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"Effortless Online Guide YouTube Video to GIF Magic (No Download) for 2024"
Effortless Online Guide: YouTube Video to GIF Magic (No Download)
How to Convert YouTube Videos to GIFs
Shanoon Cox
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A GIF adds an extra element to any conversation and makes the reader feel connected to the post. Using GIF can turn useful if done rightly. It narrates a story in a single animated image for social media conversation. In this article, we will brief you about how to convert YouTube to gif, various GIF converters, their uses, and the pros and cons of each converter.
Let’s get started!
How to Convert a YouTube Video into GIFs?
1. YouTube to GIF Directly
Here is a quick way to convert the YouTube video to GIFs without typing a YouTube to GIF website.
Gif.com is a free and easy-to-use video editor available with multiple effects. This converter was created keeping in mind how people spend hours and money on paid platforms.
Follow the below steps to convert a YouTube video into gifs.
- In the YouTube video page, add gif before youtube.com. For example, I want to convert the YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40fuGLmwHwk to GIFs, here is how it looks like after adding gif at the beginning: https://www.gifyoutube.com/watch?v=40fuGLmwHwk . Press the enter button on your keyboard and you will enter the gifs.com directly.
- In gifs.com, you can play and pause the YouTube video and drag the bar to select a desired moment for gif. Press the “Create Gif” button on the top right side to convert the specific part of the YouTube video to gif.
- You will then be directed to the result page to see your GIF created using the YouTube video, and you can change the GIF title and the tag.
- Lastly, you need to copy the link and share it!
Pros of converting YouTube to GIFs with Gifs.com:
- The interface is easy to use and it provides lots of tools to adjust.
- Simple functionality.
Cons:
- The watermark on your created GIF can be removed only after purchasing the premium version.
- GIFs can be downloaded only by registered users.
2. FreeGifMaker.me
FreeGifMaker is one simple online tool that allows the creation of animated Gifs for free. A minimum of two pictures has to be uploaded out of ten. It takes few seconds and is super easy to make a GIF from a YouTube video. You can use FreeGifMaker.me in some easy steps.
- Open the website http://freegifmaker.me/youtube-to-gif/ on your desktop.
- Go to YouTube and copy the video URL you want to create a GIF of and paste it on the website mentioned above.
- Then click “Load YouTube Video” below the URL and wait for a few seconds while the tool checks the video source.
- Once the YouTube video is loaded, enter the gif duration, start time, and click on the “Make a GIF button.” It will redirect you to the result page.
- Pros:
- Conversion size is unlimited**.**
- There is no usage of ads.
- Easy to make Gifs.
- Cons:
- The upload speed is slow.
- The converter gives limited options for editing.
3. Wondershare Online UniConverter
Online UniConverter converts video into a high-quality animated GIF and allows editing. It is a simple converter with unique features.
If you want to convert your YouTube video into a GIF, follow the steps.
- You need to upload your video through the “Choose Files” option. You can also copy the link from YouTube.
- Wait for some time once you upload the file; you can then set your start time, end time, frame rate according to your needs.
- Lastly, click on “Create GIF” and download your GIF. You can also save it through the dropdown option available besides “Download.”
- Pros:
- Easy to handle.
- A wide range of customization tools is available.
- Zero ads.
- Cons:
- Upload speed is slow.
- Conversion size is limited.
4. GifRun
It is a video maker that started in 2013, and GifRun converts videos from YouTube, Facebook, and other sources to high-quality GIFs. You can create Gifs free of cost from GifRun.
Here is how you can use Gifrun.
- Open the website and paste the URL you want to convert into Gif. Later, press “Get Video” option below the URL box.
- In this step, you can adjust the duration, start time, add text, and also pause and preview the video. Once you’re done altering the video, click “Create GIF.”
- Lastly, click on the “Download” button beside the add text button, or share the link directly.
- Pros:
- Fast conversion and download.
- There is no upload limit.
- The video preview feature is available.
- Cons:
- UI is ad-infested.
- Supports YouTube videos only.
5. Makeagif
This GIF converter creates high-quality GIFs in no time. You need to paste the URL in Makeagif and nothing much. It can make GIFs from Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms easily.
The only issue is that it supports one type of conversion with a maximum limit of 25MB.
Here is how you can make your favorite GIF in few steps.
- Open makeagif.com and paste the YouTube URL in the box available.
- Once you paste the URL, the website will automatically take you to the edit page to edit GIF length, start time, speed, and add caption and stickers. The next step is to select the category to which the video belongs available on the left side of the screen.
- After editing, click on “Continue to publishing” then “Create GIF” at the lower right corner of the screen. Voila! Your GIF is ready to use.
- Pros:
- The UI is user-friendly.
- Ads are minimal
- Various GIF conversions are supported.
- Cons:
- The conversion size is small.
- Batch conversions are not available.
6. ImgFlip
It is a creative GIF website supporting various videos from other websites such as Vimeo and YouTube. ImgFlip has innovative customization tools for cropping, reshaping, adding text and, a lot more, but you just need to be aware of the ads.
Want to know how to create GIF? Go through these simple steps.
- You can make GIFs both from Video and Images. To make GIF from a video, paste the YouTube URL in the box at the top, upload the tape from your device’s file.
- After pasting the URL, you will be given lots of customization options. Choose the effect of your choice for your GIF.
- Lastly, click on “Generate GIF” available on the right side of the screen. You can now share the GIF via your device or download it.
- Pros:
- Plenty of customization options.
- Fast conversion.
- Easy to upload and use.
- Cons:
- Ads pop up frequently.
- Offline conversion is unavailable.
7. GIPHY
It is a free GIF converter that helps you download free YouTube GIFs. You can also make GIFs from your photos, videos available on your device along with video URLs and images. The only problem is, to use Giphy you first have to log in to the app.
Follow the below steps to create a GIF from YouTube videos with Giphy:
- Open Giphy on your device and click on “Create” on the top right-side of your screen.
- Paste the URL in the space given below. A pop-up will tell you to log in. Log in to the website to continue.
- The video you choose should be less than 15 seconds and under 100MB. You will be given editing options from which you can select the start time and duration of your GIF along with Captions and Tags.
- In the end, press the “Create GIF” button to make the GIF. When it’s done, you will be redirected to the GIF page. You can then share your GIF on any social media site.
- Pros:
- Ads are absent
- Uploading is fast
- Wide range of free GIFs available
- Cons:
- Not perfect for green hands
8. Imgur
It is one of the best apps that offers tons of images, memes, and GIFs. You can make GIFs of less than 60 seconds with high quality, which you can share anywhere.
Here are three easy steps to make GIFs
- Visit the page “imgur.com/vidgif” and paste your YouTube URL there.
- Set a start time by clicking or dragging on the timeline. The total runtime is also adjustable, with 60 seconds as the maximum time for GIFs.
- Lastly, press on “Create GIF” to see the magic. The GIF is converted from the YouTube video.
- Pros:
- The users can share the post of their choice
- Users can save posts.
- Great collection of short GIFs and videos.
- Cons:
- During loading, the screen flashes.
9 VEED.IO
Veed is a simple YouTube video converter that makes your work super easy. It converts YouTube videos into GIFs with various editing options like crop, trim, text ads, and many more.
Check out how to use VEED in 3 steps.
- Start by pasting the URL of your YouTube video into VEED, Your video will be ready to convert into GIF.
- Now you are all set to edit your video. You have the option to crop and trim the video. You can also include different font styles, colors, and sizes of your choice.
- Lastly, download the GIF you made in VEED.
- Pros:
- Downloading the software is not mandatory.
- UI is simple and easy to navigate.
- The subtitle option is present.
- Cons:
- It takes a lot of time to upload video.
- Many basic tools.
10. Kapwing
Kapwing is a helpful video converter that can easily turn any video into GIFs with a click. It can also convert different files such as 3GP, GIF, WEBM.
To create beautiful GIFs with this video editor, follow these easy steps.
- Open Kapwing video editor and upload your video from YouTube.
- Choose the “Export dropdown” option and choose the format you wish to convert.
You can also preview the GIF and customize it as per your choice.
- In the final step, export the video by clicking the “Export Video” button. Save and download the newly created GIF and share it anywhere with your friends.
- Pros:
- Great editing tools.
- Easy to use.
- Cons:
- Available only on the website.
- Too many tools for the same purpose.
Final Thoughts
With the increased use of GIFs on social media, you can now easily convert your favorite YouTube videos into GIFs on your own. All you have to do is simply choose the tools mentioned above and share it with your friends.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A GIF adds an extra element to any conversation and makes the reader feel connected to the post. Using GIF can turn useful if done rightly. It narrates a story in a single animated image for social media conversation. In this article, we will brief you about how to convert YouTube to gif, various GIF converters, their uses, and the pros and cons of each converter.
Let’s get started!
How to Convert a YouTube Video into GIFs?
1. YouTube to GIF Directly
Here is a quick way to convert the YouTube video to GIFs without typing a YouTube to GIF website.
Gif.com is a free and easy-to-use video editor available with multiple effects. This converter was created keeping in mind how people spend hours and money on paid platforms.
Follow the below steps to convert a YouTube video into gifs.
- In the YouTube video page, add gif before youtube.com. For example, I want to convert the YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40fuGLmwHwk to GIFs, here is how it looks like after adding gif at the beginning: https://www.gifyoutube.com/watch?v=40fuGLmwHwk . Press the enter button on your keyboard and you will enter the gifs.com directly.
- In gifs.com, you can play and pause the YouTube video and drag the bar to select a desired moment for gif. Press the “Create Gif” button on the top right side to convert the specific part of the YouTube video to gif.
- You will then be directed to the result page to see your GIF created using the YouTube video, and you can change the GIF title and the tag.
- Lastly, you need to copy the link and share it!
Pros of converting YouTube to GIFs with Gifs.com:
- The interface is easy to use and it provides lots of tools to adjust.
- Simple functionality.
Cons:
- The watermark on your created GIF can be removed only after purchasing the premium version.
- GIFs can be downloaded only by registered users.
2. FreeGifMaker.me
FreeGifMaker is one simple online tool that allows the creation of animated Gifs for free. A minimum of two pictures has to be uploaded out of ten. It takes few seconds and is super easy to make a GIF from a YouTube video. You can use FreeGifMaker.me in some easy steps.
- Open the website http://freegifmaker.me/youtube-to-gif/ on your desktop.
- Go to YouTube and copy the video URL you want to create a GIF of and paste it on the website mentioned above.
- Then click “Load YouTube Video” below the URL and wait for a few seconds while the tool checks the video source.
- Once the YouTube video is loaded, enter the gif duration, start time, and click on the “Make a GIF button.” It will redirect you to the result page.
- Pros:
- Conversion size is unlimited**.**
- There is no usage of ads.
- Easy to make Gifs.
- Cons:
- The upload speed is slow.
- The converter gives limited options for editing.
3. Wondershare Online UniConverter
Online UniConverter converts video into a high-quality animated GIF and allows editing. It is a simple converter with unique features.
If you want to convert your YouTube video into a GIF, follow the steps.
- You need to upload your video through the “Choose Files” option. You can also copy the link from YouTube.
- Wait for some time once you upload the file; you can then set your start time, end time, frame rate according to your needs.
- Lastly, click on “Create GIF” and download your GIF. You can also save it through the dropdown option available besides “Download.”
- Pros:
- Easy to handle.
- A wide range of customization tools is available.
- Zero ads.
- Cons:
- Upload speed is slow.
