10 best apps to edit Instagram videos like a boss

Instagram allows you to edit videos in-app, but is there a better way? Here are the ten best Instagram video editing apps, including free products, freemium, and paid-for. Let’s get stuck in.

How to edit videos for Instagram for free

Instagram is free. Naturally, it’d be convenient if you could edit Instagram videos for free, too. While several (excellent) paid-for services are available, you can create striking, high-quality edits on software and apps without paying a cent.

Apple iMovie

If you use Apple devices, then iMovie is something of an old reliable. It’s super easy to use, compatible across multiple devices, and packs a bunch of effects – if you want a hassle-free editing experience before uploading your video to Instagram, iMovie’s hard to beat. Here’s the info.

• Compatible with: Apple iPad, Mac, and iPhone.
• Costs: Nothing!
• Includes: Built-in video recording, 4K video support, preset filters, green screen effect.
• Doesn’t: Cater to non-Apple users, nor offer high-tech editing options like multicam, 360° video, and motion tracking.

Shotcut

iMovie was user-friendly and soft… now get ready for some hardcore, steep learning curves. Shotcut is an open-source desktop app built by a community for a community, which comes with several positives and pitfalls.

• Compatible with: Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• Costs: $0.00 – nice! 
• Includes: Chroma key, audio editing, pitch compression for any videos where you’ve altered the speed, multiple blending modes. 
• Doesn’t: Connect to the cloud, or offer anything easily to beginners – if you’re looking to edit videos for Instagram with no prior experience, perhaps don’t go for Shotcut straight away.

Filmr

No, that's not a typo. Filmr is a tidy, efficient Instagram video editor for iOS and Android– it’s easy for beginners, has enough effects and technical wizardry for seasoned content creators, and it even lets you remove the watermark in the free version. Not too shabby.

• Compatible with: iOS and Android. 
• Costs: Nothing for the basic version, or $4.99 a week/$39.99 per year with the paid-for plan.
• Includes: Vertical editing timeline that looks great on mobile, removable watermark, option to upload directly to Instagram, option to film directly in-app. 
• Doesn’t: Give you access to the full suite of features in the free version, nor allow you to choose video resolution before saving.

DaVinci Resolve

Hold up – isn’t DaVinci Resolve used for blockbuster films? Yep, and the Emmy™ Award-winning desktop program can be used for free.

• Compatible with: Mac, Linux, and Windows.
• Costs: Nothing for the free version, or $295 to keep the advanced, definitive DaVinci Resolve Studio for life.
• Includes: Advanced color corrector, audio editing tools, multi-user collaboration, option to crop videos to Instagram’s specifications.
• Doesn’t: Give you an easy ride. This is advanced tech – it’s used in Hollywood movies, and is decked out to support that level of content creation.

Instagram app

Even though there are countless third-party apps and software, sometimes you just need to go back to basics.

• Compatible with: iOS, Android.
• Costs: Zero.
• Includes: Speed adjustment, timers, filters, and the ability to record on your smartphone directly for Reels and Stories. Also allows you to create cool video-adjacent content, like Boomerangs.
• Doesn’t: Let you do as many cool, versatile tricks as third-party software. If your footage doesn’t jump around too much and doesn’t feature too many crazy effects and transitions, editing in-app on Instagram could do the trick.

How to edit videos for Instagram with music

Editing videos in-app or outside Instagram’s walls can raise a lot of questions when it comes to music. Plenty of video editor apps and software have music catalogs, or let you use your own local music files in your content.

Most of the time, the music on offer isn’t what you’re looking for. And, if you’re not happy with that and use your favorite track instead, you can be slapped with a multitude of punishments if you don’t have the correct license.

So leave all that out. Let us handle it. Check out our catalog of 50,000 tracks and 200,000 unique sound effects and variations below, and stop sweating the small stuff.

What is the best video editing app for Instagram?

Besides the free options, there are plenty of Instagram video editing apps out there for those with deep pockets. Well, your pockets don't have to be that deep – some of these cost the same as a coffee.

