10 Best YouTube To GIF Makers: How to Create GIF From YouTube Video?

10 Best YouTube To GIF Makers: How to Create GIF from YouTube Video?

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) is an image file format supporting both uniform and animated images. Before, GIF was a basic 8-bit colored image until PNG image format was introduced as a more feasible alternative. Today, you can find them being used on all the trending social media applications like WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and various others.

The good thing here is that you can make GIFs from YouTube videos or any of your favorite videos for that matter which you think can help express your sentiments or ideas in an enhanced manner. There is a huge market available of apps and web software that can help create GIFs from YouTube without much trouble.

In this short guide ahead, we’ve brought for you the best YouTube to GIF maker available in the digital market. Let’s go GIF-ing!

Part 1: Best Online YouTube to GIFs Makers

Here is our curated list of the best 11 YouTube to GIF Maker that you can use to make GIF from YouTube video.

1. GIFS

Gifs.com is one the best GIF maker site that makes crafting GIFs from YouTube videos incredibly easy and quick with no time. If you’re looking for some straight and simple video to gif converter to help you convert YouTube videos into GIFs, this is the smoothest editor that will do the job and craft interesting gifs for your blogging platforms.

All you have to do is enter the URL of the video you want to convert into a GIF. At this point, the site accepts Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Vine links. In addition to that, there is also an option that allows users to upload from the desktop computer.

Once you’ve entered the YouTube video URL, it prompts a basic video editor wherein you select the frame and durations for your GIF. If you want to customize it further, you can add stickers, captions, and tools like blurring, cropping, and others.

Once you’re done exploring the filters and editing the GIF, you can directly share the URL on different platforms or just download it and store it on your device.

Note: If you want to remove the watermark and get full access to extra features, you may need to pay $1.99/month.

You can check the gif that I made from our YouTube video How to Edit Galaxy Effects with Green Screen | Wondershare FilmoraPro Tutorial on gifs.com here: https://gifs.com/gif/36RNn9 .

2. GIPHY

Giphy, as we all know, is the most used search engine for GIFs due to its limitless collection. Giphy here maintains its own GIF maker to create your customized GIFs effortlessly. The Giphy online GIF maker is quite simple and easy to use; it also has steadfast mobile applications for both Android and iOS devices.

To begin converting YouTube videos into GIFs, click the Create button at the top and then you can either enter the URL or upload images/videos from local files. This GIF maker only accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, MP4, and MOV for people uploading images or videos.

Then, trim the part from the video you want to convert into a GIF. Later, you can embellish your GIFs by adding filters, tags, text captions, and stickers to make them look eye-catching. If you’re looking for a clean and simple GIF maker, then Giphy GIF maker is the perfect choice for you.

Here is the gig that I made with Giphy: https://media.giphy.com/media/2Dtlp2MAXtoC0EyMsx/giphy.gif .

3. GIFit!

GIFit is a well-known online extension available on the Chrome Web Store for free that aids in making GIFs from YouTube videos. The GIFit extension has been recently updated to work with the new YouTube interface to help you craft Gifs smoothly. One thing to remember about GIFit is that with YouTube HTML5 mode only.

To use this Chrome extension, install it from the Chrome Web Store. Now, run the attachment and visit any video on YouTube that you would like to convert into GIF. Once decided, simply press on the GIFit icon in the YouTube toolbar. Then, edit according to your requirements and hit the red button with GIFit on it. After a few minutes, your GIF will be ready to be shared and saved. Currently, it offers convert YouTube to GIF feature only, so you can’t add stickers nor captions.

4. Make A GIF

Makeagif is an ideal online GIF maker for you that can convert videos into animated GIFs in no time. It allows you to create GIFs using local images, YouTube, Facebook, and Webcam. Makeagif even will enable you to develop new GIFs using the already existing ones.

The GIF maker also comes with a variety of free GIFs to download and add to your collection. Moreover, it allows you to edit existing GIFs by enhancing their quality, speed and adding filters to them. It offers functions that can enrich the standard of your GIFs.

To create GIFs using this, first, create your account on the site. Next, select the ‘YouTube to GIF’ option from the drop-down menu, among other alternatives. Then, enter the link to the YouTube video that you wish to transfigure into GIF, after which you can tailor-make the gifs by adjusting the configuration settings, such as adding captions and sticker. Once done, simply download and share your newly crafted GIF.

5. Imgur

Imgur might not be the best application to be included in the list. But it is definitely an amazing site where you can go looking for all kinds of images, Gifs, memes, or other digital stories. Imgur’s wide collection of visuals can never disappoint you, no matter what you’re searching for, from funny to sad, inspiring to aspiring, everything can be discovered in this treasure.

Now, this might not be the best YouTube to gif maker, but it does have the potential to provide you with great ideas for GIF-making. Besides, you can download all the interesting GIfs from here and save them for future reference.

6. GiFRun

Are you worried about searching for a gif converter with no prior experience in editing? Don’t worry; this GiFRun Maker is the simplest online service that requires minimum to zero skill for creating GIFs. GifRun is an easy enough site to navigate through and produce quality GIFs for your blogging sites.

To convert a YouTube video to GIF, simply enter the link. After that, it will prompt you to the editing page, where you can set the start/end time, duration, and resolution for your gif. You can preview your edit before finalizing it, making necessary changes, and then downloading it on your device.

7. Free Gif Maker Me

Free Gif maker is one of the straightforward and easily manageable GIF-making applications. It offers YouTube to gif, reverse gif, and gif effects tools to enhance your GIF quality and make it effortless to create your own GIFs.

To make GIF from YT Video on free Gif Maker, copy the video link in the input text field in the middle of your screen and then tap on ‘Load YouTube Video.’ Within seconds you will be redirected to the video preview and GIF editing page. Now, set the duration, start time, resolution, output, and other details. Then, click on the ‘Make A GIF’ option and save it on your device once ready.

8. Imgflip

Another website is known for creating and sharing visual content on different social media channels. Imgflip allows you to make customized animations from YouTube and other digital platforms. The site is completely safe to use and produces good-quality memes and GIFs quickly without incurring a dime.

Imgflip supports all the popular video formats such as AVI, MP4, 3GP, OGG, FLV, MOV, and various other video formats. To produce a high-quality GIF, make sure your video is at least 480P or higher. More so, the Imgflip supports GIF with audio features of all the videos with audio that can only be accessed using the Imgflip Pro at a minimum price of $9.95/ month.

9. GIF Maker

GIF Maker is a pretty basic application that everyone can navigate with or without any expertise in the tech department. Along with GIF maker, it also has other tools such as GIF resizer, GIF compressor, and GIF cropper, all specifically designed tools to help you create riveting GIFs ever!

GIF Maker provides two options; one video to gif and second Images to gif that you can use as per their need. One simply is to enter the YT video link/upload video to the upload box. Next, alter the animation, filter, speed, duration, and set start and endpoint in the editor. You can upload files in all the popular formats and upload up to 25Mb image files and 30 Mb for animated GIFs.

Another point to remember while using this GIF Maker, it only supports YT videos that have not been copy-righted by the creator.

Part 2: Best YouTube to GIF Maker on Windows and Mac: Wondershare UniConverter

It happens so that you stumble upon a video that runs the hippocampus of your brain rigid with ingenious abstractions about converting the video into GIF to delineate those ideas through digital content on your blogs.

Now, you will require the best-quality GIF maker that is easy to navigate without any complications. Despite the plethora of GIF makers being available at hand, it could be a strenuous task to search for the ideal GIF maker for yourself.

Presently, Wondershare UniConverter is one of the best and easy-to-use YouTube to GIF makers for you. It is the handiest tool to help you accomplish your conversion, customization, compressing, and revamping goals like a professional with its effective editing features. Wondershare offers many benefits, from converting files in hundred different formats to crafting your one GIF out of videos along with other fundamental editing attributes.

How to User UniConverter Video to GIF Maker?

Step 1: Download and install the Wondershare Converter on your device. Now, run the app and launch the Wondershare GIF Maker by selecting the GIF Maker Icon on the toolbar.

Step 2: Click on the Video to GIF option before tapping on the Add File option to upload YT video for GIF conversion.

Step 3: Next, you can customize your uploaded video by setting the start and end time. In addition to that, you can enter the frame rate and output size according to your requirement.

Step 4: Once finished with all the customization, convert the YouTube video into a GIF by tapping the Create GIF option.

Step 5: Ta-da! UniConverter will transform your YT video into a GIF within a minute or two. You can now export and share the GIF further.

That’s right, with five easy steps, you can convert all your favorite YouTube video into GIF with this YouTube to GIF maker.

Without any doubt, I can say that usage of GIFs during your regular texting and socialization can make your conversations more interesting. GIFs are the best shortcuts to express your mood, emotions, and humor without having to type much. No other digital medium provides an avenue that offers such proficiency in demonstrating your emotions, possibly the reason behind its escalating popularity.

With the help of this little guide, you can create gif from YouTube videos with a wave of your hand! I hope you’ve fun GIF-ing!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) is an image file format supporting both uniform and animated images. Before, GIF was a basic 8-bit colored image until PNG image format was introduced as a more feasible alternative. Today, you can find them being used on all the trending social media applications like WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and various others.

The good thing here is that you can make GIFs from YouTube videos or any of your favorite videos for that matter which you think can help express your sentiments or ideas in an enhanced manner. There is a huge market available of apps and web software that can help create GIFs from YouTube without much trouble.

In this short guide ahead, we’ve brought for you the best YouTube to GIF maker available in the digital market. Let’s go GIF-ing!

Part 1: Best Online YouTube to GIFs Makers

Here is our curated list of the best 11 YouTube to GIF Maker that you can use to make GIF from YouTube video.

1. GIFS

Gifs.com is one the best GIF maker site that makes crafting GIFs from YouTube videos incredibly easy and quick with no time. If you’re looking for some straight and simple video to gif converter to help you convert YouTube videos into GIFs, this is the smoothest editor that will do the job and craft interesting gifs for your blogging platforms.

All you have to do is enter the URL of the video you want to convert into a GIF. At this point, the site accepts Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Vine links. In addition to that, there is also an option that allows users to upload from the desktop computer.

Once you’ve entered the YouTube video URL, it prompts a basic video editor wherein you select the frame and durations for your GIF. If you want to customize it further, you can add stickers, captions, and tools like blurring, cropping, and others.

Once you’re done exploring the filters and editing the GIF, you can directly share the URL on different platforms or just download it and store it on your device.

Note: If you want to remove the watermark and get full access to extra features, you may need to pay $1.99/month.

You can check the gif that I made from our YouTube video How to Edit Galaxy Effects with Green Screen | Wondershare FilmoraPro Tutorial on gifs.com here: https://gifs.com/gif/36RNn9 .

2. GIPHY

Giphy, as we all know, is the most used search engine for GIFs due to its limitless collection. Giphy here maintains its own GIF maker to create your customized GIFs effortlessly. The Giphy online GIF maker is quite simple and easy to use; it also has steadfast mobile applications for both Android and iOS devices.

To begin converting YouTube videos into GIFs, click the Create button at the top and then you can either enter the URL or upload images/videos from local files. This GIF maker only accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, MP4, and MOV for people uploading images or videos.

Then, trim the part from the video you want to convert into a GIF. Later, you can embellish your GIFs by adding filters, tags, text captions, and stickers to make them look eye-catching. If you’re looking for a clean and simple GIF maker, then Giphy GIF maker is the perfect choice for you.

Here is the gig that I made with Giphy: https://media.giphy.com/media/2Dtlp2MAXtoC0EyMsx/giphy.gif .

