This guide was initially written by Kiera Rennick ’26, student and Vivero Fellow at Grinnell College, and reviewed by Liz Rodrigues and Tierney Steelberg, Vivero Digital Fellows Program Co-Leads.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
Welcome to this tutorial on picking the right video editing software for your project. Congrats on the video project, and best of luck. Just kidding, video editing is not too hard, but the program you use will definitely have an impact on your experience as you work. To help Grinnellians (you) pick what is going to work best for them, I’ve compiled this walkthrough of some of the most well-known video editing softwares. Instead of having to turn to Reddit, hopefully this guide will answer some of your questions. Additionally, everything on this list is free for Grinnellians.
2. WeVideo
WeVideo is a relatively simply browser editor for videos, that is licensed and recommended by Grinnell College and the Vivero Fellows. We particularly recommend WeVideo, as all of its stock footage is free to use in any of your college related projects. Additionally, you do not need to download WeVideo to use it, you can simply log in using your college credentials and begin to work. WeVideo host most basic video editing needs including trimming and simple compilation of footage, transitions, and audio functions. It is not necessarily the most elegant video software, but if you are looking for something simple to use, with no risk of copyright infringement or downloading, then WeVideo is the software for you.
| PROS | CONS |
| Licensed By Grinnell | Clunky UI/UX |
| Log in with Grinnell Info | Browser Based |
| Simple Editing for Audio and Video |
3. Capcut
CapCut is the next video editing program on our list of software today. It is a slight step up from WeVideo in terms of complexity, but is still fairly easy to use if you jump right into it. There are multiple forms of CapCut—an online browser edition, an app edition, and a downloadable desktop edition. CapCut features a very sleek interface that is relatively easy to understand straight off the bat if you have used any kind of editing software before, as well as featuring built in tutorials for use. Additionally, CapCut is relatively popular for content creation, so there are many tutorials on how to use it online. An account is not necessary to use CapCut. In my mind, there are two potential downsides in using CapCut—1; CapCut is owned by the same company that runs TikTok, and as such, a lot of its features are geared towards social media content and favor vertical video formats. 2; CapCut is almost entirely AI integrated, meaning that most of its features are either powered by AI, utilize AI editing or generation, or feed AI systems. All and all, CapCut is a very solid step up from WeVideo in terms of what you can do with the software, but there are definitely downsides. While I wouldn’t use CapCut myself, I would still say it is a very solid software for some users.
| PROS | CONS |
| Easy Learning Curve | For social media |
| Moderate Editing for Audio and Video | AI Dependent |
| Accessible UI | |
| No Account Needed |
4. Shotcut
Shotcut is the next one on our list. Like CapCut is to WeVideo, Shotcut is a slight step up from CapCut in learning curve. It has a less streamlined UI compared to CapCut, but is ultimately still very usable by following tutorials online. Shotcut is a slightly less popular option than many on the list, due to it not having a particularly large commercial base compared to others, but it is an open-source program and compatible with many different computer operating systems. All and all, it is a pretty solid, and fairly simple video, audio, and image editing program with only a few catches. These catches are primarily in technical bugs and errors, so if you use Shotcut, make sure to save often.
| PROS | CONS |
| Open-source program | Technical Bugs |
| Varied Functionality | Less Commercial Success |
| Moderate Editing for Video, Audio, and Image | |
| No Account Needed |
5. Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere is the next step up on this list and is a very solid choice for anyone who may have a bit more video editing experience, or is looking to expand their skills in general video editing. Premiere might be the program to use if you are going to be doing a lot of video editing and have time to undergo a bit of a steeper learning curve. I would also recommend Premiere if you are looking to do an animation or are in an arts related class where you will be working with footage you’ve taken yourself. Premiere is one of the most well known video editing programs used across the editing industry, and is sometimes seen as the most ‘basic’ program to pick, though it has many different features and can be used for almost any kind of editing. Most of the time Premiere, as an Adobe product, costs a subscription fee, but you can access this program for free through any of the library computers and your Grinnell account. Premiere can be a great choice if you are working in the arts field and want to get comfortable with an widely used program, and though it may take some time to become comfortable in the product, there is an endless amount of tutorials available online.
| PROS | CONS |
| Widely used | Higher Learning Curve |
| Sleek UI | Paid (Skip this through Grinnell Access!) |
| Advanced Editing for Video, Audio, and Image | Account Needed |
6. Davinci Resolve
The last, and hardest, software on our list is Davinci Resolve. Davinci Resolve is currently on its 20th edition and is another industry standard program, particularly when it comes to video editing for things in the arts sectors, and particularly film. If you are to go online and look up classic video editing software, you will likely be recommended Davinci Resolve by many different places. It is free, has an extraordinarily wide variety of editing features, and is used by large companies for film editing and VFX. If you are looking to get into the arts, or are working on an arts project and have the time to invest in it, learning Davinci Resolve is an incredibly useful skill. That being said, Davinci Resolve is quite hard to learn, has a complex UI, and can sometimes be incredibly demanding on your computer. Despite these drawbacks, Davinci Resolve is one of the best programs out there, and definitely worth learning if it at all interests you.
| PROS | CONS |
| Widely used | Highest Learning Curve |
| Advanced Editing for Video, Audio, and Image | Complex UI |
| Industry Standard | Demanding on Computers |
