10 of the Best Pieces of Free MP4 Video Editing Software

Maybe you have plenty of MP4 videos at hand which indeed enrich your daily life. And it's advisable to look for video editing software specifically made for MP4, with which you can split MP4 into several segments, cut some parts to get it smaller, or merge several MP4 video clips to create a new work for sharing. Here the top 10 free MP4 video editors are suggested, if you decided to download and install a freeware for editing MP4.

Part I: Demands on Edit MP4 Files

Part II: Choose a Best Free MP4 Video Editor for Your Needs

Part III: Top 10 Free MP4 Video Editors Reviews

Part IV: Comparison table of the top 10 Free MP4 Editors

Part V: How to Edit MP4 Files on Windows (10) and Mac(OS High Sierra)

Part I: Demands on Edit MP4 Files

I have a video saved as .mp4. How to cut my MP4 file to remove ad and any unnecessary parts that aren't needed to make it more enjoyable?

I want to add some special effects to my MP4 movie from Synology DS416slim NAS so that I can email it to my friend.

Need a program to split out the opening & closing ... together my episode of a TV program in MP4 format for uploading to YouTube.

Can I reduce an MP4 file size to save computer hard disk or mobile phone memory space?

I have a 1 hour long MP4 file that I need to extract background music for playing on my camping car?

I'd like to edit my MP4 file with subtitles, but have no idea on what programs are out there to do this without crashing issue.

Does anyone know of software that would help make it possible to crop my MP4 file for watching on large screen TV? This is way over my head.

No matter how to edit an MP4 file, what you need is a professional yet easy-to-use MP4 editor. With an MP4 video editor, you can edit MP4 videos in the following aspects such as cut, crop, rotate, compress, split, merge, extract music/apply effect/add watermark, change channel, and adjust bitate and so on.

Part II: Choose a Best Free MP4 Video Editor for Your Needs

To choose a best free MP4 editing app, you may check out the following main factors for reference.

1. Supported Abundant Input & Output Formats

The best MP4 video editing tool is expected to work smooth and fine with as many as possible or virtually ANY type of file format. In that case, you don't need to deal with any 'pre-conversion' worries when importing MP4 to editors, at the same time, you can freely export your media files in ANY format as you like.

2. Powerful Editing Features

With a best MP4 video editor with simple basics, standard or professional editing features, you can do what you like to make all editing needs a reality.

3. Ease of Use

Owning an easy-to-use or user-friendly application for editing a MP4 video is essential, especially for the beginners. The best MP4 video editor should have an intuitive interface as well as a well-organized menu for easy understanding.

4. Stability

It's also of equal importance to have stablity on both Windows and Mac computer including the latest version Windows 10 and macOS High Sierra when comes to making a choice over the best MP4 video editor.

Part III: Top 10 Free MP4 Video Editors Reviews

There are a wide range of best MP4 editing software available on the web. Need to do some MP4 video editing but don't want to spend an arm and a leg on software? Check out this list of Top 10 free MP4 video editors options below.

#1. Dimo Video Converter Ultimate

After MP4 video editing, you can choose your desired format, and hit "Start" to get your wanted output video. Also, you can convert your MP4 video to compatible formats for non linear editing apps like FCP, iMovie, Avid Media Composer, Premiere Pro, Windows Movie Maker, etc. Mac version is here. Try it for free now.

Pros:

• It's fully compatible with all kinds of MP4 videos
• It's easy to use with an extremely simple interface
• It allows to share edited videos on mobile devices or online websites
• It is able to convert videos from editors to ISO

Cons:

• Maybe it doesn't react so responsive when importing big MP4 files
• This program is mainly designed to complete basic video editing, to do furter editing work, you can using professional ones

Supported Platform: Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10 and Mac OS X Leopard to macOS High Sierra

Free Trial Free Trial

people have downloaded it

#2. Windows Movie Maker

Note: Windows Movie Maker accepted formats for import are .WMV/.ASF, .MPG (MPEG-1), .AVI (DV-AVI), .WMA, .WAV, and .MP3. and for export are .WMV or .AVI (DV-AVI). For other formats like MP4, MXF, MTS, MOV, AVI, FLV, that are not native for WMM importing, a video converter is need for covnersion.

Pros:

• Several sharing options
• Autopreview of effects
• You are free to add fade in/fade out or choosing a movie theme
• The software is designed to slow down or speed up the video, add animations, transitions or titles/credits and background music

Cons:

• No saturation nor contrast adjustments
• If you're a Vista user, you need to disable first the 3D Aero for you to use Windows Movie Maker

Supported Platform: Vista, Windows XP, 7, and 8

>> Download Windows Movie Maker

#3. VirtualDub

It comes with a clean interface layout and uses keyboard and mouse shortcuts for a faster and easier operation but may not be very easy to use. It's not a video creator or a slideshow maker. It's only geared towards editing and processing MP4 files. It does not support instant sharing of files in the Internet.

