Chances are, there are hundreds of videos languishing on your smartphone, DSLR or compact camera. Instead of letting it collect dust, why not polish it up to share with family and friends? That's where a good video editing program comes in.
Among the paid software, only one — Adobe Premiere Elements 2019— is truly cross-platform, and it emerged as our top pick. Despite its lack of emerging popular technologies, like 360-degree video handling and multicam editing features, it's the easiest video editor to learn and use, and offers plenty of advanced functions, such as guided edits and a revised home screen.
CyberLink PowerDirector 16 is the best video editing software for Windows, featuring a dazzling array of tricks and treats; plus, it's great for editing 360-degree videos, too.
Apple’s iMovie, which competes only with cross-platform free apps and Adobe Elements, is the obvious choice for the best Mac video editing software, thanks to its outstanding output, themes and trailers, macOS integration, and features that encourage good moviemaking skills.
For the best free software, HitFilm Express gets the nod for its abundant cinematic capabilities and stylish interface. If you often share your videos on YouTube and other social media platforms, the free, cross-platform VideoPad is your best option.
New versions of our two top picks have recently been released, so stay tuned for our reviews of CyberLink PowerDirector 17 and Adobe Premiere Elements 2020.
Best OverallNew versions of our two top picks have recently been released, so stay tuned for our reviews of CyberLink PowerDirector 17 and Adobe Premiere Elements 2020.
- HitFilm Express is available for download not only for Windows but also for Mac. I would suggest to try HitFilm Express download, both professionals and amateurs, and try the possibilities that offers this free editing software. This free editing software offers a lot of features available via effects.
- HitFilm Express is a pro video editing and composition tool that can create some interesting and beautiful-looking end video clips. Though not as featured-packed as the industry standard with Premiere Pro, it does sport a beautiful interface and seems to be very responsive.
- With powerful video editing and mind blowing special visual effects, this software is a top-of-the-line product for creating and editing your own movies and videos. HitFilm Express gives you access to the most powerful free video-editor and VFX software on Earth and a community of 2.9 million filmmakers. Professional-grade video editor.
- Video editing & visual effects. HitFilm Pro 13. Create breakout content and stunning VFX with one souped-up software: HitFilm Pro. Our latest release comes jam-packed with a professional editor, compositor, 820+ VFX and presets, and new built-in animation tools! Discover HitFilm Pro.
- Jan 16, 2019 Video Editing: Videography: Disclaimer: Links in the description are typically affiliate links that let you help support the channel at no extra cost.
Adobe Premiere Elements 2019
There's no reason to spend a fortune on video editing software for your Mac or PC. Here's the best free software that can handle most (or all) of what paid software packages can accomplish.
Adobe Premiere Elements continues its long reign as the overall best consumer video-editing app, with new automated features and simplified workflows for quick video editing.
Best for WindowsCyberLink PowerDirector 16
PowerDirector 16 makes it easy to edit 360-degree videos, but there are a lot of other great features in this program, too.
Best for MacApple iMovie 10.1.8
iMovie gives Mac users an easy way to get started creating high-quality movies from videos shot on all kinds of devices.
Best Overall
Adobe Premiere Elements 2019
Best Overall
Supports new HEVC and HEIF file formats for images and videos
New home screen provides continuous access to all functions and apps
Auto-generated slideshows and photo/video collages make social media sharing quick and easy
Intriguing new guided edits
Some aspects of automated video trimming seem counterintuitive
No support for HEVC and HEIF file formats on Windows
No support for 360-degree video
No support for multicam editing
When it comes to user-friendliness, sophisticated features and ways to output your video, nothing beats the cross-platform Adobe Premiere Elements. For 2019, Adobe streamlined the Quick Edits interface, making it all the more easy for novices to jump in. The company's AI now creates collages and slideshows automatically, and can also trim the fat off your videos.
Read our full Adobe Premiere Elements review.
Best for Windows
CyberLink PowerDirector 16
Speedy rendering
New video collage feature
Needed to reinstall the app following a Windows 10 update
Certain color lookup tables are not compatible with the program
Motion-tracking techniques felt a bit awkward at the outset
CyberLink PowerDirector offers a dazzling array of fun, advanced video editing features wrapped in a stunning, easy-to-use package. For this version, Cyberlink has beefed up its 360-degree capabilities, making it far easier to edit 360 videos.