- Conversion size is limited.
4. GifRun
It is a video maker that started in 2013, and GifRun converts videos from YouTube, Facebook, and other sources to high-quality GIFs. You can create Gifs free of cost from GifRun.
Here is how you can use Gifrun.
- Open the website and paste the URL you want to convert into Gif. Later, press “Get Video” option below the URL box.
- In this step, you can adjust the duration, start time, add text, and also pause and preview the video. Once you’re done altering the video, click “Create GIF.”
- Lastly, click on the “Download” button beside the add text button, or share the link directly.
- Pros:
- Fast conversion and download.
- There is no upload limit.
- The video preview feature is available.
- Cons:
- UI is ad-infested.
- Supports YouTube videos only.
5. Makeagif
This GIF converter creates high-quality GIFs in no time. You need to paste the URL in Makeagif and nothing much. It can make GIFs from Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms easily.
The only issue is that it supports one type of conversion with a maximum limit of 25MB.
Here is how you can make your favorite GIF in few steps.
- Open makeagif.com and paste the YouTube URL in the box available.
- Once you paste the URL, the website will automatically take you to the edit page to edit GIF length, start time, speed, and add caption and stickers. The next step is to select the category to which the video belongs available on the left side of the screen.
- After editing, click on “Continue to publishing” then “Create GIF” at the lower right corner of the screen. Voila! Your GIF is ready to use.
- Pros:
- The UI is user-friendly.
- Ads are minimal
- Various GIF conversions are supported.
- Cons:
- The conversion size is small.
- Batch conversions are not available.
6. ImgFlip
It is a creative GIF website supporting various videos from other websites such as Vimeo and YouTube. ImgFlip has innovative customization tools for cropping, reshaping, adding text and, a lot more, but you just need to be aware of the ads.
Want to know how to create GIF? Go through these simple steps.
- You can make GIFs both from Video and Images. To make GIF from a video, paste the YouTube URL in the box at the top, upload the tape from your device’s file.
- After pasting the URL, you will be given lots of customization options. Choose the effect of your choice for your GIF.
- Lastly, click on “Generate GIF” available on the right side of the screen. You can now share the GIF via your device or download it.
- Pros:
- Plenty of customization options.
- Fast conversion.
- Easy to upload and use.
- Cons:
- Ads pop up frequently.
- Offline conversion is unavailable.
7. GIPHY
It is a free GIF converter that helps you download free YouTube GIFs. You can also make GIFs from your photos, videos available on your device along with video URLs and images. The only problem is, to use Giphy you first have to log in to the app.
Follow the below steps to create a GIF from YouTube videos with Giphy:
- Open Giphy on your device and click on “Create” on the top right-side of your screen.
- Paste the URL in the space given below. A pop-up will tell you to log in. Log in to the website to continue.
- The video you choose should be less than 15 seconds and under 100MB. You will be given editing options from which you can select the start time and duration of your GIF along with Captions and Tags.
- In the end, press the “Create GIF” button to make the GIF. When it’s done, you will be redirected to the GIF page. You can then share your GIF on any social media site.
- Pros:
- Ads are absent
- Uploading is fast
- Wide range of free GIFs available
- Cons:
- Not perfect for green hands
8. Imgur
It is one of the best apps that offers tons of images, memes, and GIFs. You can make GIFs of less than 60 seconds with high quality, which you can share anywhere.
Here are three easy steps to make GIFs
- Visit the page “imgur.com/vidgif” and paste your YouTube URL there.
- Set a start time by clicking or dragging on the timeline. The total runtime is also adjustable, with 60 seconds as the maximum time for GIFs.
- Lastly, press on “Create GIF” to see the magic. The GIF is converted from the YouTube video.
- Pros:
- The users can share the post of their choice
- Users can save posts.
- Great collection of short GIFs and videos.
- Cons:
- During loading, the screen flashes.
9 VEED.IO
Veed is a simple YouTube video converter that makes your work super easy. It converts YouTube videos into GIFs with various editing options like crop, trim, text ads, and many more.
Check out how to use VEED in 3 steps.
- Start by pasting the URL of your YouTube video into VEED, Your video will be ready to convert into GIF.
- Now you are all set to edit your video. You have the option to crop and trim the video. You can also include different font styles, colors, and sizes of your choice.
- Lastly, download the GIF you made in VEED.
- Pros:
- Downloading the software is not mandatory.
- UI is simple and easy to navigate.
- The subtitle option is present.
- Cons:
- It takes a lot of time to upload video.
- Many basic tools.
10. Kapwing
Kapwing is a helpful video converter that can easily turn any video into GIFs with a click. It can also convert different files such as 3GP, GIF, WEBM.
To create beautiful GIFs with this video editor, follow these easy steps.
- Open Kapwing video editor and upload your video from YouTube.
- Choose the “Export dropdown” option and choose the format you wish to convert.
You can also preview the GIF and customize it as per your choice.
- In the final step, export the video by clicking the “Export Video” button. Save and download the newly created GIF and share it anywhere with your friends.
- Pros:
- Great editing tools.
- Easy to use.
- Cons:
- Available only on the website.
- Too many tools for the same purpose.
Final Thoughts
With the increased use of GIFs on social media, you can now easily convert your favorite YouTube videos into GIFs on your own. All you have to do is simply choose the tools mentioned above and share it with your friends.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A GIF adds an extra element to any conversation and makes the reader feel connected to the post. Using GIF can turn useful if done rightly. It narrates a story in a single animated image for social media conversation. In this article, we will brief you about how to convert YouTube to gif, various GIF converters, their uses, and the pros and cons of each converter.
Let’s get started!
How to Convert a YouTube Video into GIFs?
1. YouTube to GIF Directly
Here is a quick way to convert the YouTube video to GIFs without typing a YouTube to GIF website.
Gif.com is a free and easy-to-use video editor available with multiple effects. This converter was created keeping in mind how people spend hours and money on paid platforms.
Follow the below steps to convert a YouTube video into gifs.
- In the YouTube video page, add gif before youtube.com. For example, I want to convert the YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40fuGLmwHwk to GIFs, here is how it looks like after adding gif at the beginning: https://www.gifyoutube.com/watch?v=40fuGLmwHwk . Press the enter button on your keyboard and you will enter the gifs.com directly.
- In gifs.com, you can play and pause the YouTube video and drag the bar to select a desired moment for gif. Press the “Create Gif” button on the top right side to convert the specific part of the YouTube video to gif.
- You will then be directed to the result page to see your GIF created using the YouTube video, and you can change the GIF title and the tag.
- Lastly, you need to copy the link and share it!
Pros of converting YouTube to GIFs with Gifs.com:
- The interface is easy to use and it provides lots of tools to adjust.
- Simple functionality.
Cons:
- The watermark on your created GIF can be removed only after purchasing the premium version.
- GIFs can be downloaded only by registered users.
2. FreeGifMaker.me
FreeGifMaker is one simple online tool that allows the creation of animated Gifs for free. A minimum of two pictures has to be uploaded out of ten. It takes few seconds and is super easy to make a GIF from a YouTube video. You can use FreeGifMaker.me in some easy steps.
- Open the website http://freegifmaker.me/youtube-to-gif/ on your desktop.
- Go to YouTube and copy the video URL you want to create a GIF of and paste it on the website mentioned above.
- Then click “Load YouTube Video” below the URL and wait for a few seconds while the tool checks the video source.
- Once the YouTube video is loaded, enter the gif duration, start time, and click on the “Make a GIF button.” It will redirect you to the result page.
- Pros:
- Conversion size is unlimited**.**
- There is no usage of ads.
- Easy to make Gifs.
- Cons:
- The upload speed is slow.
- The converter gives limited options for editing.
3. Wondershare Online UniConverter
Online UniConverter converts video into a high-quality animated GIF and allows editing. It is a simple converter with unique features.
If you want to convert your YouTube video into a GIF, follow the steps.
- You need to upload your video through the “Choose Files” option. You can also copy the link from YouTube.
- Wait for some time once you upload the file; you can then set your start time, end time, frame rate according to your needs.
- Lastly, click on “Create GIF” and download your GIF. You can also save it through the dropdown option available besides “Download.”
- Pros:
- Easy to handle.
- A wide range of customization tools is available.
- Zero ads.
- Cons:
- Upload speed is slow.
- Conversion size is limited.
4. GifRun
It is a video maker that started in 2013, and GifRun converts videos from YouTube, Facebook, and other sources to high-quality GIFs. You can create Gifs free of cost from GifRun.
Here is how you can use Gifrun.
- Open the website and paste the URL you want to convert into Gif. Later, press “Get Video” option below the URL box.
- In this step, you can adjust the duration, start time, add text, and also pause and preview the video. Once you’re done altering the video, click “Create GIF.”
- Lastly, click on the “Download” button beside the add text button, or share the link directly.
- Pros:
- Fast conversion and download.
- There is no upload limit.
- The video preview feature is available.
- Cons:
- UI is ad-infested.
- Supports YouTube videos only.
5. Makeagif
This GIF converter creates high-quality GIFs in no time. You need to paste the URL in Makeagif and nothing much. It can make GIFs from Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms easily.
The only issue is that it supports one type of conversion with a maximum limit of 25MB.
Here is how you can make your favorite GIF in few steps.
- Open makeagif.com and paste the YouTube URL in the box available.
- Once you paste the URL, the website will automatically take you to the edit page to edit GIF length, start time, speed, and add caption and stickers. The next step is to select the category to which the video belongs available on the left side of the screen.
- After editing, click on “Continue to publishing” then “Create GIF” at the lower right corner of the screen. Voila! Your GIF is ready to use.
- Pros:
- The UI is user-friendly.
- Ads are minimal
- Various GIF conversions are supported.
- Cons:
- The conversion size is small.
- Batch conversions are not available.
6. ImgFlip
It is a creative GIF website supporting various videos from other websites such as Vimeo and YouTube. ImgFlip has innovative customization tools for cropping, reshaping, adding text and, a lot more, but you just need to be aware of the ads.
Want to know how to create GIF? Go through these simple steps.
- You can make GIFs both from Video and Images. To make GIF from a video, paste the YouTube URL in the box at the top, upload the tape from your device’s file.
- After pasting the URL, you will be given lots of customization options. Choose the effect of your choice for your GIF.
- Lastly, click on “Generate GIF” available on the right side of the screen. You can now share the GIF via your device or download it.
- Pros:
- Plenty of customization options.
- Fast conversion.
- Easy to upload and use.
- Cons:
- Ads pop up frequently.
- Offline conversion is unavailable.
7. GIPHY
It is a free GIF converter that helps you download free YouTube GIFs. You can also make GIFs from your photos, videos available on your device along with video URLs and images. The only problem is, to use Giphy you first have to log in to the app.
Follow the below steps to create a GIF from YouTube videos with Giphy:
- Open Giphy on your device and click on “Create” on the top right-side of your screen.
- Paste the URL in the space given below. A pop-up will tell you to log in. Log in to the website to continue.
- The video you choose should be less than 15 seconds and under 100MB. You will be given editing options from which you can select the start time and duration of your GIF along with Captions and Tags.
- In the end, press the “Create GIF” button to make the GIF. When it’s done, you will be redirected to the GIF page. You can then share your GIF on any social media site.
- Pros:
- Ads are absent
- Uploading is fast
- Wide range of free GIFs available
- Cons:
- Not perfect for green hands
8. Imgur
It is one of the best apps that offers tons of images, memes, and GIFs. You can make GIFs of less than 60 seconds with high quality, which you can share anywhere.