Quik

You can get Quiky with it on a whole host of devices. The mobile app is developed by the peeps behind GoPro, and is optimized to work with that technology. However, you can just use it with your smartphone, if you’d prefer.

• Compatible with: Android and iOS.
• Costs: Nothing for the first week, then $1.99 per month or $9.99 a year.
• Includes: Unlimited Cloud storage, automatic highlight video creation, auto-sync music options, option to control your GoPro via Quik.
• Doesn’t: Let you edit 4K files easily – it often compresses them to 1080p.

VideoShow

VideoShow is another popular Instagram video editing app, not least for its funky background eraser tool.

• Compatible with: Windows, iOS, and Android.
• Costs: Nothing for the first three days, then either $4.99 per month or $19.99 every year. 
• Includes: Intuitive ‘background eraser’ tool, ability to draw over your videos to create ‘graffiti,’ collage features, preset templates.
• Doesn’t: Export at 4K, and may not always run smoothly – when updates occur, users sometimes report buggy experiences. 

How to edit videos in Instagram Reels

When you drill down to editing specific Instagram video formats, Reels has one clear winner: Splice.

Splice

If you want a cheap Instagram Reels editor, the aptly named Splice is more than serviceable. This nifty mobile app gives you the fundamental tools to chop up content for Instagram videos, its lower focus on effects making it best-suited for Reels.

The run-down on all things Splice, and what it can offer when it comes to Instagram video edits, is below.

• Compatible with: iOS – it’s only available for iPhone or iPad users.
• Costs: Zero dollars for the first 14 days, then $2.99 per week.
• Includes: Auto-generated captions, direct shareability to Instagram, opportunity to connect to iTunes library, preset aspect ratio for Instagram post, Story, and Reels editing.
• Doesn’t: Offer video captions in languages other than English.

What do pros use to edit Instagram videos?

Here we go. The big dogs. These final two programs aren’t available on mobile and have steep learning curves, but if you want to edit videos like a pro and export them to Instagram later, here’s what to use.

Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro is a favorite among everyone, from amateur content creators to movie editing teams. The reason? It kind of rocks.

• Compatible with: Mac and Windows.
• Costs: Annual plan of $20.99 per month, with a seven-day free trial. 
• Includes: Speech to text caption generator, automatic color match, basically unlimited effects, auto reframe tool.
• Doesn’t: Operate via Cloud, or offer newbies any hands to hold. You need a heap of knowledge to edit Instagram videos on Adobe Premiere Pro, so really think about it before signing up. It’s a commitment!

Lightworks

There is a free version of Lightworks, but to get the most out of it, you’re better off going paid-for. This software was literally used to edit a Martin Scorsese movie, so it gets a pass from us.

• Compatible with: Mac, Linux, and Windows.
• Costs: $23.99 for the Pro version, or $9.99 per month for the personal ‘Create’ option. 
• Includes: Cloud compatibility, hyper-detailed audio editing tools, advanced keyframe tools, timeline rendering, advanced project sharing options.
• Doesn’t: Offer tutorials, nor does the free version allow high-resolution exports – you have to pay for 4K.

If you want to edit videos for Instagram, you’ve just read about ten apps and software that will get the job done. And there are more. Hundreds more. These are great starting points for every skill level, but ultimately, you need to pick the program that’s right for you.

The same thing applies to music. Don't let the wrong song derail your content – why should licensing agreements and scary legal language stop you from nailing your content's soundtrack? Your Instagram videos deserve the perfect song. Epidemic Sound’s got you covered.

Our catalog is high-quality, affordable, and safe. An Epidemic Sound subscription goes beyond royalty-free music, removing the headache of licensing and freeing you up to do what you do best. You can enjoy the safety of our license hand-in-hand with our massive catalog of 50,000 tracks, covering just about every genre you can think of. You’ll also gain unlimited access to our advanced search functions — finding the right sound’s never been easier. 

It’s better than royalty-free. It’s worry-free. Get started with Epidemic Sound below.

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