The Best Free YouTube Editing Apps
The best YouTube editing apps will help you create great content to get more views on YouTube. If you want to upload videos or you’re on your way to becoming the next viral sensation, editing videos before you upload them is a must for great content, sound effects, and overall visual appeal.
Many advanced video editor apps have features that allow you to add audio tracks, video effects, video transitions, and special effects to a video clip. In this article, we will be giving an overview of what a YouTube video editing app does and discussing the best free YouTube editing apps to make high-quality videos on YouTube.
What Is a YouTube Editing App?
A YouTube editing app is a video editing tool that video editors can use to create high-quality video clips for YouTube. Whether you are looking for a simple online video editor, a mobile video editor, or a professional video editor, there is a lot of video editing software available for creating and uploading stunning video content.
Why Do People Use YouTube Editing Apps?
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People use YouTube editing apps because they help content creators create high-quality video content that viewers and YouTube users will appreciate. Video apps are a powerful tool to help you enhance video quality. Some of them even have a slow-motion tool, multi-cam editing ability, and motion graphics 3D effects to take your video project to the next level.
How the Best YouTube Editing Apps Can Help You Edit a YouTube Video
There are a lot of video editing software that you can use to edit videos for YouTube or any other social media platform. However, if you’re looking for the best, below are some of the features that you should consider when choosing editing software.
Allows You to Trim, Crop, and Control Videos
If you are a beginner and are looking for a video editing app, make sure that your YouTube editing app can trim long videos to make a video clip. To make your videos more viewer-friendly, you have to trim footage to a desirable length. Cropping tools also allow you to choose what the viewer will see.
Can Be Used on Mobile Devices
If you are a beginner video editor or a casual user who does not want to spend a long time editing videos, you should consider using video editing tools that can be used on mobile devices, such as your phone or tablet. Mobile editing apps should be user-friendly and are often used for social media videos.
Allows You to Change the Video Quality
The best YouTube editing apps allow you to change the video quality of the videos you will upload. Consider a video editing tool that will allow you to change the video quality to standard definition, high definition, or even 4k.
The 10 Best YouTube Editing Apps: Overview
| App | Availability | Notable Features | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Premiere Rush | iOS and Android | Simple interface, easy sharing to social media platforms | Free |
| Apple iMovie | iOS | Color matching, chroma key tool, desktop version | Free |
| Clipchamp | iOS | Has online version, automatically create captions | Free |
| DaVinci Resolve | Mac, Windows, Linux | Color correction, audio post-production | $0-$295 |
| KineMaster | iOS and Android | Chroma key tool, smooth interface | $0-$39.99 |
| Pinnacle Studio 24 | Windows | 360-degree video editing, video masking | $59.95 |
| Power Director | iOS and Android | True theater color, motion tracking, 360-degree video editing | $0-$51.95 |
| Quik | iOS and Android | Murals feature, video speed editing | Free |
| VSDC Free Video Editor | iOS | Chroma key tool, supports all popular video formats and codecs | Free |
| Wondershare FilmoraGo | iOS and Android | Noise removal, audio mixer, video stabilization | $0-$79.99 |
The Best YouTube Editing Apps to Make Your Life Easier
Below is a list of the best video editors suited to different video editing skills. Take note that some of the advanced editing tools and features in these apps are only available in paid versions.
DaVinci Resolve | $0-$295
- Best Feature of Paid Version: Has Neural Engine, stereoscopic 3D tools, and extra effects filters and audio plugins
- Biggest Downside of Paid Version: Unnecessary for simple editing, not available on mobile devices
DaVinci Resolve is one of the best video editing software options. It offers plenty of tools even if you are using the free version. However, DaVinci Resolve is not available on mobile devices, which means you’ll need to use Mac, Windows, or Linux. If you like Hollywood-esque editing in your videos for a minimal fee, DaVinci Resolve is for you!
KineMaster | $0-$39.99
- Best Feature of Paid Version: Intuitive user interface
- Biggest Downside of Paid Version: Slow performance on older mobile devices
KineMaster has an excellent range of features for those needing a video editor on a mobile device. It has an intuitive interface and more advanced features than free video editing apps like Apple iMovie. It offers chroma key features, audio mixing, and other advanced features.