3. GIFit!

GIFit is a well-known online extension available on the Chrome Web Store for free that aids in making GIFs from YouTube videos. The GIFit extension has been recently updated to work with the new YouTube interface to help you craft Gifs smoothly. One thing to remember about GIFit is that with YouTube HTML5 mode only.

To use this Chrome extension, install it from the Chrome Web Store. Now, run the attachment and visit any video on YouTube that you would like to convert into GIF. Once decided, simply press on the GIFit icon in the YouTube toolbar. Then, edit according to your requirements and hit the red button with GIFit on it. After a few minutes, your GIF will be ready to be shared and saved. Currently, it offers convert YouTube to GIF feature only, so you can’t add stickers nor captions.

4. Make A GIF

Makeagif is an ideal online GIF maker for you that can convert videos into animated GIFs in no time. It allows you to create GIFs using local images, YouTube, Facebook, and Webcam. Makeagif even will enable you to develop new GIFs using the already existing ones.

The GIF maker also comes with a variety of free GIFs to download and add to your collection. Moreover, it allows you to edit existing GIFs by enhancing their quality, speed and adding filters to them. It offers functions that can enrich the standard of your GIFs.

To create GIFs using this, first, create your account on the site. Next, select the ‘YouTube to GIF’ option from the drop-down menu, among other alternatives. Then, enter the link to the YouTube video that you wish to transfigure into GIF, after which you can tailor-make the gifs by adjusting the configuration settings, such as adding captions and sticker. Once done, simply download and share your newly crafted GIF.

5. Imgur

Imgur might not be the best application to be included in the list. But it is definitely an amazing site where you can go looking for all kinds of images, Gifs, memes, or other digital stories. Imgur’s wide collection of visuals can never disappoint you, no matter what you’re searching for, from funny to sad, inspiring to aspiring, everything can be discovered in this treasure.

Now, this might not be the best YouTube to gif maker, but it does have the potential to provide you with great ideas for GIF-making. Besides, you can download all the interesting GIfs from here and save them for future reference.

6. GiFRun

Are you worried about searching for a gif converter with no prior experience in editing? Don’t worry; this GiFRun Maker is the simplest online service that requires minimum to zero skill for creating GIFs. GifRun is an easy enough site to navigate through and produce quality GIFs for your blogging sites.

To convert a YouTube video to GIF, simply enter the link. After that, it will prompt you to the editing page, where you can set the start/end time, duration, and resolution for your gif. You can preview your edit before finalizing it, making necessary changes, and then downloading it on your device.

7. Free Gif Maker Me

Free Gif maker is one of the straightforward and easily manageable GIF-making applications. It offers YouTube to gif, reverse gif, and gif effects tools to enhance your GIF quality and make it effortless to create your own GIFs.

To make GIF from YT Video on free Gif Maker, copy the video link in the input text field in the middle of your screen and then tap on ‘Load YouTube Video.’ Within seconds you will be redirected to the video preview and GIF editing page. Now, set the duration, start time, resolution, output, and other details. Then, click on the ‘Make A GIF’ option and save it on your device once ready.

8. Imgflip

Another website is known for creating and sharing visual content on different social media channels. Imgflip allows you to make customized animations from YouTube and other digital platforms. The site is completely safe to use and produces good-quality memes and GIFs quickly without incurring a dime.

Imgflip supports all the popular video formats such as AVI, MP4, 3GP, OGG, FLV, MOV, and various other video formats. To produce a high-quality GIF, make sure your video is at least 480P or higher. More so, the Imgflip supports GIF with audio features of all the videos with audio that can only be accessed using the Imgflip Pro at a minimum price of $9.95/ month.

9. GIF Maker

GIF Maker is a pretty basic application that everyone can navigate with or without any expertise in the tech department. Along with GIF maker, it also has other tools such as GIF resizer, GIF compressor, and GIF cropper, all specifically designed tools to help you create riveting GIFs ever!

GIF Maker provides two options; one video to gif and second Images to gif that you can use as per their need. One simply is to enter the YT video link/upload video to the upload box. Next, alter the animation, filter, speed, duration, and set start and endpoint in the editor. You can upload files in all the popular formats and upload up to 25Mb image files and 30 Mb for animated GIFs.

Another point to remember while using this GIF Maker, it only supports YT videos that have not been copy-righted by the creator.

Part 2: Best YouTube to GIF Maker on Windows and Mac: Wondershare UniConverter

It happens so that you stumble upon a video that runs the hippocampus of your brain rigid with ingenious abstractions about converting the video into GIF to delineate those ideas through digital content on your blogs.

Now, you will require the best-quality GIF maker that is easy to navigate without any complications. Despite the plethora of GIF makers being available at hand, it could be a strenuous task to search for the ideal GIF maker for yourself.

Presently, Wondershare UniConverter is one of the best and easy-to-use YouTube to GIF makers for you. It is the handiest tool to help you accomplish your conversion, customization, compressing, and revamping goals like a professional with its effective editing features. Wondershare offers many benefits, from converting files in hundred different formats to crafting your one GIF out of videos along with other fundamental editing attributes.

How to User UniConverter Video to GIF Maker?

Step 1: Download and install the Wondershare Converter on your device. Now, run the app and launch the Wondershare GIF Maker by selecting the GIF Maker Icon on the toolbar.

Step 2: Click on the Video to GIF option before tapping on the Add File option to upload YT video for GIF conversion.

Step 3: Next, you can customize your uploaded video by setting the start and end time. In addition to that, you can enter the frame rate and output size according to your requirement.

Step 4: Once finished with all the customization, convert the YouTube video into a GIF by tapping the Create GIF option.

Step 5: Ta-da! UniConverter will transform your YT video into a GIF within a minute or two. You can now export and share the GIF further.

That’s right, with five easy steps, you can convert all your favorite YouTube video into GIF with this YouTube to GIF maker.

Without any doubt, I can say that usage of GIFs during your regular texting and socialization can make your conversations more interesting. GIFs are the best shortcuts to express your mood, emotions, and humor without having to type much. No other digital medium provides an avenue that offers such proficiency in demonstrating your emotions, possibly the reason behind its escalating popularity.

With the help of this little guide, you can create gif from YouTube videos with a wave of your hand! I hope you’ve fun GIF-ing!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) is an image file format supporting both uniform and animated images. Before, GIF was a basic 8-bit colored image until PNG image format was introduced as a more feasible alternative. Today, you can find them being used on all the trending social media applications like WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and various others.

The good thing here is that you can make GIFs from YouTube videos or any of your favorite videos for that matter which you think can help express your sentiments or ideas in an enhanced manner. There is a huge market available of apps and web software that can help create GIFs from YouTube without much trouble.

In this short guide ahead, we’ve brought for you the best YouTube to GIF maker available in the digital market. Let’s go GIF-ing!

Part 1: Best Online YouTube to GIFs Makers

Here is our curated list of the best 11 YouTube to GIF Maker that you can use to make GIF from YouTube video.

1. GIFS

Gifs.com is one the best GIF maker site that makes crafting GIFs from YouTube videos incredibly easy and quick with no time. If you’re looking for some straight and simple video to gif converter to help you convert YouTube videos into GIFs, this is the smoothest editor that will do the job and craft interesting gifs for your blogging platforms.

All you have to do is enter the URL of the video you want to convert into a GIF. At this point, the site accepts Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Vine links. In addition to that, there is also an option that allows users to upload from the desktop computer.

Once you’ve entered the YouTube video URL, it prompts a basic video editor wherein you select the frame and durations for your GIF. If you want to customize it further, you can add stickers, captions, and tools like blurring, cropping, and others.

Once you’re done exploring the filters and editing the GIF, you can directly share the URL on different platforms or just download it and store it on your device.

Note: If you want to remove the watermark and get full access to extra features, you may need to pay $1.99/month.

You can check the gif that I made from our YouTube video How to Edit Galaxy Effects with Green Screen | Wondershare FilmoraPro Tutorial on gifs.com here: https://gifs.com/gif/36RNn9 .

2. GIPHY

Giphy, as we all know, is the most used search engine for GIFs due to its limitless collection. Giphy here maintains its own GIF maker to create your customized GIFs effortlessly. The Giphy online GIF maker is quite simple and easy to use; it also has steadfast mobile applications for both Android and iOS devices.

To begin converting YouTube videos into GIFs, click the Create button at the top and then you can either enter the URL or upload images/videos from local files. This GIF maker only accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, MP4, and MOV for people uploading images or videos.

Then, trim the part from the video you want to convert into a GIF. Later, you can embellish your GIFs by adding filters, tags, text captions, and stickers to make them look eye-catching. If you’re looking for a clean and simple GIF maker, then Giphy GIF maker is the perfect choice for you.

Here is the gig that I made with Giphy: https://media.giphy.com/media/2Dtlp2MAXtoC0EyMsx/giphy.gif .

3. GIFit!

GIFit is a well-known online extension available on the Chrome Web Store for free that aids in making GIFs from YouTube videos. The GIFit extension has been recently updated to work with the new YouTube interface to help you craft Gifs smoothly. One thing to remember about GIFit is that with YouTube HTML5 mode only.

To use this Chrome extension, install it from the Chrome Web Store. Now, run the attachment and visit any video on YouTube that you would like to convert into GIF. Once decided, simply press on the GIFit icon in the YouTube toolbar. Then, edit according to your requirements and hit the red button with GIFit on it. After a few minutes, your GIF will be ready to be shared and saved. Currently, it offers convert YouTube to GIF feature only, so you can’t add stickers nor captions.

4. Make A GIF

Makeagif is an ideal online GIF maker for you that can convert videos into animated GIFs in no time. It allows you to create GIFs using local images, YouTube, Facebook, and Webcam. Makeagif even will enable you to develop new GIFs using the already existing ones.

The GIF maker also comes with a variety of free GIFs to download and add to your collection. Moreover, it allows you to edit existing GIFs by enhancing their quality, speed and adding filters to them. It offers functions that can enrich the standard of your GIFs.

To create GIFs using this, first, create your account on the site. Next, select the ‘YouTube to GIF’ option from the drop-down menu, among other alternatives. Then, enter the link to the YouTube video that you wish to transfigure into GIF, after which you can tailor-make the gifs by adjusting the configuration settings, such as adding captions and sticker. Once done, simply download and share your newly crafted GIF.

5. Imgur

Imgur might not be the best application to be included in the list. But it is definitely an amazing site where you can go looking for all kinds of images, Gifs, memes, or other digital stories. Imgur’s wide collection of visuals can never disappoint you, no matter what you’re searching for, from funny to sad, inspiring to aspiring, everything can be discovered in this treasure.

Now, this might not be the best YouTube to gif maker, but it does have the potential to provide you with great ideas for GIF-making. Besides, you can download all the interesting GIfs from here and save them for future reference.

6. GiFRun

Are you worried about searching for a gif converter with no prior experience in editing? Don’t worry; this GiFRun Maker is the simplest online service that requires minimum to zero skill for creating GIFs. GifRun is an easy enough site to navigate through and produce quality GIFs for your blogging sites.

To convert a YouTube video to GIF, simply enter the link. After that, it will prompt you to the editing page, where you can set the start/end time, duration, and resolution for your gif. You can preview your edit before finalizing it, making necessary changes, and then downloading it on your device.

7. Free Gif Maker Me

Free Gif maker is one of the straightforward and easily manageable GIF-making applications. It offers YouTube to gif, reverse gif, and gif effects tools to enhance your GIF quality and make it effortless to create your own GIFs.

To make GIF from YT Video on free Gif Maker, copy the video link in the input text field in the middle of your screen and then tap on ‘Load YouTube Video.’ Within seconds you will be redirected to the video preview and GIF editing page. Now, set the duration, start time, resolution, output, and other details. Then, click on the ‘Make A GIF’ option and save it on your device once ready.

