Video Editors
Video software is where "free" usually means "free trial with a watermark". This guide collects the exceptions: freeware video editors, screen recorders, converters and players that stay free permanently. Every link leads to the official download page.
Find your next favourite
VLC Media Player
Plays nearly any video or audio format with no codec packs
OBS Studio
Screen recording and live streaming studio
HandBrake
Open source video transcoder for any device profile
Shotcut
Open source video editor with wide format support
DaVinci Resolve
Professional color grading and editing with free tier
Kdenlive
Open source non-linear video editor
Freeware Video Editor vs Screen Recorder vs Converter
Three different jobs, three different tools. An editor cuts and arranges footage; a screen recorder captures your desktop; a converter changes file formats and sizes. The table below covers the whole freeware video toolkit, so pick by the job you actually need to do.
| Program | Job | OS | Watermark? |
|---|---|---|---|
| DaVinci Resolve | Editing + color | Win/macOS/Linux | No |
| Shotcut | Editing | Win/macOS/Linux | No |
| Kdenlive | Editing | Win/macOS/Linux | No |
| OBS Studio | Screen recording | Win/macOS/Linux | No |
| HandBrake | Conversion | Win/macOS/Linux | No |
| VLC Media Player | DVD & file playback | Win/macOS/Linux | No |
| JDownloader | Video downloading | Win/macOS/Linux | No |
| yt-dlp | Video downloading (CLI) | Win/macOS/Linux | No |
The Tools
DaVinci Resolve: professional editing, free tier
Hollywood-grade color grading and a full editing timeline in a free version with no watermark and no time limit. The catch is hardware: it wants a modern GPU. For heavy editing projects it is the strongest freeware choice on any OS.
Shotcut: open source editor that stays out of your way
Shotcut edits 4K, works with hundreds of formats natively and runs from a portable folder on Windows. The interface is less polished than Resolve, but it never nags and never expires.
OBS Studio: the standard for screen recording
OBS records screen, webcam and audio together, and streams to any platform. No watermark, no recording-length limit, no upsell: the tool behind most YouTube and Twitch recordings.
HandBrake: convert anything to anything
HandBrake transcodes video between formats with sensible presets per device (phone, tablet, TV, web). Batch processing and subtitle support included; the interface is utilitarian but the output quality is reference-grade.
VLC Media Player: DVD and file playback
VLC plays DVDs, Blu-ray folders (with the usual caveats), and virtually any video file without installing codec packs. It also converts simple clips via its built-in "Convert/Save" dialog.
JDownloader and yt-dlp: downloading videos
JDownloader is the graphical option: paste a link, it handles the rest. yt-dlp is the command-line power tool that downloads from thousands of sites. Both are open source; keep them updated, as video sites change constantly.
Good to know
What is the best freeware video editor?
DaVinci Resolve for serious projects, Shotcut for lighter ones. Both are free with no watermark and no trial limit.
Is there a free screen recorder without watermark?
OBS Studio records unlimited screen video with no watermark on Windows, macOS and Linux. It is the reference tool for the job.
How do I convert video formats for free?
HandBrake converts between formats with per-device presets. For one-off jobs VLC's Convert/Save dialog is quicker, for batch jobs HandBrake is better.
Can I play DVDs for free?
VLC Media Player plays DVDs free of charge on Windows, macOS and Linux.