5 Best Free Video Trimmer Software in 2023 [Windows, Mac]

Best Free Video Trimmers

After spending the time to shoot the perfect video, it can be hard to choose what to remove. You don’t need subpar software making things more difficult. With the right video trimmer software, you can reduce the length of your videos with ease.

However, with so many video cutter tools on the market in 2023, picking the best one for your video editing needs can be challenging. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve put together a review of the best video trimming software.

Let’s dive in and find the best video cutter for bringing your cinematic vision to life.

5 Best Video Trimmer Software

1. PowerDirector Essential – Best Overall Software

PowerDirector Interface

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

Overall Rating: 10/10

Video Trimming: 10/10

Key Features:

  • Storyboard, Timeline, and Slideshow Interfaces
  • Titles, Transitions, and Overlays
  • Wide Variety of Visual Effect Capabilities
  • Audio and Color Correction Tools

PowerDirector is the best free video trimming software on both Windows and Mac. No matter your experience level, you’ll be able to edit videos together in minutes. You can choose between working with a traditional timeline editor or in storyboard mode.

The software offers both trimming and splitting tools. It also includes a library of hundreds of stylized transitions to give your clips a professional look.

Want to do more than just trimming? PowerDirector includes a robust selection of video editing features. There are thousands of professionally designed animated titles and video overlays like animated stickers and film effects.

Create your own visual effects without spending hours watching tutorials. All of PowerDirector’s effects can be mastered in minutes. Replace green screens with chroma key or add a beautiful sunset or vista of sparkling stars with AI-powered sky replacement.

Enhance your videos to ensure they have pristine audio and look their absolute best. Use video stabilization to fix shaky footage. Give your videos the right look by choosing from hundreds of LUT video filters. Or apply audio denoise and wind removal to remove unwanted background noise.

PowerDirector’s user-friendly interface and professional tools make it an excellent choice for anyone interested in creating high-quality, Hollywood-level videos.

Trim, edit, add effects and enhance your videos no matter your experience level. Try PC Mag’s Best of the Year 2022 Video Editor, PowerDirector.

2. Movavi Video Editor – Best Basic Editor

iMovie App Trim

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

Overall Rating: 9/10

Video Trimming: 9/10

Key Features:

  • Title, filters, and transitions
  • Vertical Video
  • Picture in picture
  • Crop Video

Movavi Video Editor is an efficient offline video trimmer for removing unneeded scenes from your videos. Its timeline markers simplify finding the start and end times of the scenes you want to remove. You can use Movavi on your Mac or Windows computer, and the tool comes with several other premium features.

However, if you use the free version, your edited video will have a Movavi watermark. Some users also complain that video rendering is slow, especially if the file is large. Also, the tool lacks clip pre-trimming and other advanced trim modes.

3. Gihosoft Free Video Cutter – Best for Just Cutting

Gihosoft Free Video Cutter

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

Overall Rating: 8/10

Video Trimming: 9/10

Key Features:

  • Cut video and audio without decreasing the quality
  • Easy to use

Gihosoft has made a completely free video cutter for shortening your videos. You can edit long or short videos and save the edited video in your preferred video format. File types include AVI, MPEG, MPG, DVD, and MP4.

Unfortunately, Gihosoft Free Video Cutter only does one thing – video cutting. So if you need software that can add transitions and other special effects to your videos, the Gihosoft free video cutter is not for you.

4. Flexclip – Best Online Video Editor

Flexclip

Compatibility: Web Browser

Overall Rating: 7/10

Video Trimming: 8/10

Key Features:

  • Video templates
  • Add music to video
  • Brighten videos

FlexClip is a drag-and-drop online video trimmer. You’ll need an internet connection to use the tool and access its library of royalty-free videos and photos. Free and paid versions of the tool are available for cutting your videos, but the free version will leave a watermark on your exports.

Also, on the free version of FlexClip, you can only edit videos that are a minute long. Going for the paid version will allow you to edit longer videos. But you won’t have access to some of the top features offered by other paid video trimming software.

5. Kapwing – Best for Collaboration

Kapwing

Compatibility: Web Browser

Overall Rating: 8/10

Video Trimming: 7/10

Key Features:

  • Upload your video and convert
  • Auto-generated subtitles
  • Works with apps like Google Drive, Photos, Unsplash, Giphy, and Pexels

Kapwing is a safe online video editing site for performing simple video edits. However, many users have complained about the tool freezing during rendering or publishing and losing their unsaved work.

The free version of Kapwing allows you to publish videos shorter than 7 minutes and three hours of videos per month. If you need to create more videos, you’ll have to opt for a paid plan.

Best Video Trimmer Software Comparison Chart

Software
PowerDirector Essential
Movavi Video Editor
Gihosoft Free Video Cutter
Flexclip
Kapwing

OS
Windows, Mac
Windows, Mac
Windows, Mac
Web Browser
Web Browser

Beginner-friendly
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes

Video Trimming
Robust set of tools
Includes the basics
Only does trimming
Very basic tool
Limited free trimming

Audio Trimming
Yes
Yes
No
No
Limited

Color Correction
Yes
Yes
No
Limited
Limited

Free Download

Free Download


Secure Download

Download

Download

Download

Download

PowerDirector Essential

vs

Movavi Video Editor

Gihosoft Free Video Cutter

Flexclip

Kapwing

OS

Windows, Mac

Beginner-friendly

Yes

Video Trimming

Robust set of tools

Audio Trimming

Yes

Color Correction

Yes

How to Trim Videos on Windows and Mac

Follow these steps to trim a video clip with PowerDirector on a Windows or Mac computer.

  1. Import your video clip into PowerDirector.
  2. Add your video clip to the timeline.
  3. Hover your mouse cursor on the left or right edge of the track. An icon with adjustment arrows will appear on either side of the track edge. Click and drag the arrows to the point where you want to trim the video.
  4. PowerDirector - Trim a Video

For a more in-depth guide to trimming videos, check out How to Trim a Video for Free [Windows, Mac].

Best Software to Trim Videos for Free

Having software for cutting unnecessary scenes from your video can be a lifesaver. However, with so many video cutter tools out there, picking the best one for your needs can be tricky.

PowerDirector is hands-down the best video cutter tool on the market. The free version has excellent features to cut your videos plus various special effects that elevate the quality of your footage.

Video Trimmer Software FAQ

1. What is Video Trimming?

Trimming is the most fundamental part of editing. It is removing either the beginning or end of a video. The goal is typically to remove unnecessary footage keeping only the best part of the video.

2. What Features Should I Look For in a Video Trimmer Software?

The top five features you should look for are:

  1. Additional cutting tools
  2. Multi-track timeline
  3. Video transitions
  4. Audio editing tools
  5. Color Correction

3. How do I cut multiple videos into one?

If you want to cut several videos and merge all the trimmed clips, PowerDirector is also the best choice.

  1. Start by uploading your video files and cutting all the clips you want to merge on the timeline.
  2. Once you have all your clips cut, arrange them in the order you want.
  3. Export or upload directly to social media.

4. How can I cut videos for free?

If you are using the free version of PowerDirector, you can cut and merge videos without paying.

5. What is the best YouTube video cutter?

PowerDirector is one of the best YouTube video cutters because it’s simple to use. You can upload edited videos directly to YouTube from the app. PowerDirector also offers several other video editing tools for creating beautifully edited videos for YouTube.

If you’re looking for a Video Trimmer that checks all of these boxes, we recommend PowerDirector.