Cutting-Edge Free 4K Video Editors You Need to Try

The Ultra HD video, also known as 4K video , defines 3840 2160 pixels. It became popular in 2016 and has overtaken both HD and ultra-HD to become the video with the highest resolution. Most videos are shot in HD, but as camera technology improves, 4K video seems to have become increasingly common. Because of the additional level of detail that the camera acquires, 4K videos are large files that allow you more editing possibilities.

Several free 4K video editing software has been developed to make video editing relatively easy in recent times. These free 4K video editors allow you to import, edit, and export videos easily. This article will provide you with some of the best free 4K video editors you should try in 2022.

In this article

01 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac

02 Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

03 Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

Part 1: Top 5 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac

1. iMovie

Supported OS: iPhone, iPad, and Mac

iMovie is one of the most popular free 4K Video editing software. Using iMovie, you can create a professional-looking video even without any editing experience. You can import 4K images and 4K videos to iMovie, and then trim, split and add titles, transitions, filters or effects to the video by dragging and dropping. What’s more, you can import and export 60 frames per second video in iMovie.

iMovie is a video editing software that imports video footage from digital video cameras that use the MiniDV format. It can play DV, HDV, AVCHD, iFrame, Animation Codec, and other video formats. You can import 4K videos directly to iMovie and export them as 4K videos at 24fps/30fps/60fps. You can also share the 4K video to YouTube from iMovie directly.

Pros:

1. Switching across different devices:

This free 4K video editor is designed to work together using different devices (iPhone, iPad & Mac). You can begin a project on your iPhone, then transfer it to your iPad using AirDrop or iCloud Drive. It allows you to share what you have worked on to different devices, and you can also send projects from your iPad to your MacBook or iMac.

2. Advanced editing features:

What makes this free 4K video editor special is the ability to add some innovative editing functions when creating and editing your videos. Understandably, any video editor should offer basic editing features; however, iMovie allows you to work with more advanced functions like split-screen , picture-in-picture , and green-screen effects .

3. Saving all the original files

An advantage of working with different devices provides an opportunity to save all original files. It saves you time since you can import any media you need to get your project started in the video editor without losing the original files.

Cons:

• Distorted files: If you don’t follow the importing and exporting process, the files might get distorted, resulting in fuzzy images.
• Only available on iOS/macOS/iPad devices

2. VSDC

Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10

VSDC is a free 4K video editor that allows for beginner-level editing. It supports recording voice-over, capturing the desktop screen, editing the video and audio files. With VSDC, you can blend multiple footage layers into a single composition. You can easily apply a picture-in-picture effect and make things change their appearance or position.

VSDC allows you to import 4K video, audio, and image files. To successfully import these files; Click ‘Shift + I’ to add an image, ‘Shift A’ to add an audio file, and ‘Shift V’ to add a video file. VSDC allows you to export 4K videos to PC or share to web platforms like YouTube. To export these files, go to the export project tab at the top, and then set the profile to the highest quality. Click the Edit profile button and then select the 4K preset from the list. Choose the video and audio quality size, and then save the video as 4K.

Pros:

• Every tool for video editing is available
• Amazing Visual Effects
• Efficient Text Processing
• Lots of Blending modes

Cons:

• Pro editing features are missing
• Available for Windows only
• Audio waveform and hardware acceleration features are not available

3. ShotCut

Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Shotcut is another free 4K video editor made for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows gadgets. It has wide arranged support that features its astounding usefulness. This 4K video editing software may not be the most alluring programming you see, yet it can assist with making the process of editing smooth and straightforward.

This professional video editing software support almost all the latest audio and video formats, including ProRes, DNxHD, and 4K, and it allows you to trim, cut, insert, and overwrite the video and audio. With its video effects, you can do color correction and grading, add fade-in and fade-out effects, reverse the clip, and even edit the 360° videos.

Here is a completed video tutorial from YouTuber Kevin Stratvert, which provides almost all information about how to use Shotcut, including how to create a project, add media, edit clips and export.

Pros:

• Easy Access: The 4K video editor is open source. Users can easily alter the source codes, enabling the process of editing simple and clear.
• Shotcut has every one of the required instruments to give excellent outcomes to clients. It has all elements of good video editing software and a bunch of other supportive and current choices.
• Shotcut offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to finish a project quickly while having it examined by multiple members of your team. Its preview panel gives users access to a quick start menu, and its view menu lets them decide which features appear on the screen. The software’s video and audio filters are the most amazing of all its features. These filters can be customized, and they can be combined and layered in a variety of ways. Adjusting is now easier thanks to the easy checkbox and slider systems. Shotcut is so good that it makes even the most complicated effects understandable to the average user.

Cons:

• The platform might be a bit confusing when using the software for the first time because the interface isn’t intuitive.

4. LightWorks

Supported OS: Windows, Linux, and macOS

Lightworks is another video editor that can edit 4K videos from EditShare for people who have video editing experience. It has a simple and intuitive user interface, and you will find LOG, EDIT, VFX, and AUDIO tabs at the top of the interface. It integrates some paid royalty-free audio files, so you don’t need to find the background music from somewhere else. This software has some advanced editing features such as Multicam editing and batch export. It even supports third-party plugins, such as Boris FX, Boris Graffiti, and GenArts Sapphire. It enables its users to freely edit videos, even to the extent of trimming a video down to the size you desire.

However, if you want to export the videos in 4K, you need to pay, since it is limited to Lightworks Pro users.

Pros:

• The software allows clips to be easily imported and provides a platform where these clips can be played. This is made possible because this 4K video editor provides an interface made of panels such as bins, timeline, and edit review.
• Lightworks provides an easy way of applying varieties of effects from different clips in a coordinated manner. The software utilizes the hub-based framework to put together clips and recordings, which is needed for clips with numerous effects and tracks.
• Navigating this software, a right-click menu allows the user to export videos directly to YouTube. Also, the software automatically saves your work, so you don’t lose the files you’ve worked on.

Cons:

• Poor quality exporting options when making use of the free version (720p only)
• You need to register first to use it

5. Filmora Instant Cutter Tool

Supporting OS: Windows and Mac

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Filmora is one of the best video editors for beginners to create professional-looking videos in a modern way. One of the biggest advantages of using Filmora is its resources. You can now search the resources in the search bar and drag and drop them to the timeline to preview the result without paying first.

Some of you may say, Filmora is not a free video editor since there will be a watermark at the export video. But here, I will introduce the Instant Cutter Tool which is a perfect tool to trim and merge large 4K videos and action camera videos. This free 4k tool provides a proper way of instantly trimming or merging videos without de-coding, which means the video resolution will not be changed. Using the instant cutter tool, you can upload or merge files of huge sizes in different formats, such as MP4/MOV or MTS/M2TS.

Note: You can try some legal ways to remove the Filmora watermark without paying .

Pros:

• Clean and Intuitive User Interface
• 4K Video Support
• Trim and merge large videos quickly

Cons:

• Limited video formats supported when using Instant Cutter Tool

Part 2: Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

While the general features of the best free 4K video editors have been discussed, it’s important you are aware of some specific requirements your system must possess to edit your videos successfully. Irrespective of the kind of device you’re using to edit your videos, you need to pay attention to some features your device must have. However, these requirements depend on the 4K video editing software free.

• Central Processing Unit (CPU): The Processor of the software being used must be Intel Core i7, 2.3Ghz four-core; this is applicable if you will be editing your videos offline. Then, Dual Intel Xeon 2Ghz six-core is applicable if you will be editing your videos online.
• Random Access Memory (RAM): Preferably an 8GB Memory if you’re editing offline, and 32GB Memory if you’re editing online.
• Internal storage: The required storage must be sufficient because 4K videos are huge files.

Note: Offline editing refers to editing a proxy file of the original source material ; online editing is the editing of the original material.

Part 3: Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

• Choose the software based on your hardware: To choose the best 4K video editing software free, you must not opt for an editing software with higher requirements than your hardware; such software won’t work well on your device. You should instead select an editing software with lower requirements.
• Split large 4K videos into several parts: It has been reiterated that 4K videos are huge files; to edit your videos smoothly, it is recommended to split up the videos and edit one after the other. This will save you from heavy data loss.
• Enable graphics accelerator: A graphic accelerator is used in video editing to turbocharge your video exporting. It’s usually clung to a video board of your system. It makes the editing easier and faster by preventing a heavy workload.

02 Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

03 Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

Part 1: Top 5 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac

1. iMovie

Supported OS: iPhone, iPad, and Mac

iMovie is one of the most popular free 4K Video editing software. Using iMovie, you can create a professional-looking video even without any editing experience. You can import 4K images and 4K videos to iMovie, and then trim, split and add titles, transitions, filters or effects to the video by dragging and dropping. What’s more, you can import and export 60 frames per second video in iMovie.

iMovie is a video editing software that imports video footage from digital video cameras that use the MiniDV format. It can play DV, HDV, AVCHD, iFrame, Animation Codec, and other video formats. You can import 4K videos directly to iMovie and export them as 4K videos at 24fps/30fps/60fps. You can also share the 4K video to YouTube from iMovie directly.

Pros:

1. Switching across different devices:

This free 4K video editor is designed to work together using different devices (iPhone, iPad & Mac). You can begin a project on your iPhone, then transfer it to your iPad using AirDrop or iCloud Drive. It allows you to share what you have worked on to different devices, and you can also send projects from your iPad to your MacBook or iMac.

2. Advanced editing features:

What makes this free 4K video editor special is the ability to add some innovative editing functions when creating and editing your videos. Understandably, any video editor should offer basic editing features; however, iMovie allows you to work with more advanced functions like split-screen , picture-in-picture , and green-screen effects .

3. Saving all the original files

An advantage of working with different devices provides an opportunity to save all original files. It saves you time since you can import any media you need to get your project started in the video editor without losing the original files.

Cons:

• Distorted files: If you don’t follow the importing and exporting process, the files might get distorted, resulting in fuzzy images.
• Only available on iOS/macOS/iPad devices

2. VSDC

Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10

VSDC is a free 4K video editor that allows for beginner-level editing. It supports recording voice-over, capturing the desktop screen, editing the video and audio files. With VSDC, you can blend multiple footage layers into a single composition. You can easily apply a picture-in-picture effect and make things change their appearance or position.

VSDC allows you to import 4K video, audio, and image files. To successfully import these files; Click ‘Shift + I’ to add an image, ‘Shift A’ to add an audio file, and ‘Shift V’ to add a video file. VSDC allows you to export 4K videos to PC or share to web platforms like YouTube. To export these files, go to the export project tab at the top, and then set the profile to the highest quality. Click the Edit profile button and then select the 4K preset from the list. Choose the video and audio quality size, and then save the video as 4K.

Pros:

• Every tool for video editing is available
• Amazing Visual Effects
• Efficient Text Processing
• Lots of Blending modes

Cons:

• Pro editing features are missing
• Available for Windows only
• Audio waveform and hardware acceleration features are not available

3. ShotCut

Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Shotcut is another free 4K video editor made for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows gadgets. It has wide arranged support that features its astounding usefulness. This 4K video editing software may not be the most alluring programming you see, yet it can assist with making the process of editing smooth and straightforward.

This professional video editing software support almost all the latest audio and video formats, including ProRes, DNxHD, and 4K, and it allows you to trim, cut, insert, and overwrite the video and audio. With its video effects, you can do color correction and grading, add fade-in and fade-out effects, reverse the clip, and even edit the 360° videos.

Here is a completed video tutorial from YouTuber Kevin Stratvert, which provides almost all information about how to use Shotcut, including how to create a project, add media, edit clips and export.

