Are you frustrated with your slow laptop limiting you from becoming a great video editor? Does your laptop crash or start sending errors whenever you download a new video editing software?
Well, you have come to the right place as today we’ll be looking at the 5 best free video editing softwares for slow or low-end computers.
These include free video editors for windows, chromebook, Linux, Mac etc. that are used by many professionals and Youtubers as well.
1. VSDC Video Editor (Windows) – Best Overall Free Video Editing Software
First on our list is what I think the best overall video editor software for any low-end pc, VSDC video editor, which is only available for windows.
VSDC packs a punch as it is full of amazing resources for creators and video editors. It can make any boring scene look cinematic due to it’s many visual and audio effects as well as their post-production tools making it look extra professional.
All the tools have been grouped into categories for providing ease of use to the user meaning you won’t be overwhelmed once you open the video editor and feel much more comfortable using it.
Features Include:
- Color-correction tool for professional video editing
- A big collection of transitional effects
- Blending modes and Instagram-like Filters
- Masking tools to hide, blur, highlight or add special effects to certain elements
- Motion Tracking
- Easy exporting to social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter etc.
- Video file converter
- HEVC/H.265 (an advanced video compression), for maintaining highest quality with minimum file size
YouTube is filled with a bunch of helpful guides and tutorials like the one below from, Jack Cole to get you started with VSDC.
This is no doubt the best free video editing software for windows.
System requirements for VSDC video editor
- Windows OS: XP SP3 / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10
- 1.5 GHz Processor or higher
- Screen resolution: 1024 x 768 pixels with 16 bit color or higher
- RAM 512MB for the video editing software
- Microsoft DirectX 9.0c or higher
- 300MB of free disc space or more
2. Lightworks – Best Free Video Editor for Linux
Another all-round great video editing software is Lightworks.
Lightworks has a very simple and intuitive user interface/work space which means it’s beginner friendly and provides a comfortable workflow for users.
Lightworks also has a collection of detailed video tutorials to give new users a better and quicker start to using the video editor.
Features Include:
- High-quality simple trim functions for faster video editing
- Speedy workflow as it lets to edit whilst importing new content without any delay
- Supports a wide range of video formats
- Powerful, real-time effects due to it’s in-built, easy to use presets
- Easy exporting to social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter etc.
- Easy, real-time project sharing/collaboration with groups
For me, the shining star here are two things, firstly, I love how the user interface is designed in such a way that even a total beginner who is not familiar with video editing softwares can get started easily and secondly, there are a wide range of stock, royalty-free videos, images and audio clips that you can use to add more content to your videos.
Definitely the best free video editing software for Linux.
System Requirements for Lightworks
- Windows OS, Linux, MAC
- Intel i7 chipset or faster, fast AMD chipset
- High Resolution display, 1920 x 1080px
- At least 200MB disc space to install Lightworks
- Compatible Graphics Card
You can see the detailed specifications here, on Lightworks official website
3. Shotcut – Best Free Video Editor for Laggy Computers
Shotcut is great for laggy computers this is because shotcut has actually optimized it’s software to support low-end computers. Here’s what is says on their website;
“NOTE: If your computer is at the lower end of CPU and RAM requirements, you should use both the Preview Scaling and Proxy features to help reduce preview lag.”
This is an advantage over the other softwares as they don’t have much assistance when it comes to fixing problems, or help dealing with errors, if they occur.
Shotcut’s interface is a bit more complicated to understand especially if you are beginner and even so if you are switching from one video editor to another. However, it does have a range of tutorials and a ton of FAQs.
The uniqueness of Shotcut is it’s extensive audio features as it lets you go above and beyond with it’s audio settings letting you adjust the bass, treble, fine-tuning you name it. So, it’s not just great for video editing but also audio editing!
Features Include:
- Supports the latest audio and video formats via FFmpeg, the leading multimedia framework
- Advanced timeline features such as multi-format timeline and native timeline editing
- Extensive audio controls and filters
- Large collection of video effects and filters including 360 and reverse clips
You can see the detailed list of features here, and download Shotcut for free, here.
System Requirements for Shotcut
- 64 bit Windows OS 7, 8, 8.1, 10, Mac and 64 bit Linux
- x86-64 Intel or AMD; at least one 2 GHz core SD (4 cores for HD and 8 for 4K)
- RAM At least 4gb for SD (8gb for HD and 16gb for 4K)
- GPU OpenGL 2.0. On windows, you can also use a card with good and compatible DirectX 9 or 11 drivers
Download Shotcut for free, here.
4. VideoPad – Best Free Video Editing Software for Beginners
VideoPad is the best free video editing software for beginners. However, this one on our list is targeted especially for beginners as it is a very simple video editor with a number of video and sound effects.
It has some nice features but this video editor isn’t actually ideal for people looking for more advanced features. This is because VideoPad is made to keep it simple providing users with the basic effects and edits needed to make a video.
So, if you are just getting into video editing I would suggest you to get this gem as it doesn’t get any easier than this.
Features Include
- Dual Screen Preview (one to preview selected clips and one for previewing complete sequence)
- Preset transitions to give videos a more professional look
- Easily exports to social media such as Facebook, YouTube etc.
- Big Collection of video and sound effects
- Tools to optimize videos such as, stabilization
System Requirements
- Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and Mac
You can download it here for free
5. HitFilm Express – Free Professional level Video Editor
HitFilm Express is a very modern, up to date, Hollywood style free video editor. Now, keep in mind that since this isn’t your average video editor it may seem way too advanced for beginners as it is typically used to make Hollywood style films
However, it has a range of tutorials on it’s official website that can definitely give you a headstart.
The tutorials are very well made and explained and actually guide you through the makings of actual shortfilms and gaming videos.
According to them they’re software is perfect for, “Beginners, film students, gamers, youtubers or any creative without a budget.”
Features Include
- Professional level video editing with motion tracking, color pickers and cropping tools
- Advanced Animation tools
- Auto-stabilization which makes your videos look smoother
- Unlimited video and audio timeline track creation
- Copying multiple groups from one clip to another or a different project
- Fine tuning for better quality output of audio
- A number of transition and the ability to make your own custom transition
System Requirements
- Windows OS 8 (64 bit), 10 (64 bit), Mac
- Processor 4th generation Intel Core processor or AMD
- Compatible Graphics Card (see the full list here)
- RAM 4GB (8GB recommended but you can still get things done with 4GB)
- Minimum 1GB video memory (2GB for 4K UHD)
You can download HitFilm Express here for free
Conclusion
In this article we looked at how you can still become a great video editor even when you don’t have the money to buy a video editing software and have a slow computer. These video editors are totally free and can definitely help you to make professional quality videos whether it be for Gaming, YouTube your school project etc. These are the best free video editing softwares the internet has to offer especially for slow computers.