Pinnacle Studio 24 | $59.95
- Best Feature of Paid Version: Professional video editing tool
- Biggest Downside of Paid Version: Only available for Windows
Pinnacle Studio 24 is one of the most advanced video editing software available for Windows. It has a smooth and intuitive user interface and is used by most professional video editors. Pinnacle Studio also offers video tutorials on its homepage and has a wide range of tools and powerful features. Its biggest downside is its unavailability on other platforms.
Power Director | $0-$51.95
- Best Feature of Paid Version: Has the best 360-degree video editing tool
- Biggest Downside of Paid Version: Not user-friendly
CyberLink PowerDirector has been one of the go-to apps when it comes to video editing on Windows. There are different versions available, including a mobile version that ranked as one of the best video editors for Android. It features soundtrack fitting, as well as stock content from Getty Images if you wish to add photos while editing video.
Wondershare FilmoraGo | $0-$79.99
- Best Feature of Paid Version: Export videos at a higher quality
- Biggest Downside of Paid Version: No 4K quality option
Wondershare FilmoraGo offers a good range of tools and an excellent editing interface for any level of editing skills. It is considered the best video editing app for Android. You will have the option to choose templated projects or create your own. If you choose to build your content using the provided templates, you cannot edit the effects and background music.
The Best Free YouTube Editing Apps
If you do not want to pay for pro versions of these YouTube editing tools, there are many free alternatives that offer similar additional features. If you are a casual video editor and do not really need the advanced features, here is a list of the best free YouTube editing apps you should check out.
Adobe Premiere Rush
- Best Feature: Shoot, edit, and share videos straight from your mobile devices
- Biggest Downside: Only available for free for Adobe Creative Cloud users
Adobe Premiere Rush is best for vloggers and casual video editors who want to share videos fast. If you have the right system requirements, you will love the simple interface it offers, especially if you are always on the go and want to create and share videos in real-time. You can also learn to use Adobe After Effects to create stunning effects and motion graphics.
Apple iMovie
- Best Feature: Great movie templates and tools for chroma key
- Biggest Downside: Some basic tools are missing
Apple iMovie is an excellent tool for non-professional and casual video editing. It includes tools for media organization, color grading, useful effects for the green screen, and a wide range of music for soundtracks. It works with 4K quality, which makes up for its lack of 360-degree video support. It also has a storyboard for easy movie making.
Clipchamp
- Best Feature: Can be accessed via web browsers
- Biggest Downside: Video watermarks
Clipchamp is an online video editing software that offers the most important basic features a video editor needs. It offers trimming, cutting, speed control, filters, titles, overlays, Zoom meeting editing, green screen, and captions. It also supports a wide range of video file formats and has a clean interface to make things easier when creating a simple video.
Quik
- Best Feature: Works with content on the phone’s camera roll
- Biggest Downside: Free on a trial basis only
If you are accessing video footage from your GoPro, download Quik. It is a video editing software that has its own cloud storage and works with both the GoPro and your smartphone. It also automatically selects your best moments and photos and includes video filters and music to make editing more fun and accessible.
VSDC Free Video Editor
- Best Feature: Motion tracking and text animation
- Biggest Downside: Not available on any Android device or on MacOs, high learning curve
VSDC offers the same editing capabilities as other video editing tools but its biggest downside is its high learning curve for beginners. Even advanced users will have a hard time using it because of its messy interface and nonstandard layout. However, its pro version, which has all the premium features, is the cheapest on the market.
Which of the Best YouTube Editing Apps Should I Choose?
The best YouTube editing app for you is the one that has all your desired features. It does not matter if the app has all the advanced capabilities if you are working on a beginner video project and do not need many advanced video editing features. For those just starting out with video editing, a user-friendly platform and basic tools are more important.
Best YouTube Editing Apps FAQ
No, editing YouTube videos is not difficult. There are many user-friendly apps and video editing software that offer basic video editing features for novice video editors. You can also sign up for courses and other resources to learn video editing.
Most YouTubers use Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut as it offers advanced tools for creating high-quality videos. If you are a casual YouTuber, mobile apps such as the Adobe Premiere Rush might be enough for you.
YouTube supports various file formats. If you are getting an error that mentions invalid file formats, there are many tutorials and apps that can convert your file to a supported format. The best YouTube editing apps export videos to a file format already supported by YouTube.
No, it is not necessary to add visual and audio effects to your videos. However, adding visual effects can be appealing to viewers. You can use editing apps to add these to your videos.