Pros:

• Easy Access: The 4K video editor is open source. Users can easily alter the source codes, enabling the process of editing simple and clear.
• Shotcut has every one of the required instruments to give excellent outcomes to clients. It has all elements of good video editing software and a bunch of other supportive and current choices.
• Shotcut offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to finish a project quickly while having it examined by multiple members of your team. Its preview panel gives users access to a quick start menu, and its view menu lets them decide which features appear on the screen. The software’s video and audio filters are the most amazing of all its features. These filters can be customized, and they can be combined and layered in a variety of ways. Adjusting is now easier thanks to the easy checkbox and slider systems. Shotcut is so good that it makes even the most complicated effects understandable to the average user.

Cons:

• The platform might be a bit confusing when using the software for the first time because the interface isn’t intuitive.

4. LightWorks

Supported OS: Windows, Linux, and macOS

Lightworks is another video editor that can edit 4K videos from EditShare for people who have video editing experience. It has a simple and intuitive user interface, and you will find LOG, EDIT, VFX, and AUDIO tabs at the top of the interface. It integrates some paid royalty-free audio files, so you don’t need to find the background music from somewhere else. This software has some advanced editing features such as Multicam editing and batch export. It even supports third-party plugins, such as Boris FX, Boris Graffiti, and GenArts Sapphire. It enables its users to freely edit videos, even to the extent of trimming a video down to the size you desire.

However, if you want to export the videos in 4K, you need to pay, since it is limited to Lightworks Pro users.

Pros:

• The software allows clips to be easily imported and provides a platform where these clips can be played. This is made possible because this 4K video editor provides an interface made of panels such as bins, timeline, and edit review.
• Lightworks provides an easy way of applying varieties of effects from different clips in a coordinated manner. The software utilizes the hub-based framework to put together clips and recordings, which is needed for clips with numerous effects and tracks.
• Navigating this software, a right-click menu allows the user to export videos directly to YouTube. Also, the software automatically saves your work, so you don’t lose the files you’ve worked on.

Cons:

• Poor quality exporting options when making use of the free version (720p only)
• You need to register first to use it

5. Filmora Instant Cutter Tool

Supporting OS: Windows and Mac

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Filmora is one of the best video editors for beginners to create professional-looking videos in a modern way. One of the biggest advantages of using Filmora is its resources. You can now search the resources in the search bar and drag and drop them to the timeline to preview the result without paying first.

Some of you may say, Filmora is not a free video editor since there will be a watermark at the export video. But here, I will introduce the Instant Cutter Tool which is a perfect tool to trim and merge large 4K videos and action camera videos. This free 4k tool provides a proper way of instantly trimming or merging videos without de-coding, which means the video resolution will not be changed. Using the instant cutter tool, you can upload or merge files of huge sizes in different formats, such as MP4/MOV or MTS/M2TS.

Note: You can try some legal ways to remove the Filmora watermark without paying .

Pros:

• Clean and Intuitive User Interface
• 4K Video Support
• Trim and merge large videos quickly

Cons:

• Limited video formats supported when using Instant Cutter Tool

Part 2: Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

While the general features of the best free 4K video editors have been discussed, it’s important you are aware of some specific requirements your system must possess to edit your videos successfully. Irrespective of the kind of device you’re using to edit your videos, you need to pay attention to some features your device must have. However, these requirements depend on the 4K video editing software free.

• Central Processing Unit (CPU): The Processor of the software being used must be Intel Core i7, 2.3Ghz four-core; this is applicable if you will be editing your videos offline. Then, Dual Intel Xeon 2Ghz six-core is applicable if you will be editing your videos online.
• Random Access Memory (RAM): Preferably an 8GB Memory if you’re editing offline, and 32GB Memory if you’re editing online.
• Internal storage: The required storage must be sufficient because 4K videos are huge files.

Note: Offline editing refers to editing a proxy file of the original source material ; online editing is the editing of the original material.

Part 3: Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

• Choose the software based on your hardware: To choose the best 4K video editing software free, you must not opt for an editing software with higher requirements than your hardware; such software won’t work well on your device. You should instead select an editing software with lower requirements.
• Split large 4K videos into several parts: It has been reiterated that 4K videos are huge files; to edit your videos smoothly, it is recommended to split up the videos and edit one after the other. This will save you from heavy data loss.
• Enable graphics accelerator: A graphic accelerator is used in video editing to turbocharge your video exporting. It’s usually clung to a video board of your system. It makes the editing easier and faster by preventing a heavy workload.

02 Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

03 Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

Part 1: Top 5 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac

1. iMovie

Supported OS: iPhone, iPad, and Mac

iMovie is one of the most popular free 4K Video editing software. Using iMovie, you can create a professional-looking video even without any editing experience. You can import 4K images and 4K videos to iMovie, and then trim, split and add titles, transitions, filters or effects to the video by dragging and dropping. What’s more, you can import and export 60 frames per second video in iMovie.

iMovie is a video editing software that imports video footage from digital video cameras that use the MiniDV format. It can play DV, HDV, AVCHD, iFrame, Animation Codec, and other video formats. You can import 4K videos directly to iMovie and export them as 4K videos at 24fps/30fps/60fps. You can also share the 4K video to YouTube from iMovie directly.

Pros:

1. Switching across different devices:

This free 4K video editor is designed to work together using different devices (iPhone, iPad & Mac). You can begin a project on your iPhone, then transfer it to your iPad using AirDrop or iCloud Drive. It allows you to share what you have worked on to different devices, and you can also send projects from your iPad to your MacBook or iMac.

2. Advanced editing features:

What makes this free 4K video editor special is the ability to add some innovative editing functions when creating and editing your videos. Understandably, any video editor should offer basic editing features; however, iMovie allows you to work with more advanced functions like split-screen , picture-in-picture , and green-screen effects .

3. Saving all the original files

An advantage of working with different devices provides an opportunity to save all original files. It saves you time since you can import any media you need to get your project started in the video editor without losing the original files.

Cons:

• Distorted files: If you don’t follow the importing and exporting process, the files might get distorted, resulting in fuzzy images.
• Only available on iOS/macOS/iPad devices

2. VSDC

Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10

VSDC is a free 4K video editor that allows for beginner-level editing. It supports recording voice-over, capturing the desktop screen, editing the video and audio files. With VSDC, you can blend multiple footage layers into a single composition. You can easily apply a picture-in-picture effect and make things change their appearance or position.

VSDC allows you to import 4K video, audio, and image files. To successfully import these files; Click ‘Shift + I’ to add an image, ‘Shift A’ to add an audio file, and ‘Shift V’ to add a video file. VSDC allows you to export 4K videos to PC or share to web platforms like YouTube. To export these files, go to the export project tab at the top, and then set the profile to the highest quality. Click the Edit profile button and then select the 4K preset from the list. Choose the video and audio quality size, and then save the video as 4K.

Pros:

• Every tool for video editing is available
• Amazing Visual Effects
• Efficient Text Processing
• Lots of Blending modes

Cons:

• Pro editing features are missing
• Available for Windows only
• Audio waveform and hardware acceleration features are not available

3. ShotCut

Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Shotcut is another free 4K video editor made for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows gadgets. It has wide arranged support that features its astounding usefulness. This 4K video editing software may not be the most alluring programming you see, yet it can assist with making the process of editing smooth and straightforward.

This professional video editing software support almost all the latest audio and video formats, including ProRes, DNxHD, and 4K, and it allows you to trim, cut, insert, and overwrite the video and audio. With its video effects, you can do color correction and grading, add fade-in and fade-out effects, reverse the clip, and even edit the 360° videos.

Here is a completed video tutorial from YouTuber Kevin Stratvert, which provides almost all information about how to use Shotcut, including how to create a project, add media, edit clips and export.

Pros:

• Easy Access: The 4K video editor is open source. Users can easily alter the source codes, enabling the process of editing simple and clear.
• Shotcut has every one of the required instruments to give excellent outcomes to clients. It has all elements of good video editing software and a bunch of other supportive and current choices.
• Shotcut offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to finish a project quickly while having it examined by multiple members of your team. Its preview panel gives users access to a quick start menu, and its view menu lets them decide which features appear on the screen. The software’s video and audio filters are the most amazing of all its features. These filters can be customized, and they can be combined and layered in a variety of ways. Adjusting is now easier thanks to the easy checkbox and slider systems. Shotcut is so good that it makes even the most complicated effects understandable to the average user.

Cons:

• The platform might be a bit confusing when using the software for the first time because the interface isn’t intuitive.

4. LightWorks

Supported OS: Windows, Linux, and macOS

Lightworks is another video editor that can edit 4K videos from EditShare for people who have video editing experience. It has a simple and intuitive user interface, and you will find LOG, EDIT, VFX, and AUDIO tabs at the top of the interface. It integrates some paid royalty-free audio files, so you don’t need to find the background music from somewhere else. This software has some advanced editing features such as Multicam editing and batch export. It even supports third-party plugins, such as Boris FX, Boris Graffiti, and GenArts Sapphire. It enables its users to freely edit videos, even to the extent of trimming a video down to the size you desire.

However, if you want to export the videos in 4K, you need to pay, since it is limited to Lightworks Pro users.

Pros:

• The software allows clips to be easily imported and provides a platform where these clips can be played. This is made possible because this 4K video editor provides an interface made of panels such as bins, timeline, and edit review.
• Lightworks provides an easy way of applying varieties of effects from different clips in a coordinated manner. The software utilizes the hub-based framework to put together clips and recordings, which is needed for clips with numerous effects and tracks.
• Navigating this software, a right-click menu allows the user to export videos directly to YouTube. Also, the software automatically saves your work, so you don’t lose the files you’ve worked on.

Cons:

• Poor quality exporting options when making use of the free version (720p only)
• You need to register first to use it

5. Filmora Instant Cutter Tool

Supporting OS: Windows and Mac

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Filmora is one of the best video editors for beginners to create professional-looking videos in a modern way. One of the biggest advantages of using Filmora is its resources. You can now search the resources in the search bar and drag and drop them to the timeline to preview the result without paying first.

Some of you may say, Filmora is not a free video editor since there will be a watermark at the export video. But here, I will introduce the Instant Cutter Tool which is a perfect tool to trim and merge large 4K videos and action camera videos. This free 4k tool provides a proper way of instantly trimming or merging videos without de-coding, which means the video resolution will not be changed. Using the instant cutter tool, you can upload or merge files of huge sizes in different formats, such as MP4/MOV or MTS/M2TS.

Note: You can try some legal ways to remove the Filmora watermark without paying .

Pros:

• Clean and Intuitive User Interface
• 4K Video Support
• Trim and merge large videos quickly

Cons:

• Limited video formats supported when using Instant Cutter Tool

Part 2: Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

While the general features of the best free 4K video editors have been discussed, it’s important you are aware of some specific requirements your system must possess to edit your videos successfully. Irrespective of the kind of device you’re using to edit your videos, you need to pay attention to some features your device must have. However, these requirements depend on the 4K video editing software free.

• Central Processing Unit (CPU): The Processor of the software being used must be Intel Core i7, 2.3Ghz four-core; this is applicable if you will be editing your videos offline. Then, Dual Intel Xeon 2Ghz six-core is applicable if you will be editing your videos online.
• Random Access Memory (RAM): Preferably an 8GB Memory if you’re editing offline, and 32GB Memory if you’re editing online.
• Internal storage: The required storage must be sufficient because 4K videos are huge files.

Note: Offline editing refers to editing a proxy file of the original source material ; online editing is the editing of the original material.

Part 3: Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

• Choose the software based on your hardware: To choose the best 4K video editing software free, you must not opt for an editing software with higher requirements than your hardware; such software won’t work well on your device. You should instead select an editing software with lower requirements.
• Split large 4K videos into several parts: It has been reiterated that 4K videos are huge files; to edit your videos smoothly, it is recommended to split up the videos and edit one after the other. This will save you from heavy data loss.
• Enable graphics accelerator: A graphic accelerator is used in video editing to turbocharge your video exporting. It’s usually clung to a video board of your system. It makes the editing easier and faster by preventing a heavy workload.