Ed. Note: CyberLink PowerDirector 17 is now available, and features such improvements as better green-screen editing, nested video editing, and multi-cam editing. PowerDirector 17 Ultra is $99, while PowerDirector Ultimate, which includes 360-degree video editing, is $129.
Best for Mac
Apple iMovie 10.1.8
Simple interface
Abundant audio tools
Theater feature shares movies to all Apple devices
Lacks multicam, motion tracking and 360-degree features
Apple iMovie is the ultimate Mac video app for novice filmmakers, combining professional trailers and themes,abundant special effects and an easy-to-learn interface. Version 10.1 added 4K editing and sharing, as well as extended handling to video shot at 1080p and 60 fps. Recent updates tweaked the interface and added Touch Bar support for the latest MacBooks.
Update (June 2019): iMovie is now on version 10.1.12. Recent updates have disabled sharing videos to iMovie Theater and Facebook; you have to save your movies to iCloud Photos to watch them on other devices including Apple TV.
Update (June 2019): iMovie is now on version 10.1.12. Recent updates have disabled sharing videos to iMovie Theater and Facebook; you have to save your movies to iCloud Photos to watch them on other devices including Apple TV.
Read our full Apple iMove review.
Best Free Video Editor
HitFilm Express 9
Best Free Video Editor
Reusable templates
Some popular features require an add-on purchase
For version 12, the free HitFilm Express has a redesigned, more intuitive interface and plenty of powerful features. While meant for prosumers—there is a bit of a learning curve—beginners shouldn't have too much trouble creating YouTube projects.
Read our full Hitfilm Express review.
Hit Film Editing Software Free Download
Best for Beginners
Corel VideoStudio Ultimate 2018
Best for Beginners
Extensive 360-degree-editing features
Split-screen video facilitates elaborate video collages
Broad 3D-text support
Certain advanced features got really dense
Corel VideoStudio, an outstanding editing package for beginners on the Windows platform, is a powerful but easy-to-learn app for anyone who wants to make simple videos quickly without fussing around with complex controls. Its spare but inviting interface offers 360-degree video editing, enhanced lens-correction tools, and 3D text editing.
Read our full Corel VideoStudio review.
Best for YouTube
VideoPad
Intuitive and easy to learn
Works on Macs and PCs
Lacks some advanced features like multi-cam editing and motion tracking
Certain features time out of the free non-commercial program
Difficult to tell whether you have downloaded the free or trial version, especially in Windows.
VideoPad is a comprehensive cross-platform software package for the YouTube social media crowd. While this app lacks the flashy, whiz-bang appeal of some commercial apps, it’s still a rock-solid choice for simple video editing. From the main menu, you can choose which social network you want to upload to. The app offers a number of YouTube choices ranging from 480p to 4K, as well as Facebook, Flickr, Dropbox and Google Drive, and is free for non-commercial use.
Read our full VideoPad review.
Best for advanced enthusiasts
DaVinci Resolve 15
Cross platform for Mac, Windows and Linux
Intuitive interface for most routine functions
Exquisitely deep app for color grading, compositing and audio production
A powerful computer is needed for high-end graphics functions
No direct export to social media
A powerful pro-level app, cross platform you’ll want to use a system with discrete graphics to get the most out of this editor. The latest version of DaVinci incorporates Fusion, previously a stand-alone application, which brings with it four high-end video-production modules for editing, color correction, audio production, and video effects and motion graphics. This video editor is quite powerful, but has a bit of a learning curve. If its 256-page manual doesn't intimidate you, high-level enthusiasts will find a lot of tools at their disposal.
Read our full DaVinci Resolve review.
How We Tested
We tested more than a dozen programs — paid and free — on consumer Mac and Windows laptops for more than 100 hours, to see which are the best for editing, as well as sharing your videos with friends and family.
