14 Best Video Editing Software for Beginners in 2023

Every time we open Youtube, we could often praise the Youtubers greatly for they can edit videos with magic. For example, a sad movie can get a happy ending with their editing skills. Most people could think - if only I could edit the video. Where there is a will there is a way. Today I will recommend several video editing software for beginners!

Editor's Recommendation: EaseUS Video Editor

For beginners, there is no need for too professional software. EaseUS Video Editor is probably the best video editing software for beginners. It can meet the basic needs of movie editing. With this software, you can share your life with Youtube, Facebook, or Google with a variety of animation effects.

Free DownloadSupport Windows 11/10/8/7

What's more, this software supports all key video formats. You can import any media files from PC disk or videos shot by camcorders, DV cameras, vidicons, webcams, cell phones, etc. Get more information from the chart below.

Pros:

• Allows to edit video by trimming/splitting/merging/rotating/mixing the item
• Adds various simple or complex transitions
• Adds filters/titles/subtitles
• Enables multiple video and audio track
• Imports media files from storage devices and videos taken by camcorders, DVs, vidicons, webcams, cell phones...
• Provides templates that are ready for use

Cons:

• Only applies to Windows users

Detailed steps to edit videos with EaseUS Video Editor:

Step 1. Open EaseUS Video Editor

Download this video editing software and launch it, then, you'll see there are 4:3 and 16:9 modes for your choice. Select the correct mode based on your original video aspect ratio or the websites that your video will be uploaded to.

Step 2. Import Videos

You can import the media that you are going to edit, apply texts/filters/overlays/transitions to the video clips. If you install and run the program for the first time, you can learn how to use the basic editing functions step by step via the prompts.

Step 3. Add to Project

Add video clips to the timeline panel by dragging and dropping from the Media Library. You can also right-click the clips in the "Media" and choose "Add to Project" to load them to the timeline.

Step 4. Edit Videos

Right-click the video and select "Edit".

Then, you can split, trim, speed, rotate, add watermark or enhance video clips.

Step 5. Export Projects

Click "Export" in the Toolbar to export the project. There are four available ways to save the project.

Download the best video editor for beginners from the blue button below.

Free DownloadSupport Windows 11/10/8/7

Top 1. Windows Built-in Video Editing Tool - Photos

Microsoft has offered you a free built-in video app - Photos. This app is one of the best video editors in 2020. It makes it fun and easy to enhance your digital memories. You can not only generate a movie with photos but also edit your videos with basic features. Whether you're a beginner or expert, Photos makes storytelling simple.

Pros:

• Free
• Supports various basic features (Trim, split, adding text, 3D Effects and more)
• Unique feature: Organize and edit your photos and generate them to a movie with one click.

Cons:

• Only has basic features and cannot meet further needs

Also read: The Best Windows 10 Video Editor

Top 2. Corel VideoStudio Pro

Corel VideoStudio Pro is the easy-to-use, but surprisingly creative video editing and movie-making software. Whether you're new to video editing or an experienced editor, there is a VideoStudio that's right for you. This software ranks high with its excellent templates and effects.

Pros:

• Support a wide selection of video-creation tools with a clear and brief interface.
• Support multi-cam editing with HTML5 video page creation.
• Support the stop-motion tool with more than 2000 filters and effects.

Cons:

• It only supports Windows OS (Windows 7 and newer versions).

Top 3. iMovie

To find the best video editing software for beginners using a Mac, you can't miss iMovie. iMovie is a video editing software application developed by Apple Inc. for macOS and iOS devices. It allows users to crop, trim, and arrange video clips in multiple ways. Users can browse the video library and share beautiful moments, creating videos cross-platform.

Pros:

• Easy to learn.
• Support 29 trailer templates, customize video logs, names, etc.
• Support creates and edits 4K and HD videos taken on the iPhone, a camera like GoPro, Ultra HD cameras, and Mac computers.

Cons:

• Import and render times can be a little slow.
• It doesn't have a Windows version.

Top 4. VSDC Free Video Editor

VSDC Free Video Editor is a non-linear editing (NLE) application developed by Flash-Integro, LLC. This video editor has tones of features and you can start for free including color correction and audio editing.

Pros:

• Straightforward to learn with many powerful features.
• Supports a wide range of image/audio/video formats.
• It provides an excellent selection of effects, transitions, and filters.

Cons:

• Technical support is not free.
• Windows only.

Top 5. Blender

Blender is the free and open-source 3D creation suite. It supports 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, video editing, and 2D animation pipeline. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The editor allows you to perform basic actions like video cuts and splicing. It is a very flexible video editor and caters to both beginner and advanced users.

Pros:

• A lot of advanced features, perfect for advanced users.
• It offers a live preview, luma waveform, chroma vectorscope, and histogram displays.
• Allows audio mixing, syncing, scrubbing, and waveform visualization.
• It provides up to 32 tracks for adding clips, images, audio, scenes, masks, and effects.

Cons:

• The learning curve is steeper for beginners.
• Very limited learning resources, because most of the tutorials are focused on the 3D animation/modeling side.

