in Adobe Spark, then select “Video” to launch a new project in the video editor. Give your video a name to get started, then dive into. Movie magic is at your fingertips, with smart editing and step-by-step guides bringing your imagination to life. Create, edit, organize, and share your videos—and transform everyday moments into forever memories. Premiere Elements 2021 Easy video editing software that has it all.
The 10 Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube in 2020
1. Shotcut
Shotcut is one of the best video editing software on Microsoft, Linux, and Mac as it supports a variety of video formats. Since it is an open source software, once you download it you can start using it immediately without upgrading to the paid version. It was initially developed for Linux and later adapted to Microsoft and Mac, so you might find the interface a bit quirky. Two features that we love about the YouTube video editor are timeline editing and 4K HD resolution support. It is one of the few free software that offers 4K support. It is the best software for HD and 4K video projects.
2. Blender
Another open source software that runs on all operating systems including iOS, Microsoft, and Linux, Blender was first introduced as a 3D animation suite and then developed into a video editor for YouTube. Apart from the basic functions like splicing and video cutting, Blender offers a plethora of advanced features including luma waveform, audio mixing, chroma vectorscope, waveform visualization, speed control, and filters.
Most of these features are something that you won’t find on other average free video editing software for YouTube. All of them are enough for you to produce a clear and professional quality video. The only downside of Blender is that there aren’t too many videos available as most of them are focused on modeling and 3D animation.
3. Avidemux
Avidemux is a basic video editor for YouTube, which is perfect for beginners. It comes with basic functions, including encoding, filtering, and cutting. It works on all three platforms, including Mac, Linux, and Microsoft. Since it is a simple software, use it only to fine tune your video editing skills. Once you get the hang of the basic features, you can download more complex software like Shotcut and Blender.
![Video Video](https://www.videoproc.com/images/vp-seo/how-to-convert-youtube-video-to-wmv-format.jpg)
4. Machete Video Editor Lite
Machete Video Editor Lite is another wonderful free video editing software that runs only on Windows computers and laptops. It is available in two versions — free and paid. In the free version, it supports only two video formats, including AVI and WMV. The paid version costs $19.95 and gives access to audio editing and supports a number of formats. It is best known for its video splicing feature but as it is a basic software, you can’t use it for a long time if you plan to turn into a professional YouTube creator.
5. HitFilm Express
Another efficient YouTube video maker, HitFilm Express is available on Windows and iOS platforms. Adobe photo editing software for pc. It is a professional YouTube video editor that comes with all basic editing features, including trimming and audio editing along with advanced features like cutting tools, keying for green screen effects, 3D video support, and multiple composition tools.
The free version offers over 180 premium features. HitFilm Express also has a paid version, which is affordable, so you purchase it to upgrade the software. Most video editing tutorials are for superhero action movies including Star Wars, so you will need a little time getting used to it.
6. DaVinci Resolve
One of the most advanced YouTube video editing software, DaVinci Resolve has an intuitive interface that makes editing easier. Advanced features offered by the software, including advanced trimming, audio mastering, color correction, and multicam editing. You can also add 2D and 3D titles to your videos and give them a professional touch. The only con of DaVinci Resolve is that there are too many features, which can overwhelm a beginner. Also, not all tutorials are free, so that’s an added cost you will have to pay to learn the software.
Tip: Need to download videos from YouTube or other sites? Here are 12 of the best YouTube video downloaders recommended for you.
7. VideoPad
VideoPad is the best video editing software for YouTube available on Windows. If you want to try your hand at video compositions, we recommend you to use this software. It isn’t for advanced editors as they will find it too essential. Some features offered by the software include sound effects library, pre-made transitions, camera shake reduction, 3D video editing, and supports multiple resolutions. One of the best features of VideoPad is that it lets you export videos to YouTube and other social media platforms directly.
8. iMovie
If you are a Mac or MacBook user, iMovie is the best free video editing software for you. It has an intuitive interface and a great tool for learners to furnish their skills and get ready for using more advanced software. If you don’t upload regularly on YouTube, you can continue using iMovie as it has a number of good features including audio editing, video trimming, pre-made transitions, 4K resolution support, and split screen. It is easy to learn. The disadvantage of using this software is that it takes too long to export the video, which will delay the upload.
9. Openshot
If you are a Mac user and have little bit knowledge of iMovie, you will find Openshot easy to use. This YouTube video editing software has more features than iMovie and a variety of layers and audio mixing options. With its simple interface and combination of premium features, Openshot makes video editing easy.