We evaluated all of the software based on functionality, ease of use, performance, sharing options and new features in the latest versions. We also judged the packages based on real-life uses for a number of categories, including best overall, best free app, best for beginners, best for YouTube maestros, best for Mac users and best for Windows platforms.
Free or Fee?
There’s no reason for the occasional video jockey to fork over any cash, as there are plenty of free apps available for both Windows and Mac. But while the deciding factors for free and paid software may appear to be based on cold hard cash, that’s not the whole story.
People who are looking for a more powerful editor with a variety of built-in resources, responsive technical support and more would be better off dropping some cash on a video editing program.
However, there’s a third option: You can download software such as VideoPad or HitFilm (which offer all of the basics) for free, and then purchase additional features à la carte as your experience and needs grow.
Speed
Performance results are important, but they’re not critical components of software evaluations, because depending on your hardware setup, your mileage will vary. By comparison, ease of use, interface and features carry more weight than export clock speed. Nonetheless, as a single measure among many, speed testing provides valuable comparative information.
As several of the programs on this page have been updated with newer versions since their initial review, we are currently in the process of re-testing them. At the same time, we are upgrading our testing platforms, from laptops with integrated graphics to those with discrete GPUs. This will better reflect the improvement in performance from apps that can take advantage of discrete graphics cards. Stay tuned for the results.
The HitFilm Express is a video editing suite which is designed especially for beginners, students, YouTube up-loaders, and filmmakers. It is the best video editor which allows editing the videos with different tools. You can also use this video editor to produce short films which are trending these days. Download this free video editing software for Windows 8, 8.1 and, 10. It is also available for both 32-bit as well as 64-bit software devices.
HitFilm Express Video Editor Free Version Download Overview:
With its UHD support and RAM preview, HitFilm Express handles all the formats like a pro to produce the video with high quality. You can customize your playback video quality and pause quality which gives you a fast playback experience while editing or trimming the video. In addition to that, you can control the quality of your playback video by choosing it from the menu. This feature allows you to perform edits at a faster rate. Don’t worry about spending the time to send or export your videos. HitFilm Express Video Editor automatically exports them for you. The Grading toolkit allows you to add the effects of your choice either to the entire picture or the selected area. With this video editing tool, you can also grade several shots at once to ensure precise editing. It enhances your videos with hyper-stylized effects like an oil painting, cartoon and polarizes.
Moreover, gives specialized effects like lightning and electricity with this free editing software. Along with these, the warping tools to distort or twist your video by adding effective and creative ideas of yours. On the other hand, temporal tools can help you rotate, speed up, slow down and add more real-time effects to your videos. Overall, HitFilm Express free version comes with a lot more features which will help you develop or create extraordinary videos. You might also want to check out other editing software Portrait Pro 17 Free Download Full version for Windows 10
HitFilm Express Video Editor for Windows 10/7 Key Features:
- It allows you to switch between tabs easily while editing videos with the combined timeline feature.
- This feature gives you a hassle-free experience and lets you organize your editing.
- You can personalize your workstation with the collapsible and expandable panels to avoid yourself from distractions.
- You can also set this personalized interface as your default layout.
- Moreover, you can locate your files and features that you want to add in your video with the keyword search option.
- The HitFilm Express comes with all-you-need video editing tools like animation tools, composite shot enhancements, unlimited tracks that let you add multiple audio and video files to your timeline.
- Also, functions like an adaptive trimmer, audio mixer, dedicated trimmer and, transitions are available.
- The curve effects, let you decide on how the final shot should come out as. With an Extensive Preset option, you can save your favorite preset. So you don’t have to search for it in your next video editing session.
- The 2D tracking feature helps you track any moving objects, and give them different effects.
- Furthermore, you can also add a 3D camera and track data into your videos.
- HitFilm Express is compatible with GIF, JPG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, HDR and OpenEXR images formats which makes it easy for you to convert images.
- You can also export videos in different formats like MP4, image sequence and AVI.
HitFilm Express Video Editor System Requirements:
Operating System: Windows 8, 8.1 and, 10
Video Memory: 1 GB minimum, 2 GB or more for 4K UHD
RAM: 4 GB (8 GB recommended)
Processor: Intel Core i3, i5, i7 or AMD equivalent