Did you know that there are professional video editors with whom you can adapt and modify your work to the needs of all your different digital projects?
For a few years now, and given the importance of this format in the world, it seems to me to be of the utmost importance that all the audiovisual archives we use to accompany our contents and sales pages should be as professional as possible.
Therefore, knowing the best programs to edit videos online should be a priority task for you, especially if you want to attract the attention of your target audience with tutorials, webinars and even with short explanatory clips or presentation of services and products.
Even if I’m not a professional, could I use a video editor too?
This is precisely one of the main purposes of this article. Today we want to show you what the best professional programs are, how to use an online video editor and also to show you the most powerful and easy-to-use free options.
But make no mistake about it. Just because you can do it for free doesn’t mean that the quality of these applications is no longer optimal, on the contrary!
Many of them have very interesting features and free or trial versions that can be extended according to your needs, thanks to their premium features.
Now you too can use some of the video editors we’ll show you in this guide, making your clips, movies or audiovisual elements look almost perfect, just as if you were doing it professionally.
I’m sure, having said that, you’ll be looking forward to learning about the best free video editors and how they’re used.
Here I leave you with this impressive list!
Top 20 online video editing programs for your digital projects
It is becoming increasingly common, especially in television or Internet work, for the person making a recording to also sometimes edit the material.
This double task has a functional meaning, because if we record a lot of material, we will know perfectly well what material we have and what clips we want to use.
Another reason why the person who records is also in charge of editing is what we call “camera editing” in audiovisual language.
As its name suggests, it refers to the fact that, as the camera captures the different shots, it already knows how it will edit or edit the video.
And speaking of this term, you may not yet know exactly what I mean. So I will start by giving you a rough definition of what it is all about:
What is video editing?
If we speak in a colloquial way, video editing is about removing those parts of the element that we don’t like and sorting out what we do like. Explained in this way, it may seem a simple task, but it requires professional knowledge at the narrative level in order to create a logical and coherent message.
The best example can be found in a conventional film, which is an audiovisual production or sequence of shots with a logical order, with the aim of making a story.
But in many cases, it is not only to order the material and make the message, since we must, as far as possible, correct the plans that are not in optimal qualities, either by an excess of light, because the white balance has not been done correctly or simply for an aesthetic reason, etc..
In short, we must give more consistency to the recorded material. Besides that, it is very likely that in the edition of the current video file we will have to perform tasks such as sound, embed the titles and include resources and visual effects to the piece.
But what if my PC or Mac isn’t powerful enough to modify these files independently?
Once we know what it is, we may want to do it, but our PC or Mac doesn’t have enough resources to install a professional video editing program.
That’s why 100% online video making and editing programs are the best solution.
The common feature of this type of software is that it is much easier to use than other software such as After Effects or Avid, which, although they offer more possibilities, are intended for professionals in the audiovisual sector.
What are the main advantages of being able to edit a video online?
As you can imagine from what we have said so far, having the possibility of carrying out these editing actions has many advantages.
Some of them are:
- You don’t need a computer with great resources.
- Speed of use. By not needing to download and install programs you avoid this waste of time.
Ease of use and usability. While online editing programs have fewer options for designing your project, they are easier to use for amateur use. - Multiple export options. Most editors offer you multiple export options (full hd, 2k, 4k, etc….), and even many tools allow you to publish your clip directly to social networks.
- Professional results. Currently we find many effects and pre-established transitions that give us the opportunity to give a much more professional look to our work.
20 Free software for editing online videos, also PC and Mac compatible
Here is a selection of the best online editing programs currently available on the Internet, from the simplest editors to some much more professional for the most advanced users:
1. Youtube Editor
First of all, and as it could not be otherwise we will talk about Youtube Editor. The main video platform has its own tool, which allows us to edit our own videos.
Also, with this tool you can upload your videos to YouTube in an easy and fast way.
► The main advantage of this editor is that it allows us to dispense with any program and upload ours directly to the platform, although obviously the results are not going to be the same as the professionals who can give you programs like Sony Vegas or Final Cut.
However, if you are starting to edit videos, you may not need all the tools that these programs provide, and what “Youtube Editor” provides is enough.
► As a disadvantage of this tool, it is important to note that it does not allow exporting or uploading them to a different platform than YouTube.
While it is true that we can find extensions that allow us to download videos once uploaded, to show them privately or upload them to other digital platforms.
In its “editor mode” it has an audio track and an audio-visual track, in which we can embed various fragments of clips until we get the project we want.
It also has various effects and transitions, as well as audios and photographs with licenses for use so that we can complete our video if we deem it appropriate.