8. Imgflip

Another website is known for creating and sharing visual content on different social media channels. Imgflip allows you to make customized animations from YouTube and other digital platforms. The site is completely safe to use and produces good-quality memes and GIFs quickly without incurring a dime.

Imgflip supports all the popular video formats such as AVI, MP4, 3GP, OGG, FLV, MOV, and various other video formats. To produce a high-quality GIF, make sure your video is at least 480P or higher. More so, the Imgflip supports GIF with audio features of all the videos with audio that can only be accessed using the Imgflip Pro at a minimum price of $9.95/ month.

9. GIF Maker

GIF Maker is a pretty basic application that everyone can navigate with or without any expertise in the tech department. Along with GIF maker, it also has other tools such as GIF resizer, GIF compressor, and GIF cropper, all specifically designed tools to help you create riveting GIFs ever!

GIF Maker provides two options; one video to gif and second Images to gif that you can use as per their need. One simply is to enter the YT video link/upload video to the upload box. Next, alter the animation, filter, speed, duration, and set start and endpoint in the editor. You can upload files in all the popular formats and upload up to 25Mb image files and 30 Mb for animated GIFs.

Another point to remember while using this GIF Maker, it only supports YT videos that have not been copy-righted by the creator.

Part 2: Best YouTube to GIF Maker on Windows and Mac: Wondershare UniConverter

It happens so that you stumble upon a video that runs the hippocampus of your brain rigid with ingenious abstractions about converting the video into GIF to delineate those ideas through digital content on your blogs.

Now, you will require the best-quality GIF maker that is easy to navigate without any complications. Despite the plethora of GIF makers being available at hand, it could be a strenuous task to search for the ideal GIF maker for yourself.

Presently, Wondershare UniConverter is one of the best and easy-to-use YouTube to GIF makers for you. It is the handiest tool to help you accomplish your conversion, customization, compressing, and revamping goals like a professional with its effective editing features. Wondershare offers many benefits, from converting files in hundred different formats to crafting your one GIF out of videos along with other fundamental editing attributes.

How to User UniConverter Video to GIF Maker?

Step 1: Download and install the Wondershare Converter on your device. Now, run the app and launch the Wondershare GIF Maker by selecting the GIF Maker Icon on the toolbar.

Step 2: Click on the Video to GIF option before tapping on the Add File option to upload YT video for GIF conversion.

Step 3: Next, you can customize your uploaded video by setting the start and end time. In addition to that, you can enter the frame rate and output size according to your requirement.

Step 4: Once finished with all the customization, convert the YouTube video into a GIF by tapping the Create GIF option.

Step 5: Ta-da! UniConverter will transform your YT video into a GIF within a minute or two. You can now export and share the GIF further.

That’s right, with five easy steps, you can convert all your favorite YouTube video into GIF with this YouTube to GIF maker.

Without any doubt, I can say that usage of GIFs during your regular texting and socialization can make your conversations more interesting. GIFs are the best shortcuts to express your mood, emotions, and humor without having to type much. No other digital medium provides an avenue that offers such proficiency in demonstrating your emotions, possibly the reason behind its escalating popularity.

With the help of this little guide, you can create gif from YouTube videos with a wave of your hand! I hope you’ve fun GIF-ing!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) is an image file format supporting both uniform and animated images. Before, GIF was a basic 8-bit colored image until PNG image format was introduced as a more feasible alternative. Today, you can find them being used on all the trending social media applications like WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and various others.

The good thing here is that you can make GIFs from YouTube videos or any of your favorite videos for that matter which you think can help express your sentiments or ideas in an enhanced manner. There is a huge market available of apps and web software that can help create GIFs from YouTube without much trouble.

In this short guide ahead, we’ve brought for you the best YouTube to GIF maker available in the digital market. Let’s go GIF-ing!

Part 1: Best Online YouTube to GIFs Makers

Here is our curated list of the best 11 YouTube to GIF Maker that you can use to make GIF from YouTube video.

1. GIFS

Gifs.com is one the best GIF maker site that makes crafting GIFs from YouTube videos incredibly easy and quick with no time. If you’re looking for some straight and simple video to gif converter to help you convert YouTube videos into GIFs, this is the smoothest editor that will do the job and craft interesting gifs for your blogging platforms.

All you have to do is enter the URL of the video you want to convert into a GIF. At this point, the site accepts Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Vine links. In addition to that, there is also an option that allows users to upload from the desktop computer.

Once you’ve entered the YouTube video URL, it prompts a basic video editor wherein you select the frame and durations for your GIF. If you want to customize it further, you can add stickers, captions, and tools like blurring, cropping, and others.

Once you’re done exploring the filters and editing the GIF, you can directly share the URL on different platforms or just download it and store it on your device.

Note: If you want to remove the watermark and get full access to extra features, you may need to pay $1.99/month.

You can check the gif that I made from our YouTube video How to Edit Galaxy Effects with Green Screen | Wondershare FilmoraPro Tutorial on gifs.com here: https://gifs.com/gif/36RNn9 .

2. GIPHY

Giphy, as we all know, is the most used search engine for GIFs due to its limitless collection. Giphy here maintains its own GIF maker to create your customized GIFs effortlessly. The Giphy online GIF maker is quite simple and easy to use; it also has steadfast mobile applications for both Android and iOS devices.

To begin converting YouTube videos into GIFs, click the Create button at the top and then you can either enter the URL or upload images/videos from local files. This GIF maker only accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, MP4, and MOV for people uploading images or videos.

Then, trim the part from the video you want to convert into a GIF. Later, you can embellish your GIFs by adding filters, tags, text captions, and stickers to make them look eye-catching. If you’re looking for a clean and simple GIF maker, then Giphy GIF maker is the perfect choice for you.

Here is the gig that I made with Giphy: https://media.giphy.com/media/2Dtlp2MAXtoC0EyMsx/giphy.gif .

3. GIFit!

GIFit is a well-known online extension available on the Chrome Web Store for free that aids in making GIFs from YouTube videos. The GIFit extension has been recently updated to work with the new YouTube interface to help you craft Gifs smoothly. One thing to remember about GIFit is that with YouTube HTML5 mode only.

To use this Chrome extension, install it from the Chrome Web Store. Now, run the attachment and visit any video on YouTube that you would like to convert into GIF. Once decided, simply press on the GIFit icon in the YouTube toolbar. Then, edit according to your requirements and hit the red button with GIFit on it. After a few minutes, your GIF will be ready to be shared and saved. Currently, it offers convert YouTube to GIF feature only, so you can’t add stickers nor captions.

4. Make A GIF

Makeagif is an ideal online GIF maker for you that can convert videos into animated GIFs in no time. It allows you to create GIFs using local images, YouTube, Facebook, and Webcam. Makeagif even will enable you to develop new GIFs using the already existing ones.

The GIF maker also comes with a variety of free GIFs to download and add to your collection. Moreover, it allows you to edit existing GIFs by enhancing their quality, speed and adding filters to them. It offers functions that can enrich the standard of your GIFs.

To create GIFs using this, first, create your account on the site. Next, select the ‘YouTube to GIF’ option from the drop-down menu, among other alternatives. Then, enter the link to the YouTube video that you wish to transfigure into GIF, after which you can tailor-make the gifs by adjusting the configuration settings, such as adding captions and sticker. Once done, simply download and share your newly crafted GIF.

5. Imgur

Imgur might not be the best application to be included in the list. But it is definitely an amazing site where you can go looking for all kinds of images, Gifs, memes, or other digital stories. Imgur’s wide collection of visuals can never disappoint you, no matter what you’re searching for, from funny to sad, inspiring to aspiring, everything can be discovered in this treasure.

Now, this might not be the best YouTube to gif maker, but it does have the potential to provide you with great ideas for GIF-making. Besides, you can download all the interesting GIfs from here and save them for future reference.

6. GiFRun

Are you worried about searching for a gif converter with no prior experience in editing? Don’t worry; this GiFRun Maker is the simplest online service that requires minimum to zero skill for creating GIFs. GifRun is an easy enough site to navigate through and produce quality GIFs for your blogging sites.

To convert a YouTube video to GIF, simply enter the link. After that, it will prompt you to the editing page, where you can set the start/end time, duration, and resolution for your gif. You can preview your edit before finalizing it, making necessary changes, and then downloading it on your device.

7. Free Gif Maker Me

Free Gif maker is one of the straightforward and easily manageable GIF-making applications. It offers YouTube to gif, reverse gif, and gif effects tools to enhance your GIF quality and make it effortless to create your own GIFs.

To make GIF from YT Video on free Gif Maker, copy the video link in the input text field in the middle of your screen and then tap on ‘Load YouTube Video.’ Within seconds you will be redirected to the video preview and GIF editing page. Now, set the duration, start time, resolution, output, and other details. Then, click on the ‘Make A GIF’ option and save it on your device once ready.

8. Imgflip

Another website is known for creating and sharing visual content on different social media channels. Imgflip allows you to make customized animations from YouTube and other digital platforms. The site is completely safe to use and produces good-quality memes and GIFs quickly without incurring a dime.

Imgflip supports all the popular video formats such as AVI, MP4, 3GP, OGG, FLV, MOV, and various other video formats. To produce a high-quality GIF, make sure your video is at least 480P or higher. More so, the Imgflip supports GIF with audio features of all the videos with audio that can only be accessed using the Imgflip Pro at a minimum price of $9.95/ month.

9. GIF Maker

GIF Maker is a pretty basic application that everyone can navigate with or without any expertise in the tech department. Along with GIF maker, it also has other tools such as GIF resizer, GIF compressor, and GIF cropper, all specifically designed tools to help you create riveting GIFs ever!

GIF Maker provides two options; one video to gif and second Images to gif that you can use as per their need. One simply is to enter the YT video link/upload video to the upload box. Next, alter the animation, filter, speed, duration, and set start and endpoint in the editor. You can upload files in all the popular formats and upload up to 25Mb image files and 30 Mb for animated GIFs.

Another point to remember while using this GIF Maker, it only supports YT videos that have not been copy-righted by the creator.

Part 2: Best YouTube to GIF Maker on Windows and Mac: Wondershare UniConverter

It happens so that you stumble upon a video that runs the hippocampus of your brain rigid with ingenious abstractions about converting the video into GIF to delineate those ideas through digital content on your blogs.

Now, you will require the best-quality GIF maker that is easy to navigate without any complications. Despite the plethora of GIF makers being available at hand, it could be a strenuous task to search for the ideal GIF maker for yourself.

Presently, Wondershare UniConverter is one of the best and easy-to-use YouTube to GIF makers for you. It is the handiest tool to help you accomplish your conversion, customization, compressing, and revamping goals like a professional with its effective editing features. Wondershare offers many benefits, from converting files in hundred different formats to crafting your one GIF out of videos along with other fundamental editing attributes.

How to User UniConverter Video to GIF Maker?

Step 1: Download and install the Wondershare Converter on your device. Now, run the app and launch the Wondershare GIF Maker by selecting the GIF Maker Icon on the toolbar.

Step 2: Click on the Video to GIF option before tapping on the Add File option to upload YT video for GIF conversion.

Step 3: Next, you can customize your uploaded video by setting the start and end time. In addition to that, you can enter the frame rate and output size according to your requirement.

Step 4: Once finished with all the customization, convert the YouTube video into a GIF by tapping the Create GIF option.

Step 5: Ta-da! UniConverter will transform your YT video into a GIF within a minute or two. You can now export and share the GIF further.

That’s right, with five easy steps, you can convert all your favorite YouTube video into GIF with this YouTube to GIF maker.

