As a fellow video creator and editor, you may have wondered if you can really use Filmora‘s powerful editing features for free or if you must pay to access the full suite of tools. I‘ve used Filmora extensively, both the free and paid versions, and want to provide a comprehensive guide to answer this question for you based on my experience. Read on to learn all you need to know about what Filmora‘s free version offers compared to their paid plans.
An Overview of Wondershare Filmora
First, some background. Filmora is a video editing software suite created by Wondershare, a software company known for their range of creative programs and utilities. Filmora is targeted at amateur and novice video creators who want an easy-to-use editing tool to make compelling videos for YouTube, social media, school projects and more.
Filmora‘s intuitive interface and drag-and-drop workflow make editing accessible even if you don‘t have video editing experience. It offers features ranging from basic trimming and merging of clips to advanced effects, color correction, audio mixing and more. The software is available on Mac and Windows so you can seamlessly edit on both desktop and laptop devices.
Now let‘s look at what exactly you can do with Filmora for free versus requiring a paid subscription or license.
What Does the Free Version of Filmora Offer?
When you first download Filmora, you get access to the full editing interface and all the core editing tools without needing to pay anything. Here are the key features available in the free version:
- Import media up to 4K resolution – You can bring in video clips, audio files, images in HD, 4K or lower resolution to use in your project
- Trim, crop, split and merge clips – Filmora allows easy editing of footage like trimming unwanted sections, cropping frames, splitting into multiple clips etc.
- Add transitions – Make your clips seamlessly flow from one to the next by adding dissolves, wipes, fades and other transitions
- Overlay animations and titles – Jazz up your footage with stylish animations and text captions over your video to highlight points
- Audio editing – Separate and adjust audio, apply filters like noise removal, add background music tracks
- Basic color correction – Correct color and white balance issues in your clips with options like saturation, temperature etc.
- Overlay graphics and stickers – Add some life to boring shots with stylish stickers, shapes, emojis, overlays and more
- Royalty-free media library – Get free music tracks, stock videos and photos right within Filmora
As you can see, the free version packs quite a punch when it comes to the editing toolset. For basic editing needs like cutting footage, adding some music and titles, applying transitions etc. the free capabilities are quite robust.
Limitations of the Free Version
However, Wondershare does impose some key limitations with the Filmora free version to encourage users to upgrade to a paid plan:
- Watermark on exports – Your final exported video will have a prominent Filmora watermark branding
- Max 720p export – You can only export in low HD or SD resolution like 720p in the free version
- Limited rendering speeds – Rendering and exporting is slower than paid users
- No access to stock assets – Additional stock media assets require paid subscription
These limitations, especially the watermark and low resolution export, make the free version unsuitable for professional and commercial use cases. The branding and quality issues rule out using free Filmora if you want to sell your video services or work with clients.
What Do the Paid Versions Unlock?
Filmora offers two paid versions to unlock the complete suite of editing tools:
1. Filmora Subscription Plan
This removes all the free limitations for as long as you stay subscribed:
- No watermarks on exports
- Export in up to 4K resolution
- Faster rendering and export
- Access to full stock media library
- Unlimited personal and commercial use
The subscription costs just $7.99 per month which is quite affordable for most creators. If you prefer to pay annually, an annual plan is $39.99 per year.
2. Filmora Lifetime Deal
This gives you perpetual access to Filmora by paying a single one-time fee. Benefits are:
- Full features forever
- No watermarks or resolution limits
- Free lifetime updates to new Filmora versions
- One payment of $79.99
For long-term access, the lifetime deal works out cheaper than paying a subscription every month or year. It‘s the best choice if you see yourself using Filmora extensively in the future.
Should You Just Use the Free Version?
Whether the free version of Filmora is enough for your needs depends on your specific use case and video projects. Here is my advice:
For personal and hobby use – If you just want to edit footage from your phone or camera to share with friends and family, the free Filmora will be sufficient. The watermark isn‘t a big deal for home movies and720p resolution is fine for social media sharing. Stick to the free version for casual home use.
For learning and practice – The free editing capabilities are quite comprehensive and more than enough for beginners looking to learn video editing. You can grasp all the fundamentals and better skills before considering paid options.
For client work or commercial use – The watermark makes the free version unusable for client projects or commercial work like YouTube videos, print materials etc. where branding is important. The resolution is also too low for professional standards. Opt for a paid version.
For serious creators – If video production is a serious pursuit like vlogging, YouTube channel etc. the limitations become roadblocks. Upgrade to paid to unlock the full suite of tools for unrestricted creation.
So in summary, the free version is great for casual personal use and for beginners to start learning. But professional and commercial creators will need to invest in the paid versions.
Key Differences: Free vs Paid Filmora
Here is a quick comparison table summarizing the differences between the free and paid versions of Filmora:
| Feature | Free Version | Paid Version |
|---|---|---|
| Watermark on exports | Yes | No watermarks |
| Maximum export resolution | 720p | Up to 4K |
| Access to stock media | Limited | Full library access |
| Rendering and export speeds | Slow | Very fast |
| Commercial use allowed | No | Yes |
| Price | Free | $7.99/month or $79.99 Lifetime |
Expert Tips to Use Filmora Free Effectively
While the free version has its limitations, with some clever workarounds, you can stretch its capabilities further:
For critical footage, first edit and export clips without watermark using free Filmora. Then combine the clips into your full video in software like Shotcut.
Export in 720p initially from Filmora, then use video enhancer tools like Topaz Video Enhance AI to upscale footage to 1080p or 4K.
Add your own custom watermark or logo over Filmora‘s watermark before exporting to make it less intrusive.
For Youtube, export in 720p from Filmora first, then upload the video and let YouTube enhancer improve it. The watermark gets hidden.
Before paying for Filmora, see if any special deals or discounts are available during seasonal sales on sites like AppSumo.
Students can get Filmora for cheaper. Research student pricing and use Unidays or StudentBeans for verified discounts.
So with some smart workarounds, you can stretch the capabilities of even the free version. But ultimately, to unlock the full potential, I‘d recommend upgrading to a paid version based on your needs.
Final Verdict – Is Filmora Really Free?
At the end of the day, while Filmora does offer their software initially for free, the limitations mean the free version provides more of a trial rather than a completely free experience. Serious creators making professional or commercial content will quite quickly find the free restrictions are too limiting for their needs.
The free editing capabilities are certainly generous enough to get started and cover basic projects. But the watermarks and resolution constraints mean you need to pay up eventually if you want to produce high quality, client-ready video content with Filmora. So the pricing is quite fair – you can try out Filmora at no cost but need to invest in a subscription or lifetime deal to get the full experience.
I hope this detailed guide has provided lots of helpful insights to help make the right choice between free and paid versions depending on your specific needs. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help a fellow creator out.
