Everyone who relied on YouTube’s free video editing software was devastated to learn that, as of September 20, 2017, YouTube Video Editor is no longer available to users. YouTube Video Editor was a web-based video editing tool which offered a wide spectrum of features, allowing users to create transitions, work with audio, and edit up to 50 video clips at a time. Many YouTube users found it essential for uploading and perfecting a wide range of video footage, from home movies to professional YouTube footage.
The most likely reason for Video Editor’s exit was the fact that only a minute fraction of YouTube’s users were taking advantage of the software. The program was most useful for owners of Chromebooks or other computers with very limited memory capacity, as Video Editor required users to upload their videos manually to the web-based tool for editing and then download the finished product. This likely caused many users with more powerful computers to switch to software that could be kept on their hard drives, in order to avoid the inconvenience.
In their Help Forum post, YouTube suggested that there are “many free and paid third-party editing tools available” to users looking to replace Video Editor, but neglected to mention what they were. To help you in your video editing efforts, here is a quick list of the top 10 alternatives to Video Editor.
- Movie Maker for Windows
This is a basic program that offers users three supported formats and up to an 1080 megapixel resolution capacity. It’s free and operates on the Windows OS. - iMovie for Mac
This is another basic free program for Apple users, similar to the Windows Movie Maker. - Wondershare Filmora
This basic yet comprehensive program offers over 150 formats, resolution up to 4K
UHD, and advanced editing features. It is priced at under $70. - VivaVideo
This program, ranked #1 on Google Play and designed for the Android OS, offers a user-friendly interface, advanced editing features and both free and paid versions. However, its functionality is limited. - Magisto
Magisto is an innovative online video editor that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze your footage for visual analysis, audio analysis and storytelling, and then makes editing recommendations. It’s a good choice for Chromebook owners and is priced right at $10/month. - WeVideo
This program is an online video editor that can edit videos of up to 4K UHD and sync across platforms. It offers advanced editing features, is another good bet for Chromebook owners and is priced at under $10/month. - OpenShot
This program is a free, open-source, cross-platform video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux that offers a user-friendly interface, advanced editing features, unlimited tracks/layers, and support for most video and image formats. - Shotcut
Like OpenShot, Shotcut is a free, open-source, cross-platform video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux that offers advanced editing features and support for most video and image formats, as well as a multi-format timeline. - Lightworks
This program is a high-end multi-OS video editor that offers multiple features, including a simple interface, powerful tools, multi-format resolution capacity, and advanced editing features. It is competitively priced at $25/month. - Adobe Premiere Pro CC
This program is a high-end multi-OS video editor that offers many of the same features as Lightworks. It is competitively priced at $20/month.