Lightweight Video Editor: 8 Best Software to Use in 2024

You don't need a high-end PC to use a video editing software

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Key notes

  • Lightweight video editor software is a perfect choice for less demanding users. 
  • Older PCs can't always handle video editing, but that's not a problem for these apps.
What are the Best Lightweight Video Editing Software

Not all users have powerful PCs that can handle advanced video editing, and this is why many are looking for a lightweight video editor.

These types of applications might not have the same features as professional tools, but they won’t put a strain on your hardware, so let’s see what are some of the best applications that you can get.

Does Windows 10 have a simple video editor?

Yes, there’s a hidden video editor in Windows, and the only way to access it is by opening the desired video in the Photos app and choosing the Trim option.

This video editor is extremely simplistic, and it can only be used to trim videos, therefore many users are looking for tools with more features.

What is the lightest video editing software?

Clipify – Smart and clean interface

Have a lot of family videos that you want to turn into a memorable movie? Wish to send your greetings to a loved one via video card? You can do it all with Clipify video editing software.

With this program, editing videos seem like a vacation. In Clipify, every tool is right where you’d expect it to be.

So even if you’ve never tried to edit videos on a home PC before, it will take you no more than 20 minutes to master this automatic movie maker and start editing like a pro.

Despite its rich toolkit, this app ensures smooth performance. Not only that, but it’s less demanding on your hardware than other more robust programs.

While the application is available for free download, it will add watermarks to videos and ask you occasionally to upgrade, but it’s still a great video editor that you must try.

Take a look at its best features:

  • Edit video clips of 50+ formats: AVI, MP4, MKV, MOV, WMV, etc.
  • Capture videos using your web camera & add them to the program
  • Trim, cut, split, merge, rotate, and mix videos for stunning montages
  • Apply 160+ special effects, title cards, text captions & stickers
  • Change dull video backgrounds with the easy Chroma Key tool
  • Add voice comments or one of 200+ royalty-free music tracks
  • Export to Full HD, burn DVDs or upload directly to YouTube

Clipify Video Editor

If you’re looking to edit videos without slowing down your PC to a crawl, give Clipify Video editor a shot!
Free trial Download

Adobe Premiere Pro – Best tool for video editing professionals

As a no surprise, Adobe Premiere Pro made it to the top of our list. It virtually transforms your PC into a multimedia creation machine.

The latest version of it comes with a couple of new features that put it far away from the competition, especially when we talk about video editing software for Windows.

The amount of effort that Adobe puts into its products is huge, and so is the case for Adobe Premiere Pro and which is highly likely to stay for a while. 

The latest update came with 360 VR, 4K video support, and the most important one, the Lumetri Color feature which lets you play with white balance, color grading, and much more.

Besides, now you can collaborate with other members of your team by sharing and organizing the files into a cloud.

It’s also worth mentioning the customizable interface for maximum comfort and efficiency, multiple non-linear timelines that let you customize complex projects, and one of our favorites being template bins which saved us hundreds of hours.

Adobe Premiere Pro also comes with the Adobe Media Encoder package which provides a variety of presets optimized for output formats and green screen editing capabilities.

Some important reasons to consider Premiere Pro:

  • Easy multicam editing
  • Customizable interface
  • Fast load speeds
  • Seamless DVD and Blue-ray export 
  • Team collaboration

Adobe Premiere Pro

Go pro with your video editing creativity and go light on your PC resources with Adobe’s smart technology.
Free trial Visit Website

AceMovi Video Editor – Great for novice editors

The next entry on our list of lightweight video editing tools is AceMovi Video Editor.

Not only is it low on resource demands, but it also feels very lightweight to the user because of the sleek and intuitive interface.

We all know how video editors have a reputation for needing monster PCs to run properly, and how their interfaces are usually cluttered and filled with tools that you won’t even use unless you edit for a living.

Well, that’s not the case with AceMovi Video Editor, since you can use it to simply record your screen or import your media, drop and drop text, music, transitions, and more effects.

Then you will be able to export and share your video to a wide variety of media and platforms.

Let’s get through some of its key features:

  • Low PC configuration requirements
  • Friendly interface, easy to use by anyone
  • Great selection of video effects
  • Accurate time tracking and editing
  • Multitrack configuration available

AceMovi Video Editor

This tool offers advanced video editing tools wrapped in a friendly, easy-to-use interface!
Free trial Visit Website

Wondershare Filmora – Great instant video editing

Another lightweight software for editing videos is the Wondershare Filmora. It is a lightweight and easy-to-use application that is compatible with Windows 7, 10, and 11.

It supports almost every video, audio, and image format, and it also allows live cast recording of your computer screen.

Filmora is an all-in-one video editor that comes with all the basic tools that you may need to edit your videos, such as cropping, splitting, trimming, and merging.

It also comes with a wide range of special effects tools such as face-offs, filters, overlays, transitions, motion effects, picture-in-picture, and mosaics. Furthermore, it also supports green-screen video editing.

Filmora is incredibly easy to learn and use, thanks to its intuitive interface.

With editing features for everyone, from the beginner to the professional, and well over 300 video effects, it is an all-in-one tool that can help create professional videos.

One drawback of this lightweight video editor is that it can sometimes become unstable, especially when the user opens multiple videos for editing.

Filmora is free to download and try, but a license must be purchased for extended use.