Here are three easy steps to make GIFs
- Visit the page “imgur.com/vidgif” and paste your YouTube URL there.
- Set a start time by clicking or dragging on the timeline. The total runtime is also adjustable, with 60 seconds as the maximum time for GIFs.
- Lastly, press on “Create GIF” to see the magic. The GIF is converted from the YouTube video.
- Pros:
- The users can share the post of their choice
- Users can save posts.
- Great collection of short GIFs and videos.
- Cons:
- During loading, the screen flashes.
9 VEED.IO
Veed is a simple YouTube video converter that makes your work super easy. It converts YouTube videos into GIFs with various editing options like crop, trim, text ads, and many more.
Check out how to use VEED in 3 steps.
- Start by pasting the URL of your YouTube video into VEED, Your video will be ready to convert into GIF.
- Now you are all set to edit your video. You have the option to crop and trim the video. You can also include different font styles, colors, and sizes of your choice.
- Lastly, download the GIF you made in VEED.
- Pros:
- Downloading the software is not mandatory.
- UI is simple and easy to navigate.
- The subtitle option is present.
- Cons:
- It takes a lot of time to upload video.
- Many basic tools.
10. Kapwing
Kapwing is a helpful video converter that can easily turn any video into GIFs with a click. It can also convert different files such as 3GP, GIF, WEBM.
To create beautiful GIFs with this video editor, follow these easy steps.
- Open Kapwing video editor and upload your video from YouTube.
- Choose the “Export dropdown” option and choose the format you wish to convert.
You can also preview the GIF and customize it as per your choice.
- In the final step, export the video by clicking the “Export Video” button. Save and download the newly created GIF and share it anywhere with your friends.
- Pros:
- Great editing tools.
- Easy to use.
- Cons:
- Available only on the website.
- Too many tools for the same purpose.
Final Thoughts
With the increased use of GIFs on social media, you can now easily convert your favorite YouTube videos into GIFs on your own. All you have to do is simply choose the tools mentioned above and share it with your friends.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A GIF adds an extra element to any conversation and makes the reader feel connected to the post. Using GIF can turn useful if done rightly. It narrates a story in a single animated image for social media conversation. In this article, we will brief you about how to convert YouTube to gif, various GIF converters, their uses, and the pros and cons of each converter.
Let’s get started!
How to Convert a YouTube Video into GIFs?
1. YouTube to GIF Directly
Here is a quick way to convert the YouTube video to GIFs without typing a YouTube to GIF website.
Gif.com is a free and easy-to-use video editor available with multiple effects. This converter was created keeping in mind how people spend hours and money on paid platforms.
Follow the below steps to convert a YouTube video into gifs.
- In the YouTube video page, add gif before youtube.com. For example, I want to convert the YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40fuGLmwHwk to GIFs, here is how it looks like after adding gif at the beginning: https://www.gifyoutube.com/watch?v=40fuGLmwHwk . Press the enter button on your keyboard and you will enter the gifs.com directly.
- In gifs.com, you can play and pause the YouTube video and drag the bar to select a desired moment for gif. Press the “Create Gif” button on the top right side to convert the specific part of the YouTube video to gif.
- You will then be directed to the result page to see your GIF created using the YouTube video, and you can change the GIF title and the tag.
- Lastly, you need to copy the link and share it!
Pros of converting YouTube to GIFs with Gifs.com:
- The interface is easy to use and it provides lots of tools to adjust.
- Simple functionality.
Cons:
- The watermark on your created GIF can be removed only after purchasing the premium version.
- GIFs can be downloaded only by registered users.
2. FreeGifMaker.me
FreeGifMaker is one simple online tool that allows the creation of animated Gifs for free. A minimum of two pictures has to be uploaded out of ten. It takes few seconds and is super easy to make a GIF from a YouTube video. You can use FreeGifMaker.me in some easy steps.
- Open the website http://freegifmaker.me/youtube-to-gif/ on your desktop.
- Go to YouTube and copy the video URL you want to create a GIF of and paste it on the website mentioned above.
- Then click “Load YouTube Video” below the URL and wait for a few seconds while the tool checks the video source.
- Once the YouTube video is loaded, enter the gif duration, start time, and click on the “Make a GIF button.” It will redirect you to the result page.
- Pros:
- Conversion size is unlimited**.**
- There is no usage of ads.
- Easy to make Gifs.
- Cons:
- The upload speed is slow.
- The converter gives limited options for editing.
3. Wondershare Online UniConverter
Online UniConverter converts video into a high-quality animated GIF and allows editing. It is a simple converter with unique features.
If you want to convert your YouTube video into a GIF, follow the steps.
- You need to upload your video through the “Choose Files” option. You can also copy the link from YouTube.
- Wait for some time once you upload the file; you can then set your start time, end time, frame rate according to your needs.
- Lastly, click on “Create GIF” and download your GIF. You can also save it through the dropdown option available besides “Download.”
- Pros:
- Easy to handle.
- A wide range of customization tools is available.
- Zero ads.
- Cons:
- Upload speed is slow.
- Conversion size is limited.
4. GifRun
It is a video maker that started in 2013, and GifRun converts videos from YouTube, Facebook, and other sources to high-quality GIFs. You can create Gifs free of cost from GifRun.
Here is how you can use Gifrun.
- Open the website and paste the URL you want to convert into Gif. Later, press “Get Video” option below the URL box.
- In this step, you can adjust the duration, start time, add text, and also pause and preview the video. Once you’re done altering the video, click “Create GIF.”
- Lastly, click on the “Download” button beside the add text button, or share the link directly.
- Pros:
- Fast conversion and download.
- There is no upload limit.
- The video preview feature is available.
- Cons:
- UI is ad-infested.
- Supports YouTube videos only.
5. Makeagif
This GIF converter creates high-quality GIFs in no time. You need to paste the URL in Makeagif and nothing much. It can make GIFs from Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms easily.
The only issue is that it supports one type of conversion with a maximum limit of 25MB.
Here is how you can make your favorite GIF in few steps.
- Open makeagif.com and paste the YouTube URL in the box available.
- Once you paste the URL, the website will automatically take you to the edit page to edit GIF length, start time, speed, and add caption and stickers. The next step is to select the category to which the video belongs available on the left side of the screen.
- After editing, click on “Continue to publishing” then “Create GIF” at the lower right corner of the screen. Voila! Your GIF is ready to use.
- Pros:
- The UI is user-friendly.
- Ads are minimal
- Various GIF conversions are supported.
- Cons:
- The conversion size is small.
- Batch conversions are not available.
6. ImgFlip
It is a creative GIF website supporting various videos from other websites such as Vimeo and YouTube. ImgFlip has innovative customization tools for cropping, reshaping, adding text and, a lot more, but you just need to be aware of the ads.
Want to know how to create GIF? Go through these simple steps.
- You can make GIFs both from Video and Images. To make GIF from a video, paste the YouTube URL in the box at the top, upload the tape from your device’s file.
- After pasting the URL, you will be given lots of customization options. Choose the effect of your choice for your GIF.
- Lastly, click on “Generate GIF” available on the right side of the screen. You can now share the GIF via your device or download it.
- Pros:
- Plenty of customization options.
- Fast conversion.
- Easy to upload and use.
- Cons:
- Ads pop up frequently.
- Offline conversion is unavailable.
7. GIPHY
It is a free GIF converter that helps you download free YouTube GIFs. You can also make GIFs from your photos, videos available on your device along with video URLs and images. The only problem is, to use Giphy you first have to log in to the app.
Follow the below steps to create a GIF from YouTube videos with Giphy:
- Open Giphy on your device and click on “Create” on the top right-side of your screen.
- Paste the URL in the space given below. A pop-up will tell you to log in. Log in to the website to continue.
- The video you choose should be less than 15 seconds and under 100MB. You will be given editing options from which you can select the start time and duration of your GIF along with Captions and Tags.
- In the end, press the “Create GIF” button to make the GIF. When it’s done, you will be redirected to the GIF page. You can then share your GIF on any social media site.
- Pros:
- Ads are absent
- Uploading is fast
- Wide range of free GIFs available
- Cons:
- Not perfect for green hands
8. Imgur
It is one of the best apps that offers tons of images, memes, and GIFs. You can make GIFs of less than 60 seconds with high quality, which you can share anywhere.
Here are three easy steps to make GIFs
- Visit the page “imgur.com/vidgif” and paste your YouTube URL there.
- Set a start time by clicking or dragging on the timeline. The total runtime is also adjustable, with 60 seconds as the maximum time for GIFs.
- Lastly, press on “Create GIF” to see the magic. The GIF is converted from the YouTube video.
- Pros:
- The users can share the post of their choice
- Users can save posts.
- Great collection of short GIFs and videos.
- Cons:
- During loading, the screen flashes.
9 VEED.IO
Veed is a simple YouTube video converter that makes your work super easy. It converts YouTube videos into GIFs with various editing options like crop, trim, text ads, and many more.
Check out how to use VEED in 3 steps.
- Start by pasting the URL of your YouTube video into VEED, Your video will be ready to convert into GIF.
- Now you are all set to edit your video. You have the option to crop and trim the video. You can also include different font styles, colors, and sizes of your choice.
- Lastly, download the GIF you made in VEED.
- Pros:
- Downloading the software is not mandatory.
- UI is simple and easy to navigate.
- The subtitle option is present.
- Cons:
- It takes a lot of time to upload video.
- Many basic tools.
10. Kapwing
Kapwing is a helpful video converter that can easily turn any video into GIFs with a click. It can also convert different files such as 3GP, GIF, WEBM.
To create beautiful GIFs with this video editor, follow these easy steps.
- Open Kapwing video editor and upload your video from YouTube.
- Choose the “Export dropdown” option and choose the format you wish to convert.
You can also preview the GIF and customize it as per your choice.
- In the final step, export the video by clicking the “Export Video” button. Save and download the newly created GIF and share it anywhere with your friends.
- Pros:
- Great editing tools.
- Easy to use.
- Cons:
- Available only on the website.
- Too many tools for the same purpose.
Final Thoughts
With the increased use of GIFs on social media, you can now easily convert your favorite YouTube videos into GIFs on your own. All you have to do is simply choose the tools mentioned above and share it with your friends.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
The Ultimate List of 8 FREE Video Editing Programs for Creatives
The Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube (Top 8 Reviews)
Richard Bennett
Dec 02, 2022• Proven solutions
What makes a YouTube video good? The most important element is obviously you, the creator. Your personality, ideas, and unique viewpoint are what will make your content special and turn viewers into subscribers.
The next most important thing – even more important than the camera you use – is editing.
Editing a YouTube video doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple. Your focus when you’re perfecting your video should be on that ‘most important thing’ we mentioned earlier – your creativity. Editing for a YouTube video should be art, not mechanical engineering.
