HitFilm Express 16 review

Our Verdict

HitFilm Express 16 is a powerful and versatile editing programme that volition entreatment to newcomers as well as more than advanced users.

For

• Completely gratis
• Excellent feature gear up and tutorials
• Expert operation
• Cross-platform (Mac, Windows)

Against

• Minimum arrangement requirements may be a barrier
• Big file (1.07 GB when installed)
• No Linux support
• May take slight learning curve for newcomers

Tom'south Guide Verdict

HitFilm Express 16 is a powerful and versatile editing programme that will appeal to newcomers as well equally more advanced users.

Pros

• +

  Completely free

• +

  Fantabulous feature set and tutorials

• +

  Good functioning

• +

  Cross-platform (Mac, Windows)

Cons

• -

  Minimum organization requirements may be a barrier

• -

  Large file (i.07 GB when installed)

• -

  No Linux support

• -

  May accept slight learning curve for newcomers

HitFilm Express is a costless, multi-track video editor with plenty of features to continue apprentice and enthusiast videographers (and some pros) happy.

Now in version 16, HitFilm Express has been updated with several new features and improvements such as the power to tape voiceovers and back up for decoding H.265 files. Equally expected, information technology's not every bit full-featured every bit the best video editing software packages overall, but HitFilm Express is the best complimentary video editing software among the many such programs bachelor.

Nosotros've spent hours putting it through its paces to bring you this HitFilm Limited 16 review. Read on to find out what we like and don't like about it.

• Best free video editing software

Hitfilm Limited xvi review: Plans and pricing

HitFilm Express 16 specs

Apple tree: macOS 11.0 Large Sur, macOS x.15 Catalina or macOS 10.14 Mojave

Windows: Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit), Microsoft Windows 8 (64-chip)

Internet connection: Required for online activation

Retention: 4GB RAM (8GB recommended)

CPU: quaternary Generation Intel® Core™ Processors or AMD equivalent.

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 600 (Kepler) series (2012); AMD Radeon R5 240 (2013); Intel Hd Graphics 5000 (GT3) (2013) or meliorate

Video memory: 1GB minimum (2GB or more than required for 4K UHD)

HitFilm Express 16 is 100% free to use in its basic form. Simply download it, validate your free license, and start editing.

However FXhome, the UK-based developers of HitFilm, also offer a paid selection likewise as separate add together-ons. You can either purchase the pro version — HitFilm Pro — for $349 (with 12 months of complimentary updates) or pick and choose features to customize HitFilm Express to your needs.

In the finish, the latter will cost you lot more if y'all purchase all of the more than xxx addition packs. But if, say, you just want or need some VFX (visual effects) for a particular project, you lot can pick upward one or more bundles starting at $10.

(Image credit: FXhome)

When downloading the program, there'due south a slider bar to make a donation just you tin can motion it to zippo and become the software for gratis. If y'all exercise make a donation, however, you'll get sure add-on packs. While you lot can purchase add-on packs at any time, y'all'll relieve money by going the donation road at the beginning.

Above you'll see just a small sample of what you can go with a donation. As yous move the donation slider to the right, yous'll see additional packs that are available.

Hitfilm Express 16 review: Interface

Once y'all've downloaded and activated the programme, y'all'll run into an opening folio with links to a manual besides equally tutorials and sample videos created with the software.

The transmission tin can be accessed directly from within the program, simply although the user guide is thorough and searchable, it's probably easier to start with one of the many fantabulous tutorials — at to the lowest degree until y'all get familiar with where all the tools are located. There's also an active and useful HitFilm customs to explore. Depending on how yous learn best (and on your editing experience), yous can jump right in, await through the transmission or sentry 1 of the tutorials.

The UI should be familiar to anyone who has worked with standard non-linear video editing programs. A clean layout includes trimmer and viewing windows likewise equally a media bin that holds your video avails for piece of cake admission. Side by side to the Media tab, y'all'll likewise find menus for Effects, Controls (for tweaking a selected event), a History list of all the edits you've done and a Text tab. You can "float" these panels or close one or more than to customize your workspace. You'll as well find other tools scattered across the UI. Groundwork colour tin can also be customized along a sliding scale from white to black.

The awarding's video and audio timelines are pretty standard and there are comprehensive drop-downward menus for specific features and functions such as effects, transitions, exporting and more. HitFilm Limited more often than not provides elevate-and-drop ease of utilise.

Driblet-downwards menus and the toolbar are, for the most part, self-explanatory and logically arranged; just mouse over a tool to reveal the tool's name and keyboard shortcut. Unless you're a total novice to video editing, it shouldn't accept long to find your way around the program's bones features. Some sections are so densely populated with options, though, that it's a little challenging to work your way through the details in the drib-down menus.

