Video editing can take a lot of time and patience, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience with how the process works. That’s precisely why it’s often not a good idea to invest a lot of money into editing software right off the bat, so why not look for something cheap instead? Or better yet, why not use software that’s entirely free?

Free video editing software for Mac is plentiful these days so all you need to do is pick the right program for your specific needs. Don’t worry if you don’t know which software might work best for you because we’ve compiled a list of great choices to help you decide.

Part 1: Top 10 Best Free Video Editing Software for Mac

OpenShot

OpenShot is among the best free video editing software for Mac you should try if you’re at the novice level. The software is quite easy to use and includes many basic tools along with a variety of interesting templates, effects, and animations. While it may not be as powerful as some of the other editors on this list, this open-source software is definitely worth checking out.

free video editing software for mac

iMovie

iMovie is the default video editing software on MacOS so you’re probably already familiar with it. One of the most important new additions to iMovie is the ability to support 4K videos, however, the software isn’t really ready to handle big projects just yet. But if all you need is free video editing software for Mac that can handle basic editing jobs, there are few choices better than iMovie.

free video editing software for mac

Lightworks

Given that Lightworks is routinely being used to edit big-budget Hollywood movies it may be hard to believe that you can get it for free. As it happens, though, that’s definitely the case. Although the premium version does cost a pretty penny, Lightworks also offers a simplified version that’s available completely for free to all Mac users. The only downside is that Lightoworks, in general, is meant for professionals so even the simplified version can seem a bit too complex for beginners.

free video editing software for mac

Shotcut

Shotcut is another free video editing software for Mac that uses an open-source system in order to constantly improve itself. The software is similar to OpenShot in many aspects, including its capabilities, but comes with a user interface that looks a bit more modern and easy to use.

free video editing software for mac

Avidemux

Avidemux is yet another open-source program that you can use entirely for free on Mac, as well as a few other platforms. The software strikes a nice balance between functionality and ease of use, which makes it perfect not only for beginners but also for those who already have a bit of experience under their belts. Even if you’re not a huge fan of the UI, we still recommend giving Avidemux a chance because it supports more formats than many other video editors.

free video editing software for mac

Blender

Despite becoming famous for its rendering capabilities, Blender is also among the best free video editing software you can find right now. This is a very comprehensive 3D graphics software suite that allows you to do a lot more than just video editing, however, this type of complexity comes with a price. Not literally because Blender is free but in the sense that this software can be very intimidating to new users even to those who only want to use the video editing package.

free video editing software for mac

Kdenlive

Mostly known for being one of the most popular free video editors on Linux, Kdenlive is also a decent choice for Mac users. The software is a bit out of date on MacOS since the devs are mainly focusing on the Linux version now but you can still get some use out of Kdenlive regardless. The software comes with a wide range of editing and customization tools so it’s still worth checking out on Mac in spite of its drawbacks.

free video editing software for mac

ZS4 Video Editor

If you’re into vintage free video editing software for Mac you’re going to love ZS4 Video Editor. The interface looks extremely dated but don’t judge it based simply on that because the editing tools themselves are quite solid and the software even includes a large number of nice video effects to play around with.

free video editing software for mac

VideoLan Movie Creator

If that name sounds familiar that’s because VideoLan Movie Creator (VLMC) is being developed by the same folks that brought us the popular VLC Media Player. Just like their first project, the developers have made VLMC completely free and open-source so expect this software to get increasingly better with that. As of right now, however, VLMC is an as advanced as other editors but can still get the job done pretty well if all you need is basic editing.

free video editing software for mac

Jahshaka

Not the easiest name to remember but this free video editing software for Mac is certainly worth a look. The software is often compared to Adobe After Effects so you can take that comparison as a point of reference to get an idea of what to expect. Of course, with the added bonus that Jahshaka is open-source and free for everyone.

free video editing software for mac

Part 2: Advanced Mac Software to Convert and Edit Videos Freely

If you’re not entirely happy with our recommendations so far and are looking for something a bit more advanced, we have a final recommendation in the form of DVDFab Video Converter.

           i  Free Download    i  Free Download  

This is a powerful piece of software that can take care not only of all your editing needs but also happens to be an excellent video converter that supports all the most popular formats. Add to that the fact that it’s also very user-friendly and easy to navigate, and you have the perfect formula for what any perfect free video editing software for Mac should be able to offer.

convert videos with dvdfab video converter for mac

As far as its editing capabilities are concerned, DVDFab Video Converter offers everything you need ranging from must-have tools like video cropping, trimming and rotating to more advanced features like file merging and subtitle manipulation. The software also lets you add personalized watermarks to the videos you’re editing and makes it very easy to change color proprieties like brightness, contrast, and saturation. DVDFab Video Converter allows you to modify videos even further by giving you all the tools needed to adjust the video quality, size, resolution, frame rate, audio proprieties, and much more.

edit videos with dvdfab video converter for mac

Conclusion

It’s hard to justify spending large amounts of money on expensive tools when some of the best free video editing software for Mac are nearly equal in terms of their capabilities. Granted, editing very complex projects like feature films without using expensive software can be challenging, but that’s a very specific scenario. For most people, regular consumer-grade video editors can take care of any small-to-medium sized projects in most cases.

But if you’re looking for software that’s a bit more advanced than your regular free editor we recommend checking out DVDFab Video Converter. Although this is a premium-grade piece of software, you can try out for free and then upgrade later if you like what it has to offer, which you probably will.