Below is a list of the top free video editing software ranked according to how appropriate it is for YouTube videos.
| Rank | Editor | Make Cuts | Audio Features | Multiple Video Tracks | Video Effects | Intuitive Score (1-5) | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | OpenShot Video Editor | Yes | Fade In/Out, set volume levels | Yes | Transitions, text, ability to animate. Blur/Saturation/Brightness controls. | 5 | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 2. | Shotcut | Yes | Detailed audio editing | Yes | You can customize color presets and other effects. No animations. | 4 | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 3. | Hitfilm Express | Yes | Audio effects and transitioning. | Yes | Every imaginable picture customization. Some FX (more if you pay). Text tool. | 4 | Windows, Mac |
| 4. | VideoPad Video Editor | Yes | Noise removal, equalizer, audio effects. | Yes | Moving text, transitions, filters. | 5 | Windows |
| 5. | Lightworks | Yes | Detailed audio editing | Yes | No premade effects, but you can add text/color edit. | 3 | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 6. | VSDC Video Editor | Yes | Some audio features blocked in free version | Yes | Filters, transitions, text, and more. | 1 | Windows |
| 7. | Machete Video Editor Lite | Yes | None | No | None | 3 | Windows |
| 8. | Avidemux | Yes | Some audio features | No | Some picture adjustments | 2 | Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD |
Ready to upgrade to a simple, powerful, paid software that’s perfect for YouTube? Check out the free trial of Wondershare Filmora . It is an advanced tool that is focused more on newbie editors who are new to the videography world but want to compete with professionals!
1. OpenShot Video Editor – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Pros
- Easy to use
- Includes transitions
- Keyframing
- Alpha Channel
- Unlimited video tracks
OpenShot Video Editor Review
OpenShot completely lives up to the claim that it was designed to be ‘easy to use, quick to learn, and surprisingly powerful’.
The first time you use OpenShot there will be helpful tutorial notes to guide you through the program. The interface is intuitive enough that you may not always need them, but having them should erase any confusion.
All of the basic editing features, like cutting clips up, are easy to access in the timeline. You have unlimited tracks, and it’s easy to drag your clips between them. There’s a helpful magnet feature that fits clips together if you slide them together, but which still allows for blank space if you choose to leave it.
Most other functions – setting volume levels, adjusting the speed, adding movement/zoom effect – are accessible simply by right-clicking on your clip in the timeline and choosing what you want from the menu that pops up.
Is OpenShot Video Editor good for YouTube?
OpenShot is a great, free, choice for YouTubers at any editing skill level.
Beyond simply ordering your clips, OpenShot includes text and transition options within the program. You can even animate the text, and access Animated Titles if you use OpenShot in tandem with a free animation program called Blender. Titles and transitions are vital to a lot of popular YouTube styles.
OpenShot does not provide the same level of detail as the runner up, Shotcut, when it comes to color correction or audio editing. However, the features it does have (volume levels, control of saturation) will satisfy most YouTubers.
2. Shotcut – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Pros
- Detailed audio editing
- Color grading, ability to save presets
- Fairly intuitive timeline
Shotcut Review
Shotcut delivers a smooth, detailed, editing experience for free. It is not as easy to jump into as some of the other programs on this list, but it still only takes a half-hour or so of playing around to understand it well enough to make a video. There are also tutorials up on Shotcut’s site that can help you.
You can edit using multiple video tracks in Shotcut, making it easy to combine multiple clips, and basic functions like splitting or copying clips are as easy as clicking the right icon on the toolbar.
All of the video and audio effects, including things like chroma key, you might want to apply to your video are found under the Filters menu. It will look empty when you first open it, and you have to click the plus sign to see what your options are. If you want to create a color tint (like what you might think of as an Instagram filter) then you can do that through the Color Grading option. If you want to do something like invert your colors or add an ‘old film’ look, you’ll find that here as well along with all of the audio editing features (balance, bass and treble, and gain to name just a few).
Is Shotcut good for YouTube?
Shotcut is a great choice for YouTubers. It allows you to do some advanced editing, and it’s easy to learn compared to a program targeted at professional editors.
The only complication with Shotcut for entry-level editors who will primarily use the program for YouTube might be that animations – like moving text – are not available through the program (you can add and customize text, but it just sits there). You can get them from elsewhere and use them in the program (Shotcut has an alpha channel), but it’s a bit more involved a process than simply customizing something that’s already provided.
3. Hitfilm Express – Windows, Mac
Pros
- Compositing mode (2D and 3D)
- The Most effect customization
- Helpful User Guide & tutorials
Cons
- Can be overwhelming
- Its main strength is FX, but you only get a couple for free. Most have to be bought separately.
Hitfilm Express Review
Hitfilm Express is the best free editor if you want to add special effects to your projects. OpenShot’s alpha channel will be enough for most people, but if you think of yourself as an aspiring filmmaker then it’s hard to beat Hitfilm’s range of functions.
This is an editor designed for people who want to make movies, and it’s a lot more intuitive than most professional-grade software. Film-quality FX (lasers, explosions, etc.) are available through Hitfilm Express for a reasonable price ($10-$50, depending on what you want), and even without paying extra for the packs, there’s a lot you can do to give your video a ‘film look’ using compositing layers and the multitude of customizable effects provided through the program.
Another highlight of Hitfilm Express is the extensive selection of tutorials and helpful information they have available both through YouTube videos and their User Guide. You will need those because this program can be overwhelming. It has so many functions and areas you can customize that it is easy to get lost.
That said, basic editing in Hitfilm Express is not difficult to jump into. It’s only when you start getting fancy that things get dicey.
Is Hitfilm Express good for YouTube?
Yes. It will not be the best option for everyone, but it’s not a bad option for anyone either.
If what you want to make is a vlog where you have a series of clips, and intro, and maybe a couple of title effects, then Hitfilm express might be overkill. You don’t want to have to master compositing just to add some text.
If what you want to make is a vlog that’s interrupted by an alien invasion and turns into an action sequence with lasers and falling debris, it’d be hard to do better than Hitfilm Express.
4. VideoPad Video Editor – Windows
Pros
- Easy to jump into
- Moving text
- Huge audio waveforms
- Audio and visual effects
- Lossless exports
Cons
- No longer updated
VideoPad Video Editor Review
VideoPad Video Editor is an extremely easy to use program. It may be the easiest program on this list to jump into, which you could also realistically create your entire video inside (there are easier programs, but you can only do some of your work in them). Part of its simplicity comes from not being as feature-rich as the programs ranking higher than it on this list, however.
You do not get the same range of functions with VideoPad as you do from the top 3 free editors, but it has enough to satisfy people who are just starting out. Creating moving text effects is easy, you have huge audio waves to work with while you’re syncing, and effects like transitions and filters are easy to find.
VideoPad does suffer a bit from being dated. This program is no longer being worked on, and the interface doesn’t look particularly modern. This is a bit more than a cosmetic issue because some features, while not difficult to find, are placed a bit oddly compared to other editors.
One slightly annoying feature of VideoPad is that it will prompt you to buy the commercial version sometimes (the free version is only for non-commercial use). There have been reports of exports being blocked in the free version, but I exported several times for the sake of this review and the issue never came up.
Is VideoPad Video Editor good for YouTube?
VideoPad makes a decent YouTube editor. You can jump right in and start making cuts, adding filters, and ordering your clips. If you have the kind of channel where voiceovers are important (like in gaming or makeup), then you’ll be happy with the size of the audio waves you have to work with for syncing.
The thing about VideoPad is that you’re probably going to outgrow it quickly as you become a more capable editor.
5. Lightworks – Windows, Mac, Linux
Pros
- Detailed color and audio editing
- Multicam editing
Cons
- Exports limited to 720p for the free version
- Difficult to learn compared to other free software
Lightworks Review
On their website, Lightworks claims to have an ‘intuitive interface’ and ‘easy timeline editing’. This is true if you compare it to other professional-level editing suites. Compared to the other programs on this list, Lightworks is complicated.
The first thing I attempt when I review this program is to simply split a clip, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure this feature out in Lightworks (a more advanced editor could have found it faster, but these reviews are meant to help people with less experience). Lightworks does have a whole tutorial series on using the software, so if you are interested in learning to use it there is ample material out there to help you.
Lightworks has a wide range of functions (i.e. detailed audio editing and color correction), and it has been used for big movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. It is the most professional program on this list, and it’s a great free alternative to something like Adobe Premiere Pro.
Note: there is no time limit on the free version of Lightworks, but it will ask you to renew your free license every 7 days. When it says your license is ‘expired’ it isn’t kicking you off the free version, you just need to renew.
Is Lightworks good for YouTube?
Whether or not Lightworks is right for your YouTube channel depends on your goals as a video editor.
If what you want is to jump in and start making YouTube videos quickly, Lightworks might not be a great choice. It’s not an easy program to just jump into, you’ll have to either take time to learn it or accept that it’ll take some trial and error to get the hang of.
If what you want is to become a professional-level video editor, then Lightworks is a great program to start on (although, Hitfilm Express may still be better). Taking the time to learn it could certainly pay off in the long run.
However, if one of your priorities is for your YouTube channel to come across as professional, then the free version of Lightworks does have some disappointing limitations. You can only export videos in 720p, which is lower quality than viewers on YouTube expect (you probably want at least 1080p). Your output format is limited too. The royalty-free audio and video content Lightworks offers are also not free; you can just buy them through the program.
6. VSDC Video Editor – Windows
Pros
- Diagrams and charts
- How To Get Started Guide
- Lots of features
Cons
- Very confusing
- Paid features show up in the free version, but they’re blocked
Review of VSDC Video Editor
There’s a lot to like about VSDC Video Editor, but you have to do a lot of work to uncover any of it. Accessing even the most basic features is confusing.
One of the first things I tried to do as I tested the program was make a jump cut (where you cut out part of a video so the playback ‘jumps over’ the deleted segment) and, while I was able to do it, it was not an intuitive process. There is a multitude of toolbars and icons surrounding your preview window in VSDC, and none of those icons was for making cuts to your clips. To make any cuts you have to find the ‘cutting and splitting’ option under the Editor tab at the top of the page, which will open a second window in which you still cannot make any cuts. Instead what you can do is place markers, and when you click ‘apply changes’ to exit the window cuts will be made where you placed markers. There is nothing in the window to explain what the markers are for.
Other basic functions, like adding text, are just as complicated.
Is VSDC Video Editor good for YouTube?
I would not recommend VSDC for YouTube. It ranks higher than two other items on this list because they are, do to functional limitations, unable to create full YouTube videos without the support of other programs (at least realistically). You certainly could create your full YouTube video in VSDC, but it’d be a headache.
7. Machete Video Editor Lite – Windows
Pros
- Great for harvesting clips from longer footage
- Lossless exports
Cons
- Cannot swap or add audio
- Only supports two formats (AVI and WMV)
- Slightly awkward timeline
Machete Video Editor Lite Review
Machete Lite claims that you’ll be able to edit your videos “within a few minutes after downloading the program, even if you’ve never edited a video before”, and that is true. It might even be better if you haven’t edited a video before because the interface is slightly awkward if you’ve come from a program with a more traditional timeline setup. Machete Lite is easy to use for the most part, but it doesn’t work like most other editors and that can be awkward to navigate around.
Instead of seeing a timeline with all of your individual clips, Machete treats your entire video as one clip. You will only be able to see where you have inserted a separate video clip or cut out a portion of the video by watching the video back or jumping through it (Machete Lite does allow frame-by-frame scrolling). You won’t be able to see this information at a glance, and you won’t be able to adjust the lengths of clips you’ve added separately.
To take out any portion of your overall video you’ll need to find a keyframe at the beginning, set that as the beginning of your selection, then find a key frame at the end and set that as the end of your selection. You will then be able to delete that selection. This will not work if the frames you have set as the beginning and end are not considered keyframes by the program, so it can be difficult to be precise, but since the program allows you to jump through keyframes it’s not difficult to find a point that works.
Is Machete Video Editor Lite good for YouTube?
Machete Lite is not a good choice for YouTubers unless it is used in combination with another program.