Hitfilm Limited 16 review: Features

If yous're just getting started or simply need the blank minimum to create your projection, HitFilm Express is equipped with the basic tools needed to import, trim and combine video and audio clips. In addition to multiple runway back up, users can easily use transitions and add text. The latter offers a full complement of fonts, sizes and other variables to create interesting titles. Merely there's much more to the program than its core features, leaving enough of room for yous to grow your skills or to fully utilize the editing skills you've already honed.

Since HitFilm Limited is a slimmed-down version of HitFilm Pro, yous'll find many features that go beyond the basics, particularly in the Effects panel. Practical tools such as those for color grading, exposure and sound adjustments are plentiful in this panel. Artistic options abound equally well, including various picture looks, low-cal flares, gradients/fills and particles, to name only a few. Within many of these categories, in that location's a red "Buy" icon if you want or need private Pro version options. Sure, it's a great marketing tool for FXhome and, bluntly, is very tempting for impulse buyers like me. Only it's also helpful if/when the hundreds of bachelor furnishings and variations don't quite come across your needs and you want to take things up a notch.

(Epitome credit: Theano Nikitas/Tom's Guide)

What is fifty-fifty more than impressive is that a costless video editing software like HitFilm Express offers so many advanced features such as layers, compositing, keyframing, animation, motion tracking and 3D support.

With the release of version sixteen, HitFilm Limited has gained additional features. Maybe the most notable and long-requested addition to HitFilm Express 16 is a voice recorder. As the name implies, this feature allows yous to record your vocalization directly to an audio timeline. Just become to File>Record>Voiceover, arrange settings (if needed) and click the scarlet microphone icon to commencement/stop. This is a welcome addition for most users but is especially of import for vloggers, YouTubers, game creators and documentary filmmakers, amidst others.

(Paradigm credit: Theano Nikitas/Tom'due south Guide)

The new version now supports the H.265 codec (also known every bit HEVC — High Efficiency Video Coding) for better and more efficient compression. This ways that H.265 video, which is used by some smartphones, drones and cameras, can now be dropped onto the timeline and used without you having to transcode the file.

Some of the other updates aren't necessarily listen-boggling but, rather, add together another layer of convenience to some tasks. For case, in one case you lot finish a video (or are airtight to completion), you can apply a driblet-down menu in the Media bin to remove all unused avails. And video and audio timelines can be locked in sync.

At that place are multiple ways to export projects, sections of a video and private clips only I have all the same to figure out which one is more efficient. Simply all methods offer the same (or similar) options including a list of presets. The latter offers standard output settings for Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, 1080p HD, to name a few. And each preset lists the format, resolution, frame rate and compression settings. You lot can create and save your ain consign preset, which is especially helpful if you lot have specific requirements for the cease use. You can also conveniently queue up multiple projects for consign.

(Image credit: Theano Nikitas/Tom'due south Guide)

Hitfilm Express 16: Performance

I tested the software on a 2019 MacBook Pro running Catalina 10.15.vii with 64GB RAM, a two.3 GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 processor and an AMD Radeon Pro 5500M graphics carte du jour. HitFilm Express ran well on my laptop with no glitches. Video and audio clips played smoothly with no hesitation or stutter. Drib-downwardly menus and other navigation was responsive, and effects previewed quickly after dragging and dropping them on the timeline.

Of course, we have to caution that your experience may differ depending on your system specifications and the size of your files. If you're loading multiple, very large files, using blitheness, importing and working with 3D objects, you may well demand a more powerful set-up than I've used.

HitFilm Express 16 review: Verdict

HitFilm Express is the best costless video editing software package available. A solid set of core features is complemented by an interesting — and useful — array of sophisticated options, guaranteeing that both newcomers to video editing as well every bit more experienced users accept the tools they need for a wide variety of projects.

The density and variety of features tin can be overwhelming at outset, and so you lot may need a little aid from tutorials and the user guide to notice everything this program has to offer. Simply, in the finish, the user interface is fairly intuitive and like shooting fish in a barrel to navigate. Most users should be able to turn out a simple project shortly after launching the program and advanced users may find that HitFilm Express' features lonely provide creative inspiration.

Over the years, I've tested many software programs and only a scattering notice a permanent dwelling on my hard drive. HitFilm Express is one of them thanks to its great feature fix and overall ease of utilize. Of course, the fact that information technology's gratuitous is a real bonus.

Theano Nikitas is a freelance journalist and photographer. She'southward been writing nigh photography for more than 20 years, contributing countless reviews of cameras, lenses, accessories and software packages to Tom'south Guide. Her work has also appeared in dozens of other magazines and websites, including CNET, DPreview, PopPhoto, Professional Photographer and Shutterbug.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/hitfilm-express-16

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