Let’s review some of its most important features:

  • Over 300 video special effects
  • Record a live cast of your PC screen
  • Compatible with Windows 7 all the way to Windows 11
  • Very easy to use by anyone without additional training
  • Great step-by-step instant video feature

Wondeshare Filmora

Edit and record videos on your PC in just a few steps with this light and easy-to-use tool for Windows!
Free trial Visit website

Pinnacle Studio – Ideal for multi-camera editing

Pinnacle Studio has been a fan favorite for more than a decade now. Its intuitive interface makes it an easy-to-use software, but that doesn’t limit its capabilities as a professional editor.

It has all the basic features expected of a lightweight video editor and a lot more than that.

Some of its more notable features include its ability to make photo slideshows, remove unwanted scenes from videos, add audio/text overlays, 2D transitions, and numerous video effects.

All in all, Pinnacle is a great video editor. Thanks to its support for numerous file formats, users do not need to worry about compatibility issues.

Also, its timeline interface makes video editing so much more intuitive. All this doesn’t necessarily mean that Pinnacle VideoSpin is without its fair share of problems.

The first and most notable issue is that users may be required to seek registration prior to installing this program.

Also, since the initial version imposes restrictions on some of the advanced file formats, you will be required to purchase an Advanced Codecs Pack.

Here are some of its key features:

  • Multi-camera editing
  • Screen recording
  • Split-screen video
  • Keyframe controls and audio editing
  • HD video resolution

Pinnacle Studio

Use Pinnacle Studio’s complete set of features to create high-quality videos, edit audio tracks, and more!
Check price Visit website

Vegas Movie Studio – Adaptive for any editing skill level

The Vegas Movie Studio series are a range of premium video editing software.

Formerly known as the Sony Vegas Movie Studio, the software is available in three different versions: classic, Platinum, and Suite.

While the last two are more suited for professionals, Vegas Movie Studio classic is perfect for beginners and can be considered a lightweight video editor.

Some of the notable features of Vegas Movie Studio include a user-friendly interface, a range of video/audio effects, support for High DPI monitors, direct upload to Vimeo, YouTube, or Facebook, and a music maker software.

It also supports an almost limitless range of input/output formats, so compatibility will not be an issue. Also, there are plenty of tutorials available online on how to use this application.

If it weren’t for its high price, Vegas Movie Studio would be an almost flawless entry on this list of video editors.

Consider its key features below:

  • Direct upload to Vimeo, YouTube, or Facebook
  • Wide selection of video and audio effects
  • Great tutorials on how to use the software
  • Support for High DPI monitors
  • User-friendly interface

Vegas Movie Studio

Edit stunning videos with tons of effects and upload them directly to the platform of your choice!
Check price Visit website

VideoPad – Great free app for beginners

VideoPad is a great intuitive and easy-to-use video editing software. Beginners will particularly benefit from its drag-and-drop modeled timeline.

This video editor comes with a wide range of special effects and transitions, which can all be applied to make videos that are more attractive.

It also comes with the option to directly share edited videos on social media platforms such as Facebook or YouTube.

Among its range of features, you can find are 3D video editing, overlaying text for captions/credits, chroma key green screen video production, a range of visual effects templates, 2D to 3D stereoscopic conversion, and a wide range of video transitions.

One of the most notable features of this application is its ability to create stop-motion animation. This means that it can import image sequences from your videos to create a GIF.

VideoPad is a lightweight video editor that also comes with a range of video optimization options, including Fine-tuning of colors, slowing down/speeding up of videos, reverse video clip playback, video stabilization, adding digital images/photos, creation/import-export of subtitles, and other visual effects.

Thes software has plugin support for thoughts of third-party tools and effects, truly making it an all-in-one software. This software is free of cost for non-commercial use.

You will benefit from the following best features:

  • Drag-and-drop functionality
  • Wide range of video optimization options
  • Video stabilization feature
  • Plug-in support for third-party tools and effects
  • Easy subtitle creation and insertion

VideoPad

Create quality videos in no time with this drag-and-drop post-production software.
Check price Visit website

VirtualDub – Good for video file conversion

VirtualDub is another great lightweight video editor for Windows. It is an open-source software, which means that it is available free of cost and is supported by its community.

The app comes with a user-friendly interface that makes tasks like adding/deleting files, cropping sidebars and rotating videos seem as intuitive as its general range of features.

Apart from editing videos, it also doubles as a simple video format converter.

VirtualDub supports video capturing. What this means is that you will not have to import your files every time you want to edit them.

Furthermore, it also allows for extending files using third-party video filters. Finally, it also supports batch processing, which means that it can handle multiple video files simultaneously.

Some beginners have reported difficulty in understanding how VirtualDub works. Furthermore, it has been reported to be prone to delivering poor performances at times.

Take a look at some of its key features:

  • Great functionality apart from its outdated interface
  • Supports video capturing
  • Video format conversion
  • It can handle multiple video files simultaneously
  • Basic editing features

⇒ Get VirtualDub

What is the simplest video editing program?

When it comes to simplicity, Clipify is one of the simplest applications you can use. It comes with a straightforward user interface that lets you easily edit your videos or add various effects.

If you’re looking for more suggestions, check our guide on the best video editing software for beginners.

What is the best lightweight video format?

The most lightweight video format is HEVC or H.265. However, the format isn’t free, and it comes with a licensing fee.

There you go, these are the best lightweight video editing software that you can install on your PC. In case you don’t want to stress your PC, you can always use online video editors instead.

If you found our suggestions a bit expensive, there are many great free video editing software available that you can try.

If you’ve got other software suggestions, let us know in the comments below.

More about the topics: Video Editors