The best TikTok video editing apps

TikTok is here to stay. With more than a billion users each month, the social media platform has seen its share of both praise and controversy. There’s no denying its impact on technology along with nearly every other aspect of modern culture, from new music to national politics. 

➡️ Check out our guide to TikTok Marketing for small businesses!

Before you start creating content for this platform, it’s essential to choose a TikTok video editor that best meets your needs. VistaCreate offers powerful video editing capabilities perfect for social media. 

In this comprehensive guide, learn more about using VistaCreate to edit your TikTok videos plus basic info about other editing apps.

What to look for in a TikTok video editor

TikTok offers a rich content-sharing platform and eager audiences looking for that content. Growing your audience on this heavily visual medium calls for engaging videos, and that means selecting a robust video editor for TikTok that easily lets you create your content.

The best editing apps for TikTok have certain defining qualities:

• User-friendly interface
• Intuitive features
• Flexible creation capability
• Supporting multiple formats
• Accessible when you need it

How to edit clips on TikTok

TikTok offers the flexibility of editing videos directly on the app or uploading content you’ve already created. Its native video editor offers options such as trimming clips, inserting captions, adding sounds, and pairing still photos with music. 

That being said, it does have its limitations.

While you can save your videos as drafts, you can only access them from within the TikTok platform. You also can’t save those videos to your local device, nor does the app have an autosave feature. If your device powers off or you lose your internet connection in the middle of editing your clip, you’re out of luck.

That’s why the best way to edit TikTok videos is through third-party apps.

You can gain key benefits such as local file storage and autosaving, plus more tools to unleash your creativity. You can also save your finished videos in multiple formats. 

For instance, VistaCreate lets you download clips as either MP4 or animated GIF files — handy if you also post regularly in places like Tumblr, Imgur, or Pinterest. TikTok currently supports both .MP4 and .MOV file formats. 

How to use a TikTok video editor

When you’re creating clips through a free third-party TikTok editing app, you’ll notice several kinds of editing tools. Many of these originated from non-linear video editing software, which began taking off in the 1980s with platforms like LucasFilm’s EditDroid. 

Later software such as Media 100, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Premiere integrated these tools and expanded on them with more advanced capabilities.

The features you use in free edit for TikTok apps are direct descendents from these innovations.

What is a timeline?

Any video editing software or TikTok editing app lets you import clips in digital format. Once you’ve done this, the app can present your clip as in timeline format. A timeline is the workspace area in which you can add video, audio, captions, transitions and effects to your project. 

Software packages like Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro include multiple tracks in their timeline spaces. An online TikTok video editor does the same thing, except it uses a more simplified interface. 

You can drag either the left or right edge of a video clip to trim it, for instance, just as you would in full-version editing software. You can also duplicate clips within the timeline or add new media before or after your current clip.

How do I insert captions?

Adding text is one of the easiest features to use in a TikTok effects app. This is most often done with text boxes, similar to office productivity software or desktop publishing apps like Microsoft Word or Adobe InDesign. 

You can add a text box, type in your desired text, and change visual details such as font style, color, and size. Some TikTok editing apps include pre-designed templates that already include text boxes, so you don’t even need to add them yourself unless your video calls for it.

Can I add effects and objects?

Most TikTok video editor apps come with other goodies you can drop into your project to make it shine. Objects such as icons and stickers can up the “wow” factor or call attention to a visual detail in your video. 

Some of these objects may be animated for a little extra flair. You can also add colored or patterned backgrounds to further polish to your TikTok videos.

What is the best video editor for TikTok?

Now that you know what to look for in a TikTok editing app, it’s time to explore what’s out there. Take a look at some top picks. 

VistaCreate 

Learning how to edit TikTok videos is simple with VistaCreate. All you need to get is choose a template, customize your video, and download the finished product.

➡️ Everything you can do with the free version of VistaCreate
➡️ Why upgrade to VistaCreate Pro? All the features of a paid VistaCreate account

You can use the professional-quality videos included with each template or upload clips from your device. There’s even a Creative Assets library packed with royalty-free videos, photos, and vector images ready to drop into your projects or save for later use. 