Without any doubt, I can say that usage of GIFs during your regular texting and socialization can make your conversations more interesting. GIFs are the best shortcuts to express your mood, emotions, and humor without having to type much. No other digital medium provides an avenue that offers such proficiency in demonstrating your emotions, possibly the reason behind its escalating popularity.

With the help of this little guide, you can create gif from YouTube videos with a wave of your hand! I hope you’ve fun GIF-ing!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

A Filmmaker’s Dream: The 8 Best No-Fee Video Editors on the Market

The Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube (Top 8 Reviews)

Richard Bennett

Dec 02, 2022• Proven solutions

0

What makes a YouTube video good? The most important element is obviously you, the creator. Your personality, ideas, and unique viewpoint are what will make your content special and turn viewers into subscribers.

The next most important thing – even more important than the camera you use – is editing.

Editing a YouTube video doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple. Your focus when you’re perfecting your video should be on that ‘most important thing’ we mentioned earlier – your creativity. Editing for a YouTube video should be art, not mechanical engineering.

Below is a list of the top free video editing software ranked according to how appropriate it is for YouTube videos.

Rank	Editor	Make Cuts	Audio Features	Multiple Video Tracks	Video Effects	Intuitive Score (1-5)	Compatibility
1.	OpenShot Video Editor	Yes	Fade In/Out, set volume levels	Yes	Transitions, text, ability to animate. Blur/Saturation/Brightness controls.	5	Windows, Mac, Linux
2.	Shotcut	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	You can customize color presets and other effects. No animations.	4	Windows, Mac, Linux
3.	Hitfilm Express	Yes	Audio effects and transitioning.	Yes	Every imaginable picture customization. Some FX (more if you pay). Text tool.	4	Windows, Mac
4.	VideoPad Video Editor	Yes	Noise removal, equalizer, audio effects.	Yes	Moving text, transitions, filters.	5	Windows
5.	Lightworks	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	No premade effects, but you can add text/color edit.	3	Windows, Mac, Linux
6.	VSDC Video Editor	Yes	Some audio features blocked in free version	Yes	Filters, transitions, text, and more.	1	Windows
7.	Machete Video Editor Lite	Yes	None	No	None	3	Windows
8.	Avidemux	Yes	Some audio features	No	Some picture adjustments	2	Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Ready to upgrade to a simple, powerful, paid software that’s perfect for YouTube? Check out the free trial of Wondershare Filmora . It is an advanced tool that is focused more on newbie editors who are new to the videography world but want to compete with professionals!

1. OpenShot Video Editor – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Easy to use
2. Includes transitions
3. Keyframing
4. Alpha Channel
5. Unlimited video tracks

OpenShot Video Editor Review

OpenShot completely lives up to the claim that it was designed to be ‘easy to use, quick to learn, and surprisingly powerful’.

The first time you use OpenShot there will be helpful tutorial notes to guide you through the program. The interface is intuitive enough that you may not always need them, but having them should erase any confusion.

All of the basic editing features, like cutting clips up, are easy to access in the timeline. You have unlimited tracks, and it’s easy to drag your clips between them. There’s a helpful magnet feature that fits clips together if you slide them together, but which still allows for blank space if you choose to leave it.

Most other functions – setting volume levels, adjusting the speed, adding movement/zoom effect – are accessible simply by right-clicking on your clip in the timeline and choosing what you want from the menu that pops up.

Is OpenShot Video Editor good for YouTube?

OpenShot is a great, free, choice for YouTubers at any editing skill level.

Beyond simply ordering your clips, OpenShot includes text and transition options within the program. You can even animate the text, and access Animated Titles if you use OpenShot in tandem with a free animation program called Blender. Titles and transitions are vital to a lot of popular YouTube styles.

OpenShot does not provide the same level of detail as the runner up, Shotcut, when it comes to color correction or audio editing. However, the features it does have (volume levels, control of saturation) will satisfy most YouTubers.

2. Shotcut – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Detailed audio editing
2. Color grading, ability to save presets
3. Fairly intuitive timeline

Shotcut Review

Shotcut delivers a smooth, detailed, editing experience for free. It is not as easy to jump into as some of the other programs on this list, but it still only takes a half-hour or so of playing around to understand it well enough to make a video. There are also tutorials up on Shotcut’s site that can help you.

You can edit using multiple video tracks in Shotcut, making it easy to combine multiple clips, and basic functions like splitting or copying clips are as easy as clicking the right icon on the toolbar.

All of the video and audio effects, including things like chroma key, you might want to apply to your video are found under the Filters menu. It will look empty when you first open it, and you have to click the plus sign to see what your options are. If you want to create a color tint (like what you might think of as an Instagram filter) then you can do that through the Color Grading option. If you want to do something like invert your colors or add an ‘old film’ look, you’ll find that here as well along with all of the audio editing features (balance, bass and treble, and gain to name just a few).

Is Shotcut good for YouTube?

Shotcut is a great choice for YouTubers. It allows you to do some advanced editing, and it’s easy to learn compared to a program targeted at professional editors.

The only complication with Shotcut for entry-level editors who will primarily use the program for YouTube might be that animations – like moving text – are not available through the program (you can add and customize text, but it just sits there). You can get them from elsewhere and use them in the program (Shotcut has an alpha channel), but it’s a bit more involved a process than simply customizing something that’s already provided.

3. Hitfilm Express – Windows, Mac

Pros

1. Compositing mode (2D and 3D)
2. The Most effect customization
3. Helpful User Guide & tutorials

Cons

1. Can be overwhelming
2. Its main strength is FX, but you only get a couple for free. Most have to be bought separately.

Hitfilm Express Review

Hitfilm Express is the best free editor if you want to add special effects to your projects. OpenShot’s alpha channel will be enough for most people, but if you think of yourself as an aspiring filmmaker then it’s hard to beat Hitfilm’s range of functions.

This is an editor designed for people who want to make movies, and it’s a lot more intuitive than most professional-grade software. Film-quality FX (lasers, explosions, etc.) are available through Hitfilm Express for a reasonable price ($10-$50, depending on what you want), and even without paying extra for the packs, there’s a lot you can do to give your video a ‘film look’ using compositing layers and the multitude of customizable effects provided through the program.

Another highlight of Hitfilm Express is the extensive selection of tutorials and helpful information they have available both through YouTube videos and their User Guide. You will need those because this program can be overwhelming. It has so many functions and areas you can customize that it is easy to get lost.

That said, basic editing in Hitfilm Express is not difficult to jump into. It’s only when you start getting fancy that things get dicey.

Is Hitfilm Express good for YouTube?

Yes. It will not be the best option for everyone, but it’s not a bad option for anyone either.

If what you want to make is a vlog where you have a series of clips, and intro, and maybe a couple of title effects, then Hitfilm express might be overkill. You don’t want to have to master compositing just to add some text.

If what you want to make is a vlog that’s interrupted by an alien invasion and turns into an action sequence with lasers and falling debris, it’d be hard to do better than Hitfilm Express.

4. VideoPad Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Easy to jump into
2. Moving text
3. Huge audio waveforms
4. Audio and visual effects
5. Lossless exports

Cons

1. No longer updated

VideoPad Video Editor Review

VideoPad Video Editor is an extremely easy to use program. It may be the easiest program on this list to jump into, which you could also realistically create your entire video inside (there are easier programs, but you can only do some of your work in them). Part of its simplicity comes from not being as feature-rich as the programs ranking higher than it on this list, however.

You do not get the same range of functions with VideoPad as you do from the top 3 free editors, but it has enough to satisfy people who are just starting out. Creating moving text effects is easy, you have huge audio waves to work with while you’re syncing, and effects like transitions and filters are easy to find.

VideoPad does suffer a bit from being dated. This program is no longer being worked on, and the interface doesn’t look particularly modern. This is a bit more than a cosmetic issue because some features, while not difficult to find, are placed a bit oddly compared to other editors.

One slightly annoying feature of VideoPad is that it will prompt you to buy the commercial version sometimes (the free version is only for non-commercial use). There have been reports of exports being blocked in the free version, but I exported several times for the sake of this review and the issue never came up.

Is VideoPad Video Editor good for YouTube?

VideoPad makes a decent YouTube editor. You can jump right in and start making cuts, adding filters, and ordering your clips. If you have the kind of channel where voiceovers are important (like in gaming or makeup), then you’ll be happy with the size of the audio waves you have to work with for syncing.

The thing about VideoPad is that you’re probably going to outgrow it quickly as you become a more capable editor.

5. Lightworks – Windows, Mac, Linux

Pros

1. Detailed color and audio editing
2. Multicam editing

Cons

1. Exports limited to 720p for the free version
2. Difficult to learn compared to other free software

Lightworks Review

On their website, Lightworks claims to have an ‘intuitive interface’ and ‘easy timeline editing’. This is true if you compare it to other professional-level editing suites. Compared to the other programs on this list, Lightworks is complicated.

The first thing I attempt when I review this program is to simply split a clip, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure this feature out in Lightworks (a more advanced editor could have found it faster, but these reviews are meant to help people with less experience). Lightworks does have a whole tutorial series on using the software, so if you are interested in learning to use it there is ample material out there to help you.

Lightworks has a wide range of functions (i.e. detailed audio editing and color correction), and it has been used for big movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. It is the most professional program on this list, and it’s a great free alternative to something like Adobe Premiere Pro.

Note: there is no time limit on the free version of Lightworks, but it will ask you to renew your free license every 7 days. When it says your license is ‘expired’ it isn’t kicking you off the free version, you just need to renew.

Is Lightworks good for YouTube?

Whether or not Lightworks is right for your YouTube channel depends on your goals as a video editor.

If what you want is to jump in and start making YouTube videos quickly, Lightworks might not be a great choice. It’s not an easy program to just jump into, you’ll have to either take time to learn it or accept that it’ll take some trial and error to get the hang of.

If what you want is to become a professional-level video editor, then Lightworks is a great program to start on (although, Hitfilm Express may still be better). Taking the time to learn it could certainly pay off in the long run.

However, if one of your priorities is for your YouTube channel to come across as professional, then the free version of Lightworks does have some disappointing limitations. You can only export videos in 720p, which is lower quality than viewers on YouTube expect (you probably want at least 1080p). Your output format is limited too. The royalty-free audio and video content Lightworks offers are also not free; you can just buy them through the program.

6. VSDC Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Diagrams and charts
2. How To Get Started Guide
3. Lots of features

Cons

1. Very confusing
2. Paid features show up in the free version, but they’re blocked

Review of VSDC Video Editor

There’s a lot to like about VSDC Video Editor, but you have to do a lot of work to uncover any of it. Accessing even the most basic features is confusing.

One of the first things I tried to do as I tested the program was make a jump cut (where you cut out part of a video so the playback ‘jumps over’ the deleted segment) and, while I was able to do it, it was not an intuitive process. There is a multitude of toolbars and icons surrounding your preview window in VSDC, and none of those icons was for making cuts to your clips. To make any cuts you have to find the ‘cutting and splitting’ option under the Editor tab at the top of the page, which will open a second window in which you still cannot make any cuts. Instead what you can do is place markers, and when you click ‘apply changes’ to exit the window cuts will be made where you placed markers. There is nothing in the window to explain what the markers are for.

Other basic functions, like adding text, are just as complicated.

Is VSDC Video Editor good for YouTube?

I would not recommend VSDC for YouTube. It ranks higher than two other items on this list because they are, do to functional limitations, unable to create full YouTube videos without the support of other programs (at least realistically). You certainly could create your full YouTube video in VSDC, but it’d be a headache.