As more advanced options, it has brightness settings, automatic color correction or stabilizer, although these options are quite limited and do not always give the result you want.
In short, this is a fairly intuitive and easy-to-use online editor, which does an excellent job for small projects, such as the majority of clips that YouTubers do.
2. Vimeo
The other great platform for the reproduction of visual content, could not be left behind in the video editing industry and also has certain tools to make small changes in your audiovisual files.
The Vimeo editor is very limited but has other functions to take into account, such as integration with Adobe, making it easier to work and manage it.
3. Cameo
Cameo is another Vimeo tool but is intended for mobile phones, and more specifically for iPhone. This app lets you edit and share your “movie” material from your iPhone in a few steps, and best of all, it’s a completely free app.
Record and edit directly from your mobile phone with Cameo, and thanks to Vimeo’s platform you can use hundreds of songs and music from its library, without any restriction of rights.
4. Kizoa
Kizoa is a website that allows us to quickly and easily create any type of thematic element, such as one with photographs of our last trip, one of birthdays, another of graduation, and even our wedding film.
To do this, you’ll find hundreds of templates for different themes or occasions, and this website lets you easily share your video with your contacts on your Facebook page.
For your use, just visit the website and click on start the project. This gives us two different options: Kizoa model templates, where it shows us all the templates that exist for different occasions, and create our template from scratch.
If you choose a template already created, you only need to upload the photos or images you want to incorporate into your video. You can upload them from your own computer or from Facebook and, once you have chosen the photos, the tool will create the clip, automatically arranging them.
Depending on the number of images you have uploaded, your work will be of a shorter or longer duration. The tool also allows us to easily change other details such as the titles that appear in it.
Kizoa is a free online video editor, which allows us to easily create one for a special event in just a few minutes and giving very professional results.
Unlike other editors, it has no timeline as such, you simply upload your photos and customize the texts and music you want to use.
This makes it much easier to use than other editors, but your editing or customization options are also much smaller.
5. Wevideo
Accessing the official site page and registering in the users area we will be able to create and edit our own clips thanks to Wevideo.
Once we have accessed, we will have to choose between 4 plans, if you are starting out in this world the best thing to do is to choose the first option; a free option, but one that gives us plenty of options to create our video online.
Another of the advantages of the Wevideo platform is that it will not only serve as an online video editor, but we will also be able to store the different files we create.
As far as video editing is concerned, Wevideo is very easy to use, so for its use we only need to load the elements that we want to compose our clip.
Then, drag them to the project tracks where you can organize, align and edit each of the audio and video elements you’re going to use.
Its interface for editing is very intuitive, since in addition to the tracks with the usual editing tools, it has 5 tabs that make it one of the best video editors and the most used in the world. Those five eyelashes are:
- Media: where you will find all the clips, audios and images that you upload to make the video editing
- Text: in this tab you can find the different texts and bullets that can be added to the edition.
- Audios: a large number of audios that can be used without any type of restriction in most cases.
- Transitions, which we can use to smooth cuts between clips
- Graphics: different effects to apply in our project.
As they define themselves, Wevideo is an online video editor with which you can easily record, create, view and share your work in 4k resolution.
In short, one of the best editors, which allows you to edit any material anywhere, having full control (effects, transitions, color, titles…..).
6. Clipchamp
Unlike the other programs we have seen so far, Clichamp is not just a video editor, but a more complete tool.
It also has a video converter (export your file to avi, mp4, flv…), recorder, compressor (reduce the size of the video to the minimum expression to distribute it faster) and video editor, and all this online.
Focusing on the editing tool, it has the main features you are looking for (cut, rotate, intensity control, color correction, plugin input, etc.) to edit videos virtually.
At the same time, it has an easy system to share them, once they are finished, reducing their size so that they can be easily shared on social networks (Facebook, Twitter…) and video playback platforms (Vimeo, YouTube…).
The Clipchamp program is an online video editor that has almost no limitations of any kind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MATVHkPV9Qs
Clipchamp allows us to upload and export audiovisual files in any format and resolution thanks to its multiple output options, in a simple way and without affecting the quality of the video.
With the free version you can export up to 5 videos per month of 5 minutes each. If you need a plan that provides you with more options, you can choose the business plan ($7.5/month) or the business plan with which you can export an unlimited number of videos.
7. Mixer Factory
Mixer Factory is by far the most professional online video editing software we can find. Through modules and audio and video tracks, you can customize your project without any limitation.
But it’s not only its much more optimized interface and rendering system, it also offers you extra options, which no other virtual editor can offer you today.
For example, its monetization system, with which you can opt to earn money if you can make more viral videos that reach thousands of people, or its integration with other platforms (Brightcove, Kaltura, JW Player…).