02 Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

03 Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

Part 1: Top 5 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac

1. iMovie

Supported OS: iPhone, iPad, and Mac

iMovie is one of the most popular free 4K Video editing software. Using iMovie, you can create a professional-looking video even without any editing experience. You can import 4K images and 4K videos to iMovie, and then trim, split and add titles, transitions, filters or effects to the video by dragging and dropping. What’s more, you can import and export 60 frames per second video in iMovie.

iMovie is a video editing software that imports video footage from digital video cameras that use the MiniDV format. It can play DV, HDV, AVCHD, iFrame, Animation Codec, and other video formats. You can import 4K videos directly to iMovie and export them as 4K videos at 24fps/30fps/60fps. You can also share the 4K video to YouTube from iMovie directly.

Pros:

1. Switching across different devices:

This free 4K video editor is designed to work together using different devices (iPhone, iPad & Mac). You can begin a project on your iPhone, then transfer it to your iPad using AirDrop or iCloud Drive. It allows you to share what you have worked on to different devices, and you can also send projects from your iPad to your MacBook or iMac.

2. Advanced editing features:

What makes this free 4K video editor special is the ability to add some innovative editing functions when creating and editing your videos. Understandably, any video editor should offer basic editing features; however, iMovie allows you to work with more advanced functions like split-screen , picture-in-picture , and green-screen effects .

3. Saving all the original files

An advantage of working with different devices provides an opportunity to save all original files. It saves you time since you can import any media you need to get your project started in the video editor without losing the original files.

Cons:

• Distorted files: If you don’t follow the importing and exporting process, the files might get distorted, resulting in fuzzy images.
• Only available on iOS/macOS/iPad devices

2. VSDC

Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10

VSDC is a free 4K video editor that allows for beginner-level editing. It supports recording voice-over, capturing the desktop screen, editing the video and audio files. With VSDC, you can blend multiple footage layers into a single composition. You can easily apply a picture-in-picture effect and make things change their appearance or position.

VSDC allows you to import 4K video, audio, and image files. To successfully import these files; Click ‘Shift + I’ to add an image, ‘Shift A’ to add an audio file, and ‘Shift V’ to add a video file. VSDC allows you to export 4K videos to PC or share to web platforms like YouTube. To export these files, go to the export project tab at the top, and then set the profile to the highest quality. Click the Edit profile button and then select the 4K preset from the list. Choose the video and audio quality size, and then save the video as 4K.

Pros:

• Every tool for video editing is available
• Amazing Visual Effects
• Efficient Text Processing
• Lots of Blending modes

Cons:

• Pro editing features are missing
• Available for Windows only
• Audio waveform and hardware acceleration features are not available

3. ShotCut

Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Shotcut is another free 4K video editor made for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows gadgets. It has wide arranged support that features its astounding usefulness. This 4K video editing software may not be the most alluring programming you see, yet it can assist with making the process of editing smooth and straightforward.

This professional video editing software support almost all the latest audio and video formats, including ProRes, DNxHD, and 4K, and it allows you to trim, cut, insert, and overwrite the video and audio. With its video effects, you can do color correction and grading, add fade-in and fade-out effects, reverse the clip, and even edit the 360° videos.

Here is a completed video tutorial from YouTuber Kevin Stratvert, which provides almost all information about how to use Shotcut, including how to create a project, add media, edit clips and export.

Pros:

• Easy Access: The 4K video editor is open source. Users can easily alter the source codes, enabling the process of editing simple and clear.
• Shotcut has every one of the required instruments to give excellent outcomes to clients. It has all elements of good video editing software and a bunch of other supportive and current choices.
• Shotcut offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to finish a project quickly while having it examined by multiple members of your team. Its preview panel gives users access to a quick start menu, and its view menu lets them decide which features appear on the screen. The software’s video and audio filters are the most amazing of all its features. These filters can be customized, and they can be combined and layered in a variety of ways. Adjusting is now easier thanks to the easy checkbox and slider systems. Shotcut is so good that it makes even the most complicated effects understandable to the average user.

Cons:

• The platform might be a bit confusing when using the software for the first time because the interface isn’t intuitive.

4. LightWorks

Supported OS: Windows, Linux, and macOS

Lightworks is another video editor that can edit 4K videos from EditShare for people who have video editing experience. It has a simple and intuitive user interface, and you will find LOG, EDIT, VFX, and AUDIO tabs at the top of the interface. It integrates some paid royalty-free audio files, so you don’t need to find the background music from somewhere else. This software has some advanced editing features such as Multicam editing and batch export. It even supports third-party plugins, such as Boris FX, Boris Graffiti, and GenArts Sapphire. It enables its users to freely edit videos, even to the extent of trimming a video down to the size you desire.

However, if you want to export the videos in 4K, you need to pay, since it is limited to Lightworks Pro users.

Pros:

• The software allows clips to be easily imported and provides a platform where these clips can be played. This is made possible because this 4K video editor provides an interface made of panels such as bins, timeline, and edit review.
• Lightworks provides an easy way of applying varieties of effects from different clips in a coordinated manner. The software utilizes the hub-based framework to put together clips and recordings, which is needed for clips with numerous effects and tracks.
• Navigating this software, a right-click menu allows the user to export videos directly to YouTube. Also, the software automatically saves your work, so you don’t lose the files you’ve worked on.

Cons:

• Poor quality exporting options when making use of the free version (720p only)
• You need to register first to use it

5. Filmora Instant Cutter Tool

Supporting OS: Windows and Mac

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Filmora is one of the best video editors for beginners to create professional-looking videos in a modern way. One of the biggest advantages of using Filmora is its resources. You can now search the resources in the search bar and drag and drop them to the timeline to preview the result without paying first.

Some of you may say, Filmora is not a free video editor since there will be a watermark at the export video. But here, I will introduce the Instant Cutter Tool which is a perfect tool to trim and merge large 4K videos and action camera videos. This free 4k tool provides a proper way of instantly trimming or merging videos without de-coding, which means the video resolution will not be changed. Using the instant cutter tool, you can upload or merge files of huge sizes in different formats, such as MP4/MOV or MTS/M2TS.

Note: You can try some legal ways to remove the Filmora watermark without paying .

Pros:

• Clean and Intuitive User Interface
• 4K Video Support
• Trim and merge large videos quickly

Cons:

• Limited video formats supported when using Instant Cutter Tool

Part 2: Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

While the general features of the best free 4K video editors have been discussed, it’s important you are aware of some specific requirements your system must possess to edit your videos successfully. Irrespective of the kind of device you’re using to edit your videos, you need to pay attention to some features your device must have. However, these requirements depend on the 4K video editing software free.

• Central Processing Unit (CPU): The Processor of the software being used must be Intel Core i7, 2.3Ghz four-core; this is applicable if you will be editing your videos offline. Then, Dual Intel Xeon 2Ghz six-core is applicable if you will be editing your videos online.
• Random Access Memory (RAM): Preferably an 8GB Memory if you’re editing offline, and 32GB Memory if you’re editing online.
• Internal storage: The required storage must be sufficient because 4K videos are huge files.

Note: Offline editing refers to editing a proxy file of the original source material ; online editing is the editing of the original material.

Part 3: Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

• Choose the software based on your hardware: To choose the best 4K video editing software free, you must not opt for an editing software with higher requirements than your hardware; such software won’t work well on your device. You should instead select an editing software with lower requirements.
• Split large 4K videos into several parts: It has been reiterated that 4K videos are huge files; to edit your videos smoothly, it is recommended to split up the videos and edit one after the other. This will save you from heavy data loss.
• Enable graphics accelerator: A graphic accelerator is used in video editing to turbocharge your video exporting. It’s usually clung to a video board of your system. It makes the editing easier and faster by preventing a heavy workload.

Unlocking the Power of Color in Final Cut Pro

Color Correction in Final Cut Pro

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Most of the advanced camera units these days are capable enough to produce shots with rich quality automatically but still some professionals need to edit captured videos for little color correction. The major reasons behind this additional color correction are:

• Some people need to correct their mistakes on captured videos; it can be due to an incorrect balance of white and due to under or over-exposure at some points.
• Customize different video clips by matching them so that they appear in sequence even if they are captured at different moments.
• For creating a specific style or look in order to support your mood; for example, one may need to make scenes appear cold, dark, cheery, warm, bright or foreboding.

No matter what you want to do for the customization of your videos, Final Cut Pro can provide your complete assistance. The details below can help you to collect complete information about color correction techniques.

---

The steps below can help all beginners to develop easy video edited projects using Final Cut Pro, but if some of you find this platform a little difficult then it is good to start practicing as a beginner on Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a well-known video editor tool for Mac users that contains all powerful features and an interactive user interface to facilitate all beginners.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

Related article:

• How to Correct Color in iMovie >>
• Color Correction and Color Grading >>

Methods to Correct Color in Final Cut Pro

Those who wish to use FCP for color signal editing need to follow these steps:

Step 1

First you need to open Color Board on FCP as there is an automatic color correction tool available inside. The Video Board can be opened by using three different ways:

• You can select audio enhancement and color correction options available below the viewer and then hit “Show Color Board”. It can be simply done by pressing CMD + 6.

• On effect browser you can easily access color correction effects inside the color category; that is also easier to allocate.

• Choose Window and then click on Go To, you will find Color Board on the appeared drop-down menu.

• All the color correction effects will start appearing in the effects section available on the video inspector.

Step 2

As soon as you start working on Color Board, it is good to open Video Scopes on your system. For this you need to click on a small icon of light switch available at the top right corner of the viewer and then select Show Video Scopes from drop-down menu. It can be also done by simply pressing Command+7.

As soon as you make this selection, the video scopes window will automatically appear on the next viewer. Here users can easily obtain information related to the current video frame, and they can be easily configured as per need. Go to the settings option available on the top right side of the window and then hit the Waveform option.

Step 3

Now it is time to work on color correction directly. There are three types of color corrections that users need to work upon: Hue, Saturation, and Exposure. Here is some brief information about all of these:

Exposure or Brightness: On the Color board window you can easily make adjustments for brightness levels of video clips. As you move on to different portions of the image ranging between dark and white parts, the scope will keep on displaying waveforms with values between 0 and 100 representing darkness and brightness respectively. The master slider available on screen helps users to make overall adjustments for brightness by using three control options: highlights for white circles, midtones for gray scale and shadows for black parts. Consider waveform values as a guide for adjustment and move controls up and down to adjust contrast as per need.

Saturation: It refers to the richness of colors in an image. Simply select saturation pane from the color board and on the video scopes window you can use the settings menu directly to adjust saturation information for every pixel. The image pixels that are far away from the center of vectorscope circle means they are more saturated as compared to pixels that are little bit closure.

Hue: Hue displays the actual color values in images or frames in terms of primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. Use color pane from color board to adjust hue that is displayed in the form of a rainbow on screen. It is possible to manipulate values for highlights, midtones and shadows individually as per need. Using the histogram option available on settings menu can help you to make direct adjustments for all these components.

Step 4

It is possible to preview all the corrections on the original image before making them final. Simple hit the arrow with left-facing formation in the top left corner of the Color Board and then return to the video inspector. Hit on the Blue box to switch between correction On and Off options.

Here’s the video tutorial on how to correct color in Final Cut Pro:

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Most of the advanced camera units these days are capable enough to produce shots with rich quality automatically but still some professionals need to edit captured videos for little color correction. The major reasons behind this additional color correction are:

• Some people need to correct their mistakes on captured videos; it can be due to an incorrect balance of white and due to under or over-exposure at some points.
• Customize different video clips by matching them so that they appear in sequence even if they are captured at different moments.
• For creating a specific style or look in order to support your mood; for example, one may need to make scenes appear cold, dark, cheery, warm, bright or foreboding.