7. Machete Video Editor Lite – Windows

Pros

1. Great for harvesting clips from longer footage
2. Lossless exports

Cons

1. Cannot swap or add audio
2. Only supports two formats (AVI and WMV)
3. Slightly awkward timeline

Machete Video Editor Lite Review

Machete Lite claims that you’ll be able to edit your videos “within a few minutes after downloading the program, even if you’ve never edited a video before”, and that is true. It might even be better if you haven’t edited a video before because the interface is slightly awkward if you’ve come from a program with a more traditional timeline setup. Machete Lite is easy to use for the most part, but it doesn’t work like most other editors and that can be awkward to navigate around.

Instead of seeing a timeline with all of your individual clips, Machete treats your entire video as one clip. You will only be able to see where you have inserted a separate video clip or cut out a portion of the video by watching the video back or jumping through it (Machete Lite does allow frame-by-frame scrolling). You won’t be able to see this information at a glance, and you won’t be able to adjust the lengths of clips you’ve added separately.

To take out any portion of your overall video you’ll need to find a keyframe at the beginning, set that as the beginning of your selection, then find a key frame at the end and set that as the end of your selection. You will then be able to delete that selection. This will not work if the frames you have set as the beginning and end are not considered keyframes by the program, so it can be difficult to be precise, but since the program allows you to jump through keyframes it’s not difficult to find a point that works.

Is Machete Video Editor Lite good for YouTube?

Machete Lite is not a good choice for YouTubers unless it is used in combination with another program.

It doesn’t work as a YouTube editor because you cannot edit or swap audio, the transition between clips, or create layers of videos and images.

However, the thing Machete Lite is really good at is cutting out clips from longer videos. You can create a selection of a part of your longer clip and then export it (with no quality loss) as its own video file.

This is what the Machete Lite toolbar looks like when you’ve created a selection. Tools like cut and copy which were greyed out before are now available, as is the save icon on the far right. If you click the save icon, you’ll be able to save that selection as its own video.

You can’t create a complete YouTube video in Machete Lite, but you can harvest clips to use in a different program.

8. Avidemux – Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Pros

1. Can add subtitle files

Cons

1. Not intuitive
2. Doesn’t support MOV or WMV
3. The website is not informative, no tutorials

Avidemux Review

Avidemux is not an easy program to jump into. I almost wrote that it couldn’t do anything besides make cuts to a clip before I saw a YouTube tutorial about how to find the contrast and brightness tools. If you decide to try it out, remember that you have to choose your output format before Avidemux will let you access tools like Hue/Saturation and Contrast (click Filters under Video Output to find them).

There are no official tutorials for Avidemux you can access from their site, so you’ll have to rely on the forums and tutorials from users if you want to learn it.

You can import multiple clips into Avidemux, but you have to import them in the order you want because you can’t drag them around the timeline after. Everything becomes one big clip.

Is Avidemux good for YouTube?

No. It has more functionality than Machete, which is ranked higher on this list, but the difference is that Machete is excellent at one thing. They both suffer from the same main weakness – you could not complete your full YouTube video either (at least not without a lot of trouble). Machete could still be useful to a YouTuber, though, because it allows for the lossless exporting of segments of clips. You can use it to harvest clips for your larger project in another program.

In theory, you could do some picture editing and snipping in Avidemux and then put your project together/add titles in another program, but your other program can probably do all that just as well if not better. Avidemux isn’t a bad program, but it doesn’t excel at anything. There are a lot of better options which are also free.

What has your experience with free video editors been like?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 02, 2022• Proven solutions

0

What makes a YouTube video good? The most important element is obviously you, the creator. Your personality, ideas, and unique viewpoint are what will make your content special and turn viewers into subscribers.

The next most important thing – even more important than the camera you use – is editing.

Editing a YouTube video doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple. Your focus when you’re perfecting your video should be on that ‘most important thing’ we mentioned earlier – your creativity. Editing for a YouTube video should be art, not mechanical engineering.

Below is a list of the top free video editing software ranked according to how appropriate it is for YouTube videos.

Rank	Editor	Make Cuts	Audio Features	Multiple Video Tracks	Video Effects	Intuitive Score (1-5)	Compatibility
1.	OpenShot Video Editor	Yes	Fade In/Out, set volume levels	Yes	Transitions, text, ability to animate. Blur/Saturation/Brightness controls.	5	Windows, Mac, Linux
2.	Shotcut	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	You can customize color presets and other effects. No animations.	4	Windows, Mac, Linux
3.	Hitfilm Express	Yes	Audio effects and transitioning.	Yes	Every imaginable picture customization. Some FX (more if you pay). Text tool.	4	Windows, Mac
4.	VideoPad Video Editor	Yes	Noise removal, equalizer, audio effects.	Yes	Moving text, transitions, filters.	5	Windows
5.	Lightworks	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	No premade effects, but you can add text/color edit.	3	Windows, Mac, Linux
6.	VSDC Video Editor	Yes	Some audio features blocked in free version	Yes	Filters, transitions, text, and more.	1	Windows
7.	Machete Video Editor Lite	Yes	None	No	None	3	Windows
8.	Avidemux	Yes	Some audio features	No	Some picture adjustments	2	Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Ready to upgrade to a simple, powerful, paid software that’s perfect for YouTube? Check out the free trial of Wondershare Filmora . It is an advanced tool that is focused more on newbie editors who are new to the videography world but want to compete with professionals!

1. OpenShot Video Editor – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Easy to use
2. Includes transitions
3. Keyframing
4. Alpha Channel
5. Unlimited video tracks

OpenShot Video Editor Review

OpenShot completely lives up to the claim that it was designed to be ‘easy to use, quick to learn, and surprisingly powerful’.

The first time you use OpenShot there will be helpful tutorial notes to guide you through the program. The interface is intuitive enough that you may not always need them, but having them should erase any confusion.

All of the basic editing features, like cutting clips up, are easy to access in the timeline. You have unlimited tracks, and it’s easy to drag your clips between them. There’s a helpful magnet feature that fits clips together if you slide them together, but which still allows for blank space if you choose to leave it.

Most other functions – setting volume levels, adjusting the speed, adding movement/zoom effect – are accessible simply by right-clicking on your clip in the timeline and choosing what you want from the menu that pops up.

Is OpenShot Video Editor good for YouTube?

OpenShot is a great, free, choice for YouTubers at any editing skill level.

Beyond simply ordering your clips, OpenShot includes text and transition options within the program. You can even animate the text, and access Animated Titles if you use OpenShot in tandem with a free animation program called Blender. Titles and transitions are vital to a lot of popular YouTube styles.

OpenShot does not provide the same level of detail as the runner up, Shotcut, when it comes to color correction or audio editing. However, the features it does have (volume levels, control of saturation) will satisfy most YouTubers.

2. Shotcut – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Detailed audio editing
2. Color grading, ability to save presets
3. Fairly intuitive timeline

Shotcut Review

Shotcut delivers a smooth, detailed, editing experience for free. It is not as easy to jump into as some of the other programs on this list, but it still only takes a half-hour or so of playing around to understand it well enough to make a video. There are also tutorials up on Shotcut’s site that can help you.

You can edit using multiple video tracks in Shotcut, making it easy to combine multiple clips, and basic functions like splitting or copying clips are as easy as clicking the right icon on the toolbar.

All of the video and audio effects, including things like chroma key, you might want to apply to your video are found under the Filters menu. It will look empty when you first open it, and you have to click the plus sign to see what your options are. If you want to create a color tint (like what you might think of as an Instagram filter) then you can do that through the Color Grading option. If you want to do something like invert your colors or add an ‘old film’ look, you’ll find that here as well along with all of the audio editing features (balance, bass and treble, and gain to name just a few).

Is Shotcut good for YouTube?

Shotcut is a great choice for YouTubers. It allows you to do some advanced editing, and it’s easy to learn compared to a program targeted at professional editors.

The only complication with Shotcut for entry-level editors who will primarily use the program for YouTube might be that animations – like moving text – are not available through the program (you can add and customize text, but it just sits there). You can get them from elsewhere and use them in the program (Shotcut has an alpha channel), but it’s a bit more involved a process than simply customizing something that’s already provided.

3. Hitfilm Express – Windows, Mac

Pros

1. Compositing mode (2D and 3D)
2. The Most effect customization
3. Helpful User Guide & tutorials

Cons

1. Can be overwhelming
2. Its main strength is FX, but you only get a couple for free. Most have to be bought separately.

Hitfilm Express Review

Hitfilm Express is the best free editor if you want to add special effects to your projects. OpenShot’s alpha channel will be enough for most people, but if you think of yourself as an aspiring filmmaker then it’s hard to beat Hitfilm’s range of functions.

This is an editor designed for people who want to make movies, and it’s a lot more intuitive than most professional-grade software. Film-quality FX (lasers, explosions, etc.) are available through Hitfilm Express for a reasonable price ($10-$50, depending on what you want), and even without paying extra for the packs, there’s a lot you can do to give your video a ‘film look’ using compositing layers and the multitude of customizable effects provided through the program.

Another highlight of Hitfilm Express is the extensive selection of tutorials and helpful information they have available both through YouTube videos and their User Guide. You will need those because this program can be overwhelming. It has so many functions and areas you can customize that it is easy to get lost.

That said, basic editing in Hitfilm Express is not difficult to jump into. It’s only when you start getting fancy that things get dicey.

Is Hitfilm Express good for YouTube?

Yes. It will not be the best option for everyone, but it’s not a bad option for anyone either.

If what you want to make is a vlog where you have a series of clips, and intro, and maybe a couple of title effects, then Hitfilm express might be overkill. You don’t want to have to master compositing just to add some text.

If what you want to make is a vlog that’s interrupted by an alien invasion and turns into an action sequence with lasers and falling debris, it’d be hard to do better than Hitfilm Express.

4. VideoPad Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Easy to jump into
2. Moving text
3. Huge audio waveforms
4. Audio and visual effects
5. Lossless exports

Cons

1. No longer updated

VideoPad Video Editor Review

VideoPad Video Editor is an extremely easy to use program. It may be the easiest program on this list to jump into, which you could also realistically create your entire video inside (there are easier programs, but you can only do some of your work in them). Part of its simplicity comes from not being as feature-rich as the programs ranking higher than it on this list, however.

You do not get the same range of functions with VideoPad as you do from the top 3 free editors, but it has enough to satisfy people who are just starting out. Creating moving text effects is easy, you have huge audio waves to work with while you’re syncing, and effects like transitions and filters are easy to find.

VideoPad does suffer a bit from being dated. This program is no longer being worked on, and the interface doesn’t look particularly modern. This is a bit more than a cosmetic issue because some features, while not difficult to find, are placed a bit oddly compared to other editors.

One slightly annoying feature of VideoPad is that it will prompt you to buy the commercial version sometimes (the free version is only for non-commercial use). There have been reports of exports being blocked in the free version, but I exported several times for the sake of this review and the issue never came up.

Is VideoPad Video Editor good for YouTube?

VideoPad makes a decent YouTube editor. You can jump right in and start making cuts, adding filters, and ordering your clips. If you have the kind of channel where voiceovers are important (like in gaming or makeup), then you’ll be happy with the size of the audio waves you have to work with for syncing.

The thing about VideoPad is that you’re probably going to outgrow it quickly as you become a more capable editor.

5. Lightworks – Windows, Mac, Linux

Pros

1. Detailed color and audio editing
2. Multicam editing

Cons

1. Exports limited to 720p for the free version
2. Difficult to learn compared to other free software

Lightworks Review

On their website, Lightworks claims to have an ‘intuitive interface’ and ‘easy timeline editing’. This is true if you compare it to other professional-level editing suites. Compared to the other programs on this list, Lightworks is complicated.

