Step 1
For your first 3 YouTube videos: use Editly free
Upload your recording. Write: 'Make a [X]-minute YouTube video. Remove silences. Add white captions. Start with a hook. Export 16:9 1080p.' Publish the same day you record.
Editly AI
Free YouTube Video Editor
What is the best free YouTube video editor?
DaVinci Resolve is the best free professional YouTube editor — unlimited, no watermark, excellent quality. Editly's free tier is the best free AI YouTube editing option — 3 full AI-edited exports for testing automated YouTube production.
Free YouTube Video Editors: What You Get
Both DaVinci Resolve and Editly's free tier produce professional YouTube output — the difference is the editing model.
| Decision | Other Apps | Editly |
|---|---|---|
| Export limits | DaVinci Resolve: unlimited free YouTube exports — no monthly limit, no subscription | Editly free: 3 YouTube-ready AI-edited exports — then $28/month for 100 |
| Time per YouTube video | DaVinci Resolve: 2-4 hours per video — manual cuts, captions, silence removal, export | Editly: 15-20 minutes per video — AI handles cuts, captions, silence, and export |
| YouTube captions | DaVinci Resolve: Speech to Text panel — accurate but requires setup and review | Editly: captions as a prompt instruction — generated automatically on all plans |
| YouTube Shorts | DaVinci Resolve: separate project for 9:16 — manual reframing and caption setup | Editly: '9:16 for YouTube Shorts' in the prompt — reframing and captions applied automatically |
Free YouTube Editing — Getting Your First Video Published
Step 2
For unlimited free YouTube editing: download DaVinci Resolve
Best for creators who want professional tools at zero ongoing cost. Invest in learning; receive unlimited watermark-free YouTube exports forever.
Step 3
Test both on the same footage
Record one video. Edit it in Editly (free). Then edit it in DaVinci. Compare the time and output quality for YouTube.
Step 4
Choose your ongoing YouTube editing approach
DaVinci for professional YouTube with unlimited manual editing. Editly Pro ($28/month) for AI-automated YouTube publishing at volume.
Publish Your First 3 YouTube Videos Free With AI Editing
Use Editly's free tier to publish 3 YouTube videos without any manual editing work. Upload, prompt, download, publish. Then decide whether $28/month is worth it for your channel.
- 3 free YouTube-ready AI-edited videos — 1080p, captioned, no watermark
- Compare against DaVinci Resolve on the same content
- Pro $28/month for consistent weekly YouTube publishing