Supported OS – Windows & Mac. Boom 3D is an award-winning professional audio. Hitfilm Express is the best free video editing software, as its high-energy style appeals to budding filmmakers who want to put a special touch on a personal event or get creative with a video.
Entertainment • Updated on Oct. 11, 2020
Shotcut is a free, open-source video editor/enhancer that can be used across all of the most popular operating systems. That includes Windows, Mac, and Linux. You can use it for making basic adjustments on things such as brightness, contrast, sharpness, and anything like that.
There is no doubt that lots of videos will be recorded this holiday season. Have you ever tried to look at a recorded video, full of enthusiasm and joy, only to realize that it came out shaky and unsaturated? You’re not the only one. After all, they may have come a long way, but video cameras and smartphones (especially smartphones) are still not the best at capturing the best results automatically.
Everything may look a bit grey and lifeless and dull. The obvious fix to that is using a video editing program to take care of everything.
But, then again, it’s no secret that getting a full-fledged video editor will require you to spend a lot of money in order to buy it. Not to mention that the learning curve is often huge.
So, is there any way for us to make our holiday videos (or any videos) look better without necessarily investing a lot of time and money into full-fledged editors? The answer that you’re looking for is video enhancer software.
They are still considered video editors. But they are generally easier to use and our picks are FREE as well. So, without any further ado, let’s get right into it!
Note: Though we talk about free video enhancer below, you might also be interested in taking a look at some of our other lists of the easiest video editing software that show how you can play video, edit YouTube video, convert video or make video recording.
Why do you need a Video Enhancer?
As we mentioned above, video cameras are not the best at capturing the best results right out of the box – and smartphones are even worse.
A stock video will often give you bad contrast and brightness levels, high levels of noise (during the night or in dark environments), unsaturated and dull-looking colors, and things like that. Not to mention anything about sound.
Of course, that doesn’t apply to everyone. There’s lots of good equipment out there which you can use to get great results right out of the box.
But, these kinds of equipment are usually too expensive and/or complicated to use anyway. And even then, there’s always room for improvement.
In most cases, there’s actually a hell of a lot to improve – and that’s where video enhancers come in. You can use them to vastly improve any video easily and without having to pay.
Of course, there are always a few premium options out there with more features and a well-designed UI. But, for now, let’s just focus on the free ones.
And that’s not to say that the free options are bad. In fact, some of them are actually quite decent. Especially our top picks.
You just need to spend a tiny bit of time in order to learn how to get around their UI. After that, you’re all set to start editing.
Let’s check out some of the best enhancers!
Best Video Enhancer Software
Our top 3 options:
1. Shotcut (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
Shotcut is a free, open-source video editor/enhancer that can be used across all of the most popular operating systems. That includes Windows, Mac, and Linux.
You can use it for making basic adjustments on things such as brightness, contrast, sharpness, and anything like that. But, if you wish to go through the extra mile and create something brand new with multiple video and audio tracks, then the option is always there.
Of course, we highly doubt that Shotcut can compete with some of the top paid, full-fledged video editors. But then again, that’s not what we need it for. You’re here for a simple and effective video enhancer which is a suitable role for this specific program.
Just the basic tools like brightness and contrast enhancements along with sharpening, noise removal, and a bit of extra color saturation can turn a dull scene into something powerful. Here is an example of how a video looks before and after basic enhancements:
Of course, in order to get these results, we had to sacrifice the clouds and focus on the trees instead. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can edit your videos in any way you want.
And that comes from a 4K drone shot. If we’re talking about videos that have been captured with smartphones or low-end video cameras, the results are going to be even more drastic.
Apart from video editing/enhancing, you can also use it to improve the audio. You can add or remove bass and treble, reverb, delay, compression, and more.
If there’s downside then that’s definitely going to be the UI. It feels a bit different; alien. So, most of you may have to spend a bit of time working with the program in order to get used to it.
Pros:
- Easy to use once you get used to it
- Offers all the basic video enhancements along with more advanced options for free
- Open-source
- Available to use on most of the popular operating systems
Cons:
- The UI is a bit different compared to other editors and that makes it tough to get used to at the beginning (Unless this is your first editor)
- Not a whole lot of support and guidance on how to use it (Even though there have been a few additions on their website and lots of YouTube tutorials by users)
2: HitFilm Express (Windows and Mac)
Compared to Shortcut, you’ll find a lot of pros and cons with HitFilm Express. The very first thing you’re likely to notice is that this one is not available on nearly as many platforms.
As an open-source program, Shotcut can be installed on pretty much anything. HitFilm Express, on the other hand, is only restricted down to Windows and Mac. And that’s obviously not going to be a problem for those of you who are on these operating systems. But Linux users will have to stick with Shotcut or one of the many alternatives that we are going to mention later.
The very first thing that we liked with HitFilm Express is that it gives you the option of choosing if you want only the basics or the complete package.
And the very first thing that we didn’t like is that while the basic package is free, most of the other additional effects need to be paid.
Of course, the developers do need to make money somehow. So, there’s not much room for complaints there.
Now, the percentage of free vs paid effects that you’ll find will greatly vary depending on what you’re after. Recover my files crack serial activation key generator. For example, most of the audio effects are free while simulation and particles are paid only.