The first thing I attempt when I review this program is to simply split a clip, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure this feature out in Lightworks (a more advanced editor could have found it faster, but these reviews are meant to help people with less experience). Lightworks does have a whole tutorial series on using the software, so if you are interested in learning to use it there is ample material out there to help you.

Lightworks has a wide range of functions (i.e. detailed audio editing and color correction), and it has been used for big movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. It is the most professional program on this list, and it’s a great free alternative to something like Adobe Premiere Pro.

Note: there is no time limit on the free version of Lightworks, but it will ask you to renew your free license every 7 days. When it says your license is ‘expired’ it isn’t kicking you off the free version, you just need to renew.

Is Lightworks good for YouTube?

Whether or not Lightworks is right for your YouTube channel depends on your goals as a video editor.

If what you want is to jump in and start making YouTube videos quickly, Lightworks might not be a great choice. It’s not an easy program to just jump into, you’ll have to either take time to learn it or accept that it’ll take some trial and error to get the hang of.

If what you want is to become a professional-level video editor, then Lightworks is a great program to start on (although, Hitfilm Express may still be better). Taking the time to learn it could certainly pay off in the long run.

However, if one of your priorities is for your YouTube channel to come across as professional, then the free version of Lightworks does have some disappointing limitations. You can only export videos in 720p, which is lower quality than viewers on YouTube expect (you probably want at least 1080p). Your output format is limited too. The royalty-free audio and video content Lightworks offers are also not free; you can just buy them through the program.

6. VSDC Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Diagrams and charts
2. How To Get Started Guide
3. Lots of features

Cons

1. Very confusing
2. Paid features show up in the free version, but they’re blocked

Review of VSDC Video Editor

There’s a lot to like about VSDC Video Editor, but you have to do a lot of work to uncover any of it. Accessing even the most basic features is confusing.

One of the first things I tried to do as I tested the program was make a jump cut (where you cut out part of a video so the playback ‘jumps over’ the deleted segment) and, while I was able to do it, it was not an intuitive process. There is a multitude of toolbars and icons surrounding your preview window in VSDC, and none of those icons was for making cuts to your clips. To make any cuts you have to find the ‘cutting and splitting’ option under the Editor tab at the top of the page, which will open a second window in which you still cannot make any cuts. Instead what you can do is place markers, and when you click ‘apply changes’ to exit the window cuts will be made where you placed markers. There is nothing in the window to explain what the markers are for.

Other basic functions, like adding text, are just as complicated.

Is VSDC Video Editor good for YouTube?

I would not recommend VSDC for YouTube. It ranks higher than two other items on this list because they are, do to functional limitations, unable to create full YouTube videos without the support of other programs (at least realistically). You certainly could create your full YouTube video in VSDC, but it’d be a headache.

7. Machete Video Editor Lite – Windows

Pros

1. Great for harvesting clips from longer footage
2. Lossless exports

Cons

1. Cannot swap or add audio
2. Only supports two formats (AVI and WMV)
3. Slightly awkward timeline

Machete Video Editor Lite Review

Machete Lite claims that you’ll be able to edit your videos “within a few minutes after downloading the program, even if you’ve never edited a video before”, and that is true. It might even be better if you haven’t edited a video before because the interface is slightly awkward if you’ve come from a program with a more traditional timeline setup. Machete Lite is easy to use for the most part, but it doesn’t work like most other editors and that can be awkward to navigate around.

Instead of seeing a timeline with all of your individual clips, Machete treats your entire video as one clip. You will only be able to see where you have inserted a separate video clip or cut out a portion of the video by watching the video back or jumping through it (Machete Lite does allow frame-by-frame scrolling). You won’t be able to see this information at a glance, and you won’t be able to adjust the lengths of clips you’ve added separately.

To take out any portion of your overall video you’ll need to find a keyframe at the beginning, set that as the beginning of your selection, then find a key frame at the end and set that as the end of your selection. You will then be able to delete that selection. This will not work if the frames you have set as the beginning and end are not considered keyframes by the program, so it can be difficult to be precise, but since the program allows you to jump through keyframes it’s not difficult to find a point that works.

Is Machete Video Editor Lite good for YouTube?

Machete Lite is not a good choice for YouTubers unless it is used in combination with another program.

It doesn’t work as a YouTube editor because you cannot edit or swap audio, the transition between clips, or create layers of videos and images.

However, the thing Machete Lite is really good at is cutting out clips from longer videos. You can create a selection of a part of your longer clip and then export it (with no quality loss) as its own video file.

This is what the Machete Lite toolbar looks like when you’ve created a selection. Tools like cut and copy which were greyed out before are now available, as is the save icon on the far right. If you click the save icon, you’ll be able to save that selection as its own video.

You can’t create a complete YouTube video in Machete Lite, but you can harvest clips to use in a different program.

8. Avidemux – Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Pros

1. Can add subtitle files

Cons

1. Not intuitive
2. Doesn’t support MOV or WMV
3. The website is not informative, no tutorials

Avidemux Review

Avidemux is not an easy program to jump into. I almost wrote that it couldn’t do anything besides make cuts to a clip before I saw a YouTube tutorial about how to find the contrast and brightness tools. If you decide to try it out, remember that you have to choose your output format before Avidemux will let you access tools like Hue/Saturation and Contrast (click Filters under Video Output to find them).

There are no official tutorials for Avidemux you can access from their site, so you’ll have to rely on the forums and tutorials from users if you want to learn it.

You can import multiple clips into Avidemux, but you have to import them in the order you want because you can’t drag them around the timeline after. Everything becomes one big clip.

Is Avidemux good for YouTube?

No. It has more functionality than Machete, which is ranked higher on this list, but the difference is that Machete is excellent at one thing. They both suffer from the same main weakness – you could not complete your full YouTube video either (at least not without a lot of trouble). Machete could still be useful to a YouTuber, though, because it allows for the lossless exporting of segments of clips. You can use it to harvest clips for your larger project in another program.

In theory, you could do some picture editing and snipping in Avidemux and then put your project together/add titles in another program, but your other program can probably do all that just as well if not better. Avidemux isn’t a bad program, but it doesn’t excel at anything. There are a lot of better options which are also free.

What has your experience with free video editors been like?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 02, 2022• Proven solutions

0

What makes a YouTube video good? The most important element is obviously you, the creator. Your personality, ideas, and unique viewpoint are what will make your content special and turn viewers into subscribers.

The next most important thing – even more important than the camera you use – is editing.

Editing a YouTube video doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple. Your focus when you’re perfecting your video should be on that ‘most important thing’ we mentioned earlier – your creativity. Editing for a YouTube video should be art, not mechanical engineering.

Below is a list of the top free video editing software ranked according to how appropriate it is for YouTube videos.

Rank	Editor	Make Cuts	Audio Features	Multiple Video Tracks	Video Effects	Intuitive Score (1-5)	Compatibility
1.	OpenShot Video Editor	Yes	Fade In/Out, set volume levels	Yes	Transitions, text, ability to animate. Blur/Saturation/Brightness controls.	5	Windows, Mac, Linux
2.	Shotcut	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	You can customize color presets and other effects. No animations.	4	Windows, Mac, Linux
3.	Hitfilm Express	Yes	Audio effects and transitioning.	Yes	Every imaginable picture customization. Some FX (more if you pay). Text tool.	4	Windows, Mac
4.	VideoPad Video Editor	Yes	Noise removal, equalizer, audio effects.	Yes	Moving text, transitions, filters.	5	Windows
5.	Lightworks	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	No premade effects, but you can add text/color edit.	3	Windows, Mac, Linux
6.	VSDC Video Editor	Yes	Some audio features blocked in free version	Yes	Filters, transitions, text, and more.	1	Windows
7.	Machete Video Editor Lite	Yes	None	No	None	3	Windows
8.	Avidemux	Yes	Some audio features	No	Some picture adjustments	2	Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Ready to upgrade to a simple, powerful, paid software that’s perfect for YouTube? Check out the free trial of Wondershare Filmora . It is an advanced tool that is focused more on newbie editors who are new to the videography world but want to compete with professionals!

1. OpenShot Video Editor – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Easy to use
2. Includes transitions
3. Keyframing
4. Alpha Channel
5. Unlimited video tracks

OpenShot Video Editor Review

OpenShot completely lives up to the claim that it was designed to be ‘easy to use, quick to learn, and surprisingly powerful’.

The first time you use OpenShot there will be helpful tutorial notes to guide you through the program. The interface is intuitive enough that you may not always need them, but having them should erase any confusion.

All of the basic editing features, like cutting clips up, are easy to access in the timeline. You have unlimited tracks, and it’s easy to drag your clips between them. There’s a helpful magnet feature that fits clips together if you slide them together, but which still allows for blank space if you choose to leave it.

Most other functions – setting volume levels, adjusting the speed, adding movement/zoom effect – are accessible simply by right-clicking on your clip in the timeline and choosing what you want from the menu that pops up.

Is OpenShot Video Editor good for YouTube?

OpenShot is a great, free, choice for YouTubers at any editing skill level.

Beyond simply ordering your clips, OpenShot includes text and transition options within the program. You can even animate the text, and access Animated Titles if you use OpenShot in tandem with a free animation program called Blender. Titles and transitions are vital to a lot of popular YouTube styles.

OpenShot does not provide the same level of detail as the runner up, Shotcut, when it comes to color correction or audio editing. However, the features it does have (volume levels, control of saturation) will satisfy most YouTubers.

2. Shotcut – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Detailed audio editing
2. Color grading, ability to save presets
3. Fairly intuitive timeline

Shotcut Review

Shotcut delivers a smooth, detailed, editing experience for free. It is not as easy to jump into as some of the other programs on this list, but it still only takes a half-hour or so of playing around to understand it well enough to make a video. There are also tutorials up on Shotcut’s site that can help you.

You can edit using multiple video tracks in Shotcut, making it easy to combine multiple clips, and basic functions like splitting or copying clips are as easy as clicking the right icon on the toolbar.

All of the video and audio effects, including things like chroma key, you might want to apply to your video are found under the Filters menu. It will look empty when you first open it, and you have to click the plus sign to see what your options are. If you want to create a color tint (like what you might think of as an Instagram filter) then you can do that through the Color Grading option. If you want to do something like invert your colors or add an ‘old film’ look, you’ll find that here as well along with all of the audio editing features (balance, bass and treble, and gain to name just a few).

Is Shotcut good for YouTube?

Shotcut is a great choice for YouTubers. It allows you to do some advanced editing, and it’s easy to learn compared to a program targeted at professional editors.

The only complication with Shotcut for entry-level editors who will primarily use the program for YouTube might be that animations – like moving text – are not available through the program (you can add and customize text, but it just sits there). You can get them from elsewhere and use them in the program (Shotcut has an alpha channel), but it’s a bit more involved a process than simply customizing something that’s already provided.

3. Hitfilm Express – Windows, Mac

Pros

1. Compositing mode (2D and 3D)
2. The Most effect customization
3. Helpful User Guide & tutorials

Cons

1. Can be overwhelming
2. Its main strength is FX, but you only get a couple for free. Most have to be bought separately.

Hitfilm Express Review

Hitfilm Express is the best free editor if you want to add special effects to your projects. OpenShot’s alpha channel will be enough for most people, but if you think of yourself as an aspiring filmmaker then it’s hard to beat Hitfilm’s range of functions.

This is an editor designed for people who want to make movies, and it’s a lot more intuitive than most professional-grade software. Film-quality FX (lasers, explosions, etc.) are available through Hitfilm Express for a reasonable price ($10-$50, depending on what you want), and even without paying extra for the packs, there’s a lot you can do to give your video a ‘film look’ using compositing layers and the multitude of customizable effects provided through the program.