It doesn’t work as a YouTube editor because you cannot edit or swap audio, the transition between clips, or create layers of videos and images.
However, the thing Machete Lite is really good at is cutting out clips from longer videos. You can create a selection of a part of your longer clip and then export it (with no quality loss) as its own video file.
This is what the Machete Lite toolbar looks like when you’ve created a selection. Tools like cut and copy which were greyed out before are now available, as is the save icon on the far right. If you click the save icon, you’ll be able to save that selection as its own video.
You can’t create a complete YouTube video in Machete Lite, but you can harvest clips to use in a different program.
8. Avidemux – Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD
Pros
- Can add subtitle files
Cons
- Not intuitive
- Doesn’t support MOV or WMV
- The website is not informative, no tutorials
Avidemux Review
Avidemux is not an easy program to jump into. I almost wrote that it couldn’t do anything besides make cuts to a clip before I saw a YouTube tutorial about how to find the contrast and brightness tools. If you decide to try it out, remember that you have to choose your output format before Avidemux will let you access tools like Hue/Saturation and Contrast (click Filters under Video Output to find them).
There are no official tutorials for Avidemux you can access from their site, so you’ll have to rely on the forums and tutorials from users if you want to learn it.
You can import multiple clips into Avidemux, but you have to import them in the order you want because you can’t drag them around the timeline after. Everything becomes one big clip.
Is Avidemux good for YouTube?
No. It has more functionality than Machete, which is ranked higher on this list, but the difference is that Machete is excellent at one thing. They both suffer from the same main weakness – you could not complete your full YouTube video either (at least not without a lot of trouble). Machete could still be useful to a YouTuber, though, because it allows for the lossless exporting of segments of clips. You can use it to harvest clips for your larger project in another program.
In theory, you could do some picture editing and snipping in Avidemux and then put your project together/add titles in another program, but your other program can probably do all that just as well if not better. Avidemux isn’t a bad program, but it doesn’t excel at anything. There are a lot of better options which are also free.
What has your experience with free video editors been like?
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Dec 02, 2022• Proven solutions
What makes a YouTube video good? The most important element is obviously you, the creator. Your personality, ideas, and unique viewpoint are what will make your content special and turn viewers into subscribers.
The next most important thing – even more important than the camera you use – is editing.
Editing a YouTube video doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple. Your focus when you’re perfecting your video should be on that ‘most important thing’ we mentioned earlier – your creativity. Editing for a YouTube video should be art, not mechanical engineering.
Below is a list of the top free video editing software ranked according to how appropriate it is for YouTube videos.
| Rank | Editor | Make Cuts | Audio Features | Multiple Video Tracks | Video Effects | Intuitive Score (1-5) | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | OpenShot Video Editor | Yes | Fade In/Out, set volume levels | Yes | Transitions, text, ability to animate. Blur/Saturation/Brightness controls. | 5 | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 2. | Shotcut | Yes | Detailed audio editing | Yes | You can customize color presets and other effects. No animations. | 4 | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 3. | Hitfilm Express | Yes | Audio effects and transitioning. | Yes | Every imaginable picture customization. Some FX (more if you pay). Text tool. | 4 | Windows, Mac |
| 4. | VideoPad Video Editor | Yes | Noise removal, equalizer, audio effects. | Yes | Moving text, transitions, filters. | 5 | Windows |
| 5. | Lightworks | Yes | Detailed audio editing | Yes | No premade effects, but you can add text/color edit. | 3 | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 6. | VSDC Video Editor | Yes | Some audio features blocked in free version | Yes | Filters, transitions, text, and more. | 1 | Windows |
| 7. | Machete Video Editor Lite | Yes | None | No | None | 3 | Windows |
| 8. | Avidemux | Yes | Some audio features | No | Some picture adjustments | 2 | Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD |
Ready to upgrade to a simple, powerful, paid software that’s perfect for YouTube? Check out the free trial of Wondershare Filmora . It is an advanced tool that is focused more on newbie editors who are new to the videography world but want to compete with professionals!
1. OpenShot Video Editor – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Pros
- Easy to use
- Includes transitions
- Keyframing
- Alpha Channel
- Unlimited video tracks
OpenShot Video Editor Review
OpenShot completely lives up to the claim that it was designed to be ‘easy to use, quick to learn, and surprisingly powerful’.
The first time you use OpenShot there will be helpful tutorial notes to guide you through the program. The interface is intuitive enough that you may not always need them, but having them should erase any confusion.
All of the basic editing features, like cutting clips up, are easy to access in the timeline. You have unlimited tracks, and it’s easy to drag your clips between them. There’s a helpful magnet feature that fits clips together if you slide them together, but which still allows for blank space if you choose to leave it.
Most other functions – setting volume levels, adjusting the speed, adding movement/zoom effect – are accessible simply by right-clicking on your clip in the timeline and choosing what you want from the menu that pops up.
Is OpenShot Video Editor good for YouTube?
OpenShot is a great, free, choice for YouTubers at any editing skill level.
Beyond simply ordering your clips, OpenShot includes text and transition options within the program. You can even animate the text, and access Animated Titles if you use OpenShot in tandem with a free animation program called Blender. Titles and transitions are vital to a lot of popular YouTube styles.
OpenShot does not provide the same level of detail as the runner up, Shotcut, when it comes to color correction or audio editing. However, the features it does have (volume levels, control of saturation) will satisfy most YouTubers.
2. Shotcut – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Pros
- Detailed audio editing
- Color grading, ability to save presets
- Fairly intuitive timeline
Shotcut Review
Shotcut delivers a smooth, detailed, editing experience for free. It is not as easy to jump into as some of the other programs on this list, but it still only takes a half-hour or so of playing around to understand it well enough to make a video. There are also tutorials up on Shotcut’s site that can help you.
You can edit using multiple video tracks in Shotcut, making it easy to combine multiple clips, and basic functions like splitting or copying clips are as easy as clicking the right icon on the toolbar.
All of the video and audio effects, including things like chroma key, you might want to apply to your video are found under the Filters menu. It will look empty when you first open it, and you have to click the plus sign to see what your options are. If you want to create a color tint (like what you might think of as an Instagram filter) then you can do that through the Color Grading option. If you want to do something like invert your colors or add an ‘old film’ look, you’ll find that here as well along with all of the audio editing features (balance, bass and treble, and gain to name just a few).
Is Shotcut good for YouTube?
Shotcut is a great choice for YouTubers. It allows you to do some advanced editing, and it’s easy to learn compared to a program targeted at professional editors.
The only complication with Shotcut for entry-level editors who will primarily use the program for YouTube might be that animations – like moving text – are not available through the program (you can add and customize text, but it just sits there). You can get them from elsewhere and use them in the program (Shotcut has an alpha channel), but it’s a bit more involved a process than simply customizing something that’s already provided.
3. Hitfilm Express – Windows, Mac
Pros
- Compositing mode (2D and 3D)
- The Most effect customization
- Helpful User Guide & tutorials
Cons
- Can be overwhelming
- Its main strength is FX, but you only get a couple for free. Most have to be bought separately.
Hitfilm Express Review
Hitfilm Express is the best free editor if you want to add special effects to your projects. OpenShot’s alpha channel will be enough for most people, but if you think of yourself as an aspiring filmmaker then it’s hard to beat Hitfilm’s range of functions.
This is an editor designed for people who want to make movies, and it’s a lot more intuitive than most professional-grade software. Film-quality FX (lasers, explosions, etc.) are available through Hitfilm Express for a reasonable price ($10-$50, depending on what you want), and even without paying extra for the packs, there’s a lot you can do to give your video a ‘film look’ using compositing layers and the multitude of customizable effects provided through the program.
Another highlight of Hitfilm Express is the extensive selection of tutorials and helpful information they have available both through YouTube videos and their User Guide. You will need those because this program can be overwhelming. It has so many functions and areas you can customize that it is easy to get lost.
That said, basic editing in Hitfilm Express is not difficult to jump into. It’s only when you start getting fancy that things get dicey.
Is Hitfilm Express good for YouTube?
Yes. It will not be the best option for everyone, but it’s not a bad option for anyone either.
If what you want to make is a vlog where you have a series of clips, and intro, and maybe a couple of title effects, then Hitfilm express might be overkill. You don’t want to have to master compositing just to add some text.
If what you want to make is a vlog that’s interrupted by an alien invasion and turns into an action sequence with lasers and falling debris, it’d be hard to do better than Hitfilm Express.
4. VideoPad Video Editor – Windows
Pros
- Easy to jump into
- Moving text
- Huge audio waveforms
- Audio and visual effects
- Lossless exports
Cons
- No longer updated
VideoPad Video Editor Review
VideoPad Video Editor is an extremely easy to use program. It may be the easiest program on this list to jump into, which you could also realistically create your entire video inside (there are easier programs, but you can only do some of your work in them). Part of its simplicity comes from not being as feature-rich as the programs ranking higher than it on this list, however.
You do not get the same range of functions with VideoPad as you do from the top 3 free editors, but it has enough to satisfy people who are just starting out. Creating moving text effects is easy, you have huge audio waves to work with while you’re syncing, and effects like transitions and filters are easy to find.
VideoPad does suffer a bit from being dated. This program is no longer being worked on, and the interface doesn’t look particularly modern. This is a bit more than a cosmetic issue because some features, while not difficult to find, are placed a bit oddly compared to other editors.
One slightly annoying feature of VideoPad is that it will prompt you to buy the commercial version sometimes (the free version is only for non-commercial use). There have been reports of exports being blocked in the free version, but I exported several times for the sake of this review and the issue never came up.
Is VideoPad Video Editor good for YouTube?
VideoPad makes a decent YouTube editor. You can jump right in and start making cuts, adding filters, and ordering your clips. If you have the kind of channel where voiceovers are important (like in gaming or makeup), then you’ll be happy with the size of the audio waves you have to work with for syncing.
The thing about VideoPad is that you’re probably going to outgrow it quickly as you become a more capable editor.
5. Lightworks – Windows, Mac, Linux
Pros
- Detailed color and audio editing
- Multicam editing
Cons
- Exports limited to 720p for the free version
- Difficult to learn compared to other free software
Lightworks Review
On their website, Lightworks claims to have an ‘intuitive interface’ and ‘easy timeline editing’. This is true if you compare it to other professional-level editing suites. Compared to the other programs on this list, Lightworks is complicated.
The first thing I attempt when I review this program is to simply split a clip, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure this feature out in Lightworks (a more advanced editor could have found it faster, but these reviews are meant to help people with less experience). Lightworks does have a whole tutorial series on using the software, so if you are interested in learning to use it there is ample material out there to help you.
Lightworks has a wide range of functions (i.e. detailed audio editing and color correction), and it has been used for big movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. It is the most professional program on this list, and it’s a great free alternative to something like Adobe Premiere Pro.
Note: there is no time limit on the free version of Lightworks, but it will ask you to renew your free license every 7 days. When it says your license is ‘expired’ it isn’t kicking you off the free version, you just need to renew.
Is Lightworks good for YouTube?
Whether or not Lightworks is right for your YouTube channel depends on your goals as a video editor.
If what you want is to jump in and start making YouTube videos quickly, Lightworks might not be a great choice. It’s not an easy program to just jump into, you’ll have to either take time to learn it or accept that it’ll take some trial and error to get the hang of.
If what you want is to become a professional-level video editor, then Lightworks is a great program to start on (although, Hitfilm Express may still be better). Taking the time to learn it could certainly pay off in the long run.