No matter what you want to do for the customization of your videos, Final Cut Pro can provide your complete assistance. The details below can help you to collect complete information about color correction techniques.

---

The steps below can help all beginners to develop easy video edited projects using Final Cut Pro, but if some of you find this platform a little difficult then it is good to start practicing as a beginner on Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a well-known video editor tool for Mac users that contains all powerful features and an interactive user interface to facilitate all beginners.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

Related article:

• How to Correct Color in iMovie >>
• Color Correction and Color Grading >>

Methods to Correct Color in Final Cut Pro

Those who wish to use FCP for color signal editing need to follow these steps:

Step 1

First you need to open Color Board on FCP as there is an automatic color correction tool available inside. The Video Board can be opened by using three different ways:

• You can select audio enhancement and color correction options available below the viewer and then hit “Show Color Board”. It can be simply done by pressing CMD + 6.

• On effect browser you can easily access color correction effects inside the color category; that is also easier to allocate.

• Choose Window and then click on Go To, you will find Color Board on the appeared drop-down menu.

• All the color correction effects will start appearing in the effects section available on the video inspector.

Step 2

As soon as you start working on Color Board, it is good to open Video Scopes on your system. For this you need to click on a small icon of light switch available at the top right corner of the viewer and then select Show Video Scopes from drop-down menu. It can be also done by simply pressing Command+7.

As soon as you make this selection, the video scopes window will automatically appear on the next viewer. Here users can easily obtain information related to the current video frame, and they can be easily configured as per need. Go to the settings option available on the top right side of the window and then hit the Waveform option.

Step 3

Now it is time to work on color correction directly. There are three types of color corrections that users need to work upon: Hue, Saturation, and Exposure. Here is some brief information about all of these:

Exposure or Brightness: On the Color board window you can easily make adjustments for brightness levels of video clips. As you move on to different portions of the image ranging between dark and white parts, the scope will keep on displaying waveforms with values between 0 and 100 representing darkness and brightness respectively. The master slider available on screen helps users to make overall adjustments for brightness by using three control options: highlights for white circles, midtones for gray scale and shadows for black parts. Consider waveform values as a guide for adjustment and move controls up and down to adjust contrast as per need.

Saturation: It refers to the richness of colors in an image. Simply select saturation pane from the color board and on the video scopes window you can use the settings menu directly to adjust saturation information for every pixel. The image pixels that are far away from the center of vectorscope circle means they are more saturated as compared to pixels that are little bit closure.

Hue: Hue displays the actual color values in images or frames in terms of primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. Use color pane from color board to adjust hue that is displayed in the form of a rainbow on screen. It is possible to manipulate values for highlights, midtones and shadows individually as per need. Using the histogram option available on settings menu can help you to make direct adjustments for all these components.

Step 4

It is possible to preview all the corrections on the original image before making them final. Simple hit the arrow with left-facing formation in the top left corner of the Color Board and then return to the video inspector. Hit on the Blue box to switch between correction On and Off options.

Here’s the video tutorial on how to correct color in Final Cut Pro:

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Most of the advanced camera units these days are capable enough to produce shots with rich quality automatically but still some professionals need to edit captured videos for little color correction. The major reasons behind this additional color correction are:

• Some people need to correct their mistakes on captured videos; it can be due to an incorrect balance of white and due to under or over-exposure at some points.
• Customize different video clips by matching them so that they appear in sequence even if they are captured at different moments.
• For creating a specific style or look in order to support your mood; for example, one may need to make scenes appear cold, dark, cheery, warm, bright or foreboding.

No matter what you want to do for the customization of your videos, Final Cut Pro can provide your complete assistance. The details below can help you to collect complete information about color correction techniques.

---

The steps below can help all beginners to develop easy video edited projects using Final Cut Pro, but if some of you find this platform a little difficult then it is good to start practicing as a beginner on Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a well-known video editor tool for Mac users that contains all powerful features and an interactive user interface to facilitate all beginners.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

Related article:

• How to Correct Color in iMovie >>
• Color Correction and Color Grading >>

Methods to Correct Color in Final Cut Pro

Those who wish to use FCP for color signal editing need to follow these steps:

Step 1

First you need to open Color Board on FCP as there is an automatic color correction tool available inside. The Video Board can be opened by using three different ways:

• You can select audio enhancement and color correction options available below the viewer and then hit “Show Color Board”. It can be simply done by pressing CMD + 6.

• On effect browser you can easily access color correction effects inside the color category; that is also easier to allocate.

• Choose Window and then click on Go To, you will find Color Board on the appeared drop-down menu.

• All the color correction effects will start appearing in the effects section available on the video inspector.

Step 2

As soon as you start working on Color Board, it is good to open Video Scopes on your system. For this you need to click on a small icon of light switch available at the top right corner of the viewer and then select Show Video Scopes from drop-down menu. It can be also done by simply pressing Command+7.

As soon as you make this selection, the video scopes window will automatically appear on the next viewer. Here users can easily obtain information related to the current video frame, and they can be easily configured as per need. Go to the settings option available on the top right side of the window and then hit the Waveform option.

Step 3

Now it is time to work on color correction directly. There are three types of color corrections that users need to work upon: Hue, Saturation, and Exposure. Here is some brief information about all of these:

Exposure or Brightness: On the Color board window you can easily make adjustments for brightness levels of video clips. As you move on to different portions of the image ranging between dark and white parts, the scope will keep on displaying waveforms with values between 0 and 100 representing darkness and brightness respectively. The master slider available on screen helps users to make overall adjustments for brightness by using three control options: highlights for white circles, midtones for gray scale and shadows for black parts. Consider waveform values as a guide for adjustment and move controls up and down to adjust contrast as per need.

Saturation: It refers to the richness of colors in an image. Simply select saturation pane from the color board and on the video scopes window you can use the settings menu directly to adjust saturation information for every pixel. The image pixels that are far away from the center of vectorscope circle means they are more saturated as compared to pixels that are little bit closure.

Hue: Hue displays the actual color values in images or frames in terms of primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. Use color pane from color board to adjust hue that is displayed in the form of a rainbow on screen. It is possible to manipulate values for highlights, midtones and shadows individually as per need. Using the histogram option available on settings menu can help you to make direct adjustments for all these components.

Step 4

It is possible to preview all the corrections on the original image before making them final. Simple hit the arrow with left-facing formation in the top left corner of the Color Board and then return to the video inspector. Hit on the Blue box to switch between correction On and Off options.

Here’s the video tutorial on how to correct color in Final Cut Pro:

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Most of the advanced camera units these days are capable enough to produce shots with rich quality automatically but still some professionals need to edit captured videos for little color correction. The major reasons behind this additional color correction are:

• Some people need to correct their mistakes on captured videos; it can be due to an incorrect balance of white and due to under or over-exposure at some points.
• Customize different video clips by matching them so that they appear in sequence even if they are captured at different moments.
• For creating a specific style or look in order to support your mood; for example, one may need to make scenes appear cold, dark, cheery, warm, bright or foreboding.

No matter what you want to do for the customization of your videos, Final Cut Pro can provide your complete assistance. The details below can help you to collect complete information about color correction techniques.

---

The steps below can help all beginners to develop easy video edited projects using Final Cut Pro, but if some of you find this platform a little difficult then it is good to start practicing as a beginner on Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a well-known video editor tool for Mac users that contains all powerful features and an interactive user interface to facilitate all beginners.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

Related article:

• How to Correct Color in iMovie >>
• Color Correction and Color Grading >>

Methods to Correct Color in Final Cut Pro

Those who wish to use FCP for color signal editing need to follow these steps:

Step 1

First you need to open Color Board on FCP as there is an automatic color correction tool available inside. The Video Board can be opened by using three different ways:

• You can select audio enhancement and color correction options available below the viewer and then hit “Show Color Board”. It can be simply done by pressing CMD + 6.

• On effect browser you can easily access color correction effects inside the color category; that is also easier to allocate.

• Choose Window and then click on Go To, you will find Color Board on the appeared drop-down menu.

• All the color correction effects will start appearing in the effects section available on the video inspector.

Step 2

As soon as you start working on Color Board, it is good to open Video Scopes on your system. For this you need to click on a small icon of light switch available at the top right corner of the viewer and then select Show Video Scopes from drop-down menu. It can be also done by simply pressing Command+7.

As soon as you make this selection, the video scopes window will automatically appear on the next viewer. Here users can easily obtain information related to the current video frame, and they can be easily configured as per need. Go to the settings option available on the top right side of the window and then hit the Waveform option.

Step 3

Now it is time to work on color correction directly. There are three types of color corrections that users need to work upon: Hue, Saturation, and Exposure. Here is some brief information about all of these:

Exposure or Brightness: On the Color board window you can easily make adjustments for brightness levels of video clips. As you move on to different portions of the image ranging between dark and white parts, the scope will keep on displaying waveforms with values between 0 and 100 representing darkness and brightness respectively. The master slider available on screen helps users to make overall adjustments for brightness by using three control options: highlights for white circles, midtones for gray scale and shadows for black parts. Consider waveform values as a guide for adjustment and move controls up and down to adjust contrast as per need.

Saturation: It refers to the richness of colors in an image. Simply select saturation pane from the color board and on the video scopes window you can use the settings menu directly to adjust saturation information for every pixel. The image pixels that are far away from the center of vectorscope circle means they are more saturated as compared to pixels that are little bit closure.

Hue: Hue displays the actual color values in images or frames in terms of primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. Use color pane from color board to adjust hue that is displayed in the form of a rainbow on screen. It is possible to manipulate values for highlights, midtones and shadows individually as per need. Using the histogram option available on settings menu can help you to make direct adjustments for all these components.

Step 4

It is possible to preview all the corrections on the original image before making them final. Simple hit the arrow with left-facing formation in the top left corner of the Color Board and then return to the video inspector. Hit on the Blue box to switch between correction On and Off options.

Here’s the video tutorial on how to correct color in Final Cut Pro:

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Easy Video Joiner Is Free Software that Is Created to Help Users to Join, Merge and Combine Different Video Clips to Form a Single Movie

During video editing, one of the most basic steps that people take is cutting and merging clips together in succession. One should use the best video joiner alternative application for the best results with distinctive functionality for video merging, splitting, and other fundamental features.

Multiple options are available in the market that offer the video joining functionality with additional editing features. Make your decision after careful deliberation, and we will help you with that. Here is a list of the top 12 software to try, including their crucial details.

1. Wondershare Filmora
2. Freemake Video Converter
3. VidCutter

• Ultimate Overview on 12 Best Alternatives to Video Joiner
• 12 Best Video Joiner Alternatives

1. MKVToolnix
2. MP4Tools
3. VidCutter
4. Wondershare Filmora
5. Freemake Video Converter
6. Timbre
7. Boilsoft Video Joiner
8. Windows Movie Maker
9. MediaJoin
10. Free Video Dub
11. FormatFactory
12. HandBrake

• How to Edit a Video with a Video Joiner Alternative

1. How to use Filmora to Edit Videos?

• Hot FAQs on Video Joiner Alternatives

Part 1: Top 3 Picks for Video Joiner Alternatives

Three notable apps stand out quite well in terms of the best video joiner alternative apps. For a clearer overview, here are some basic details on each.

1. Wondershare Filmora - Best for All-Around Video Editing Qualities

Filmora is a better choice for editing experts and beginners for a comprehensive video editing tool. Use this software to trim and merge clips and add other high-quality effects.

Download it from Microsoft Store and Mac App Store.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Free with upgraded plans starting at USD 19.99.