You can watch real-time previews before you transition one scene into another. Features that Openshot offers include scaling, snapping, tripping, image overlays, subtitles 3D animated titles, title creation, watermarks, and advanced timeline, among others. There aren’t many tutorials available, so you will have to figure out how the YouTube video editor works on your own.
![Video editing software for windows Video editing software for windows](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IjSoo0-zbH4/maxresdefault.jpg)
10. Lightworks
Lightworks is one of the best free video editing software for YouTube with powerful features. It is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. It is free software, but there’s a premium version available only for $25 a month. But you don’t need to purchase that because the free version offers some very advanced features like multicam support, high precision video trimming, and export to 720p to YouTube.
It supports a range of video formats as well. One massive advantage of Lightworks is that you get access to many tutorial videos. Unfortunately, 4K video support for Youtube and Vimeo only comes with the premium version. It isn’t too advanced either, so you will have to switch software or purchase the paid version once your YouTube channel starts growing.
Conclusion
If you want to know how to edit YouTube videos, open YouTube, and check tutorials of the software you plan to use. We tried all 10 YouTube video editing software to find out the best among them, so you can download them for editing your YouTube videos. Blender is our favorite choice because it offers premium features for zero costs including audio mixing, chroma vectorscope, waveform visualization, speed control, filters, and luma waveform. You will find many tutorials online that will help you furnish your skills and add cool animations to your videos. Adobe professional video editing software.
Also Read: Top 3 Free Video Grabbers to Download YouTube Videos Online
Allow yourself some time to get used to the complex functions as the software is a bit advanced for beginners. You start with basic software like iMovie or Avidemux and work your way up. Another software that we liked is DaVinci Resolve. It is a professional software, but the intuitive interface makes it easy to learn. The features can be overwhelming at first, so experiment with one feature at a time.
Have you used any of these software before? Let us know your review in the comments below.
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Many people may use free video editing software to edit a video more or less in daily life or on the work. The needs vary a lot from different tasks. For example, if you want to do editing stuff like picture-in-picture, adding complicated after effects, then Premiere Adobe CC is the tool for the job.
But if you just need to trim videos, add minimal filters, you may not need anything heavy like Premiere Adobe CC anymore. You may prefer a lightweight video editor that works fast and won't bring any pressure to your computer.
However, when you start with asking for help from some so-called 'lightweight' video editors in the market, so many problems crop up:
- Although being small in size, still computer resource hogs.
- Confuse the beginners with complicated default settings.
- Failed to recognize your files with limited supported formats.
- Failed to meet the basic editing needs with limited functions.
Above are some problems I met when I was a green hand with zero editing experience. And luckily, I've found 3 powerful lightweight video editing software, which solve all problems at once. They are Shotcut, VideoProc, and OpenShot.
Shotcut - A Cross-Platform Lightweight Video Editor
Shotcut is a free lightweight video editor available on cross-platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux and FreeBSD. It boasts a good quality in designing and runs well on any low or medium spec computers. It supports a wide variety of video formats and offers a great number of video editing features. 4K video editing is the most striking feature of Shotcut, which means that you can create, play, cut, scrub, mute, filter video programs shot in 4K resolution. After you import the video, it will be played on the preview window. Shotcut supports the timeline editing, so you can drag and drop video clips onto the timeline where you can create multiple video and audio tracks and make changes as you wish.
There are a great many video editing functions provided by Shotcut. Splitting in Shotcut is easy, you simply locate the playhead then right click on the mouse to choose Split at Playhead (Or, you can position the playhead and tap on the S key to split). The Scrub while dragging tool is to control whether the audio plays and it works for two tracks. When the tool is on and you drag the second track to the position of the first track, you may notice that the playhead seeks to the left position of the clip while you are dragging.
Although good, what couldn't be ignored is the steep learning curve of Shotcut. Even so, you can learn from a collection of video tutorials when first use it.
Pros
- As a free video editing program, it is packed with rich features.
- It supports a wide variety of input and output formats.
Cons
- It is not intuitive to use compared with for-pay programs.
- You are not allowed to drag clips between tracks.
- It lacks keyframe support on video effects.