VistaCreate offers an extensive suite of tools for video creation.

Beginning, intermediate, and experienced content creators can use it to make amazing professional-looking videos.

Its workspace includes a timeline plus the ability to add music, backgrounds, objects, text, and animations, plus your unique audio and video files saved to your local device.

The platform includes thousands of gorgeous templates in a wide range of styles, giving you the capability of creating virtually any kind of TikTok video you desire. 

➡️ Learn how to edit TikTok videos in VistaCreate in our step-by-step guide to using the VistaCreate video editor!

Besides being an awesome TikTok editing app, VistaCreate has TikTok photo edit capabilities. The online graphic design platform also lets you create Instagram Stories, Twitch profile banners, Pinterest graphics, YouTube channel art, and more, plus photo albums, calendars, and marketing materials for both digital and print media.

Viamaker

Created by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, Viamaker is a free TikTok video editing app with a range of creation tools. The app lets you add visual effects, music, sound, and text, plus you can edit your original video clip by trimming, splitting, cutting and reversing. 

The app also includes filters and allows you to create and save in several aspect ratios. Once you’re done editing, you can export your video and upload it to TikTok or other platforms of your choice. 

Beecut

Beecut is another free video editing app designed for beginner-level users. The app has a simple-to-user interface and includes features such as filters, cropping, rotating, transitions, and picture-in-picture effects. 

Users can also cut videos by frame as well as trim the beginnings and ends of video clips. It lets you create and save videos in square, widescreen, portrait, and standard 4:3 aspect ratios. 

Zoomerang

You’ve heard of Boomerang. Now, get ready for Zoomerang. This video editing app is also designed for beginner-level users with a simple interface and in-app tutorials. Zoomerang includes features such as effects, filters, and music. 

The app has both a free version with ads and a pro version with no ads, more effects, and additional features. 

VEED

Known as one of the simplest tools for video editing, VEED is perfect for beginners and professionals alike. You don’t need any training or experience with video editing if you choose this tool. You can create impactful videos by adding images and stickers, inserting titles, credits, and video effects, and generating captions that are essential for TikTok users.

This video editing tool has also made it easier to download Tiktok videos for everyone. VEED is an excellent choice for those who want to improve their social media engagement.

Quik

Available for both iOS and Android, Quik is a no-cost video creation and editing tool designed for beginner, intermediate, and expert users. It comes with 23 pre-set video styles plus the ability to customize your clips with emojis, texts, frames, and other features. 

You can also add text and audio to your clips plus adjust playback speeds faster or slower than your original footage. Quik offers multilanguage support and sharing on multiple platforms. The app is free, but you have the option to purchase more features at $2.99 each. 

InShot

Available for free, InShot is a video creator and editor with popular standard features such as clip trimming, music and sound effects, visual effects, and background blurring. Besides importing your own video clips, you also also upload custom music to use with your footage.

The major downside to InShot is the watermark it inserts on videos created in its free version. To remove the watermark, you’ll have to upgrade. Other TikTok video editor apps like VistaCreate do not place watermarks in your final projects. 

Funimate

Funimate is a video editing app that supports visual effects, transitions, and other features like cutting, merging, trimming and looping clips. Users also get access to music, emoji, stickers, and text tools to include in their video clips. 

Videos can be shared to TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Funimate has a free version that inserts a watermark in finished videos. To remove the watermark, you’ll have to upgrade to the pro version.   

Lomotif

Lomotif is a solid choice for those who primarily just want to add music to their TikTok videos. The mobile app has an extensive library of tunes in genres ranging from classic rock to contemporary hits. 

It also offers TikTok filters online plus the ability to add titles, emojis, and hyperlapse effects to video clips. Lomotif offers a free version, but you’ll have to pay $4.99 to remove its watermark from your videos. 

Magisto

Magisto is a free video creation and editing app from Vimeo, the popular video sharing alternative to YouTube. Magisto lets you record videos and choose an editing style. Its built-in AI then creates your finished video for you. 