However, if one of your priorities is for your YouTube channel to come across as professional, then the free version of Lightworks does have some disappointing limitations. You can only export videos in 720p, which is lower quality than viewers on YouTube expect (you probably want at least 1080p). Your output format is limited too. The royalty-free audio and video content Lightworks offers are also not free; you can just buy them through the program.
6. VSDC Video Editor – Windows
Pros
- Diagrams and charts
- How To Get Started Guide
- Lots of features
Cons
- Very confusing
- Paid features show up in the free version, but they’re blocked
Review of VSDC Video Editor
There’s a lot to like about VSDC Video Editor, but you have to do a lot of work to uncover any of it. Accessing even the most basic features is confusing.
One of the first things I tried to do as I tested the program was make a jump cut (where you cut out part of a video so the playback ‘jumps over’ the deleted segment) and, while I was able to do it, it was not an intuitive process. There is a multitude of toolbars and icons surrounding your preview window in VSDC, and none of those icons was for making cuts to your clips. To make any cuts you have to find the ‘cutting and splitting’ option under the Editor tab at the top of the page, which will open a second window in which you still cannot make any cuts. Instead what you can do is place markers, and when you click ‘apply changes’ to exit the window cuts will be made where you placed markers. There is nothing in the window to explain what the markers are for.
Other basic functions, like adding text, are just as complicated.
Is VSDC Video Editor good for YouTube?
I would not recommend VSDC for YouTube. It ranks higher than two other items on this list because they are, do to functional limitations, unable to create full YouTube videos without the support of other programs (at least realistically). You certainly could create your full YouTube video in VSDC, but it’d be a headache.
7. Machete Video Editor Lite – Windows
Pros
- Great for harvesting clips from longer footage
- Lossless exports
Cons
- Cannot swap or add audio
- Only supports two formats (AVI and WMV)
- Slightly awkward timeline
Machete Video Editor Lite Review
Machete Lite claims that you’ll be able to edit your videos “within a few minutes after downloading the program, even if you’ve never edited a video before”, and that is true. It might even be better if you haven’t edited a video before because the interface is slightly awkward if you’ve come from a program with a more traditional timeline setup. Machete Lite is easy to use for the most part, but it doesn’t work like most other editors and that can be awkward to navigate around.
Instead of seeing a timeline with all of your individual clips, Machete treats your entire video as one clip. You will only be able to see where you have inserted a separate video clip or cut out a portion of the video by watching the video back or jumping through it (Machete Lite does allow frame-by-frame scrolling). You won’t be able to see this information at a glance, and you won’t be able to adjust the lengths of clips you’ve added separately.
To take out any portion of your overall video you’ll need to find a keyframe at the beginning, set that as the beginning of your selection, then find a key frame at the end and set that as the end of your selection. You will then be able to delete that selection. This will not work if the frames you have set as the beginning and end are not considered keyframes by the program, so it can be difficult to be precise, but since the program allows you to jump through keyframes it’s not difficult to find a point that works.
Is Machete Video Editor Lite good for YouTube?
Machete Lite is not a good choice for YouTubers unless it is used in combination with another program.
It doesn’t work as a YouTube editor because you cannot edit or swap audio, the transition between clips, or create layers of videos and images.
However, the thing Machete Lite is really good at is cutting out clips from longer videos. You can create a selection of a part of your longer clip and then export it (with no quality loss) as its own video file.
This is what the Machete Lite toolbar looks like when you’ve created a selection. Tools like cut and copy which were greyed out before are now available, as is the save icon on the far right. If you click the save icon, you’ll be able to save that selection as its own video.
You can’t create a complete YouTube video in Machete Lite, but you can harvest clips to use in a different program.
8. Avidemux – Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD
Pros
- Can add subtitle files
Cons
- Not intuitive
- Doesn’t support MOV or WMV
- The website is not informative, no tutorials
Avidemux Review
Avidemux is not an easy program to jump into. I almost wrote that it couldn’t do anything besides make cuts to a clip before I saw a YouTube tutorial about how to find the contrast and brightness tools. If you decide to try it out, remember that you have to choose your output format before Avidemux will let you access tools like Hue/Saturation and Contrast (click Filters under Video Output to find them).
There are no official tutorials for Avidemux you can access from their site, so you’ll have to rely on the forums and tutorials from users if you want to learn it.
You can import multiple clips into Avidemux, but you have to import them in the order you want because you can’t drag them around the timeline after. Everything becomes one big clip.
Is Avidemux good for YouTube?
No. It has more functionality than Machete, which is ranked higher on this list, but the difference is that Machete is excellent at one thing. They both suffer from the same main weakness – you could not complete your full YouTube video either (at least not without a lot of trouble). Machete could still be useful to a YouTuber, though, because it allows for the lossless exporting of segments of clips. You can use it to harvest clips for your larger project in another program.
In theory, you could do some picture editing and snipping in Avidemux and then put your project together/add titles in another program, but your other program can probably do all that just as well if not better. Avidemux isn’t a bad program, but it doesn’t excel at anything. There are a lot of better options which are also free.
What has your experience with free video editors been like?
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Dec 02, 2022• Proven solutions
What makes a YouTube video good? The most important element is obviously you, the creator. Your personality, ideas, and unique viewpoint are what will make your content special and turn viewers into subscribers.
The next most important thing – even more important than the camera you use – is editing.
Editing a YouTube video doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple. Your focus when you’re perfecting your video should be on that ‘most important thing’ we mentioned earlier – your creativity. Editing for a YouTube video should be art, not mechanical engineering.
Below is a list of the top free video editing software ranked according to how appropriate it is for YouTube videos.
| Rank | Editor | Make Cuts | Audio Features | Multiple Video Tracks | Video Effects | Intuitive Score (1-5) | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | OpenShot Video Editor | Yes | Fade In/Out, set volume levels | Yes | Transitions, text, ability to animate. Blur/Saturation/Brightness controls. | 5 | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 2. | Shotcut | Yes | Detailed audio editing | Yes | You can customize color presets and other effects. No animations. | 4 | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 3. | Hitfilm Express | Yes | Audio effects and transitioning. | Yes | Every imaginable picture customization. Some FX (more if you pay). Text tool. | 4 | Windows, Mac |
| 4. | VideoPad Video Editor | Yes | Noise removal, equalizer, audio effects. | Yes | Moving text, transitions, filters. | 5 | Windows |
| 5. | Lightworks | Yes | Detailed audio editing | Yes | No premade effects, but you can add text/color edit. | 3 | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 6. | VSDC Video Editor | Yes | Some audio features blocked in free version | Yes | Filters, transitions, text, and more. | 1 | Windows |
| 7. | Machete Video Editor Lite | Yes | None | No | None | 3 | Windows |
| 8. | Avidemux | Yes | Some audio features | No | Some picture adjustments | 2 | Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD |
Ready to upgrade to a simple, powerful, paid software that’s perfect for YouTube? Check out the free trial of Wondershare Filmora . It is an advanced tool that is focused more on newbie editors who are new to the videography world but want to compete with professionals!
1. OpenShot Video Editor – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Pros
- Easy to use
- Includes transitions
- Keyframing
- Alpha Channel
- Unlimited video tracks
OpenShot Video Editor Review
OpenShot completely lives up to the claim that it was designed to be ‘easy to use, quick to learn, and surprisingly powerful’.
The first time you use OpenShot there will be helpful tutorial notes to guide you through the program. The interface is intuitive enough that you may not always need them, but having them should erase any confusion.
All of the basic editing features, like cutting clips up, are easy to access in the timeline. You have unlimited tracks, and it’s easy to drag your clips between them. There’s a helpful magnet feature that fits clips together if you slide them together, but which still allows for blank space if you choose to leave it.
Most other functions – setting volume levels, adjusting the speed, adding movement/zoom effect – are accessible simply by right-clicking on your clip in the timeline and choosing what you want from the menu that pops up.
Is OpenShot Video Editor good for YouTube?
OpenShot is a great, free, choice for YouTubers at any editing skill level.
Beyond simply ordering your clips, OpenShot includes text and transition options within the program. You can even animate the text, and access Animated Titles if you use OpenShot in tandem with a free animation program called Blender. Titles and transitions are vital to a lot of popular YouTube styles.
OpenShot does not provide the same level of detail as the runner up, Shotcut, when it comes to color correction or audio editing. However, the features it does have (volume levels, control of saturation) will satisfy most YouTubers.
2. Shotcut – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Pros
- Detailed audio editing
- Color grading, ability to save presets
- Fairly intuitive timeline
Shotcut Review
Shotcut delivers a smooth, detailed, editing experience for free. It is not as easy to jump into as some of the other programs on this list, but it still only takes a half-hour or so of playing around to understand it well enough to make a video. There are also tutorials up on Shotcut’s site that can help you.
You can edit using multiple video tracks in Shotcut, making it easy to combine multiple clips, and basic functions like splitting or copying clips are as easy as clicking the right icon on the toolbar.
All of the video and audio effects, including things like chroma key, you might want to apply to your video are found under the Filters menu. It will look empty when you first open it, and you have to click the plus sign to see what your options are. If you want to create a color tint (like what you might think of as an Instagram filter) then you can do that through the Color Grading option. If you want to do something like invert your colors or add an ‘old film’ look, you’ll find that here as well along with all of the audio editing features (balance, bass and treble, and gain to name just a few).
Is Shotcut good for YouTube?
Shotcut is a great choice for YouTubers. It allows you to do some advanced editing, and it’s easy to learn compared to a program targeted at professional editors.
The only complication with Shotcut for entry-level editors who will primarily use the program for YouTube might be that animations – like moving text – are not available through the program (you can add and customize text, but it just sits there). You can get them from elsewhere and use them in the program (Shotcut has an alpha channel), but it’s a bit more involved a process than simply customizing something that’s already provided.
3. Hitfilm Express – Windows, Mac
Pros
- Compositing mode (2D and 3D)
- The Most effect customization
- Helpful User Guide & tutorials
Cons
- Can be overwhelming
- Its main strength is FX, but you only get a couple for free. Most have to be bought separately.
Hitfilm Express Review
Hitfilm Express is the best free editor if you want to add special effects to your projects. OpenShot’s alpha channel will be enough for most people, but if you think of yourself as an aspiring filmmaker then it’s hard to beat Hitfilm’s range of functions.
This is an editor designed for people who want to make movies, and it’s a lot more intuitive than most professional-grade software. Film-quality FX (lasers, explosions, etc.) are available through Hitfilm Express for a reasonable price ($10-$50, depending on what you want), and even without paying extra for the packs, there’s a lot you can do to give your video a ‘film look’ using compositing layers and the multitude of customizable effects provided through the program.
Another highlight of Hitfilm Express is the extensive selection of tutorials and helpful information they have available both through YouTube videos and their User Guide. You will need those because this program can be overwhelming. It has so many functions and areas you can customize that it is easy to get lost.
That said, basic editing in Hitfilm Express is not difficult to jump into. It’s only when you start getting fancy that things get dicey.
Is Hitfilm Express good for YouTube?
Yes. It will not be the best option for everyone, but it’s not a bad option for anyone either.
If what you want to make is a vlog where you have a series of clips, and intro, and maybe a couple of title effects, then Hitfilm express might be overkill. You don’t want to have to master compositing just to add some text.
If what you want to make is a vlog that’s interrupted by an alien invasion and turns into an action sequence with lasers and falling debris, it’d be hard to do better than Hitfilm Express.