Another highlight of Hitfilm Express is the extensive selection of tutorials and helpful information they have available both through YouTube videos and their User Guide. You will need those because this program can be overwhelming. It has so many functions and areas you can customize that it is easy to get lost.

That said, basic editing in Hitfilm Express is not difficult to jump into. It’s only when you start getting fancy that things get dicey.

Is Hitfilm Express good for YouTube?

Yes. It will not be the best option for everyone, but it’s not a bad option for anyone either.

If what you want to make is a vlog where you have a series of clips, and intro, and maybe a couple of title effects, then Hitfilm express might be overkill. You don’t want to have to master compositing just to add some text.

If what you want to make is a vlog that’s interrupted by an alien invasion and turns into an action sequence with lasers and falling debris, it’d be hard to do better than Hitfilm Express.

4. VideoPad Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Easy to jump into
2. Moving text
3. Huge audio waveforms
4. Audio and visual effects
5. Lossless exports

Cons

1. No longer updated

VideoPad Video Editor Review

VideoPad Video Editor is an extremely easy to use program. It may be the easiest program on this list to jump into, which you could also realistically create your entire video inside (there are easier programs, but you can only do some of your work in them). Part of its simplicity comes from not being as feature-rich as the programs ranking higher than it on this list, however.

You do not get the same range of functions with VideoPad as you do from the top 3 free editors, but it has enough to satisfy people who are just starting out. Creating moving text effects is easy, you have huge audio waves to work with while you’re syncing, and effects like transitions and filters are easy to find.

VideoPad does suffer a bit from being dated. This program is no longer being worked on, and the interface doesn’t look particularly modern. This is a bit more than a cosmetic issue because some features, while not difficult to find, are placed a bit oddly compared to other editors.

One slightly annoying feature of VideoPad is that it will prompt you to buy the commercial version sometimes (the free version is only for non-commercial use). There have been reports of exports being blocked in the free version, but I exported several times for the sake of this review and the issue never came up.

Is VideoPad Video Editor good for YouTube?

VideoPad makes a decent YouTube editor. You can jump right in and start making cuts, adding filters, and ordering your clips. If you have the kind of channel where voiceovers are important (like in gaming or makeup), then you’ll be happy with the size of the audio waves you have to work with for syncing.

The thing about VideoPad is that you’re probably going to outgrow it quickly as you become a more capable editor.

5. Lightworks – Windows, Mac, Linux

Pros

1. Detailed color and audio editing
2. Multicam editing

Cons

1. Exports limited to 720p for the free version
2. Difficult to learn compared to other free software

Lightworks Review

On their website, Lightworks claims to have an ‘intuitive interface’ and ‘easy timeline editing’. This is true if you compare it to other professional-level editing suites. Compared to the other programs on this list, Lightworks is complicated.

The first thing I attempt when I review this program is to simply split a clip, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure this feature out in Lightworks (a more advanced editor could have found it faster, but these reviews are meant to help people with less experience). Lightworks does have a whole tutorial series on using the software, so if you are interested in learning to use it there is ample material out there to help you.

Lightworks has a wide range of functions (i.e. detailed audio editing and color correction), and it has been used for big movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. It is the most professional program on this list, and it’s a great free alternative to something like Adobe Premiere Pro.

Note: there is no time limit on the free version of Lightworks, but it will ask you to renew your free license every 7 days. When it says your license is ‘expired’ it isn’t kicking you off the free version, you just need to renew.

Is Lightworks good for YouTube?

Whether or not Lightworks is right for your YouTube channel depends on your goals as a video editor.

If what you want is to jump in and start making YouTube videos quickly, Lightworks might not be a great choice. It’s not an easy program to just jump into, you’ll have to either take time to learn it or accept that it’ll take some trial and error to get the hang of.

If what you want is to become a professional-level video editor, then Lightworks is a great program to start on (although, Hitfilm Express may still be better). Taking the time to learn it could certainly pay off in the long run.

However, if one of your priorities is for your YouTube channel to come across as professional, then the free version of Lightworks does have some disappointing limitations. You can only export videos in 720p, which is lower quality than viewers on YouTube expect (you probably want at least 1080p). Your output format is limited too. The royalty-free audio and video content Lightworks offers are also not free; you can just buy them through the program.

6. VSDC Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Diagrams and charts
2. How To Get Started Guide
3. Lots of features

Cons

1. Very confusing
2. Paid features show up in the free version, but they’re blocked

Review of VSDC Video Editor

There’s a lot to like about VSDC Video Editor, but you have to do a lot of work to uncover any of it. Accessing even the most basic features is confusing.

One of the first things I tried to do as I tested the program was make a jump cut (where you cut out part of a video so the playback ‘jumps over’ the deleted segment) and, while I was able to do it, it was not an intuitive process. There is a multitude of toolbars and icons surrounding your preview window in VSDC, and none of those icons was for making cuts to your clips. To make any cuts you have to find the ‘cutting and splitting’ option under the Editor tab at the top of the page, which will open a second window in which you still cannot make any cuts. Instead what you can do is place markers, and when you click ‘apply changes’ to exit the window cuts will be made where you placed markers. There is nothing in the window to explain what the markers are for.

Other basic functions, like adding text, are just as complicated.

Is VSDC Video Editor good for YouTube?

I would not recommend VSDC for YouTube. It ranks higher than two other items on this list because they are, do to functional limitations, unable to create full YouTube videos without the support of other programs (at least realistically). You certainly could create your full YouTube video in VSDC, but it’d be a headache.

7. Machete Video Editor Lite – Windows

Pros

1. Great for harvesting clips from longer footage
2. Lossless exports

Cons

1. Cannot swap or add audio
2. Only supports two formats (AVI and WMV)
3. Slightly awkward timeline

Machete Video Editor Lite Review

Machete Lite claims that you’ll be able to edit your videos “within a few minutes after downloading the program, even if you’ve never edited a video before”, and that is true. It might even be better if you haven’t edited a video before because the interface is slightly awkward if you’ve come from a program with a more traditional timeline setup. Machete Lite is easy to use for the most part, but it doesn’t work like most other editors and that can be awkward to navigate around.

Instead of seeing a timeline with all of your individual clips, Machete treats your entire video as one clip. You will only be able to see where you have inserted a separate video clip or cut out a portion of the video by watching the video back or jumping through it (Machete Lite does allow frame-by-frame scrolling). You won’t be able to see this information at a glance, and you won’t be able to adjust the lengths of clips you’ve added separately.

To take out any portion of your overall video you’ll need to find a keyframe at the beginning, set that as the beginning of your selection, then find a key frame at the end and set that as the end of your selection. You will then be able to delete that selection. This will not work if the frames you have set as the beginning and end are not considered keyframes by the program, so it can be difficult to be precise, but since the program allows you to jump through keyframes it’s not difficult to find a point that works.

Is Machete Video Editor Lite good for YouTube?

Machete Lite is not a good choice for YouTubers unless it is used in combination with another program.

It doesn’t work as a YouTube editor because you cannot edit or swap audio, the transition between clips, or create layers of videos and images.

However, the thing Machete Lite is really good at is cutting out clips from longer videos. You can create a selection of a part of your longer clip and then export it (with no quality loss) as its own video file.

This is what the Machete Lite toolbar looks like when you’ve created a selection. Tools like cut and copy which were greyed out before are now available, as is the save icon on the far right. If you click the save icon, you’ll be able to save that selection as its own video.

You can’t create a complete YouTube video in Machete Lite, but you can harvest clips to use in a different program.

8. Avidemux – Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Pros

1. Can add subtitle files

Cons

1. Not intuitive
2. Doesn’t support MOV or WMV
3. The website is not informative, no tutorials

Avidemux Review

Avidemux is not an easy program to jump into. I almost wrote that it couldn’t do anything besides make cuts to a clip before I saw a YouTube tutorial about how to find the contrast and brightness tools. If you decide to try it out, remember that you have to choose your output format before Avidemux will let you access tools like Hue/Saturation and Contrast (click Filters under Video Output to find them).

There are no official tutorials for Avidemux you can access from their site, so you’ll have to rely on the forums and tutorials from users if you want to learn it.

You can import multiple clips into Avidemux, but you have to import them in the order you want because you can’t drag them around the timeline after. Everything becomes one big clip.

Is Avidemux good for YouTube?

No. It has more functionality than Machete, which is ranked higher on this list, but the difference is that Machete is excellent at one thing. They both suffer from the same main weakness – you could not complete your full YouTube video either (at least not without a lot of trouble). Machete could still be useful to a YouTuber, though, because it allows for the lossless exporting of segments of clips. You can use it to harvest clips for your larger project in another program.

In theory, you could do some picture editing and snipping in Avidemux and then put your project together/add titles in another program, but your other program can probably do all that just as well if not better. Avidemux isn’t a bad program, but it doesn’t excel at anything. There are a lot of better options which are also free.

What has your experience with free video editors been like?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 02, 2022• Proven solutions

0

What makes a YouTube video good? The most important element is obviously you, the creator. Your personality, ideas, and unique viewpoint are what will make your content special and turn viewers into subscribers.

The next most important thing – even more important than the camera you use – is editing.

Editing a YouTube video doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple. Your focus when you’re perfecting your video should be on that ‘most important thing’ we mentioned earlier – your creativity. Editing for a YouTube video should be art, not mechanical engineering.

Below is a list of the top free video editing software ranked according to how appropriate it is for YouTube videos.

Rank	Editor	Make Cuts	Audio Features	Multiple Video Tracks	Video Effects	Intuitive Score (1-5)	Compatibility
1.	OpenShot Video Editor	Yes	Fade In/Out, set volume levels	Yes	Transitions, text, ability to animate. Blur/Saturation/Brightness controls.	5	Windows, Mac, Linux
2.	Shotcut	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	You can customize color presets and other effects. No animations.	4	Windows, Mac, Linux
3.	Hitfilm Express	Yes	Audio effects and transitioning.	Yes	Every imaginable picture customization. Some FX (more if you pay). Text tool.	4	Windows, Mac
4.	VideoPad Video Editor	Yes	Noise removal, equalizer, audio effects.	Yes	Moving text, transitions, filters.	5	Windows
5.	Lightworks	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	No premade effects, but you can add text/color edit.	3	Windows, Mac, Linux
6.	VSDC Video Editor	Yes	Some audio features blocked in free version	Yes	Filters, transitions, text, and more.	1	Windows
7.	Machete Video Editor Lite	Yes	None	No	None	3	Windows
8.	Avidemux	Yes	Some audio features	No	Some picture adjustments	2	Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Ready to upgrade to a simple, powerful, paid software that’s perfect for YouTube? Check out the free trial of Wondershare Filmora . It is an advanced tool that is focused more on newbie editors who are new to the videography world but want to compete with professionals!

1. OpenShot Video Editor – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Easy to use
2. Includes transitions
3. Keyframing
4. Alpha Channel
5. Unlimited video tracks

OpenShot Video Editor Review

OpenShot completely lives up to the claim that it was designed to be ‘easy to use, quick to learn, and surprisingly powerful’.

The first time you use OpenShot there will be helpful tutorial notes to guide you through the program. The interface is intuitive enough that you may not always need them, but having them should erase any confusion.

All of the basic editing features, like cutting clips up, are easy to access in the timeline. You have unlimited tracks, and it’s easy to drag your clips between them. There’s a helpful magnet feature that fits clips together if you slide them together, but which still allows for blank space if you choose to leave it.

Most other functions – setting volume levels, adjusting the speed, adding movement/zoom effect – are accessible simply by right-clicking on your clip in the timeline and choosing what you want from the menu that pops up.

Is OpenShot Video Editor good for YouTube?