The only drawback of this editor is that it does not have a free version and at most we can opt for a 15-day trial version, to then decide whether or not to pay for this tool.
8. PlayFilm
PlayFilm is the ideal program to create interactive videos, that is, those in which the user who is watching it becomes a participant, either by expanding the information or by watching one animation or another according to the option we choose.
This Online editor works with several “invisible” layers, which function as multimedia elements (images, audios, surveys, forms, interactive buttons…), and which allow the creation of video catalogues and even “gamma” audiovisual archives, where users can participate in the course taken by history.
With PlayFilm, a professional interactive video software, you can easily add all kinds of interactive elements.
Just import the video, drag the interactive actions, and adjust the options to get the effect you want.
It is a program that offers many creative alternatives in the cloud, since it will only be enough to have an Internet connection to access it and we will be able to start creating.
What types of video can be made with PlayFilm?
- The one adapted to eCommerce, makes the store function.
- The video catcher becomes a participatory game.
- The “choice” type chooses several decision points to change the script of the clip.
- The video learning, would have its comparison in the current video tutorials.
Although it can be used with a free account, there are several plans to improve the user experience.
9. Clickberry
Clickberry is an extension that we can configure in our Mozilla Firefox browser.
This video editing program is very interesting because it allows us to add it to our browser, but a desktop version is also available in case we don’t use Firefox.
Like PlayFilm, ClickBerry is an interactive video editing program, so we can create a variety of options for users to decide what they want to do with their video.
It has the advantage of having the option of linking directly to YouTube, so that we can upload our interactive videos directly in a simple way.
10. Videolean
This Online editor has Spanish origin, more specifically Canarian, and works through some pre-designed templates with a structure to make short videos, with a specific objective such as advertising the menu of a restaurant or making your own VÍDEOCURRICULUM.
With Videolean you can modify the template, include texts and sounds and you can now export your video in HD quality to share it on social networks.
Videolean already has over 300,000 users and is perfect for clips with very concise and recurring information.
11. Rocketium
Rocketium is another program for creating and editing online videos, which allows you to use clips for your projects from a library or add the audiovisual material you have created yourself.
Like many of the online editors we’ve seen, it also has preset effects that you can use in your projects.
Rocketium is perfect for creating small pieces for social networks, as the tool allows you to share them at the touch of a button.
Another feature that makes it the ideal editor for social networks is that it has an app available for both Android and iOS users.
12. JW Player Editor
“The most powerful and flexible platform for online video creation” This is the announcement of JW Player Editor, a prestigious and useful tool.
Although it can’t be considered the top of the list, it is one of the best online video editors on the market, as it has features such as plugins that make it easy to incorporate the jobs created on this platform into your WordPress.
It also has the availability of monetizing them, with the inclusion of advertising in them.
It also has a mode for live recording and broadcasting, to broadcast content simultaneously on your social networks.
This “LIVE” mode has a very easy to use interface, which makes it a streaming program to be considered and differentiates it from most editing programs.
13. Filelab
Filelab is a great opportunity for people who want to create videos for YouTube. With no need to install anything, it’s a great alternative to programs like Movie Maker.
Online, we can access an editor with a very simple interface, in which there are only 3 types of functions: add titles, add transitions and add video effects.
In the Filelab editor, it has the tools that any editor has: cut, add file, delete, undo, redo, cut and edit.
To start with our project, we must add the add file to the video and audio tracks until we get the result we want.
14. Online Video Cutter
To finish off with the most basic online video editors, we could not fail to mention this “Internet Video Cutter” (See cuttere’s website).
With an extremely simple and completely free interface, it makes available options such as cutting audiovisual files or rotating them 90, 180 or 270º, but it won’t allow you to do much more than that.
It is worth mentioning because it is one of the first virtual editors that came out, however, its functionalities have remained a little stagnant and any other of the mentioned ones will offer us better features.
Online animated video creation and editing software
In addition to these online video editing tools, I would like to add some of the best programs for creating and editing animated clips, also in a totally VIRTUAL way:
15. Powtoon
PowToon is an online tool for creating animation videos. Its use is perfect for business presentations, product demonstrations, animated computer graphics, etc….
This publisher has a free version, although very limited with respect to the different payment plans that we can find.
The cheapest plan is $19 per month, and if that’s not enough we can opt for the most advanced plan ($299/month), which already allows us to work in full HD, export in multiple formats or store up to 100GB.
When it comes to editing animated videos its use is a little more complex than the other basic editors, but in favor we have that the web has tutorials in English, which will help us to use the tool more easily.
