Apple has always aimed its Macs at creative professionals like video editors. However, industry-leading programs like After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro aren’t cheap. So, it’s common for you to look for a free alternative. After tons of research and testing, we’ve compiled a list of the five best free video editing software perfect for tackling beginners to pro-level workloads.
1. iMovie
We will kick things off with iMovie. We love it because it’s highly optimized for Apple hardware and perfect for small personal projects. Best of all, it’s totally free for every Mac user.
This free video editing software is mainly aimed at users who wanna quickly edit videos with footage stored in their Photos library. To facilitate this process, it uses a simplified video timeline editor that’s easy to use. Despite that, it can easily handle 4K video and Green Screen compositing. Other than that, there are also features like Picture-In-Picture, Slow-Motion, and Fast-Forward effects. Moreover, you can add titles, transitions, and effects by the simple drag and drop method. Not just that, you can also use color correction and add filters and voiceover to your video with this app. Lastly, it also exports videos up to a whopping 4K resolution. To be honest, although iMovie isn’t meant to replace a professional video editor, for starters, it’s a fantastic video editing tool that’s worth trying.
2. Lightworks
Moving forward with the list, we have Lightworks, and unlike the iMovie, it’s packed with powerful video editing tools and features. So, it’s no wonder why blockbuster Hollywood movies like Pulp Fiction, The Wolf Of Wall Street, and many others have been edited with this software.
It’s one of the most comprehensive video editing software on this list. The free version comes with various video effects, Multicam editing, tilting, and many handy video editing features. The powerful multi-layered timeline editor, on the other hand, helps you edit videos as fast as possible. Unfortunately, exporting a project is limited to HD on YouTube and FullHD to Vimeo on the free plan. So, while Lightworks’ video editing toolkit is vast, it’s not an appealing option when you plan to use it for free. Its true potential comes out when you upgrade to its premium plan. All in all, Lightworks is best when you want to thoroughly test it out for free and then upgrade at a later time.
3. OpenShot
When you want to step up your video editing skill, you’ll need a more robust video editor. Introducing OpenShot, that’s not only easy to use but also capable of creating stunning videos.
Opening the app for the first time will prompt you to start a tutorial, but we’ll ignore it as the user interface already looks familiar and straightforward. Right there, you can add your video projects; then, you can drag them into the timeline and preview them here. You can also adjust these panels however you want. It also supports multiple tracks so that you can layer different items on top of each other. Openshot’s feature lists have grown over the years. It includes a variety of file formats, animation keyframes, and heaps of audio and video tracks. In addition, it lets you add transition and compositing effects, texts, and plenty of other features that are common in modern video editing software. Overall, OpenShot is an excellent free video editing software capable of taking your video editing skills to the next level with impressive features.
4. Shotcut
The following free video editing software on our list is Shotcut. Another free and open-source video editor whose feature list is just as impressive as OpenShot but with a more modern interface. Because of that, it feels more like a premium application than a free one.
It supports a wide range of video files and formats such as 4K, ProRes, DNxHD, and more. It also includes a great range of Audio and Video Filters and Effects to make the video editing process a breeze. The user interface is also highly flexible; you can easily toggle between different layouts and customize everything the way you feel comfortable. However, we do want to mention that since it offers too many features and flexibility, it requires a steep learning curve. But there are plenty of available tutorials on their website that is easy to follow.With all these advanced features onboard, it’s hard to believe that Shotcut is an entirely free video editing software. Therefore we highly recommend this one for you.
5. DaVinci Resolve
Last but not least, we have DaVinci Resolve, and unlike most other video editing software on this list, it’s not meant for beginners or mid-level workers. Instead, it’s packed with powerful features that are perfect for making professional-grade videos.
One of the standout features of this free video editing software is that it combines editing, color correction, motion graphics, audio, and all post-production in one place. Hence, you can work faster as you don’t have to open different tools for different tasks. This software also supports real-time multi-user collaboration, which means the whole team can work simultaneously in the same app. Besides, the standard version is completely free, meaning you will get all the core features without spending a penny. The only downside of this video editing software is it takes some effort to learn it. In fact, anytime when we use this software, we feel like we are constantly learning something new. But that’s what makes it exciting too! Considering all, it’s safe to say that DaVinci Resolve is the best free video editing software for Mac that’s perfect if you want to take the video editing profession seriously.
This list is created after thorough testing and checking the pros and cons. So if you need to do simple video editing on your mac and don’t want to spend money on a paid tool, this content is for you. Just install any of the free video editing software from our list, and you are good to go.