VideoProc - A Dedicated Lightweight Video Editing Software
First of all, VideoProc is beginner friendly. The simple and straight forward interface enables you to find the needed tools at first glance. Abundant presets allow you to edit a video in just a few clicks. Also, it is a one-stop tool kit. Besides the most common functions like cutting, trimming, merging, splitting, rotating, VideoProc supports adding subtitles, filters, watermarks, and other advanced functions. In fact, VideoProc is the most professional choice among all similar editing tools. Moreover, there are multifarious formats supported by VideoProc. Apple MOV, HD HEVC 4K, YouTube VP8/VP9 and almost all the other formats on the market are supported. You are free of the worries that VideoProc may not recognize your files or fail to export videos in a specific format.
VideoProc Supported OS
Windows versions: Microsoft Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 10 or later (32-bit and 64-bit versions supported)
Mac versions: Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, macOS Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina (10.15)
Features of VideoProc
What can you do with this light weight video editor? Besides the built-in recorder to capture screen or create tutorial videos with Picture-in-Picture facecam, you can start editing videos smoothly, without freezing or stuttering annoyance.
Best Light Video Editing Software
- Cut out parts of a video and merge selected sections together
- Trim off unwanted part or simply set new start and end time
- Rotate sideway video back to the right direction
- Crop videos flexibly by dragging the frame to select a desired area
- Change aspect ratio, landscape to square, or 4:3 to 16:9 for instance
- Splitting large videos in to equal length small sections, for Instagram stories
- Add filters, adjust color by changing contrast, hue, saturation etc.
VideoProc Performance Running on Windows
VideoProc comes with a small installation package - 42.5M. It takes only 1 minute to install the program on my computer.
Unlike the ordinary video editor max up the CPU usage rate on PC, VideoProc barely relies on computer resource thanks for the applied of GPU acceleration technology.
GPU acceleration, known as hardware acceleration, takes advantage of the dedicated graphics processing capabilities of a graphics card to process video editing tasks. Briefly speaking, you are allowed to edit an hour-long video in minutes with GPU acceleration.
There I'm going to have a test to show you how fast VideoProc could be. Before the work, what is worth to remind is that my computer is poorly built:
I tested on trimming a 50 minutes long video to a 5 minutes clip. The picture below is the CPU usage information and time when I opened VideoProc.
The following picture is the CPU usage and time when VideoProc finished the trimming task.
It is shown that the CPU usage rate was only around 10% and it tooks less than 3 minutes for VideoProc to get the job done. It is absolutely a lightweight and fast video processing application.
OpenShot Video Editor - A Powerful Lightweight Video Editor
OpenShot is also a cross-platform lightweight video editor available on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Apart from different OS support is available, project files are, as well, compatible with dissimilar platforms inside OpenShot: for instance, you can save a project file in a Windows computer, and open it up with an Mac. There are a list of video, audio, and image formats that are supported in OpenShot.
You can drag and drop a file on the timeline to start building up a wonderful video project. To position the footage to edit, you can fine-tune the video clip frame by fame by using arrows keys on the keyboard. OpenShot offers you a wide array of video editing features, and is built in with many functional audio editing features, like extracting the audio track from the video clip, rendering waveforms on the timeline, etc.
Video Editing
You are allowed to add unlimited video, audio and image tracks, plus create various watermark layers and edit them on the timeline. There are more than 400 video transitions offered in OpenShot, which are free to be applied to fade from one clip to another. And you can create a transition by overlapping two clips. There’s a title editor built in OpenShot where over 40 title templates you can access to, which can be used to add titles to your video and adjust the font, text, and color of titles.
It is highlighted that 3D animations are available on OpenShot. With stunning animations authorized by Blender, you can render more than 20 types of animated effects on titles, texts, to name a few, to vivify your video project. All effects added can be previewed.
Audio Editing
Cheap Video Editing Software
OpenShot is built with tons of handy audio editing features as well. You can add the audio file on the timeline, then adjust its length by cutting the waveform, and render the audio clip maybe as the background music of your video. If you want to use the audio used in another video, you can excerpt the audio out of the video in OpenShot, and apply the audio clip to be part of your video project.
Video Editing Software For Youtube
Pros
- OpenShot is free to get and can run on cross-platforms operating systems.
- It is professional to edit videos and offers a wide variety of transitions to be applied to your video project.
Cons
- Like Shotcut does, OpenShot is not intuitive to use at first sight thus needs steep learning curve.
- Due to the fact that OpenShot is an open-source video editor, it lacks developing and its effects library has not been updated for a long time.
- The program is laggy when used to edit some high-res videos and is reported to be buggy.