Clipchamp, Microsoft's proprietary video editing software, is a browser-based tool that makes it very easy to cut clips together. It's particularly effective as a content marketing tool if you're creating social media assets, with a vast library of templates for almost every platform. But it's also a good place to start if you're looking for a video editor for beginners.
The platform, which is also available as a Windows desktop app, offers free video editing software without a watermark, but how does it stack up against a crowded field?
Clipchamp: prices and packages
- Free video editor without watermark
Clipchamp is free for personal use, and without many of the usual restrictions you'll find in many free video editors. Your videos are not watermarked and you can download unlimited 1080p exports. It also offers access to image, video, and audio libraries, as well as free filters and effects.
However, monthly and yearly subscriptions are also available. These open up Clipchamp a bit more with a focus on commercial use. This allows you to expand the range of the stock asset library, add premium filters and effects, content support, and brand kits (so designs accurately reflect your brand guidelines). Price-wise, it's on par with other subscription video editors.
Clipchamp: interface and experience
- Simple interface, easy to navigate
Getting around couldn't be easier: everything is perfectly laid out, exactly where it should be. Even on your first swing, you can navigate menus, start a project, choose a model.
The models are Clipchamp's Excalibur. They streamline movie making for whatever platform you publish to – replace the pre-made assets with your own content and you're more or less ready to go. No longer will you have to worry about correct aspect ratios for TikTok, YouTube, Insta... Sighs of relief roared through marketing offices around the world.
Or, if you're feeling brave, you can create a video from scratch.
Either way, you'll land in the main editing center. UI-wise, it's from the Canva school of design, though it's much more powerful than Canva Video. However, the layout is similar, with tools aligned to the left side of the screen, making it easy to navigate. The viewer is seated in the center of the screen, the timeline below. They are not revolutionary things. But it's not really meant to be. This is to take the friction out of video editing for those who don't create content very often and those who absolutely throw it away.
Uploading your media to Clipchamp is just as easy. There's support for a handful of cloud storage providers, but only the biggest ones: OneDrive (of course), Google Drive, Dropbox, and Google Photos.
There's no mobile web browser version or video-editing app, though we expect one in the future. However, there is a good way to download from your phone using the tool's QR code generator. Scan with your phone, select your media, resume on computer.
With the videos in place, it doesn't take long, you click More to load them on the timeline.
- Interface and experience: 5/5
Clipchamp: recording
- Basic screen recording included - a nice touch
You have four recording options in Clipchamp: camera, screen, camera and screen, and text to speech. These work exactly as expected: give the app access to your microphone and webcam, select the window, tab, or desktop to record, hit Share. Not bad if you need a free and hassle-free screen recorder that is useful for recording room-to-camera videos and webinars.
Integrated text-to-speech software is slightly different. It's like a storytelling robot. Enter content in the text field, choose a language and voice to match your video, then change the pitch and speed to create something that passes for human speech. The variety across the board here is excellent. We found that some voices sounded much more natural than others, closer to "realistic" smart speaker voices than the usual forced bots found in Microsoft apps. Save the audio clip and you can drag it onto your timeline like any other media.
Clipchamp: Video editing
- Standard non-linear video editing with no real surprises
If you've ever used a video editor, this will be familiar territory. With videos loaded in the timeline, trim clips by dragging the handles left or right. To ensure precise cuts, the guides snap into place when one clip aligns with another. Mostly, but not always. It seems important to know what order and what track contains your images. Because yes, unlike some free video editing software, Clipchamp supports multitrack editing. Gaps between clips can be removed by clicking the trash can icon, and you'll be notified if any remain when you go to export.
The main editing tools are above the timeline. These are Split, Delete, and Duplicate. You can also redo and undo here, while a few more options can be found in the context menu. These are variations on the same theme, although the option to separate the audio from the video is very useful. To cut a longer video into more manageable parts, drag the marker to the correct position (using the arrow keys allows you to refine the selection). Click Split, which is the scissors icon.
Everything is very easy to use and the controls are not overwhelming. A breeze, especially with the supported keyboard shortcuts. But it lacks the kind of granular control that Adobe Premiere Pro and Da Vinci Resolve offer.
Clipchamp: Titles
- Selection of title card templates
Above your first video track is the "Add Text" option. Back then, that meant typing in a text box on the video and changing the font. It's a bit more advanced these days.
With titles at Clipchamp, you choose from a decent range of template-based titles. However, not as much as we would like. Just like with videos, click More to add to the timeline. Changing them also follows the same process, grabbing the handles at either end to lengthen or shorten the running time of the title.
To edit the actual text, double-click the text style. This opens a new panel to write your own copy and change the font. Please note that custom fonts are only available through the Brand Kit, available to subscribers.
Clipchamp: tools and transitions
- Lots of tools, but only traditional transitions
We knew that Clipchamp was not designed for professional video editors. That means the toolset is, frankly, much lighter than what you'll find in Apple Final Cut Pro and the like. And if you're looking for the kind of tool with built-in VFX software, you'll have better luck elsewhere. But it is not completely sterile. There's certainly enough here for most general users.
First, a great addition: make videos more accessible with automatic captions or add your own by hand. There's decent control here, with an excellent language library, including 15 global variants of English and an optional profanity filter. Processing is fast, and once generated, you can view the transcript in the side panel. Selecting a word takes you to that point in the video; a double click allows you to edit it. Subtitles can be downloaded as SRT files.
The video editor houses what could be described as a good selection of transitions. Sweeps and fades, mostly the kind you've seen many times before. Many of them feel a bit Star Wars-esque, as they tend to be in free (and not-so-free, to be fair) video editors. Some are stuck behind the subscription update and are a bit more promising. To set a transition, simply drag it between two clips.
- Tools and transitions: 4/5
Clipchamp: Stock Libraries
- Well-stocked libraries of images, videos, graphics and audio
There are a variety of resource libraries available to Clipchamp users: stock images, stock videos, graphics and illustrations, and SFX and music samples. It's pretty standard stuff, but it's a nice touch for those who will need it during mass video production, or for those who just want to add a touch of professionalism to their movies.
Like Canva, many of these stock assets are paid; you can see them with the gold diamond icon. However, with the exception of vector graphics and illustrations, the stock libraries aren't as generous as Canva. There isn't even a way to preview your video's premium assets before committing to the purchase.
However, incorporating them into your movie is quite easy. Choose what you want, and in the popup window, save it to your media for later or add it directly to the timeline. After that, you will need to close this window; it doesn't close automatically after adding your media. Since a duplicate action already exists, this seems unnecessary and inefficient. One small complaint.
Clipchamp: export a video
- Export to MP4 only, create GIF
All videos edited in Clipchamp are exported in MP4 format. You have four resolutions when you select Export: 480p (for drafts), 720p suitable for social media, and 1080p for the best quality. If your video is shorter than 15 seconds, you can also export it to GIF format.
During the export, the video plays, so you can start evaluating what works (and what doesn't). To get more information during the process, there is a mini tracker: a floating window that allows you to monitor the progress while doing other tasks.
Exports are pretty fast, and you certainly don't need the best video editing computers or laptops to get professional-looking results. Clipchamp is an excellent low-spec video editor for PC. But in terms of format options, the video export is somewhat lacking.