A lightweight video editor is necessary for those users who wish to perform basic video editing - crop, add music or text, apply color correction filters, etc. in the program that doesn’t weigh much and loads quickly even on weak PCs, laptops or smartphones.
Top 8 Lightweight Video Editors
- Adobe Premiere Pro - Robust and fully-functional video editor
- Vegas Movie Studio - For novices in video editing
- Filmora - The cheapest PRO version
- Shotcut - Native timeline editing
- VideoPad Video Editor - User-friendly program
- Type Studio - Text-based video editor
- Quik - Works well with GoPro - iOS | Android
- Adobe Premiere Rush - Integration with Creative Cloud services iOS | Android
This lightweight video editor list is compiled for users who need to quickly edit videos for social networks without mastering hundreds of tools and buttons, and those who want a light and fast program. Here you will find both PC software and mobile versions for Android and iOS.
1. Adobe Premiere Pro - Our Choice
- Video and audio editing
- Cross-platform
- Support for numerous formats
- Non-linear video editing
- Customizable interface
- Free only for a month
Verdict: Adobe Premiere Pro let’s you create high-quality videos using an intuitive and customizable interface. Despite the fact that it is a professional software for PC, its weight is not critical, so it isn’t obligatory to purchase the best computer for video editing as you can manage with an average machine.
According to tests, I can say with confidence that the latest version of Premiere runs quickly and works even with 8GB of RAM. The installation requires only 8 GB of free hard disk space. In terms of the feature-set, the program comes with a couple of new features that make it stay on top of the game, especially if we compare different video editing software for Windows.
2. Vegas Movie Studio
- Customizable interface
- Multicam editing
- Plenty of effects and transitions
- Some functions are difficult to find
Verdict: Vegas Movie Studio is priced at approximately $50, but you can take advantage of a trial version before making a purchase. This light video editing software is praised for a straightforward interface, numerous audio/video effects, direct upload to Vimeo, YouTube or Facebook, support for High DPI monitors and music-making capabilities. Vegas Movie Studio requires only 1.5 GB of hard disk space to install.
However, in terms of RAM, the requirements between a product from Sony Vegas and Adobe Premiere are the following: for optimal performance, you need at least 16 GB of RAM. With a smaller number, the software will freeze while running and the ability to view changes made in real time will be slow.
3. Filmora
- Frequent updates
- Integrated detailed guide
- Compatible with multiple audio formats
- Watermark in the free version
Verdict: Filmora Video Editor offers a balance between the capabilities of professional video editors and simplicity. The software doesn’t have a mode for multi‑camera editing, as well as sophisticated tools, for instance, for working with 3D and 360-degree videos. But these are tools are irrelevant for many users.
Most importantly, Filmora video editor can handle the majority of professional tasks. Still, it is easy to master, and the system requirements for installation are quite democratic. The software is able to work efficiently and quickly with 4 GB of RAM and up to 10 GB of free disk space for the smooth operation of all functions.
4. Shotcut
- Compatible with plenty of formats
- Hardware support
- Quick operation
- Numerous integrated filters
- Interface seems inconvenient at first
Verdict: Shotcut is one of the best open source video editing software available on Windows, Mac, and Linux. You can use it to collage videos, edit them using a fairly vast array of customizable filters (audio and video), adjust the quality of video and audio sequences, change the volume and pick the desired sample rate.
Using Shotcut, you can easily edit videos even on weak PCs, but keep in mind that you need an OS of at least Windows XP. The system requirements of this simple video editor for Windows are very modest, and the distribution takes up about 130 MB on disk. As an experiment, I used this software to successfully edit small videos on a PC with 512 MB of RAM and an Intel Celeron 800 processor.
5. VideoPad Video Editor
- Endless number of video tracks
- Practically full toolset
- Clean and straightforward UI
- Sophisticated effects and filters are missing
Verdict: VideoPad Video Editor is an excellent user-friendly video editing software. Novices will undoubtedly enjoy its drag-and-drop modeled timeline. The software boasts a vast array of special effects and transitions that are applied to videos in order to increase their visual appeal.
Besides, VideoPad Video Editor offers a selection of video optimization options, such as tweaking colors, slowing down/speeding up of videos, reverse video clip playback, video stabilization, adding digital images/photos, creation/import-export of subtitles and other visual effects. The software’s system requirements are very modest - 4GB of RAM, a 1.5 GHz processor and 100MB of disk space.
6. Type Studio
- Powerful tools for creating marketing videos
- Allows adding subtitles to videos
- Amazing UX
- Sometimes lags
Verdict: Type Studio provides simple and fast video editing using transcribed text. Plus, it can add subtitles automatically.
This is a great option for beginners as it has a simple and uncluttered user interface. Also, it features a professional-looking font and easy navigation. First, you need to register. After that, you can download a video. The program automatically transforms audio files into subtitles. You can see them in a text box to the left of your video.
Your video will be fully subtitled. If you do not need a dialog, you can easily select and delete it. The text part is synchronized with audio so you can edit your video by editing subtitles on the screen.
7. Quik
- Automatic video editing
- Transitions are matched to the music
- Doesn’t work with 4K
Verdict: Quik is another free video editing app from the creators of GoPro. This app resembles Splice but cuts off a small part of video editing power given to the user. To edit the video quicker than usual, take advantage of the auto trim and edit features. But if you need greater control over the process, you can manually edit the footage.
Quik is the best lightweight video editor due to its robust automatic capabilities and the ability to edit videos quickly. It processes the video to find wonderful moments and even adds transitions. Quik takes up very little space in your smartphone’s memory - only 99MB for Android and iOS.
8. Adobe Premiere Rush
- Straightforward
- Adobe Sensei AI
- Deep color correction
- Advanced audio settings
- Crashes on weak smartphones
Verdict: Adobe Premiere Rush is a well-known light video editor. It enables users to add music (either your own or from the library), apply transitions and automatic color correction. It is possible to pick audio tracks from the integrated library using iTunes, tweak or mute the sound, balance it, neutralize echo and background noise, as well as emphasize voices.
Premiere Rush seamlessly integrates with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications, such as Premiere Pro and After Effects. This allows you to start editing your projects in Premiere Rush and then transfer them to Premiere Pro for advanced editing or apply additional visual effects in After Effects.
During file import, users can adjust the video quality (up to 4K) and the frame rate (30, 60 fps). But there is no ability to set such target attributes as bit rate or codec. The mobile version takes up 150MB for Android and 400MB for iOS devices. Additionally, you can install Adobe Premiere Pro for free on the PC.