Top 6. Shotcut

This video editing software is also an open-source program. That is to say, it is totally free. You can get access to all the features without the need for a paid upgrade. This video editor supports a wide range of video formats and boasts a great collection of tutorial videos. It can totally meet basic needs.

Pros:

• Totally free
• Supports a wide range of file formats
• Native timeline editing and 4K resolution support

Cons:

• The quirky interface may be off-putting for some users.

Top 7. HitFilm Express

HitFilm Express contains all the features you would expect from a basic editor. It also has advanced features that make it one of the best all-round free video editors out there. Both Windows and Mac users can use it.

Pros:

• Truly professional video editor without the price tag.
• Support both Windows and Mac operating systems.
• It offers free templates.

Cons:

• The interface is a little bit hard to learn.

Top 8. Lightworks

Available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, Lightworks is a great free video editor featured with many video effects. It has been used on many of the finest films in cinema history: The Wolf of Wall Street, LA Confidential, Pulp Fiction, Heat, Road to Perdition, Hugo, The King's Speech, and many more!

Pros:

• Well designed interface, and many advanced features.
• High precision video trimming.
• It has many great video tutorials.

Cons:

• Not for beginners.
• 4K video support only in the paid version.

Top 9. Lumen5

Lumen5 is a video creation platform designed for brands and businesses to produce social content for driving audience engagements online. The goal of the platform is to allow anyone without training or experience to easily create engaging video content within minutes.

Pros:

• Blog-to-social-promo creation.
• Drag-and-drop interface.

Cons:

• It cannot be installed only online.
• Limited features in the free version.

Top 10. Pinnacle Studio

Pinnacle Studio is a fast, full-featured, near-professional-level video-editing application. It is the most flexible and creative video editing suite for those new to Pinnacle. Its unique features are Multi-camera capture and editing, color controls, and stop motion animation.

Pros:

• Clear interface.
• Flexible timeline and storyboard video editor.
• Explore creative possibilities with hundreds of filters, titles, and effects.
• Fast rendering performance in testing.

Cons:

• Occasional crashes in testing.
• It doesn't have a free version.
• Uneven 360-degree VR implementation.

Top 11. DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is a powerful pro-level, cross-platform app that you'll want to use on a system with discrete graphics to get the most out of this video editor. If you had access to the video editing pro level, then you must try DaVinci Resolve. It offers rich functionality than you may have expected.

Pros:

• Provides basic & advanced video editing options
• Offers intelligent edit modes to auto-sync clips and edit
• It has stunning image quality.
• Color correction and audio editing are also excellent

Cons:

• The learning curve is steeper for beginners.
• Its wide array of features makes it a little overwhelming, and not all tutorials are free.

Top 12. Apple Final Cut Pro X

Apple Final Cut Pro X is our pick for the best video editing software for Mac. It is the must-have video editor that is consummately easy to use and comes packed with enough features to warrant the (admittedly high) price tag. This software brings a wealth of power in an interface simple for pros and consumers alike.

Pros:

• Magnetic, trackless timeline.
• Superior organization tools, including libraries, ratings, tagging, auto analysis for faces, scenes.
• Support for 360-degree footage and HDR.

Cons:

• No stabilization or motion tracking for 360-degree video.
• No search in the import dialog.
• Only applies to Mac users

Top 13. Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is a well-known video editing program. It is the best video editor available right now. This software is available for 64-bit editions of Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 and Mac users. Adobe Premiere Pro can handle an uncapped number of video tracks, which can be imported from any source you can think of (files, tapes, cameras of all standards... even VR). But it is hard for beginners even it has powerful features.

Pros:

• Support an unlimited number of video tracks
• Support professional color grading with Illuma tree color panel
• Support to work on both Windows and Mac computers

Cons:

• No 360-degree VR or 3D editing.
• No HEVC support in Windows.
• Steep learning curve

Conclusion

If you are a beginner, EaseUS Video Editor, iMovie and Shotcut is your best choice. While for experienced video editors or filmmakers, Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro X can meet your needs best. If you prefer to share great moments to YouTube with a simple filter and transition effects, EaseUS Video Editor and DaVinci Resolve are your best choice.

People Also Ask These Questions

What is the easiest video editing software for beginners?

I have listed the top 14 video editing software for beginners. Among them, EaseUS Video Editor is the easiest one. With it, you can easily trim, cut, split, merge, rotate, mix video clips, apply stylish video effects, accelerate/slow down your video speed with simple clicks.

What is the best video editor for professionals?

For experienced video editors or filmmakers, Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro X can meet your needs best. You can choose either of them to make movies with advanced features.

What is the best GoPro video editor?

To find out the best GoPro video editor, you can refer to GoPro Video Editor for beginners and pros.

What do most YouTubers use to edit their videos?

According to our survey and test here are the most popular video editing software used by beginning Youtubers:

• iMovie
• EaseUS Video Editor
• Pinnacle Studio
• HitFilm Express
• Adobe Premiere...