Let’s face it, we are currently in an era where video content is rapidly becoming a significant
part of the digital space; I mean c’mon, YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world
and the 3rd most visited website in Nigeria. It goes to show that video production skills are a
valuable asset to your digital arsenal.

Truth be told, high quality video editing doesn’t come cheap in terms of hardware or software.
The industry standard in video editing in terms of software is currently Adobe Premiere. A
subscription to their plans is over $20 a month! Let’s be real, the average Nigerian creator can’t
afford that. Asides from that, the software requires at least 8 GB of RAM and other
specifications that can only be found in high-end computers.

Lucky for us, there are alternatives that won’t drill a hole in your pocket and will work efficiently
on your modest PC. With enough practice, you can actually create incredibly good videos for
YouTube for next to nothing. Without much ado, here’s a list of 5 free and powerful video
editors.

VSDC Free Video Editor
The first software on this list is VSDC. VSDC is a video editor exclusively on Windows, and it is
packed with a lot of features for aspiring creators. Despite being free, it offers professional level post-production tools, such as color correction wheels, support for 4K footage, dozens
of effects such as Chroma Key, split-screen, and much more.
In addition to that, VSDC allows you to record audio, video, and desktop screen. This particular
combination comes in handy if you're hoping to create tutorials, game walkthroughs, or
reaction videos.
Honestly, the interface might be slightly overwhelming if you are unfamiliar with non-linear
video editors, but it won't take you more than half an hour to get the hang of it (there’s an
abundance of tutorials on YouTube). Overall, VSDC is a good choice for those who feel
enthusiastic about video editing and might want to go beyond just splitting and merging files
and adding music and titles.

VSDC system requirements
In case you don’t know, "system requirements" is a bit of a broad term, because sometimes
you manage to pull it off with the bare minimum, and other times the program keeps on
crushing despite sufficient horsepower.
If you're going to choose VSDC as a video editor for a low-end PC, here are the specifications
recommended by the program developer:
Windows OS: XP SP3 / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10 / 11
Intel, AMD or compatible processor with the working frequency at 1.5 GHz or higher
Screen resolution: 1024x768 pixels with 16-bit color or higher
RAM 512Mb for the video editing software
Microsoft DirectX 9.0с or higher
300 MB of free disk space minimum

Shotcut
Shotcut is another great video editor for low-end PCs. Shotcut is somewhat because it's an
open-source and a cross-platform program which means unlike VSDC, it works on Mac and
Linux as well.
This software has a different approach to the interface. There are fewer tool icons, and you can
completely remove or undock menu panels for your convenience. The most basic operations
- such as splitting - can be performed easily with keyboard shortcuts, and there is a good
selection of one-click filters such as fading in and out applied to video or audio.
Just like VSDC, Shotcut gives you a lot of flexibility and enables you to create advanced-level
effects such as PiP, Chroma Key and much more. Just make sure to check out a couple of
tutorials before playing with this software because you may get confused by its logic at first.
There’s a ton of resources for learning Shotcut on YouTube, and once you watch a few, you'll
see that it's much easier than it may seem at the beginning. Personally I like the fact that this
software automatically recovers your unfinished project if it crashes, so you don't feel you've
wasted all those hours of meticulous editing.

Shotcut system requirements
Here are the minimum system requirements for those planning to try Shotcut on their PCs:
Operating system: 32- or 64-bit Windows 7 - 11, Apple macOS 10.10 - 10.15, or 64-bit Linux
with at least Glibc 2.19.
CPU: x86-64 Intel or AMD; at least one 2 GHz core for SD, 2 cores for HD, and 4 cores for 4K.
GPU: OpenGL 2.0 that works correctly and is compatible. On Windows, you can also use a card
with good, compatible
DirectX 9 or 11 drivers.
RAM: At least 4 GB for SD, 8 GB for HD, and 16 GB for 4K.

Lightworks
Lightworks is a video editing software for Windows that is perfect for both new and veteran
users. It’s been used in the editing of some iconic Hollywood flicks (una know Pulp Fiction and
Wolf of Wall Street abi?). It is a really good video editor for low-end PCs and can be considered
as one that meets the needs of the average person and does not cause too much trouble in
terms of compatibility as it is one of the most popular video editing software these days.
Many skilled video editors often mention that Lightworks is a great editing solution for both
beginners and experts at the same time because of its various tools, features and easy to use
interface.
But it is important to know that this powerful software has some drawbacks, the most
significant being its 720p export limit.

Lightworks system requirements:
Operating System: Windows vista and higher; MacOS 10.9 or higher
CPU: 2GHz or above
RAM: 3GB
Hard Disk Space: 200MB for installation

OpenShot
OpenShot is a comparatively basic video editor, even compared to the other free options on
this list, but it is simple to use and has enough features to entice amateur editors working on
personal projects.
You cannot expect OpenShot to have the range of features which equals to the other free
video editing software heavyweights like DaVinci Resolve or Lightworks, but that’s part of its
appeal.
OpenShot is significantly simpler to use than lots of counterparts on the market, making it a
great choice for those of you who aren’t editing high-level projects. It’s one to consider if
you’re creating personal projects, perhaps like a video compilation from a holiday or for a
celebration of some kind, especially if you don't have much experience with editing tools or
are looking to build your editing skills.
In this regard, you classify it with the likes Apple’s iMovie or KineMaster on smartphones - it’s
quick and easy to use for people with little to no video editing experience. It doesn’t quite hold
its head with those equivalents, having a few glitches and some functions which are too hidden,
but there are an unexpected amount of functions once you dig around in various menus.

OpenShot system requirements:
Kdenlive
This particular editor is proof that open-source software can contest with the very best.
Kdenlive is available on Mac, Linux and Windows, completely free, and seriously packed with
features.
Kdenlive runs well on a wider range of hardware than DaVinci Resolve, at the same time still
being able to offer a feature set geared toward more advanced video editors. Naturally, the
better your hardware, the better your experience, but beginners on a budget are certainly not
locked out from making full use of the software.
It has its shortcomings sha, demanding resources, coupled with a sharper learning curve than
some comparable applications. But the layout is easy to get along with, and it doesn't take too
much effort to figure out the main functions, and how to get making your first edits. And if
you want to get a bit more advanced, there's built-in scripting support to really tailor Kdenlive
to your needs.


So there you have it, comprehensive list of video editors that you can start using on your
humble workstation free of charge today. Trust me, with enough practice, you will be able to
make stunning videos with these programs.

If you are interested in learning video editing, please check out my YouTube channel.
I will be posting videos on video editing especially with VSDC.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgI36GpOtqk

kindly subscribe to my channel for more content.