Pros:

• Aside from MP4 files, it can also convert and edit BMP images, as well as MPEG1-video

Cons:

• It lacks the editing power of more advanced editor such as Adobe Premiere
• There's always the possibility that the use of third-party effects will negatively affect its performance since it is stable on its own

Supported Platform: Windows 95/NT/98/ME/2000/XP/Vista

>> Download VirtualDub

#4. iMovie

You just have to import video files from external devices or from your computer, arrange them, add Hollywood style, and preview the results. With that done, click to export your files for internet usage or iOS. It supports formats such as MPEG, MOV, AVCHD, DV and HDV.

Pros:

• It has a user-friendly interface
• It succeeds in turning an ordinary MP4 video into a Hollywood-style movie
• Its audio editing as well as fun movie trailers are improved
• Since Mac users have little choices, iMovie anywhere is a moderate try

Cons:

• It does not support direct import
• Import trans-coding and pre-processing is time consuming
• It does not give users the option to alter the font or color
• Sometimes videos and audios will mess up
• It can't create MP4 videos that zoom in, nor cut clips as short as 1 second
• It takes up too much storage

Supported Platform: Mac OS X 10.2 or later, iOS

>>Download iMovie

#5. Lightworks

In addition to that, it also has features such as video capture function, board video format support, profession-level color correction and GPU-accelerated real time effects. It supports AVI, MP4, MOV, MPEG and other formats.

Pros:

• Its video quality is high
• There are a good number of video editing effects
• It has customizable screens

Cons:

• It crashes regularly
• It needs a long learning curve

Supported Platform: Windows, Linux and Mac OS

>>Download Lightworks

#6. Avidemux

Avidemux embeds a subtitle tool supporting multiple subtitle formats, MicroDVD (.SUB), (Advanced) Substation Alpha (.ASS) and SubRip (.SRT).

Pros:

• Easy installation
• It has a great selection of filters
• The settings and buttons allow the user to create powerful videos
• When set manually, it can also be used to export MP4 videos to other formats

Cons:

• The interface is outdated
• In some formats it may drop frames
• It can be complicated for new users
• Only one filter can be applied at a time
• Once it's done, you'll need to export the project to a file in order to open it

Supported Platform: Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, BSD

>> Download Avidemux

#7. Blender

It has a clean and fully customizable interface which allows you to change and adapt and redistribute the layout of all UI components and tools. The open source program Blender is more than just a video editor: It's a full-blown 3D animation suite, which allows for modeling, rendering, motion tracking, and more.

Pros:

• Produce truly professional-quality video without having to deal with watermarks
• For the amateur video editor, all the functionality that's available can be a bit overwhelming
• Blender also supports character modeling through Sculpting to create very detailed looking characters

Cons:

• This software is not very user-friendly
• It requires advanced editing skills to render your videos well

Supported Platform: Mac OS X (Mac OS X 10.6+), Windows 10/8/7/Vista, GNU/Linux

>> Download Blender

#8. WAX

Another feature includes availability of use graphics acceleration with video card for creating mind-boggling effects in real-time or near-real time. Plus the unlimited video and audio tracks with top-down compositing and many compositing modes though audio features are quite limited at this time).

Pros:

• It can be used as a plug-in
• Works well with 2D and 3D files.
• Rich video effects and outputs to a number of formats.
• Work as a standalone app which would appeal for home users/beginners, and a "plug-in" to which would be useful for professional editors

Cons:

• Its video editing functions are quite limited
• If working with HD videos, it will seem a bit clunky

Supported Platform: Windows 95/NT/98/Me/2000/XP

>> Download Wax Video Editor

#9. Kdenlive

The multi-track editing with a timeline can be applied to an unlimited number of video/audio tracks. It supports format like DV/HDV, AVCHD, MPEG2, MP4 (MPEG4/H.264), AVI, WMV, FLV etc.

Pros:

• It supports all formats, which are supported by the FFmpeg
• Users can also write it on a DVD using its simple menu

Cons:

• You have to make sure to check the compatibility of your system to avoid any issues.
• Some users have experienced difficulties in using it because of the complexity of its interface. They have to check the manual firstly

Supported Platform: Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD

>> Download Kdenlive

#10. VSDC Free Video Editor

Pros:

• It has different output options
• It provides many useful filters
• It is absolutely free. You can use the program's full feature set without having to deal with pesky watermarks
• It combines multiple source chunks in different formats while keeping the high image quality

Cons:

• Computer resources (CPU and RAM) are required at a high level
• Its interface is not very visceral
• If you want technical support, you need to pay