Speaking of particles and simulations, chances are you’ll particularly enjoy how they interact with the video. And you can’t see it in the screenshot, but we suppose that the program uses some sort of AI tool in order to recognize what’s going on in the video and calculate how the various simulations should react with it.
There are lots of options to play with. It doesn’t matter if you only need some basic enhancements or a ton of effects to apply. Chances are you’ll get what you’re after it.
Pros:
- More effects than you’ll ever need
- Great UI
- Extremely easy to use
Cons:
- The base app may be free, but lots of effects are paid-only
3: iMovie (Apple/Mac Exclusive)
If you only need a basic video editor/enhancer, then iMovie is a pretty decent option. However, do keep in mind that it’s an Apple exclusive – meaning that you can only get it on Mac and iOS.
Of course, there are a few complicated tricks to get around the compatibility issues. But now is not the time for that – not to mention that there are some great alternative options for Windows and Linux computers as well.
One thing that’s particularly impressive about iMovie is that despite being a free option, it offers full 4K editing support! And, of course, you can expect to find most of the features that we saw on other free editors over here as well.
We’re talking about pre-made styles, extra effects, filters, and even free soundtracks that you can use. While you can’t expect to find all of the special simulations that programs like HitFilm Express offer, don’t forget that these are paid-only anyway.
As a Mac exclusive, iMovie has a bit of extra functionality to offer to anyone who is interested in using it with a Macbook Pro as well. To be more specific, as you can see in the image above, you can take advantage of the Touch Bar for gaining easy access to various controls.
Overall, iMovie is free, generally easy to use while offering most of the functions that you’d want from a movie enhancer and works well with Apple’s ecosystem. Hard to go wrong with it if you own a Mac.
Pros:
Best Free Video Enhancer Mac
- Works very well with Apple’s ecosystem
- Generally easy to use
- Offers a ton of features as a video enhancer
Cons:
- Only available for Mac and iOS
Other apps that are worth mentioning
Don’t like our top picks? That’s alright. To each their own. Thankfully, there are still a ton of other programs to choose from. Here are some of the best:
1: Lightworks (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
Lightworks is in a lot of ways very similar to HitFilm Express. It offers a very straight-forward UI that’s easy to use, all the features that you’ll need for video enhancement, and of course, if you wish to go the extra mile and edit a video, the timeline and everything else that you’ll need are there as well。
This option offers free and paid options alike. But, if all you need is a basic video enhancer, you should be just fine with the free version – that is unless you absolutely need 4K.
2: Clipchamp (Online)
Clipchamp is unique in a number of different ways. For once, it actually works online and doesn’t require any installation.
This brings some pros and cons to the table. But, mostly pros. The only small downside is that you absolutely need a stable internet connection or you’re going to run into some issues.
One of the best things about Clipchamp is that since you’re dealing with an online editor, you should be able to use it on pretty much any platform. As long as your browser and hardware can handle it, of course.
3: Avidemux (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
Avidemux is more like a basic editor rather than a video enhancer. It offers some filters and encoders. But, for the most part, that’s about it.
It’s mostly useful for things like cutting, mixing and applying filters. So, we’re most certainly looking at an option that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
At the very least it’s available for most platforms. You can find it for Windows, Mac, Linux, and BSD.
4: Blender (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
We assume that most of you already know what Blender is. While it’s originally designed as a 3D creation suite, you can also use its video editor for video enhancement.
It’s definitely not the easiest program to use. Far from it. However, if you’re a creative person and you’re willing to go through the extra mile in order to learn how to use it, the sky is the limit!
With up to 32 slots for adding media files (Video, images, audio, etc), most of us will be hard-pressed to fully take advantage of it. And that’s without even mentioning anything about its 3D rendering capabilities!
Best Video Enhancer Free Software
5: DaVinci Resolve 16 (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
DaVinci Resolve 16 is one of the best editors and enhancers that you can get. But do keep in mind that it can feel rather overwhelming for beginners.
It offers a ton of features and options. So many, in fact, that even intermediate editors may feel lost in the beginning.
It goes without saying that people can use it for basic video enhancements. But, we’d say that only those who are serious about editing should consider investing time or money in it.
Just like most of our other options, you can find it on Windows, Mac, and Linux as well!
6: FilmoraGo (iOS and Android)
Not a big fan of iMovie? Then FilmoraGo is most likely your next best bet. It’s mainly designed for mobile devices and at the moment, you can only find it on iOS – but it’ll soon be ready for Android as well!
You can use it to edit and enhance videos on the go with effects, filters, text, stickers, and even some slightly more advanced options. Things like adjusting the speed, adding transitions, and more.
Do you need more advanced video enhancement software?
As you probably already noticed, most of our picks are rather simplistic. And while they do get the job done, it’s no secret that they don’t offer the flexibility of a full-fledged editor.
Even the editors that are mostly targeted towards beginners have so much more to offer. But does that mean that you absolutely need them? Well, yes, and no – depending on what you’re after.
More advanced software do tend to offer more stuff. That’s for sure. But do you really need them? If not, you’re only making things harder for yourself. After all, more features means that you’ll be spending more time (And possibly money as well) just to find the one thing that you need at specific moments.
The only way to truly find out what’s best for you is to take the time and think about what you want to accomplish. After that, feel free to try out and experiment with different options by yourself. Only then you’ll be able to decide if you need more advanced video enhancement software or not.