4. VideoPad Video Editor – Windows
Pros
- Easy to jump into
- Moving text
- Huge audio waveforms
- Audio and visual effects
- Lossless exports
Cons
- No longer updated
VideoPad Video Editor Review
VideoPad Video Editor is an extremely easy to use program. It may be the easiest program on this list to jump into, which you could also realistically create your entire video inside (there are easier programs, but you can only do some of your work in them). Part of its simplicity comes from not being as feature-rich as the programs ranking higher than it on this list, however.
You do not get the same range of functions with VideoPad as you do from the top 3 free editors, but it has enough to satisfy people who are just starting out. Creating moving text effects is easy, you have huge audio waves to work with while you’re syncing, and effects like transitions and filters are easy to find.
VideoPad does suffer a bit from being dated. This program is no longer being worked on, and the interface doesn’t look particularly modern. This is a bit more than a cosmetic issue because some features, while not difficult to find, are placed a bit oddly compared to other editors.
One slightly annoying feature of VideoPad is that it will prompt you to buy the commercial version sometimes (the free version is only for non-commercial use). There have been reports of exports being blocked in the free version, but I exported several times for the sake of this review and the issue never came up.
Is VideoPad Video Editor good for YouTube?
VideoPad makes a decent YouTube editor. You can jump right in and start making cuts, adding filters, and ordering your clips. If you have the kind of channel where voiceovers are important (like in gaming or makeup), then you’ll be happy with the size of the audio waves you have to work with for syncing.
The thing about VideoPad is that you’re probably going to outgrow it quickly as you become a more capable editor.
5. Lightworks – Windows, Mac, Linux
Pros
- Detailed color and audio editing
- Multicam editing
Cons
- Exports limited to 720p for the free version
- Difficult to learn compared to other free software
Lightworks Review
On their website, Lightworks claims to have an ‘intuitive interface’ and ‘easy timeline editing’. This is true if you compare it to other professional-level editing suites. Compared to the other programs on this list, Lightworks is complicated.
The first thing I attempt when I review this program is to simply split a clip, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure this feature out in Lightworks (a more advanced editor could have found it faster, but these reviews are meant to help people with less experience). Lightworks does have a whole tutorial series on using the software, so if you are interested in learning to use it there is ample material out there to help you.
Lightworks has a wide range of functions (i.e. detailed audio editing and color correction), and it has been used for big movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. It is the most professional program on this list, and it’s a great free alternative to something like Adobe Premiere Pro.
Note: there is no time limit on the free version of Lightworks, but it will ask you to renew your free license every 7 days. When it says your license is ‘expired’ it isn’t kicking you off the free version, you just need to renew.
Is Lightworks good for YouTube?
Whether or not Lightworks is right for your YouTube channel depends on your goals as a video editor.
If what you want is to jump in and start making YouTube videos quickly, Lightworks might not be a great choice. It’s not an easy program to just jump into, you’ll have to either take time to learn it or accept that it’ll take some trial and error to get the hang of.
If what you want is to become a professional-level video editor, then Lightworks is a great program to start on (although, Hitfilm Express may still be better). Taking the time to learn it could certainly pay off in the long run.
However, if one of your priorities is for your YouTube channel to come across as professional, then the free version of Lightworks does have some disappointing limitations. You can only export videos in 720p, which is lower quality than viewers on YouTube expect (you probably want at least 1080p). Your output format is limited too. The royalty-free audio and video content Lightworks offers are also not free; you can just buy them through the program.
6. VSDC Video Editor – Windows
Pros
- Diagrams and charts
- How To Get Started Guide
- Lots of features
Cons
- Very confusing
- Paid features show up in the free version, but they’re blocked
Review of VSDC Video Editor
There’s a lot to like about VSDC Video Editor, but you have to do a lot of work to uncover any of it. Accessing even the most basic features is confusing.
One of the first things I tried to do as I tested the program was make a jump cut (where you cut out part of a video so the playback ‘jumps over’ the deleted segment) and, while I was able to do it, it was not an intuitive process. There is a multitude of toolbars and icons surrounding your preview window in VSDC, and none of those icons was for making cuts to your clips. To make any cuts you have to find the ‘cutting and splitting’ option under the Editor tab at the top of the page, which will open a second window in which you still cannot make any cuts. Instead what you can do is place markers, and when you click ‘apply changes’ to exit the window cuts will be made where you placed markers. There is nothing in the window to explain what the markers are for.
Other basic functions, like adding text, are just as complicated.
Is VSDC Video Editor good for YouTube?
I would not recommend VSDC for YouTube. It ranks higher than two other items on this list because they are, do to functional limitations, unable to create full YouTube videos without the support of other programs (at least realistically). You certainly could create your full YouTube video in VSDC, but it’d be a headache.
7. Machete Video Editor Lite – Windows
Pros
- Great for harvesting clips from longer footage
- Lossless exports
Cons
- Cannot swap or add audio
- Only supports two formats (AVI and WMV)
- Slightly awkward timeline
Machete Video Editor Lite Review
Machete Lite claims that you’ll be able to edit your videos “within a few minutes after downloading the program, even if you’ve never edited a video before”, and that is true. It might even be better if you haven’t edited a video before because the interface is slightly awkward if you’ve come from a program with a more traditional timeline setup. Machete Lite is easy to use for the most part, but it doesn’t work like most other editors and that can be awkward to navigate around.
Instead of seeing a timeline with all of your individual clips, Machete treats your entire video as one clip. You will only be able to see where you have inserted a separate video clip or cut out a portion of the video by watching the video back or jumping through it (Machete Lite does allow frame-by-frame scrolling). You won’t be able to see this information at a glance, and you won’t be able to adjust the lengths of clips you’ve added separately.
To take out any portion of your overall video you’ll need to find a keyframe at the beginning, set that as the beginning of your selection, then find a key frame at the end and set that as the end of your selection. You will then be able to delete that selection. This will not work if the frames you have set as the beginning and end are not considered keyframes by the program, so it can be difficult to be precise, but since the program allows you to jump through keyframes it’s not difficult to find a point that works.
Is Machete Video Editor Lite good for YouTube?
Machete Lite is not a good choice for YouTubers unless it is used in combination with another program.
It doesn’t work as a YouTube editor because you cannot edit or swap audio, the transition between clips, or create layers of videos and images.
However, the thing Machete Lite is really good at is cutting out clips from longer videos. You can create a selection of a part of your longer clip and then export it (with no quality loss) as its own video file.
This is what the Machete Lite toolbar looks like when you’ve created a selection. Tools like cut and copy which were greyed out before are now available, as is the save icon on the far right. If you click the save icon, you’ll be able to save that selection as its own video.
You can’t create a complete YouTube video in Machete Lite, but you can harvest clips to use in a different program.
8. Avidemux – Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD
Pros
- Can add subtitle files
Cons
- Not intuitive
- Doesn’t support MOV or WMV
- The website is not informative, no tutorials
Avidemux Review
Avidemux is not an easy program to jump into. I almost wrote that it couldn’t do anything besides make cuts to a clip before I saw a YouTube tutorial about how to find the contrast and brightness tools. If you decide to try it out, remember that you have to choose your output format before Avidemux will let you access tools like Hue/Saturation and Contrast (click Filters under Video Output to find them).
There are no official tutorials for Avidemux you can access from their site, so you’ll have to rely on the forums and tutorials from users if you want to learn it.
You can import multiple clips into Avidemux, but you have to import them in the order you want because you can’t drag them around the timeline after. Everything becomes one big clip.
Is Avidemux good for YouTube?
No. It has more functionality than Machete, which is ranked higher on this list, but the difference is that Machete is excellent at one thing. They both suffer from the same main weakness – you could not complete your full YouTube video either (at least not without a lot of trouble). Machete could still be useful to a YouTuber, though, because it allows for the lossless exporting of segments of clips. You can use it to harvest clips for your larger project in another program.
In theory, you could do some picture editing and snipping in Avidemux and then put your project together/add titles in another program, but your other program can probably do all that just as well if not better. Avidemux isn’t a bad program, but it doesn’t excel at anything. There are a lot of better options which are also free.
What has your experience with free video editors been like?
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Dec 02, 2022• Proven solutions
What makes a YouTube video good? The most important element is obviously you, the creator. Your personality, ideas, and unique viewpoint are what will make your content special and turn viewers into subscribers.
The next most important thing – even more important than the camera you use – is editing.
Editing a YouTube video doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple. Your focus when you’re perfecting your video should be on that ‘most important thing’ we mentioned earlier – your creativity. Editing for a YouTube video should be art, not mechanical engineering.
Below is a list of the top free video editing software ranked according to how appropriate it is for YouTube videos.
| Rank | Editor | Make Cuts | Audio Features | Multiple Video Tracks | Video Effects | Intuitive Score (1-5) | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | OpenShot Video Editor | Yes | Fade In/Out, set volume levels | Yes | Transitions, text, ability to animate. Blur/Saturation/Brightness controls. | 5 | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 2. | Shotcut | Yes | Detailed audio editing | Yes | You can customize color presets and other effects. No animations. | 4 | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 3. | Hitfilm Express | Yes | Audio effects and transitioning. | Yes | Every imaginable picture customization. Some FX (more if you pay). Text tool. | 4 | Windows, Mac |
| 4. | VideoPad Video Editor | Yes | Noise removal, equalizer, audio effects. | Yes | Moving text, transitions, filters. | 5 | Windows |
| 5. | Lightworks | Yes | Detailed audio editing | Yes | No premade effects, but you can add text/color edit. | 3 | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 6. | VSDC Video Editor | Yes | Some audio features blocked in free version | Yes | Filters, transitions, text, and more. | 1 | Windows |
| 7. | Machete Video Editor Lite | Yes | None | No | None | 3 | Windows |
| 8. | Avidemux | Yes | Some audio features | No | Some picture adjustments | 2 | Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD |
Ready to upgrade to a simple, powerful, paid software that’s perfect for YouTube? Check out the free trial of Wondershare Filmora . It is an advanced tool that is focused more on newbie editors who are new to the videography world but want to compete with professionals!
1. OpenShot Video Editor – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Pros
- Easy to use
- Includes transitions
- Keyframing
- Alpha Channel
- Unlimited video tracks
OpenShot Video Editor Review
OpenShot completely lives up to the claim that it was designed to be ‘easy to use, quick to learn, and surprisingly powerful’.
The first time you use OpenShot there will be helpful tutorial notes to guide you through the program. The interface is intuitive enough that you may not always need them, but having them should erase any confusion.
All of the basic editing features, like cutting clips up, are easy to access in the timeline. You have unlimited tracks, and it’s easy to drag your clips between them. There’s a helpful magnet feature that fits clips together if you slide them together, but which still allows for blank space if you choose to leave it.
Most other functions – setting volume levels, adjusting the speed, adding movement/zoom effect – are accessible simply by right-clicking on your clip in the timeline and choosing what you want from the menu that pops up.
Is OpenShot Video Editor good for YouTube?
OpenShot is a great, free, choice for YouTubers at any editing skill level.
Beyond simply ordering your clips, OpenShot includes text and transition options within the program. You can even animate the text, and access Animated Titles if you use OpenShot in tandem with a free animation program called Blender. Titles and transitions are vital to a lot of popular YouTube styles.
OpenShot does not provide the same level of detail as the runner up, Shotcut, when it comes to color correction or audio editing. However, the features it does have (volume levels, control of saturation) will satisfy most YouTubers.
