The Best Free Video Editing Apps for Mobile Devices
Reading Time: 8 minutes In today’s digital era, mobile devices have become a one-stop solution for almost everything, including video editing. Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker, a content creator, or just someone who loves to experiment with videos, having a reliable video editing app on your mobile device is a must.
Unfortunately, with so many options in the app store, it can be hard to know which video editing software is right for you. That’s why we’ll be exploring the best video editing apps available for mobile devices. These apps pack powerful features that can give your videos a professional touch without the need for a fancy PC and without burning a hole in your pocket.
If you’re looking for free video editing software for your desktop or PC, check out our article where we reviewed the best free video editing software for computers.
Table of Contents
Key Features of Free Video Editing Programs
Before we dive in, it’s helpful to know the key features to look for in a free video editing app. Let’s break down five of the most useful features to look for:
- Layering clips: this allows you to overlay multiple video or audio tracks, creating rich, layered content. This is particularly useful for adding text, creating picture-in-picture effects, or blending different footage together.
- Keyframing: this is a fundamental aspect of editing that allows you to animate an object or effect by setting a series of ‘key’ frames. The software then automatically creates the ‘in-between’ frames for smooth transitions or movements.
- Masking: is another crucial feature. This effect allows you to isolate and manipulate specific areas in a video. This can be particularly useful for special effects or targeted adjustments.
- Color grading: these controls are also important. These allow you to adjust the colors in your video, helping you set the mood, match shots taken in different lighting conditions, or simply enhance the overall aesthetic of your footage.
- Export controls: you should look for apps that let you choose the resolution, frame rate, and bit rate of your final video. The reason for this is to ensure your video meets the requirements of whichever platform you’re publishing on.
Free Video Editing Apps
Now that you know what features are important, let’s take a look at our list of the best free video editing apps on the market. In this list, we have compiled apps for Apple and Android devices.
CapCut
If you use TikTok, you’ve probably heard of CapCut. CapCut is a mobile video editor owned by ByteDance, the same company that owns TikTok.
Because of this, CapCut is the best free video editing app to edit videos for TikTok. Not only is it one of the best apps on this list, boasting advanced AI video editing tools like background removal and other effects, but TikTok also favors videos that were edited using CapCut and any of its templates.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Cons:
iMovie
Our next video editor is iMovie. As one of the oldest video editing software apps, iMovie still packs a punch. The powerful video editing software developed by Apple, has revolutionized the way people create and edit videos.
Designed for macOS and iOS devices only, iMovie offers a user-friendly interface combined with an impressive array of features that make it an ideal choice for beginners and experienced video editors alike. If you’re looking to trim clips, add transitions, apply filters, or even create Hollywood-style trailers, iMovie is probably the video editor for you.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Cons:
InShot
InShot is a mobile video editor app that has gained immense popularity in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for its impressive capabilities. InShot is a well-rounded video editing software with useful video editing features like color grading and audio editing.
If you don’t have an Apple device and CapCut isn’t for you, InShot might be the tool you’re looking for. While InShot may lack some advanced features, it makes up for it in simplicity and ease of use.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Cons:
Adobe Premiere Rush
If you’ve done creative work, Adobe is a name you’ve definitely heard before. Adobe Premiere Rush is like the little sibling to the popular professional video editing app Adobe Premiere Pro. If you’re familiar with Adobe, it may surprise you to find out that this video editing software is completely free, as Adobe isn’t really known for its “cheap prices.”
Adobe Premiere Rush is arguably the best free video editor mobile app that you can find. Its only downside lies in the lack of advanced features and pre-made audio and video transitions.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Cons:
VLLO Video Editor
One of the most streamlined video editing apps on our list is VLLO Video Editor. VLLO Video Editor is great for cutting basic video files.
VLLO also has one of the most unique and advanced video editing tools on the list: AI face tracking. This alone will enhance your video clips because it lets you create simple visual effects without much hassle. VLLO is one of the most advanced, intuitive free video editing software you can get on a mobile device.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Cons:
VN Video Editor
The last free video editing software app on our list is VN Video Editor. This free video editing software is fairly basic and does a good job of simply editing videos from start to finish. VN has a similar interface and editing tools to VN Video Editor. Between the two of them, choosing one is mostly a matter of preference.
Unfortunately, VN Video Editor doesn’t have any fancy advanced editing features like masking. But this may be the exact simplicity you need for a free video editor.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Cons:
Video Editing Doesn’t Have to Be Hard
Becoming a creator is one of the most desired achievements in today’s modern world, and video editing is often part of the pathway to get there.
Video editing can seem like a daunting task at first, but when you remember that there is a large selection of free video editing apps available to creators today, most of which you can use on your phone, becoming a creator doesn’t seem as far-fetched.
With each video editing app having its own unique pros and cons, ranging from user-friendliness to in-app ads and advanced features, having access to a list of high-quality free video editing software is essential. Whether you prioritize advanced tools, AI capabilities, or cost-efficiency, there are plenty of free video editing apps in the app store that will help you edit amazing videos.