Other core features include a music library, effects, titles, and the option to upload content from your local device storage. It also includes templates as well as access to stock video clips and photos. Magisto’s basic app is free, but you can access more features with a paid subscription.

Vizmato

Vizmato’s video editing app includes the ability to trim and add clips, plus it lets you edit multiple clips and combine them into a single video. Other features include voice effects, filters, themes, background music, text, and visual effects. 

Users can also customize their own themes and use the app’s built-in lip-synching tools. Vizmato includes an HD video recorder that permits you to add live visual effects and play music while recording. Vizmato has a free version, with the pro edition available for $11.99 per year. 

Timbre

Designed for both iOS and Android, Timbre is a basic video editing app that permits users to cut, merge, trim, compress, and combine existing video clips. Within the app, you can adjust video and audio playback speeds plus convert your finished video to multiple formats.Timbre is free, but you can purchase additional features.

Videoshop

Available on multiple platforms, Videoshop is a mobile editing app in which you can add music, text, and sound to your videos. Videoshop also lets you add filters or transitions and change playback speed as well as cut and merge clips. 

Besides TikTok, you can share your finished videos on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube. The app itself is free, with optional in-app purchases for more features. 

VideoShow

VideoShow is a video editing and creation tool for Android and iOS devices. This feature-packed app includes a large collection of themes, fonts, filters, and background music options plus the ability to cut, split, and trim video clips. 

Its integrated voice changer comes with an audio speed adjuster to help you achieve the sound you’re looking for. VideoShow is free, with a pro version available for $19.99. 

Uploading clips to TikTok

Once you’ve created and downloaded your video in your TikTok editing software, you can then upload it. Selecting your video for upload is easy and only takes a minute or two to complete. You’ll just need to follow a few simple steps on the mobile app:

1. Tap the “Upload” button on the right side of the camera button.
2. Choose your video from your device’s photo and video gallery.
3. Tap the “Next” button. 
4. The following screen shows your completed video. You can make changes such as playback speed, inserting captions, or adding sounds. When satisfied with your clip, tap the “Next” button.
5. On the final screen, enter a short description plus any hashtags or links you’d like to include. 
6. Click the “Post” button. 

Uploading TikTok videos from a PC

A TikTok video editor like VistaCreate provides the flexibility to create on both PCs and mobile devices, giving you the power to create virtually anywhere and everywhere. To upload videos you’ve made on a desktop or laptop computer, you’ll follow similar steps. 

After logging into TikTok from your web browser, select the cloud-shaped “Upload video” button on the top-right of the screen. Select your video from your device or drag and drop it onto the upload screen. Add any hashtags or links you like, then click the “Post” button. It’s that simple.

How long does it take for TikTok videos to post?

Upload times can vary, depending on factors such as your file size and internet connection speed. Typically, videos post within minutes or less than an hour. 

Sometimes, TikTok video processing can have users scratching their heads in confusion. If a video is stuck in “processing mode,” it can take anywhere from two hours to two days to complete. In some cases, one video may take up to seven days to post. 

While this seems unusual given the advanced technologies that power social media, there is a logical explanation for why this may happen. Sometimes, system problems are to blame. 

In other cases, TikTok may delay posting a video: The processing error may be accompanied by a message that the video is under review. TikTok sometimes does this to ensure that videos do not violate its community guidelines. 

Choosing your TikTok video editor

Whether you’re looking for transition apps or a full editing suite, you ultimately want a TikTok video editor that supports you in creating impactful content. You have many options to choose from, as you’ve seen in this guide. 

With its user-friendly tools and rich features, VistaCreate is definitely one of the best apps to make TikTok videos. Its streamlined interface is perfect for beginners and lets advanced creators make videos quickly and easily. As a bonus, it also includes TikTok picture edit features that let you turn still photos into eye-catching videos that capture your audience’s attention.

Get started and…

Oh, and don’t forget to check out our top tips for using TikTok for business and secrets to growing your followers on TikTok!