Free Video Editing Software
Which video editors a startup can edit its product demos, ads and social videos with for free today, what the free version leaves out, its export limits, the systems it runs on and what the paid version costs, read from each provider's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Video editors change their free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before you rely on it.
Video editors a startup can use for free today include DaVinci Resolve (Free version of DaVinci Resolve), OpenShot (Free to download and use), Lightworks (Free forever: a full video editor), Shotcut (Free and open source), and iMovie (Free from Apple, on Mac and iOS). Each of the 8 free plans below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, its export limits, the systems it runs on and what the paid version costs.
Product demos, launch videos, ads and social clips all need editing, and a professional editor can cost hundreds of dollars a year. Several full desktop editors are free from their makers, and open-source video editors are free with no plan at all.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. Free versions can cap export resolution, keep AI tools and effects for the paid version, or run on one operating system only. Each editor below shows what is free, its main limit, its export limits, the systems it runs on and what the paid version costs, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it.
Which editors we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which editors are listed or where.
Free desktop video editors
Download a full video editor from a software company, free.
- 1
DaVinci Resolve
Pro-grade editing and color, free to start
The free version includes multi-user collaboration and HDR grading, and works with 8-bit video up to Ultra HD at 60fps. Studio, at $236 to buy online, adds the AI Neural Engine and more Resolve FX.
Start free at Blackmagic DesignTerms read on blackmagicdesign.com on DaVinci Resolve: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Lightworks
A full editor with no time limit, for social and YouTube
Lightworks Free is free forever and exports up to 1080p with no watermarks. The Create plan costs $20.00 a month, billed monthly.
- Main limit
- Export up to 1080p (source: lwks.com)
- Paid version
- Create: $20 a month (source: lwks.com)
- 3
iMovie
Free Apple video editing on Mac, iPhone and iPad
Apple says iMovie is easy to use and free, and that you can save or share a video in 4K. Apple lists iMovie for macOS and iOS.
Open-source video editors
Edit with free, open-source software, no plan and no watermark.
- 1
OpenShot
Simple editing with no watermark or project limits
OpenShot is free to download and use, and the site says you can edit without subscriptions, watermarks, or project limits. It is available on Linux, Mac, and Windows.
- 2
Shotcut
Wide format support and native timeline editing
Shotcut is a free, open source, cross-platform video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux.
- What's free
- Free and open source (source: shotcut.org)
- 3
Kdenlive
Multi-track editing on Linux, Windows and macOS
Kdenlive is a free and open source video editor that works on Linux, Windows, macOS and BSD.
- What's free
- Free and open source (source: kdenlive.org)
- 4
LosslessCut
Cutting and joining clips without re-encoding
LosslessCut is free and open source, and a lossless cut can only start at a keyframe. It runs on Windows 10 and 11, macOS 12 or newer, and Linux.
Start free at LosslessCutTerms read on losslesscut.app on LosslessCut: the free allowance and how to start - 5
Avidemux
Simple cutting, filtering and re-encoding of single files
Avidemux is a free open-source program designed for multi-purpose video editing and processing. It can be used on almost all known operating systems.
- What's free
- Free and open-source (source: avidemux.org)
Also useful for design and creative work
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers video editing software a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each editor's terms. Every term comes from the editor's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A watermark or lower export resolution, effects or codecs kept for a paid version, a desktop-only app for one operating system can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these editors pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a editor appears, and no editor pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free video editing software?
By the terms each provider states, DaVinci Resolve's free version exports up to Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 at 60fps, Lightworks is free forever with exports up to 1080p and no watermarks, iMovie is free from Apple on Mac and iOS, and OpenShot, Shotcut and Kdenlive are free and open source.
Which free video editor has no watermark?
Lightworks' free version exports up to 1080p with no watermarks, and OpenShot states no watermarks or project limits.
Is DaVinci Resolve free?
Yes. DaVinci Resolve has a free version that exports up to Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 at 60fps on Mac, Windows and Linux. The AI Neural Engine and extra effects need DaVinci Resolve Studio, which is $236 to buy online.
Is there a free video editor for Linux?
Yes. DaVinci Resolve, Lightworks, OpenShot, Shotcut, Kdenlive and LosslessCut all run on Linux.
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