2. Freemake Video Converter- Best for High-Grade Video Format Support During Editing/Converting

The software is both a converter and editor for different types of formatted videos, making it suitable for operating in multiple device types. Take a few steps to convert and edit the files you add, and easily share across social media platforms.

Download it from the Official Website

Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Available for free.

3. VidCutter- Best for Beginners with Timecode-based Video Trimming/Joining

Need a simple open-source tool for straightforward video editing work? VidCutter allows users to trim their video files into multiple shorter sections and clip them sequentially.

Download it from communities like GitHub .

Rating: 2.7 out of 5

Available for free.

Part 2: Ultimate Overview on 12 Best Alternatives to Video Joiner

Yes, the last three options are the top of the line regarding the video cutter for PC. But other options are also available to try out, with specific uses and functions.

Read ahead to know the basics about each that you should consider selecting the right video cutter software for your needs. For a perusal, here’s a comparative table.

OS Compatibility	Price	Ease of Use	Overall Ratings
MKVToolnix	Linux, Windows, other Unices	Free	Medium-Hard	4.7
MP4Tools	Windows, Mac	Free	Medium	3.3
VidCutter	Windows, OSX	Free	Medium-Hard	2.7
Wondershare Filmora	Windows, Mac, iPad	Annual-$49.99, Perpetual-$79.99	Easy	4.5
Freemake Video Converter	Windows	Free	Easy	4.4
Timbre	Android	Free with in-app costs starting at USD 0.61	Easy-Medium	3.4
Boilsoft Video Joiner	Windows, Mac	USD 29.95	Easy-Medium	3.2
Windows MovieMaker	Windows	Free, Pro- USD 15	Medium-Hard	4
MediaJoin	Windows	Free	Easy	3
Free Video Dub	Windows	Free	Easy-Medium	3.7
FormatFactory	Windows	Free	Medium-Hard	4.5
HandBrake	Windows, Mac, Linux	Free	Easy-Medium	4.7

Part 3: 12 Best Video Joiner Alternatives

Besides the basic details on the 12 different video joiner tools, there are more points about their performance and usage you must consider. Learn about each other more in-depth here.

1. MKVToolnix

Best for Cutting and Merging MKV Files

MKVToolnix includes a wide range of editing tools suitable for MKV file editing and creation on different OS platforms. With this free utility, you will have the option to study the MKV file thoroughly for performance quality and crop out unnecessary parts. Merge the accepted clips without transition errors.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: Official Website

Key Features:

• Multi-OS support.
• Contains a set of editing tools within the platform.
• Analyze the MKV files thoroughly before editing.
• Multiple coded versions for different binaries and operating systems.

Pros

• Possible to append or add files to videos
• GUI-centric batch muxing is possible
• Possible to edit the Matroska files

Cons

• Multiple subtitle formats like SRT file containers are not supported
• It is not possible to split or append FLAC-formatted audio tracks

Ratings: 4.7 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

Users find many users of this tool on different operating systems with a GUI focus. The ability to set preferences INI files and job queue factors within environmental variables makes it suitable for use.

2. MP4Tools

Best for Open-Source Video Splitting/Joining

Users opt for this online video joiner, free with open-source benefits. The software includes different tools in itself for specialized video editing functions, like MP4Splitter, to cut the files into different sections without any quality loss or re-encoding necessary. The same is available for merging files, like with the MP4 Joiner tool.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: Official Website

Key Features:

• Multiple languages are supported.
• Works on different devices with varying operating systems.
• Avoid reencoding before cutting the MP4 file into multiple clips.
• No loss in video resolution quality.

Pros

• GNU-protected open-source software
• Multiple editing tools are available for quick video cutting and merging work
• No major or secondary package installation is needed

Cons

• Limited advanced functions for editing
• Only allows MP4-based editing work

Ratings: 3.3 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

MP4tools contains different tools that make it simple for users to create and alter MP4 videos for different devices. With this, users find it easier to get fast video processing for hardware types.

3. VidCutter

Best for Beginners with Timecode-based Video Trimming/Joining

VidCutter is another top video joiner alternative to try out for standard-level video editing and trimming. Beginners and professional-level editors alike can try out the features of this tool for full-scale video cutting and merging, finally into one cohesive MP4 file.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: developer communities like GitHub

Key Features:

• Change the frame shape.
• Combine the cut clips into a full video for output.
• Accessible on any device.
• Easily rotate video from one style to the other without affecting video quality.

Pros

• Supports drag-and-drop functionality for playback setup
• Timecode video playback
• Cut a video into multiple sections easily

Cons

• Advanced OS-compatible native software is unavailable
• Supports videos that are 500 MB in size or lower

Ratings: 2.7 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

Reviewers regarding the software mention the fast performance with different video editing work as the best USP of this software. VidCutter is simple to use.

4. Wondershare Filmora

Best for All-Around Video Editing Qualities

The Wondershare Filmora 11 software is a capable video joiner alternative with miscellaneous editing benefits available. You can work with the desktop-based tool to trim sections of the video, crop size, and rearrange the clips as needed for merging. The features are quick to use, and preset templates and effects are available to create seamless transitions.

Cost: Free, Annual- USD 49.99, Perpetual- USD 79.99

How to Download/Get: Official Website , Microsoft Store , Mac App Store

Key Features:

• FX Plugin support for additional effects like NewBlue FX and Boris FX.
• Crop, split, merge, and rotate the video clips.
• Add an audio track or voiceover in the background.
• AI-powered tools for quick edits like the Instant Mode feature.

Pros

• Support drag and drop functionality
• Multiple features that benefit professional editors and new users
• Advanced editing features like TTS/STT support, denoise, equalizer, and more

Cons

• Not possible to move editing files from the Instant Mode section to the editor timeline under the free plan
• Watermarks are available in video for free trial users

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

According to reviews , the simple and user-friendly interface and navigations make Filmora a capable software for video editing. One can use the animation and video templates available and change the background with Chroma key supply, among others.

5. Freemake Video Converter

Best for High-Grade Video Format Support During Editing/Converting

Another top-quality video joiner for PC that you should give a try is the Freemake Video Converter. With this software, you can access media files in multiple formats and even convert them into any format or size for different devices. It supports both common and rare formats, like AVI, MP4, DVD, MP3, 3GP, , MTS, SWF, and more.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: Official Website

Key Features:

• Prepare slideshows with different images and cut clips.
• Transfer final videos for different gadget types.
• Acquire and convert videos from other sites like Dailymotion.
• Trim and convert video files into different formats.

Pros

• Upload the final file directly to other sites, like YouTube
• Supports 500+ formats in audio and video files
• Batch processing is allowed

Cons

• Cannot use it offline at all
• Only for Windows users

Ratings: 4.4 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

Users with and without much technical knowledge can find it suitable to use this software for video editing purposes, like splitting and merging files. Expert reviewers mention the no ad and pre-set output profile supports as major pros of this software.

6. Timbre

Best for Trimming Video and Audio Files of Different Formats

With the Timbre video editor tool, users can find it simple to cut videos and songs into multiple sections as needed. The software is compatible with different video formats, so it is simple to use this for editing various video file types. Later, merge the clips in the sequence you prefer with seamless transitions. Cut out unnecessary video parts if needed.

Cost: Free, with in-app paid elements that cost USD 0.61- USD 12.22 per item

How to Download/Get: Google Play Store

Key Features:

• Use raw mpeg in-built console to fine-tune your editing clip playback.
• Adjust video and audio speed.
• Edit out specific parts like the audio from videos.
• Split the file into two separate clips.

Pros

• Supports multiple types of audio and video formats for editing
• Compress files with custom bitrate
• Convert video to other formats like GIFs

Cons

• Only for Android users
• Cannot efficiently maintain or optimize the original quality of the file you are editing

Ratings: 3.4 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

This app is highly useful for quick and efficient video cutting and merging capabilities for Android users. The speed of processing is reasonable as well.

7. Boilsoft Video Joiner

Best for Cutting and Joining Varying Video Formats with No Reencoding

You use the Boilsoft Video Joiner to cut different video files, even if they have different formats. Then, it is simple to use the Direct Stream Clone Mode to join similar ones without necessary encoding and without affecting the quality. The Encode Mode feature here allows users to join video files without different formats as well.

Cost: USD 29.95

How to Download/Get: Official Website

Key Features:

• Customize video specifications like aspect ratio, bitrate, codec, frame size, etc.
• Cut and combine unlimited video clips with different formats using Encode mode.
• Preview the video after making edits.
• Supports various formats for input and output among audio and video files.

Pros

• Works as a suitable video cutter on different device types
• Users can customize their personal adaptive profile for video encoding
• Drag and drop support

Cons

• No free version
• Only supported on some Windows devices

Ratings: 3.2 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

Users find it easy to use this software to drag the files into the editor, cut the fines, and adjust specifications.

8. Windows Movie Maker

Best for Multiple Windows-based Video Editing Functions

If you want to create movie-like projects after trimming and merging different sections cohesively, Windows Movie Maker is a capable software choice. After trimming and merging clips, you can add music to the video file to give a suitable background soundtrack. Not to mention, it supports a wide range of video formats.

Cost: Free, Pro- USD 15

How to Download/Get: Microsoft Store

Key Features:

• Use quick tools for cropping, joining, and splitting video files.
• Use green screen and video overlaying functions.
• Rotate, trim, and merge videos in your project.
• Add a high-quality soundtrack to the video.

Pros

• Adjust the background sound volume
• Advanced editing functions are capable like other video editing software
• Multiple output formats and resolutions are supported

Cons

• 4K support is not available for free users
• You must upgrade the software to a paid plan to improve project management features

Ratings: 4 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

As per reviews , Windows Movie Maker has a straightforward UI without any overwhelming features for new users. It is useful for handling various video editing tasks, like animation, music, images, and text addition.

9. MediaJoin

Best for cropping videos and text files

For video cutter free download, MediaJoin is a capable choice for editing experts to try out. One can easily try out the program to cut and combine different audio and video clips into a single project. It supports different formats such as WAV/MP3/MPEG/MPG and even allows users to cut and combine text-based files.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: third-party site URL

Key Features:

• Easily combine audio and video clips.
• Supports different video and audio formats like MP4, MP3, WAV, and MPEG.
• Compile text files into one cohesive document.
• Extremely lightweight software.

Pros

• No complex additional downloads are necessary
• Users can use this program without any cost
• Simple usability for beginners

Cons

• Official link with native app unavailable
• Best for older Windows versions only

Ratings: 3 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

People who need to handle basic-level video editing work can opt for MediaJoin for quick and simple trimming/joining functions. Beginners find it easier to handle this tool.

10. Free Video Dub

Best for Fine-tuning Videos After Cropping

Free Video Dub is an efficient software that you can use in a portable manner across different devices, especially useful for video editing. Expect a wide range of cutting tools that make it simple to split and shape the clips, rearrange them, add filters, and preview the changes before posting.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: third-party site URL

Key Features:

• Use markers to remove video fragments.
• Cut the clips easily and run them on other editing software afterward.
• Supports different video formats, like MOV, DIVX, MPEG-1/2, MPEG-4, FLV, XVID, and M4V.
• Control video playback consistently to see the edited file quality.

Pros

• Easy to proceed frame-by-frame to refine the cropped clips
• No major software download is necessary
• Users can get video files with the preserved format and input quality

Cons

• No native software
• A limited number of modern functions are available

Ratings: 3.7 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

Users of Free Video Club enjoy the beginner-friendly functionality of this tool. It is easy to work with to edit and combine video files in different formats, like MKV, MP4, WMV, and AVI.

11. FormatFactory

Best for clipping video/audio and converter different media file formats

FormatFactory, as a video cutter for PC, offers users multiple functions with joining, cutting, clipping, and cropping video and audio files. With this tool, you can also convert the file into other formats after downloading from online video sources or uploading it from the device storage. As for cropping videos specially, you can rip other devices, like DVDs, and crop the sections from that.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: Website

Key Features:

• Split, clip, crop, join, and do other such standard edits with HandBrake.
• Supports file formats of multimedia files from other devices, like iPods.
• Easily reduce file size and backup.
• Video format conversion and cutting functions are available.