Supported Platform: Windows 7 or newer

>>Download VSDC Free Video Editor

Part IV: Comparison table of the top 10 Free MP4 Editors

	Dimo Video Converter Ultimate	Windows Movie Maker	VirtualDub	iMovie	Lightworks	Avidemux	Blender	Wax	Kdenlive	VSDC
Supported input formats	AVI, H264, H.265, FLV, MKV, MP4, 3GP, MOV, MPG, MPEG, VOB, RM, RMVB, M2TS, MTS, WMV, ASF	ASF, AVI, DVR-MS, M1V, MP2, MP2V, MPE, MPEG, MPG, MPV2, WM, WMV	AVI	MPEG-4, MOV, AVCHD, MPEG-2, DV and HDV	AVI, MP4, MOV, MPEG	AVI, DVD, MPEG, QuickTime, and MP4	AVI, H.264, MPEG, QuickTime, Xvid	AVI, WAV	DV/HDV, AVCHD, MPEG2, MP4 (MPEG4/H.264), AVI, WMV, FLV	AVI, QuickTime, HD Video/AVCHD, Windows Media,DVD/VOB, VCD/SVCD, MPEG/MPG/DAT, MKV, Real Media Video, Flash Video, DV, H.264/MPEG-4, DivX, XviD
Insert audio file	AAC, AC3, AIF, AIFF, FLAC, OGG, WAV, M4A, MP3, WMA, M4R, etc.	AIF, AIFC, AIFF, ASF, AU, MP2, MP3, MPA, SND, WAV, WMA	WAV	MP3, WAV, M4A, AIFF, AAC	BWF, WAV	AC3, MP2, MP3, WAV, PCM, AAC	WAV, MP3	WAV	AC3, MP2, MP3, WAV	MP3/MP2, WMA, M4A, AAC, FLAC, OGG, RA, RAM, VOC, WAV, AC3, AIFF, MPA, AU, APE, CUE, CDA
Supported output formats	WMV, AVI, MOV, FLV, MKV, MP4, H.265, H.264, ASF, M4V, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MP3, AAC, AC3, M4A, WMA, OGG, etc.	Windows Media Video (WMV) or DV AVI	AVI	DV, AIC, MOV, JPEG, AAC	MPEG4/H.264	AVI, MPEG, OGM, MP4, MKV, FLV, AVI	AVI, MPEG, Quicktime, PNG	AVI, MPEG, WAV, Flash	MP4, MPEG-2, MKV, HDV	MPEG, MP4, M4V, MOV, 3GP/3G2, WMV, MKV, RM/RMVB, FLV, SWF, AMV, MTV
Easy-to-use	√	√	---	√	√	---	---	---	---	---
Basic editing functions like crop, trim, rotate, etc	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Video effects	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Create video to share on YouTube or Facebook	√	√	---	√	---	---	---	---	---	√
Transfer video to Mobile Devices	√	---	---	√	---	---	---	---	---	---
Make ISO from edited video	√	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Design for	Beginners and part of professional users	Beginners and part of professional users	Professional users	Beginners and professional users	Professional users	Beginners and professional users	Professional users	Beginners and professional users	Beginners and professional users	Professional users
Customer Service	Satisfied	Good	Poor	Good	Good	Poor	Good	Poor	Poor	Good (Not free)

From the above comparing table, we can see that the Dimo Video Converter Ultimate out stands other free MP4 video editors in different aspects. <See it supported input/output formats> If you don't have any experience with video editing yet, you can try other software great for amateurs/beginners. Make sure you don't mess with MP4 editors for professional users above like Lightworks, Blender, VSDC, etc.

Part V: How to Edit MP4 Files on Windows (10) and Mac(OS High Sierra)

The following article just introduces the steps to edit MP4 files on Windows (10) and Mac(OS High Sierra) with Dimo Video Converter Ultimate (Mac version) above to meet your editing need. Download and install Dimo MP4 Editor first and then run it.

Step 1. Add MP4 files to the Editor		Step 2. Compile MP4 file		Step 3. Finish editing MP4 files
Click "Add File" button of the MP4 Editor to open MP4 files that you want to edit from your computer. Or you can directly drag the target MP4 file from your local file directory to the program.		The next step is to click "Edit" to trim, crop, add watermark, apply special effect including 3D to your MP4 file with the built-in editor. Or click "Setting" to adjust MP4 parameters such as video size, bitrate, sample rate, volume, channel, etc.		If you prefer to change the original format before saving the video to local computer, just choose a new one that suits your need from the drop-down list. When all settings satisfied, click the big "Start" button of MP4 Editor to finish editing MP4 videos.

Detail functions in the built-in editor:

• In the "Trim" tab, enter the start time in the "Start Time" box and end time in the "End Time" box. And then click "OK" to save the settings if you have completed video trimming;
• In the "Adjust" tab, you can rotate MP4 video or crop it by dragging and dropping the crop frame to desired position. Here, you can also set the output aspect ratio according to your need;
• In the "Watermark" tab, you can add watermark to MP4 file, add "Effect" to add special effects, and create 3D in the "3D" tab.

After you have finished all your required editing, you have multiple choices to save your final result. You can save videos in any format you need, or even directly create playable video for publishing to YouTube and sharing with more friends online. To convert the newly-compiled clip to an ISO file, please click "Maker ISO" to locate source media folder and hit "Start" to begin edited MP4 to ISO making. Besides, with the "Media Server" function, you can share local directory which saves your movie clips to portable devices like iPhone, iPad, PSP, etc. wirelessly.

Conclusion

With such an all-in-one MP4 Editor, optimizing MP4 file on Windows (10) and Mac(OS High Sierra) becomes easier. Get a swift and timely response by email when you are stuck in the middle of something.