Step 1
Option A: DaVinci Resolve free
Download, import footage, build a timeline, trim clips, add captions, export. Professional quality, unlimited, no watermark. Time investment: 2-4 hours for a 5-minute video.
Editly AI
Free Video Editor
What is the best free video editor?
For unlimited professional manual editing: DaVinci Resolve. For the easiest start with AI automation: Editly's free tier. For Windows 11 convenience: Clipchamp. The best free editor depends on whether you want unlimited manual access or limited AI exports.
Free Video Editors: What Each Really Costs
Zero cost on software doesn't mean zero total cost. Here's the complete picture.
| Decision | Other Apps | Editly |
|---|---|---|
| Software cost | DaVinci Resolve: $0 forever; Shotcut: $0 forever; Clipchamp: $0 (Windows 11) | Editly: $0 for 3 exports, then $28/month |
| Time per video | Free NLEs: 1-4 hours per video — manual editing time is non-negotiable | Editly: 15-20 minutes per video — AI editorial decisions reduce manual work |
| Captions | Free NLEs: DaVinci has Speech to Text; others require manual SRT or external tools | Editly: captions from spoken content generated automatically on all plans |
| Silence removal | Free NLEs: manual only — no built-in silence detection in any major free editor | Editly: silence removal in any prompt — standard feature |
How to Get Your First Video Edited for Free
Step 2
Option B: Editly free
Open editly.in, upload footage, write a prompt ('Make a 5-minute YouTube video, remove silences, add captions'). Time investment: 15-20 minutes.
Step 3
Compare the outputs
If you can, try both on the same footage. The quality comparison will help you decide whether the time savings in Editly justify the $28/month subscription.
Step 4
Build a sustainable ongoing workflow
Pick the approach that matches your editing frequency and time constraints. Many creators use both — DaVinci for occasional hero content, Editly for volume social content.
3 Free AI Exports — Test Before You Subscribe
Editly's free tier is 3 exports designed to give you an honest answer before asking you to pay. No watermark, same quality as Pro. Try it on your actual content.
- 3 free AI-edited videos — no card required
- No watermark — full quality evaluation
- Pro $28/month for 100 videos if the approach fits