OpenShot is a great, free, choice for YouTubers at any editing skill level.

Beyond simply ordering your clips, OpenShot includes text and transition options within the program. You can even animate the text, and access Animated Titles if you use OpenShot in tandem with a free animation program called Blender. Titles and transitions are vital to a lot of popular YouTube styles.

OpenShot does not provide the same level of detail as the runner up, Shotcut, when it comes to color correction or audio editing. However, the features it does have (volume levels, control of saturation) will satisfy most YouTubers.

2. Shotcut – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Detailed audio editing
2. Color grading, ability to save presets
3. Fairly intuitive timeline

Shotcut Review

Shotcut delivers a smooth, detailed, editing experience for free. It is not as easy to jump into as some of the other programs on this list, but it still only takes a half-hour or so of playing around to understand it well enough to make a video. There are also tutorials up on Shotcut’s site that can help you.

You can edit using multiple video tracks in Shotcut, making it easy to combine multiple clips, and basic functions like splitting or copying clips are as easy as clicking the right icon on the toolbar.

All of the video and audio effects, including things like chroma key, you might want to apply to your video are found under the Filters menu. It will look empty when you first open it, and you have to click the plus sign to see what your options are. If you want to create a color tint (like what you might think of as an Instagram filter) then you can do that through the Color Grading option. If you want to do something like invert your colors or add an ‘old film’ look, you’ll find that here as well along with all of the audio editing features (balance, bass and treble, and gain to name just a few).

Is Shotcut good for YouTube?

Shotcut is a great choice for YouTubers. It allows you to do some advanced editing, and it’s easy to learn compared to a program targeted at professional editors.

The only complication with Shotcut for entry-level editors who will primarily use the program for YouTube might be that animations – like moving text – are not available through the program (you can add and customize text, but it just sits there). You can get them from elsewhere and use them in the program (Shotcut has an alpha channel), but it’s a bit more involved a process than simply customizing something that’s already provided.

3. Hitfilm Express – Windows, Mac

Pros

1. Compositing mode (2D and 3D)
2. The Most effect customization
3. Helpful User Guide & tutorials

Cons

1. Can be overwhelming
2. Its main strength is FX, but you only get a couple for free. Most have to be bought separately.

Hitfilm Express Review

Hitfilm Express is the best free editor if you want to add special effects to your projects. OpenShot’s alpha channel will be enough for most people, but if you think of yourself as an aspiring filmmaker then it’s hard to beat Hitfilm’s range of functions.

This is an editor designed for people who want to make movies, and it’s a lot more intuitive than most professional-grade software. Film-quality FX (lasers, explosions, etc.) are available through Hitfilm Express for a reasonable price ($10-$50, depending on what you want), and even without paying extra for the packs, there’s a lot you can do to give your video a ‘film look’ using compositing layers and the multitude of customizable effects provided through the program.

Another highlight of Hitfilm Express is the extensive selection of tutorials and helpful information they have available both through YouTube videos and their User Guide. You will need those because this program can be overwhelming. It has so many functions and areas you can customize that it is easy to get lost.

That said, basic editing in Hitfilm Express is not difficult to jump into. It’s only when you start getting fancy that things get dicey.

Is Hitfilm Express good for YouTube?

Yes. It will not be the best option for everyone, but it’s not a bad option for anyone either.

If what you want to make is a vlog where you have a series of clips, and intro, and maybe a couple of title effects, then Hitfilm express might be overkill. You don’t want to have to master compositing just to add some text.

If what you want to make is a vlog that’s interrupted by an alien invasion and turns into an action sequence with lasers and falling debris, it’d be hard to do better than Hitfilm Express.

4. VideoPad Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Easy to jump into
2. Moving text
3. Huge audio waveforms
4. Audio and visual effects
5. Lossless exports

Cons

1. No longer updated

VideoPad Video Editor Review

VideoPad Video Editor is an extremely easy to use program. It may be the easiest program on this list to jump into, which you could also realistically create your entire video inside (there are easier programs, but you can only do some of your work in them). Part of its simplicity comes from not being as feature-rich as the programs ranking higher than it on this list, however.

You do not get the same range of functions with VideoPad as you do from the top 3 free editors, but it has enough to satisfy people who are just starting out. Creating moving text effects is easy, you have huge audio waves to work with while you’re syncing, and effects like transitions and filters are easy to find.

VideoPad does suffer a bit from being dated. This program is no longer being worked on, and the interface doesn’t look particularly modern. This is a bit more than a cosmetic issue because some features, while not difficult to find, are placed a bit oddly compared to other editors.

One slightly annoying feature of VideoPad is that it will prompt you to buy the commercial version sometimes (the free version is only for non-commercial use). There have been reports of exports being blocked in the free version, but I exported several times for the sake of this review and the issue never came up.

Is VideoPad Video Editor good for YouTube?

VideoPad makes a decent YouTube editor. You can jump right in and start making cuts, adding filters, and ordering your clips. If you have the kind of channel where voiceovers are important (like in gaming or makeup), then you’ll be happy with the size of the audio waves you have to work with for syncing.

The thing about VideoPad is that you’re probably going to outgrow it quickly as you become a more capable editor.

5. Lightworks – Windows, Mac, Linux

Pros

1. Detailed color and audio editing
2. Multicam editing

Cons

1. Exports limited to 720p for the free version
2. Difficult to learn compared to other free software

Lightworks Review

On their website, Lightworks claims to have an ‘intuitive interface’ and ‘easy timeline editing’. This is true if you compare it to other professional-level editing suites. Compared to the other programs on this list, Lightworks is complicated.

The first thing I attempt when I review this program is to simply split a clip, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure this feature out in Lightworks (a more advanced editor could have found it faster, but these reviews are meant to help people with less experience). Lightworks does have a whole tutorial series on using the software, so if you are interested in learning to use it there is ample material out there to help you.

Lightworks has a wide range of functions (i.e. detailed audio editing and color correction), and it has been used for big movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. It is the most professional program on this list, and it’s a great free alternative to something like Adobe Premiere Pro.

Note: there is no time limit on the free version of Lightworks, but it will ask you to renew your free license every 7 days. When it says your license is ‘expired’ it isn’t kicking you off the free version, you just need to renew.

Is Lightworks good for YouTube?

Whether or not Lightworks is right for your YouTube channel depends on your goals as a video editor.

If what you want is to jump in and start making YouTube videos quickly, Lightworks might not be a great choice. It’s not an easy program to just jump into, you’ll have to either take time to learn it or accept that it’ll take some trial and error to get the hang of.

If what you want is to become a professional-level video editor, then Lightworks is a great program to start on (although, Hitfilm Express may still be better). Taking the time to learn it could certainly pay off in the long run.

However, if one of your priorities is for your YouTube channel to come across as professional, then the free version of Lightworks does have some disappointing limitations. You can only export videos in 720p, which is lower quality than viewers on YouTube expect (you probably want at least 1080p). Your output format is limited too. The royalty-free audio and video content Lightworks offers are also not free; you can just buy them through the program.

6. VSDC Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Diagrams and charts
2. How To Get Started Guide
3. Lots of features

Cons

1. Very confusing
2. Paid features show up in the free version, but they’re blocked

Review of VSDC Video Editor

There’s a lot to like about VSDC Video Editor, but you have to do a lot of work to uncover any of it. Accessing even the most basic features is confusing.

One of the first things I tried to do as I tested the program was make a jump cut (where you cut out part of a video so the playback ‘jumps over’ the deleted segment) and, while I was able to do it, it was not an intuitive process. There is a multitude of toolbars and icons surrounding your preview window in VSDC, and none of those icons was for making cuts to your clips. To make any cuts you have to find the ‘cutting and splitting’ option under the Editor tab at the top of the page, which will open a second window in which you still cannot make any cuts. Instead what you can do is place markers, and when you click ‘apply changes’ to exit the window cuts will be made where you placed markers. There is nothing in the window to explain what the markers are for.

Other basic functions, like adding text, are just as complicated.

Is VSDC Video Editor good for YouTube?

I would not recommend VSDC for YouTube. It ranks higher than two other items on this list because they are, do to functional limitations, unable to create full YouTube videos without the support of other programs (at least realistically). You certainly could create your full YouTube video in VSDC, but it’d be a headache.

7. Machete Video Editor Lite – Windows

Pros

1. Great for harvesting clips from longer footage
2. Lossless exports

Cons

1. Cannot swap or add audio
2. Only supports two formats (AVI and WMV)
3. Slightly awkward timeline

Machete Video Editor Lite Review

Machete Lite claims that you’ll be able to edit your videos “within a few minutes after downloading the program, even if you’ve never edited a video before”, and that is true. It might even be better if you haven’t edited a video before because the interface is slightly awkward if you’ve come from a program with a more traditional timeline setup. Machete Lite is easy to use for the most part, but it doesn’t work like most other editors and that can be awkward to navigate around.

Instead of seeing a timeline with all of your individual clips, Machete treats your entire video as one clip. You will only be able to see where you have inserted a separate video clip or cut out a portion of the video by watching the video back or jumping through it (Machete Lite does allow frame-by-frame scrolling). You won’t be able to see this information at a glance, and you won’t be able to adjust the lengths of clips you’ve added separately.

To take out any portion of your overall video you’ll need to find a keyframe at the beginning, set that as the beginning of your selection, then find a key frame at the end and set that as the end of your selection. You will then be able to delete that selection. This will not work if the frames you have set as the beginning and end are not considered keyframes by the program, so it can be difficult to be precise, but since the program allows you to jump through keyframes it’s not difficult to find a point that works.

Is Machete Video Editor Lite good for YouTube?

Machete Lite is not a good choice for YouTubers unless it is used in combination with another program.

It doesn’t work as a YouTube editor because you cannot edit or swap audio, the transition between clips, or create layers of videos and images.

However, the thing Machete Lite is really good at is cutting out clips from longer videos. You can create a selection of a part of your longer clip and then export it (with no quality loss) as its own video file.

This is what the Machete Lite toolbar looks like when you’ve created a selection. Tools like cut and copy which were greyed out before are now available, as is the save icon on the far right. If you click the save icon, you’ll be able to save that selection as its own video.

You can’t create a complete YouTube video in Machete Lite, but you can harvest clips to use in a different program.

8. Avidemux – Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Pros

1. Can add subtitle files

Cons

1. Not intuitive
2. Doesn’t support MOV or WMV
3. The website is not informative, no tutorials

Avidemux Review

Avidemux is not an easy program to jump into. I almost wrote that it couldn’t do anything besides make cuts to a clip before I saw a YouTube tutorial about how to find the contrast and brightness tools. If you decide to try it out, remember that you have to choose your output format before Avidemux will let you access tools like Hue/Saturation and Contrast (click Filters under Video Output to find them).

There are no official tutorials for Avidemux you can access from their site, so you’ll have to rely on the forums and tutorials from users if you want to learn it.

You can import multiple clips into Avidemux, but you have to import them in the order you want because you can’t drag them around the timeline after. Everything becomes one big clip.

Is Avidemux good for YouTube?

No. It has more functionality than Machete, which is ranked higher on this list, but the difference is that Machete is excellent at one thing. They both suffer from the same main weakness – you could not complete your full YouTube video either (at least not without a lot of trouble). Machete could still be useful to a YouTuber, though, because it allows for the lossless exporting of segments of clips. You can use it to harvest clips for your larger project in another program.

In theory, you could do some picture editing and snipping in Avidemux and then put your project together/add titles in another program, but your other program can probably do all that just as well if not better. Avidemux isn’t a bad program, but it doesn’t excel at anything. There are a lot of better options which are also free.

What has your experience with free video editors been like?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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