Pros

• Supports multiple languages, and you can add more to the team
• Allows users to download and upload videos from other websites like YouTube
• It is possible to DVD rip with this software

Cons

• Separate versions to download for 32-bit and 64-bit-supported devices
• Need to rename all file names in English if they contain any special characters

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

According to expert reviews , the file joining and mixing utilities and batching processing functions make Format Factory a suitable choice for many. Plus, one can rip DVDs, CDs, and Blu-rays with this.

12. HandBrake

Best for Encoded Video Editing

Handbrake is one of the most noteworthy and widely likely free video joiner for PC users. The software supports specific video/audio/image codecs, and allows users to cut the file with other specification-based adjustments. Preview the cut part and merge the clips into singular files without quality loss or overwriting.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: Website

Key Features:

• Add video filters, like denoise, decomb, grayscale, etc.
• Scale and crop video files with chapter markets.
• Queue the encoding processes, and expect average and constant quality bitrate video-based encoding.
• Supports multiple audio and video encoders.

Pros

• GNU licensed open-source support
• Select the video section range, chapter, and title
• Preview the video file and live static

Cons

• It cannot work with protected video sources
• Limited file containers are supported, like WEBM, MP4, and MKV

Ratings: 4.7 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

Per reviewers , the ability to convert files quickly and other editing tools in HandBrake make it a capable software. It supports several codecs and assures zero quality loss after editing.

Part 4: How to Edit a Video with a Video Joiner Alternative

Yes, all of the software options given are suitable in different manners to editing video files with standard cutting and joining functions. However, for an overall high-quality video editing experience, you can expect a better experience with the advanced editing features of Filmora.

How to use Filmora to Edit Videos?

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1 Install the Filmora software on your PC and launch it.

Step2 Press New Project > Click here to import media. Add the video you will edit from your device.

Step3 Drag the imported file to the editor timeline.

Step4 Right-click + Ctrl on the video clip and choose functions like scene detection.

Step5 Choose the clip on the timeline and place the cursor playhead at the exact point where you will split the video.

Step6 Right-click the video clip and choose Split. Alternatively, you can click on the red-colored scissor icon at the playhead to instantly cut the clip.

Step7 Arrange the clips in a specific sequence on the timeline. Press the Export button >Make setting changes like choosing the save location, and press the Export button.

For a better understanding of the process of editing video files, watch this video to get visual learning:

Hot FAQs on Video Joiner Alternatives

1. Does Video Joiner still keep updating?

Yes, the Video Joiner app is updated in terms of its functions, but other options like Filmora ensure more modern features and consistent version upgrades exist.

2. What Features Should I Look for in a Video Joiner Alternative?

To choose the best video joiner alternative, you should check if it can cut files into multiple sections, processing speed, and simplicity in UI. Also, consider if the software allows batch-processing benefits and multi-format support.

Final Words

Indeed, there are multiple different video joiner app alternatives with strong functionality, support for different devices/OS, and smooth UI. On all fronts, Filmora is a capable choice for users who want advanced feature benefits simultaneously with a simpler learning curve. Try this out, as well as the other options, before settling on one.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

• MKVToolnix
• MP4Tools
• VidCutter
• Wondershare Filmora
• Freemake Video Converter
• Timbre
• Boilsoft Video Joiner
• Windows Movie Maker
• MediaJoin
• Free Video Dub
• FormatFactory
• HandBrake
• How to Edit a Video with a Video Joiner Alternative

1. How to use Filmora to Edit Videos?

• Hot FAQs on Video Joiner Alternatives

Part 1: Top 3 Picks for Video Joiner Alternatives

Three notable apps stand out quite well in terms of the best video joiner alternative apps. For a clearer overview, here are some basic details on each.

1. Wondershare Filmora - Best for All-Around Video Editing Qualities

Filmora is a better choice for editing experts and beginners for a comprehensive video editing tool. Use this software to trim and merge clips and add other high-quality effects.

Download it from Microsoft Store and Mac App Store.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Free with upgraded plans starting at USD 19.99.

2. Freemake Video Converter- Best for High-Grade Video Format Support During Editing/Converting

The software is both a converter and editor for different types of formatted videos, making it suitable for operating in multiple device types. Take a few steps to convert and edit the files you add, and easily share across social media platforms.

Download it from the Official Website

Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Available for free.

3. VidCutter- Best for Beginners with Timecode-based Video Trimming/Joining

Need a simple open-source tool for straightforward video editing work? VidCutter allows users to trim their video files into multiple shorter sections and clip them sequentially.

Download it from communities like GitHub .

Rating: 2.7 out of 5

Available for free.

Part 2: Ultimate Overview on 12 Best Alternatives to Video Joiner

Yes, the last three options are the top of the line regarding the video cutter for PC. But other options are also available to try out, with specific uses and functions.

Read ahead to know the basics about each that you should consider selecting the right video cutter software for your needs. For a perusal, here’s a comparative table.

OS Compatibility	Price	Ease of Use	Overall Ratings
MKVToolnix	Linux, Windows, other Unices	Free	Medium-Hard	4.7
MP4Tools	Windows, Mac	Free	Medium	3.3
VidCutter	Windows, OSX	Free	Medium-Hard	2.7
Wondershare Filmora	Windows, Mac, iPad	Annual-$49.99, Perpetual-$79.99	Easy	4.5
Freemake Video Converter	Windows	Free	Easy	4.4
Timbre	Android	Free with in-app costs starting at USD 0.61	Easy-Medium	3.4
Boilsoft Video Joiner	Windows, Mac	USD 29.95	Easy-Medium	3.2
Windows MovieMaker	Windows	Free, Pro- USD 15	Medium-Hard	4
MediaJoin	Windows	Free	Easy	3
Free Video Dub	Windows	Free	Easy-Medium	3.7
FormatFactory	Windows	Free	Medium-Hard	4.5
HandBrake	Windows, Mac, Linux	Free	Easy-Medium	4.7

Part 3: 12 Best Video Joiner Alternatives

Besides the basic details on the 12 different video joiner tools, there are more points about their performance and usage you must consider. Learn about each other more in-depth here.

1. MKVToolnix

Best for Cutting and Merging MKV Files

MKVToolnix includes a wide range of editing tools suitable for MKV file editing and creation on different OS platforms. With this free utility, you will have the option to study the MKV file thoroughly for performance quality and crop out unnecessary parts. Merge the accepted clips without transition errors.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: Official Website

Key Features:

• Multi-OS support.
• Contains a set of editing tools within the platform.
• Analyze the MKV files thoroughly before editing.
• Multiple coded versions for different binaries and operating systems.

Pros

• Possible to append or add files to videos
• GUI-centric batch muxing is possible
• Possible to edit the Matroska files

Cons

• Multiple subtitle formats like SRT file containers are not supported
• It is not possible to split or append FLAC-formatted audio tracks

Ratings: 4.7 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

Users find many users of this tool on different operating systems with a GUI focus. The ability to set preferences INI files and job queue factors within environmental variables makes it suitable for use.

2. MP4Tools

Best for Open-Source Video Splitting/Joining

Users opt for this online video joiner, free with open-source benefits. The software includes different tools in itself for specialized video editing functions, like MP4Splitter, to cut the files into different sections without any quality loss or re-encoding necessary. The same is available for merging files, like with the MP4 Joiner tool.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: Official Website

Key Features:

• Multiple languages are supported.
• Works on different devices with varying operating systems.
• Avoid reencoding before cutting the MP4 file into multiple clips.
• No loss in video resolution quality.

Pros

• GNU-protected open-source software
• Multiple editing tools are available for quick video cutting and merging work
• No major or secondary package installation is needed

Cons

• Limited advanced functions for editing
• Only allows MP4-based editing work

Ratings: 3.3 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

MP4tools contains different tools that make it simple for users to create and alter MP4 videos for different devices. With this, users find it easier to get fast video processing for hardware types.

3. VidCutter

Best for Beginners with Timecode-based Video Trimming/Joining

VidCutter is another top video joiner alternative to try out for standard-level video editing and trimming. Beginners and professional-level editors alike can try out the features of this tool for full-scale video cutting and merging, finally into one cohesive MP4 file.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: developer communities like GitHub

Key Features:

• Change the frame shape.
• Combine the cut clips into a full video for output.
• Accessible on any device.
• Easily rotate video from one style to the other without affecting video quality.

Pros

• Supports drag-and-drop functionality for playback setup
• Timecode video playback
• Cut a video into multiple sections easily

Cons

• Advanced OS-compatible native software is unavailable
• Supports videos that are 500 MB in size or lower

Ratings: 2.7 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

Reviewers regarding the software mention the fast performance with different video editing work as the best USP of this software. VidCutter is simple to use.

4. Wondershare Filmora

Best for All-Around Video Editing Qualities

The Wondershare Filmora 11 software is a capable video joiner alternative with miscellaneous editing benefits available. You can work with the desktop-based tool to trim sections of the video, crop size, and rearrange the clips as needed for merging. The features are quick to use, and preset templates and effects are available to create seamless transitions.

Cost: Free, Annual- USD 49.99, Perpetual- USD 79.99

How to Download/Get: Official Website , Microsoft Store , Mac App Store

Key Features:

• FX Plugin support for additional effects like NewBlue FX and Boris FX.
• Crop, split, merge, and rotate the video clips.
• Add an audio track or voiceover in the background.
• AI-powered tools for quick edits like the Instant Mode feature.

Pros

• Support drag and drop functionality
• Multiple features that benefit professional editors and new users
• Advanced editing features like TTS/STT support, denoise, equalizer, and more

Cons

• Not possible to move editing files from the Instant Mode section to the editor timeline under the free plan
• Watermarks are available in video for free trial users

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

According to reviews , the simple and user-friendly interface and navigations make Filmora a capable software for video editing. One can use the animation and video templates available and change the background with Chroma key supply, among others.

5. Freemake Video Converter

Best for High-Grade Video Format Support During Editing/Converting

Another top-quality video joiner for PC that you should give a try is the Freemake Video Converter. With this software, you can access media files in multiple formats and even convert them into any format or size for different devices. It supports both common and rare formats, like AVI, MP4, DVD, MP3, 3GP, , MTS, SWF, and more.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: Official Website

Key Features:

• Prepare slideshows with different images and cut clips.
• Transfer final videos for different gadget types.
• Acquire and convert videos from other sites like Dailymotion.
• Trim and convert video files into different formats.

Pros

• Upload the final file directly to other sites, like YouTube
• Supports 500+ formats in audio and video files
• Batch processing is allowed

Cons

• Cannot use it offline at all
• Only for Windows users

Ratings: 4.4 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

Users with and without much technical knowledge can find it suitable to use this software for video editing purposes, like splitting and merging files. Expert reviewers mention the no ad and pre-set output profile supports as major pros of this software.

6. Timbre

Best for Trimming Video and Audio Files of Different Formats

With the Timbre video editor tool, users can find it simple to cut videos and songs into multiple sections as needed. The software is compatible with different video formats, so it is simple to use this for editing various video file types. Later, merge the clips in the sequence you prefer with seamless transitions. Cut out unnecessary video parts if needed.

Cost: Free, with in-app paid elements that cost USD 0.61- USD 12.22 per item

How to Download/Get: Google Play Store

Key Features:

• Use raw mpeg in-built console to fine-tune your editing clip playback.
• Adjust video and audio speed.
• Edit out specific parts like the audio from videos.
• Split the file into two separate clips.