In addition, according to the plan that we choose, we can use already designed templates, in which we simply have to edit the material already created, being able to choose different scenes from each template and creating a new one with the structure that we want.
If you want to create your template from scratch, its use is also very easy and intuitive, since you only have to select the objects or characters and drag them to the scene, indicating in the timeline, when you want to appear or disappear those objects or characters that we have included in our story.
Once our story is finished, we can preview the animation or export it directly, to share it on Vímeo, YouTube, or any other social network.
PowToon is, without a doubt, one of the best platforms for creating and editing animated videos on the Internet, which allows us to create very visual and fun animated clips and presentations.
16. GOAnimate
With Goanimate we can make animated clips online in a similar way to PowToon.
On their website you can choose from a variety of themes, each with several characters and backgrounds, and then just select the accessories you want, and include them in the place you want them to appear on the stage.
Goanimate gives you the option to create your own animated characters, selecting different bodies and costumes, and changing the color of them.
Eyes, hairstyles, noses, mouths and various accessories are other options that we offer, and of which we can adjust its size and position with some simple controls.
You can even find templates with pre-designed characters, if you don’t want to start from scratch. Once your character is ready, with a simple click you can check the type of animations they can make.
To create the animation we only have to prepare the scene in a timeline, as if they were frames from a movie, and incorporate the characters and accessories.
This program also gives you the option to incorporate multiple effects such as zoom or make your clip look black and white.
Another advantage of this program is that it allows you to upload your own material, so you can upload your photos as stage background or props, if you like, as well as different voice clips, music and effects (it has up to 4 audio tracks).
When it comes to spreading your creativity, Goanimate is a tool with multiple options, as you can upload your animations to Internet pages, share them on Twitter or download them and post them on various sites such as Youtube or Facebook.
It also has a community on its official website where you can share all your animations.
17. Renderforest
This program to edit professional videos allows us to make all kinds of animated clips, in a virtual way and without giving up the highest quality.
The creation process of Renderforest is very simple, you can create all kinds of audiovisual material, using any browser and without having to install any kind of plugins on your computer.
From introductory videos or headlines to presentation clips, through material for social networks, and even promotional apps.
It has a wide catalogue of templates from which you will have to choose the one that best suits the type of work you want to do, and then start editing the video elements online.
This cloud-based editing program also allows you to upload your own images, enter custom text and modify any color, thanks to its wide color palette.
Once you have your audiovisual material ready, you can include music or a voiceover and export your video in a few minutes to publish it on your own YouTube or facebook channel with a simple click.
In addition, the platform provides us with an infinite number of resources (short films, images and sounds) to use in our project so that you don’t have to import your own material if you don’t need to.
With Renderforest you only have to drag the material you want to use, customize the template by modifying the texts and colors, and in the shortest possible time you will have your material ready.
It also has a self-storage option, so that you don’t have to worry, in case you have to leave work halfway.
Renderforest provides you with all kinds of templates (whiteboards, scribble films, blackboard animations, etc.), so that you can create your videos in the cloud in just a few steps.
18. Animaker
Animaker is the perfect tool for creating simple animated videos, create 2d animations in the cloud. It has a free version and various payment plans if you require more advanced features.
With Animaker we can create 4 different types of audiovisual files:
Infographics.
2D animations.
Whiteboard” animations.
Animations from typographies.
Here’s a tutorial I’ve prepared for you, where I’ll give you an overview of how it works:
19. Imgflip
Imgflip offers the possibility to create a GIF from a sequence of images or a video.
We won’t be creating an animated film as such, but we will be creating a resource that can be very useful for social networks and even to give our blog a more attractive look.
20. GifMaker
The Gifmaker tool works very similarly to Imgflip, as it allows us to create an image in GIF format, in an online way.
To do this, we just need a couple of images and set the speed at which we want them to alternate, to create our GIF.
This tool can be very useful even for Google Adwords, as it allows us to create Gif’s suitable for Display campaigns, that attract more attention than static images, and therefore, get better results in our campaign.
Again, I leave you with an interesting tutorial, where I tell you how it works “roughly”, so that you can see its potential:
Conclusions
If you want to edit videos, all the online programs (compatible with Mac and PC) we have seen, are characterized by a very simple interface, in which we can load the different audiovisual files we want to incorporate into our project without any complications.
However, they have some limited post-production functions in terms of transitions and advanced effects that we want to incorporate.
For a much more professional use, you can find other tools like “Avid” or “Adobe After Effect” and even advanced and free video editors like Litghworks that can give excellent results if we know how to handle them. But that’s another matter.
Do you know of any other online video editing software that has worked for you in your digital projects?