2. Shotcut – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Pros
- Detailed audio editing
- Color grading, ability to save presets
- Fairly intuitive timeline
Shotcut Review
Shotcut delivers a smooth, detailed, editing experience for free. It is not as easy to jump into as some of the other programs on this list, but it still only takes a half-hour or so of playing around to understand it well enough to make a video. There are also tutorials up on Shotcut’s site that can help you.
You can edit using multiple video tracks in Shotcut, making it easy to combine multiple clips, and basic functions like splitting or copying clips are as easy as clicking the right icon on the toolbar.
All of the video and audio effects, including things like chroma key, you might want to apply to your video are found under the Filters menu. It will look empty when you first open it, and you have to click the plus sign to see what your options are. If you want to create a color tint (like what you might think of as an Instagram filter) then you can do that through the Color Grading option. If you want to do something like invert your colors or add an ‘old film’ look, you’ll find that here as well along with all of the audio editing features (balance, bass and treble, and gain to name just a few).
Is Shotcut good for YouTube?
Shotcut is a great choice for YouTubers. It allows you to do some advanced editing, and it’s easy to learn compared to a program targeted at professional editors.
The only complication with Shotcut for entry-level editors who will primarily use the program for YouTube might be that animations – like moving text – are not available through the program (you can add and customize text, but it just sits there). You can get them from elsewhere and use them in the program (Shotcut has an alpha channel), but it’s a bit more involved a process than simply customizing something that’s already provided.
3. Hitfilm Express – Windows, Mac
Pros
- Compositing mode (2D and 3D)
- The Most effect customization
- Helpful User Guide & tutorials
Cons
- Can be overwhelming
- Its main strength is FX, but you only get a couple for free. Most have to be bought separately.
Hitfilm Express Review
Hitfilm Express is the best free editor if you want to add special effects to your projects. OpenShot’s alpha channel will be enough for most people, but if you think of yourself as an aspiring filmmaker then it’s hard to beat Hitfilm’s range of functions.
This is an editor designed for people who want to make movies, and it’s a lot more intuitive than most professional-grade software. Film-quality FX (lasers, explosions, etc.) are available through Hitfilm Express for a reasonable price ($10-$50, depending on what you want), and even without paying extra for the packs, there’s a lot you can do to give your video a ‘film look’ using compositing layers and the multitude of customizable effects provided through the program.
Another highlight of Hitfilm Express is the extensive selection of tutorials and helpful information they have available both through YouTube videos and their User Guide. You will need those because this program can be overwhelming. It has so many functions and areas you can customize that it is easy to get lost.
That said, basic editing in Hitfilm Express is not difficult to jump into. It’s only when you start getting fancy that things get dicey.
Is Hitfilm Express good for YouTube?
Yes. It will not be the best option for everyone, but it’s not a bad option for anyone either.
If what you want to make is a vlog where you have a series of clips, and intro, and maybe a couple of title effects, then Hitfilm express might be overkill. You don’t want to have to master compositing just to add some text.
If what you want to make is a vlog that’s interrupted by an alien invasion and turns into an action sequence with lasers and falling debris, it’d be hard to do better than Hitfilm Express.
4. VideoPad Video Editor – Windows
Pros
- Easy to jump into
- Moving text
- Huge audio waveforms
- Audio and visual effects
- Lossless exports
Cons
- No longer updated
VideoPad Video Editor Review
VideoPad Video Editor is an extremely easy to use program. It may be the easiest program on this list to jump into, which you could also realistically create your entire video inside (there are easier programs, but you can only do some of your work in them). Part of its simplicity comes from not being as feature-rich as the programs ranking higher than it on this list, however.
You do not get the same range of functions with VideoPad as you do from the top 3 free editors, but it has enough to satisfy people who are just starting out. Creating moving text effects is easy, you have huge audio waves to work with while you’re syncing, and effects like transitions and filters are easy to find.
VideoPad does suffer a bit from being dated. This program is no longer being worked on, and the interface doesn’t look particularly modern. This is a bit more than a cosmetic issue because some features, while not difficult to find, are placed a bit oddly compared to other editors.
One slightly annoying feature of VideoPad is that it will prompt you to buy the commercial version sometimes (the free version is only for non-commercial use). There have been reports of exports being blocked in the free version, but I exported several times for the sake of this review and the issue never came up.
Is VideoPad Video Editor good for YouTube?
VideoPad makes a decent YouTube editor. You can jump right in and start making cuts, adding filters, and ordering your clips. If you have the kind of channel where voiceovers are important (like in gaming or makeup), then you’ll be happy with the size of the audio waves you have to work with for syncing.
The thing about VideoPad is that you’re probably going to outgrow it quickly as you become a more capable editor.
5. Lightworks – Windows, Mac, Linux
Pros
- Detailed color and audio editing
- Multicam editing
Cons
- Exports limited to 720p for the free version
- Difficult to learn compared to other free software
Lightworks Review
On their website, Lightworks claims to have an ‘intuitive interface’ and ‘easy timeline editing’. This is true if you compare it to other professional-level editing suites. Compared to the other programs on this list, Lightworks is complicated.
The first thing I attempt when I review this program is to simply split a clip, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure this feature out in Lightworks (a more advanced editor could have found it faster, but these reviews are meant to help people with less experience). Lightworks does have a whole tutorial series on using the software, so if you are interested in learning to use it there is ample material out there to help you.
Lightworks has a wide range of functions (i.e. detailed audio editing and color correction), and it has been used for big movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. It is the most professional program on this list, and it’s a great free alternative to something like Adobe Premiere Pro.
Note: there is no time limit on the free version of Lightworks, but it will ask you to renew your free license every 7 days. When it says your license is ‘expired’ it isn’t kicking you off the free version, you just need to renew.
Is Lightworks good for YouTube?
Whether or not Lightworks is right for your YouTube channel depends on your goals as a video editor.
If what you want is to jump in and start making YouTube videos quickly, Lightworks might not be a great choice. It’s not an easy program to just jump into, you’ll have to either take time to learn it or accept that it’ll take some trial and error to get the hang of.
If what you want is to become a professional-level video editor, then Lightworks is a great program to start on (although, Hitfilm Express may still be better). Taking the time to learn it could certainly pay off in the long run.
However, if one of your priorities is for your YouTube channel to come across as professional, then the free version of Lightworks does have some disappointing limitations. You can only export videos in 720p, which is lower quality than viewers on YouTube expect (you probably want at least 1080p). Your output format is limited too. The royalty-free audio and video content Lightworks offers are also not free; you can just buy them through the program.
6. VSDC Video Editor – Windows
Pros
- Diagrams and charts
- How To Get Started Guide
- Lots of features
Cons
- Very confusing
- Paid features show up in the free version, but they’re blocked
Review of VSDC Video Editor
There’s a lot to like about VSDC Video Editor, but you have to do a lot of work to uncover any of it. Accessing even the most basic features is confusing.
One of the first things I tried to do as I tested the program was make a jump cut (where you cut out part of a video so the playback ‘jumps over’ the deleted segment) and, while I was able to do it, it was not an intuitive process. There is a multitude of toolbars and icons surrounding your preview window in VSDC, and none of those icons was for making cuts to your clips. To make any cuts you have to find the ‘cutting and splitting’ option under the Editor tab at the top of the page, which will open a second window in which you still cannot make any cuts. Instead what you can do is place markers, and when you click ‘apply changes’ to exit the window cuts will be made where you placed markers. There is nothing in the window to explain what the markers are for.
Other basic functions, like adding text, are just as complicated.
Is VSDC Video Editor good for YouTube?
I would not recommend VSDC for YouTube. It ranks higher than two other items on this list because they are, do to functional limitations, unable to create full YouTube videos without the support of other programs (at least realistically). You certainly could create your full YouTube video in VSDC, but it’d be a headache.
7. Machete Video Editor Lite – Windows
Pros
- Great for harvesting clips from longer footage
- Lossless exports
Cons
- Cannot swap or add audio
- Only supports two formats (AVI and WMV)
- Slightly awkward timeline
Machete Video Editor Lite Review
Machete Lite claims that you’ll be able to edit your videos “within a few minutes after downloading the program, even if you’ve never edited a video before”, and that is true. It might even be better if you haven’t edited a video before because the interface is slightly awkward if you’ve come from a program with a more traditional timeline setup. Machete Lite is easy to use for the most part, but it doesn’t work like most other editors and that can be awkward to navigate around.
Instead of seeing a timeline with all of your individual clips, Machete treats your entire video as one clip. You will only be able to see where you have inserted a separate video clip or cut out a portion of the video by watching the video back or jumping through it (Machete Lite does allow frame-by-frame scrolling). You won’t be able to see this information at a glance, and you won’t be able to adjust the lengths of clips you’ve added separately.
To take out any portion of your overall video you’ll need to find a keyframe at the beginning, set that as the beginning of your selection, then find a key frame at the end and set that as the end of your selection. You will then be able to delete that selection. This will not work if the frames you have set as the beginning and end are not considered keyframes by the program, so it can be difficult to be precise, but since the program allows you to jump through keyframes it’s not difficult to find a point that works.
Is Machete Video Editor Lite good for YouTube?
Machete Lite is not a good choice for YouTubers unless it is used in combination with another program.
It doesn’t work as a YouTube editor because you cannot edit or swap audio, the transition between clips, or create layers of videos and images.
However, the thing Machete Lite is really good at is cutting out clips from longer videos. You can create a selection of a part of your longer clip and then export it (with no quality loss) as its own video file.
This is what the Machete Lite toolbar looks like when you’ve created a selection. Tools like cut and copy which were greyed out before are now available, as is the save icon on the far right. If you click the save icon, you’ll be able to save that selection as its own video.
You can’t create a complete YouTube video in Machete Lite, but you can harvest clips to use in a different program.
8. Avidemux – Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD
Pros
- Can add subtitle files
Cons
- Not intuitive
- Doesn’t support MOV or WMV
- The website is not informative, no tutorials
Avidemux Review
Avidemux is not an easy program to jump into. I almost wrote that it couldn’t do anything besides make cuts to a clip before I saw a YouTube tutorial about how to find the contrast and brightness tools. If you decide to try it out, remember that you have to choose your output format before Avidemux will let you access tools like Hue/Saturation and Contrast (click Filters under Video Output to find them).
There are no official tutorials for Avidemux you can access from their site, so you’ll have to rely on the forums and tutorials from users if you want to learn it.
You can import multiple clips into Avidemux, but you have to import them in the order you want because you can’t drag them around the timeline after. Everything becomes one big clip.
Is Avidemux good for YouTube?
No. It has more functionality than Machete, which is ranked higher on this list, but the difference is that Machete is excellent at one thing. They both suffer from the same main weakness – you could not complete your full YouTube video either (at least not without a lot of trouble). Machete could still be useful to a YouTuber, though, because it allows for the lossless exporting of segments of clips. You can use it to harvest clips for your larger project in another program.
In theory, you could do some picture editing and snipping in Avidemux and then put your project together/add titles in another program, but your other program can probably do all that just as well if not better. Avidemux isn’t a bad program, but it doesn’t excel at anything. There are a lot of better options which are also free.
What has your experience with free video editors been like?
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
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- Title: "Effortless Online Guide YouTube Video to GIF Magic (No Download) for 2024"
- Author: Steven
- Created at : 2024-05-25 19:12:03
- Updated at : 2024-05-26 19:12:03
- Link: https://youtube-clips.techidaily.com/effortless-online-guide-youtube-video-to-gif-magic-no-download-for-2024/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