Pros

• Supports multiple types of audio and video formats for editing
• Compress files with custom bitrate
• Convert video to other formats like GIFs

Cons

• Only for Android users
• Cannot efficiently maintain or optimize the original quality of the file you are editing

Ratings: 3.4 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

This app is highly useful for quick and efficient video cutting and merging capabilities for Android users. The speed of processing is reasonable as well.

7. Boilsoft Video Joiner

Best for Cutting and Joining Varying Video Formats with No Reencoding

You use the Boilsoft Video Joiner to cut different video files, even if they have different formats. Then, it is simple to use the Direct Stream Clone Mode to join similar ones without necessary encoding and without affecting the quality. The Encode Mode feature here allows users to join video files without different formats as well.

Cost: USD 29.95

How to Download/Get: Official Website

Key Features:

• Customize video specifications like aspect ratio, bitrate, codec, frame size, etc.
• Cut and combine unlimited video clips with different formats using Encode mode.
• Preview the video after making edits.
• Supports various formats for input and output among audio and video files.

Pros

• Works as a suitable video cutter on different device types
• Users can customize their personal adaptive profile for video encoding
• Drag and drop support

Cons

• No free version
• Only supported on some Windows devices

Ratings: 3.2 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

Users find it easy to use this software to drag the files into the editor, cut the fines, and adjust specifications.

8. Windows Movie Maker

Best for Multiple Windows-based Video Editing Functions

If you want to create movie-like projects after trimming and merging different sections cohesively, Windows Movie Maker is a capable software choice. After trimming and merging clips, you can add music to the video file to give a suitable background soundtrack. Not to mention, it supports a wide range of video formats.

Cost: Free, Pro- USD 15

How to Download/Get: Microsoft Store

Key Features:

• Use quick tools for cropping, joining, and splitting video files.
• Use green screen and video overlaying functions.
• Rotate, trim, and merge videos in your project.
• Add a high-quality soundtrack to the video.

Pros

• Adjust the background sound volume
• Advanced editing functions are capable like other video editing software
• Multiple output formats and resolutions are supported

Cons

• 4K support is not available for free users
• You must upgrade the software to a paid plan to improve project management features

Ratings: 4 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

As per reviews , Windows Movie Maker has a straightforward UI without any overwhelming features for new users. It is useful for handling various video editing tasks, like animation, music, images, and text addition.

9. MediaJoin

Best for cropping videos and text files

For video cutter free download, MediaJoin is a capable choice for editing experts to try out. One can easily try out the program to cut and combine different audio and video clips into a single project. It supports different formats such as WAV/MP3/MPEG/MPG and even allows users to cut and combine text-based files.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: third-party site URL

Key Features:

• Easily combine audio and video clips.
• Supports different video and audio formats like MP4, MP3, WAV, and MPEG.
• Compile text files into one cohesive document.
• Extremely lightweight software.

Pros

• No complex additional downloads are necessary
• Users can use this program without any cost
• Simple usability for beginners

Cons

• Official link with native app unavailable
• Best for older Windows versions only

Ratings: 3 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

People who need to handle basic-level video editing work can opt for MediaJoin for quick and simple trimming/joining functions. Beginners find it easier to handle this tool.

10. Free Video Dub

Best for Fine-tuning Videos After Cropping

Free Video Dub is an efficient software that you can use in a portable manner across different devices, especially useful for video editing. Expect a wide range of cutting tools that make it simple to split and shape the clips, rearrange them, add filters, and preview the changes before posting.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: third-party site URL

Key Features:

• Use markers to remove video fragments.
• Cut the clips easily and run them on other editing software afterward.
• Supports different video formats, like MOV, DIVX, MPEG-1/2, MPEG-4, FLV, XVID, and M4V.
• Control video playback consistently to see the edited file quality.

Pros

• Easy to proceed frame-by-frame to refine the cropped clips
• No major software download is necessary
• Users can get video files with the preserved format and input quality

Cons

• No native software
• A limited number of modern functions are available

Ratings: 3.7 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

Users of Free Video Club enjoy the beginner-friendly functionality of this tool. It is easy to work with to edit and combine video files in different formats, like MKV, MP4, WMV, and AVI.

11. FormatFactory

Best for clipping video/audio and converter different media file formats

FormatFactory, as a video cutter for PC, offers users multiple functions with joining, cutting, clipping, and cropping video and audio files. With this tool, you can also convert the file into other formats after downloading from online video sources or uploading it from the device storage. As for cropping videos specially, you can rip other devices, like DVDs, and crop the sections from that.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: Website

Key Features:

• Split, clip, crop, join, and do other such standard edits with HandBrake.
• Supports file formats of multimedia files from other devices, like iPods.
• Easily reduce file size and backup.
• Video format conversion and cutting functions are available.

Pros

• Supports multiple languages, and you can add more to the team
• Allows users to download and upload videos from other websites like YouTube
• It is possible to DVD rip with this software

Cons

• Separate versions to download for 32-bit and 64-bit-supported devices
• Need to rename all file names in English if they contain any special characters

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

According to expert reviews , the file joining and mixing utilities and batching processing functions make Format Factory a suitable choice for many. Plus, one can rip DVDs, CDs, and Blu-rays with this.

12. HandBrake

Best for Encoded Video Editing

Handbrake is one of the most noteworthy and widely likely free video joiner for PC users. The software supports specific video/audio/image codecs, and allows users to cut the file with other specification-based adjustments. Preview the cut part and merge the clips into singular files without quality loss or overwriting.

Cost: Free

How to Download/Get: Website

Key Features:

• Add video filters, like denoise, decomb, grayscale, etc.
• Scale and crop video files with chapter markets.
• Queue the encoding processes, and expect average and constant quality bitrate video-based encoding.
• Supports multiple audio and video encoders.

Pros

• GNU licensed open-source support
• Select the video section range, chapter, and title
• Preview the video file and live static

Cons

• It cannot work with protected video sources
• Limited file containers are supported, like WEBM, MP4, and MKV

Ratings: 4.7 out of 5

Summary with User Verdict:

Per reviewers , the ability to convert files quickly and other editing tools in HandBrake make it a capable software. It supports several codecs and assures zero quality loss after editing.

Part 4: How to Edit a Video with a Video Joiner Alternative

Yes, all of the software options given are suitable in different manners to editing video files with standard cutting and joining functions. However, for an overall high-quality video editing experience, you can expect a better experience with the advanced editing features of Filmora.

How to use Filmora to Edit Videos?

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1 Install the Filmora software on your PC and launch it.

Step2 Press New Project > Click here to import media. Add the video you will edit from your device.

Step3 Drag the imported file to the editor timeline.

Step4 Right-click + Ctrl on the video clip and choose functions like scene detection.

Step5 Choose the clip on the timeline and place the cursor playhead at the exact point where you will split the video.

Step6 Right-click the video clip and choose Split. Alternatively, you can click on the red-colored scissor icon at the playhead to instantly cut the clip.

Step7 Arrange the clips in a specific sequence on the timeline. Press the Export button >Make setting changes like choosing the save location, and press the Export button.

For a better understanding of the process of editing video files, watch this video to get visual learning:

Hot FAQs on Video Joiner Alternatives

1. Does Video Joiner still keep updating?

Yes, the Video Joiner app is updated in terms of its functions, but other options like Filmora ensure more modern features and consistent version upgrades exist.

2. What Features Should I Look for in a Video Joiner Alternative?

To choose the best video joiner alternative, you should check if it can cut files into multiple sections, processing speed, and simplicity in UI. Also, consider if the software allows batch-processing benefits and multi-format support.

Final Words

Indeed, there are multiple different video joiner app alternatives with strong functionality, support for different devices/OS, and smooth UI. On all fronts, Filmora is a capable choice for users who want advanced feature benefits simultaneously with a simpler learning curve. Try this out, as well as the other options, before settling on one.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Unlock Free Animation: Top Software for Windows and Mac

Best 12 Free Download Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

Difficulty Level: Easiest

Pro: Easy to start and make animation as the interface is user-friendly for many people.

Con: You need to set your preference every time to open it up, so it takes up some time

Pencil2D Animation is one of the simplest 2D hand-drawn tools available. It will work flawlessly on Mac computers. It is ideal for beginners, as the commands and interface are very easy to understand.

Whether you want to create a simple one, or you want something with many layers for videos on YouTube, you can use Pencil2D animation to get it done. Its timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.

The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.

Features:

• Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
• Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
• Will run on all platforms - Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• Completely free and open source.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Really powerful software that you can make for professional users.

Con: It is not easy to make image animation as it focuses on 3D.

Blender is an open-source 3D animation creation suite without a watermark. If you find that 2D is a little bit limiting, we think that you will be very happy with what this free program offers. You can take your projects to a whole new level when you can use this program on your Mac.

You can use Blender to make a video game, modeling, and high-quality animation. However, it involves a steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorials to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in the Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

05 K-3D - Best for Animation and Modeling in 3D

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

Difficulty Level: Easiest

Pro: Easy to start and make animation as the interface is user-friendly for many people.

Con: You need to set your preference every time to open it up, so it takes up some time

Pencil2D Animation is one of the simplest 2D hand-drawn tools available. It will work flawlessly on Mac computers. It is ideal for beginners, as the commands and interface are very easy to understand.

Whether you want to create a simple one, or you want something with many layers for videos on YouTube, you can use Pencil2D animation to get it done. Its timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.

The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.

Features:

• Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
• Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
• Will run on all platforms - Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• Completely free and open source.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Really powerful software that you can make for professional users.

Con: It is not easy to make image animation as it focuses on 3D.

Blender is an open-source 3D animation creation suite without a watermark. If you find that 2D is a little bit limiting, we think that you will be very happy with what this free program offers. You can take your projects to a whole new level when you can use this program on your Mac.

You can use Blender to make a video game, modeling, and high-quality animation. However, it involves a steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorials to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in the Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

05 K-3D - Best for Animation and Modeling in 3D

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

Difficulty Level: Easiest

Pro: Easy to start and make animation as the interface is user-friendly for many people.

Con: You need to set your preference every time to open it up, so it takes up some time

Pencil2D Animation is one of the simplest 2D hand-drawn tools available. It will work flawlessly on Mac computers. It is ideal for beginners, as the commands and interface are very easy to understand.

Whether you want to create a simple one, or you want something with many layers for videos on YouTube, you can use Pencil2D animation to get it done. Its timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.

The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.

Features:

• Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
• Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
• Will run on all platforms - Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• Completely free and open source.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Really powerful software that you can make for professional users.

Con: It is not easy to make image animation as it focuses on 3D.

Blender is an open-source 3D animation creation suite without a watermark. If you find that 2D is a little bit limiting, we think that you will be very happy with what this free program offers. You can take your projects to a whole new level when you can use this program on your Mac.

You can use Blender to make a video game, modeling, and high-quality animation. However, it involves a steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorials to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in the Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

05 K-3D - Best for Animation and Modeling in 3D

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In your search for quality animation software, you may have found that many of the programs cost a lot of money no matter it is 2D animation software or 3D animation editor. The good news is that you can choose free animation tools to make different animation types easily.

That is why we created a list of the best animation software on both Mac and Windows. Whether you are a professional editor or just a beginner to start making animation, you will find the tools listed below are easy to use without watermark and won’t cost money to improve your skills.

The best part is you will find these free animation programs are also very useful for content creation on Mac and Windows. Besides, we have listed the pros and cons of each software. Keep reading!

• Part 1: Best Free Animation Software for Mac
• Part 2: Best Free Animation Software for Windows
• Part 3: FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

Here we have made a table of 12 free animation software without watermark on Windows and macOS. Take a look.

6 Free Animation Software for macOS

5K-3DMiddleIt is a great tool for 3D artists6KritaDifficultPerfect software for 2D animation

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	Synfig Studio	Easy	Calculate vector shape to animation automatically
2	Pencil2D Animation	Easiest	Straightforward interface for beginners
3	Tupi	Middle	Its community is active to offer solutions
4	Blender	Difficult	It is a powerful animation tool to render and make modeling

6 Free Animation Software for Windows

Number	Software	Difficulty Level	Highlight
1	DAZ Studio	Difficult	For professional users with the fast animation process
2	Terragen	Middle	It can make realistic CG environments
3	Anim8or	Difficult	3D animation is Anim8or’s main function
4	Seamless3d	Easy	It has many features for 3d modeling
5	OpenToonz	Middle	Make cartoon animation with plugins
6	Stykz	Easy	Quickly make animation if you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator

Best Animation Software on Windows and Mac - Filmora

Looking for a simple while powerful Mac video editing tool ? We recommend using Wondershare Filmora. You can use it to create 2D/3D animated texts, shapes, or anything you like for YouTube videos.

The keyframing features will help you make animation effects smooth and precise. When exporting, you can also make it transparent.

Besides, various title templates and transitions are also available for you. Download it now to have a try! Or learn more from Wondershare Video Community .

Key features

• Create various shapes that you like
• Add keyframing to make it move
• Fine-tuning to make it smooth
• Add visual effects/text/color before export it

You can even create photo cut animation which has been very trendy on Tiktok and Instagram. Here is a video to present you how you can do it in Filmora.

Part 1 Best Free Animation Software for Mac

Listed below is free animation software on Mac. Take a look.

01 Synfig Studio - Mac Software to Animate Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: You can create many layers once a time and sync audio for your animation.

Con: This one needs much time to learn, especially for beginners.

An open-source 2D animation software that works on Macs, Synfig Studio delivers multiple players while you are creating content. Whether you want to add geometric, filters, distortions, or transformations, it is all possible! And thanks to the high-end bone system, you can create cut-out videos using bitmap images!

The thoughtful part is there are two download versions on the homepage: the stable version and the development version. If you want to enjoy a stable and smooth animation editing experience, choose the stable one. However, the development package gives you access to the use of the latest features.

For a novice, you can learn Synfig from step by step guide in Wikipedia and video tutorials. Four languages are available including English, Russian, Dutch, and French for a video course.

You can free download its latest version 1.3.11. The upcoming version is 1.4.

Features:

• It offers support for many layers within the animation.
• The program’s bone system means that you can easily create animations with bitmap images or vector artwork.
• It allows you to sync your creative work with any sound that you want. Has a full-featured audio editor.

02 Pencil2D Animation - Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover

Difficulty Level: Easiest

Pro: Easy to start and make animation as the interface is user-friendly for many people.

Con: You need to set your preference every time to open it up, so it takes up some time

Pencil2D Animation is one of the simplest 2D hand-drawn tools available. It will work flawlessly on Mac computers. It is ideal for beginners, as the commands and interface are very easy to understand.

Whether you want to create a simple one, or you want something with many layers for videos on YouTube, you can use Pencil2D animation to get it done. Its timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.

The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.

Features:

• Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
• Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
• Will run on all platforms - Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• Completely free and open source.

03 TupiTube - Free Animation Application for Mac Users

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It supports vector illustrations. Besides, various formats are available.

Con: If you want to make 3D animation, it will fail. You can only make 2D effects.

A free software application for YouTube, Tupi will allow you to create 2D animations to your heart’s content. The tool was started by animators who wanted to create something that others could use.

It is an open-source tool, which means that users can make tweaks to the program if they have some interesting ideas. The program works on both Windows and Mac. You need to use Tupi and Papagayo to make lip-sync animation with different mouth shapes.

It also offers a solution for schools with related features including academic license, technical support, and ads-free, so many schools choose to use this one to teach kids how to make an animation video.

Features:

• Support for vector illustrations. You can add rectangles, lines, polygons, and other shapes as you please. To fill areas, just use the paint bucket.
• You can import raster images using this program.
• You can export all your finished images into different file formats.
• Support for tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations.

04 Blender - Need Some Time to Learn This Animation Tool

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Really powerful software that you can make for professional users.

Con: It is not easy to make image animation as it focuses on 3D.

Blender is an open-source 3D animation creation suite without a watermark. If you find that 2D is a little bit limiting, we think that you will be very happy with what this free program offers. You can take your projects to a whole new level when you can use this program on your Mac.

You can use Blender to make a video game, modeling, and high-quality animation. However, it involves a steep learning curve. Luckily, there are many tutorials to guide you through the journey. You can also ask for help in the Blender community that millions of talented people like you are there.

Features:

• Creating renders is no problem with this program.
• Modeling, such as sculpting, retopology, and creating curves is not an issue either.
• VFX and animation features are better than any option on the market.
• It offers powerful simulation tools.
• Integration with pipeline tools is easy.

05 K-3D - Best for Animation and Modeling in 3D

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: Ideal for designing simple 3D animations and models.

Con: It has an old-fashioned interface. Also, the built-render (RenderMan) feature is difficult to use by beginners.

K-3D is an animation and 3D modeling software. You can download this tool for free on your Mac. Besides, you can also install and run it on your Windows and Linux systems. If you look at the design, you will find that the software is quite old. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Why so? It is because K-3D is one of the strongest and most versatile tools for 3D artists with many options.

For example, K-3D offers extremely systematic and methodological workflows. You can easily adjust the properties of the features in real-time and get instant results. It has a node-oriented visualization pipeline to enjoy more freedom. That means you can create animation using a variety of combinations.

One of the best things about K-3D is that it has three subdivisions of animation. You can work on your model on one side while showing the other side in a mirrored form. Then, experience the final result combined together. And in case you need to make the changes to the end results, you can simply work on the first subdivision and savor automatic changes to the results.

K-3D has an advanced redo and undo mechanism to ensure you can go back or move forward to make corrections or amendments without limits. Additionally, the tool is developed keeping in mind all the industrial standards. For instance, it has complete support and integration of native RenderMan™ to its user interface. This is an excellent feature because most free animation software for Mac requires third-party render plugins.

Features:

• Parametric workflow.
• 2D and 3D animation tools.
• Allows Python and K3DScript scripting.

06 Krita - For Professional 2D Animators

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Advanced tools with numerous animation options and online training material.

Con: Not suitable for beginners.

If you love 2D animation, then you’ll surely love Krita. It is entirely free software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Also, it offers a full platform for drawing and frame-by-frame animation.

The number one reason for adoring Krita is its brush library. There are more than 100 professional brushes to give you a wide range of effects. Moreover, the strokes are pretty amazing and similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Another great thing about Krita is the brush stabilization feature designed for shaky hands. You can add a stabilizer to your chosen brush to smoothen its flow. Besides, there’s a special Dynamic Brush tool to make animation more fun. At the same time, you can also customize your brushes through different brush engines, including filter engines, color smudge engines, and many more.

Apart from the basic brush options, the preloaded vector tools are next to admire. These tools help you make great comic panels. All you need to do is choose and drag the word bubble template on your canvas. Then, make changes with the anchor point to make new shapes. At the same time, you can also add text to your animation by using the text tool.

Last but not least, there’s a wrap-around mode to create seamless patterns and textures. That means the image or drawing makes its own references along the x-axis and y-axis. This gives you the freedom to continue painting and enjoy updates to your animation instantly.

Features:

• HDR painting.
• PSD support.
• Python scripting.
• Selection and transformation tools.
• Proper group, filter, vector, and file layer management.
• Complete color management for extraordinary results.
• Drawing assistant to help you with straight lines and vanishing points.

Part 2 Best Free Animation Software for Windows

Below is free animation software on Windows. Keep reading.

01 Anireel - Easy to Use Animation Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Anireel is a simple yet powerful Video Creativity tool used to make 2D animated explainer videos. Developed by Wondershare, one of the most popular Windows software and tool developers, Anireel uses rich, ready-to-use, and diverse assets to help one effortlessly make animated videos.

Features:

• There are tons of drag and drop characters, actions, props, text, and audio assets.
• Easy Text-to-Speech conversion via deep studying technology.
• Animate integrated and imported assets.
• Tons of templates that match many script types.

02 DAZ Studio - Free Software for 3D Lovers

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: You can make game animation for fun. It also supports GPU accelerated real-time rendering.

Con: It has a high demand for the device, but owns a steep learning curve.

Daz 3d is a powerful and completely free 3D creation tool that will let you create the short videos that you want. Whether you are using this for business or pleasure, you will find the program is very easy to understand. Within a day, you will be completely used to its interface.

3D effects are the core focus of DAZ Studio. You can build a model, render, and pose animation within the skin texture level. It has a high requirement for the device. For Windows 64 bits, its recommended RAM is 3G.

Features:

• Options for 3D morphing, animation, and rendering.
• GPU accelerated real-time rendering, which delivers the best results.
• Interactive tutorials to help you become a better 3D artist.
• Everything you make is yours, royalty-free!

03 Terragen - Use It to Make CG Animation

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us make animation.

Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.

A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!

Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.

For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.

Features:

• Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
• Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
• Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
• Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.

04 Anim8or - Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.

Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.

Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.

It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.

Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.

Features:

• A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
• Features support for TrueType fonts.
• Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.

05 Seamless3d - Open-source Free Software

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is an open-source 3D modeling package. The good thing is the handy infinite Undo/Redo operation.

Con: Some advanced features are missing like drawing.

Seamless3d, an open-source 3D modeling software that you can download, is among the best animation worktables if you want to create specialized images, animated videos, or 3D characters.

It supports FFmpeg video format, so you can use AVI, MP4, and more. Besides, the forum is not active compared with before, but you still can find answers from many tutorials .

Features:

• It comes with infinite undo and redo options for complete flexibility to correct mistakes.
• It allows for partitioned and seamless texture mapping for YouTube videos.
• Has a specialized tree view interface.

06 OpenToonz - Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely

Difficulty Level: Middle

Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.

Con: The plug-in effects are limited.

This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.

Features:

• You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
• Smooth correction without frame losing.
• Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.

7 Stykz - Simple to Use Animation Program for Beginners

Difficulty Level: Easy

Pro: It is the best stick figure animation if you want to make this kind of video.

Con: The UI is not modern to use and needs time to adapt to using it.

Stykz is completely free to use and without a watermark. If you have used Pivot StickFigure Animator, then you will find Stykz is similar to it, but you can import the previous .stk files to animate it again. You can use it to make animation smooth frame by frame.

With its frame-based feature, Stykz is easy to customize each frame. You can change previous and current frames to get what you want. You can download it to have a try considering its easy-to-use features.

Features:

• There is some animes file on this website, so you can have a reference.
• Edit animation in the software without using another editing window.
• You can share the final work with others including information.

Part 3 FAQ about Animation Software for Windows and Mac

01 Are Macs good for animation?

To be frank, Mac is a better choice to make animation if you want to have a smooth animation experience. For example, screen resolution is a crucial factor to make excellent animation. The good is Mac’s screen will never let you disappointed.

02 What is the best animation software for Mac?

The best animation software on mac includes Synfig Studio, Pencil2D Animation, Tupi, Blender, and more. Mentioned are free-to-use. Maya is also worth considering animation software if you are a professional user. Maya offers a 1-month free trial. After it is ended, the paid plans are month, 1-year, and 3-year.

03 Can you animate in Photoshop?

Yes, you can make basic animation in Photoshop. However, it only supports frame-based animation making. In this case, you need to use other professional software to make animation. But, you still can use Photoshop to meet your needs if you are a beginner.

Conclusion

With any of these free animation maker programs on Mac and Windows, you will have an easy time creating your next 2D or 3D video. Ensure you choose the program that has the features and compatibility that you desire. Then it is up to your creative mind to come up with stunning animations! If you want to make animation easily, you can also find inspiration through classical animated cartoon types with examples .

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

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