Instagram is an extremely popular social media platform, and videos have long surpassed images as the preferred type of content on the channel.
And with that popularity also comes a lot of competition. If you want your Reels to get noticed then they need to look good.
No, better than good. They need to WOW people!
In this article we’re going to take a look at the 14 best Instagram Reels editing apps that can give your videos the wow-factor.
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. You can, of course, edit your Reels directly within Instagram.
This is how Reels were intended to be created, after all. And the app definitely has tons of useful editing tools that can help you to quickly and easily make an amazing video.
Including auto-syncing your video to background music using tracks that are trending on the app:
Plus simple transitions, auto-generated captions, and more!
When you’re done editing your Reels, you can save them all as drafts and post at your convenience.
You’re going to post your Reels to Instagram anyway, so it makes sense to edit them there. Plus, you don’t have to worry about your video possibly looking different in your editor than it does on Instagram…because your editor is Instagram!
Instagram’s editing tools are quite basic so if you’re looking to create videos that stand out more you might prefer to use a more robust editing tool. There’s also a slight chance you could lose your videos if you save them in Instagram drafts and the app updates or needs to be uninstalled from your device.
It’s free!
iOS and Android.
CapCut is an easy-to-use, all-in-one video editor. You can use it on desktop or download the app to your phone.
It’s important to note that CapCut is owned by TikTok’s parent company, and was designed to be paired with TikTok first and foremost. However, that doesn’t prevent it from being a great Instagram Reels editing app.
In addition to all of the typical editing tools you’d expect, CapCut has some really cool features, including the ability to auto-convert long-form video content into lots of short-form videos.
This is perfect if you want to use Instagram Reels as a way to promote longer videos that live, say, on your YouTube channel or website.
CapCut is also a popular tool of choice for creating meme content, which tends to do quite well on Instagram.
CapCut is a really powerful little tool and it was primarily made for editing social media videos. It’s also free, and offers tons of features (some of which can even give you ideas for new content).
CapCut can be a little bit overwhelming if you’re new to the world of video editing. It’s also no stranger to the occasional glitch or bug (but the same applies to any software).
It’s free, or you can upgrade to CapCut Pro for $7.99 a month.
iOS and Android.
InShot is possibly one of the most popular video editing apps on this list. You only need to check out the positive reviews on Google Play and the App Store to see that (of which there are literally millions!)
InShot was made for social media so it’s a great candidate as an Instagram Reels editor. The app gives users everything required to edit a video: you can trim, cut, add special effects, slow clips down, add auto-generated captions. The whole shebang!
InShot also has some pretty impressive AI features that can help you elevate your video with one tap!
It’s a powerful video editor that’s really easy to use – what more could you want!
It’s easy to sink hours of time into InShot, playing with all of the fun filters and effects. It’s also not completely free as some features require in-app purchases.
Free, with in-app purchases.
iOS and Android.
Filmora is a robust video editor. It has pretty much every editing feature you could possibly think of, and then a few more! There’s also a Filmora community, a creator hub, and masterclasses for people who are really serious about becoming video editing experts.
For Instagram Reels, you might prefer to use Filmora’s mobile app (FilmoraGo). The feature set is smaller but that also means there’s less of a learning curve.
If you’re really serious about getting into video editing, and you want to make videos that blow your Instagram audience away, then Filmora can help you do that.
There is a learning curve with this tool, and if you’re brand new to video editing then you could find it overwhelming. Plus, Filmora (the desktop version) is not free.
Pricing starts at $49.99 per year. FilmoraGo is free with in-app purchases.
iOS, Android, and desktop.
Canva is best known as an online graphic design tool, so you’re probably wondering what it’s doing here on an Instagram Reels editing apps list. Well, the tool is actually pretty great for editing videos.
If you search for Instagram within the platform there’s the option to start from an Instagram Reel template. This way you know you don’t have to worry about formatting.
It’s definitely not the most powerful video editing tool out there, but it does offer lots of templates if you need some inspiration to help you get started.
This is a great tool to use for editing your Reels if you’re already familiar with Canva. It’s quick and easy to use, and there’s even a social media scheduling tool that you can take advantage of.
It’s pretty basic as a video editor, so the Reels that you can make with Canva might not be as impressive as the ones you can make with other apps on this list.
Free
Everyone!
Clips is a video-editing app that was developed by Apple – as such, it’s only available on Apple devices.
It’s a powerful and user-friendly tool that allows users to easily edit social media videos without any advanced editing skills! Clips has a range of creative features on offer – you can combine videos, add music, auto-generate captions, and even add fun filters and stickers to your videos.
To add your edited videos to Instagram, you just need to download them from Clips to your camera roll, and then upload to Instagram as a Reel.
It’s easy to use and was designed by Apple, so if you have an iOS device then you know this tool is going to work well for you.
Obviously, you’ll have to avoid this one if you’re not using Apple devices. It’s also quite a simple tool, designed for the casual user. So if you want more advanced editing features then you might prefer a different tool.
It’s free!
iOS.
Splice was originally owned by GoPro and only available for iOS devices. But since its acquisition by Bending Spoons, the app is now available for Android devices too.
Regardless of the device you use, you can expect a simple yet powerful video editing experience. You can trim, you can crop, you can splice – you can do all the cool things, including speeding your clips up or slowing them down.
Splice also has an extensive music and sound effects library, so you can take your time finding a track that really syncs well with your footage.
There are tons of reasons to opt for Splice as your Instagram Reels editing app. It’s accessible to everyone, chock-full of features, and it’s tried and tested too – with over 70 million downloads.
The only real reason we can see to avoid this one is if you need an app that’s “free free”. While Splice is free to get started with, some more advanced features are locked behind a paywall.
Free with in-app purchases.
iOS and Android.
LumaFusion is possibly one of the most powerful video editing apps on this list. It’s known for having professional-grade features (and is the app of choice for many filmmakers and content creators), including colour correction and advanced audio mixing capabilities.
One of LumaFusion’s big USPs is that it can support up to six video and audio tracks, allowing for more complex editing.
If you’ve got the skills, this app will definitely give you the tools you need to elevate your Instagram Reels.
If you’re a serious video editor, or you’re looking for advanced features that can really help your Instagram Reels stand out, then this app is for you.
There’s a steep learning curve for people who don’t already have video editing skills. Plus, it’s not free so if you’re on a budget perhaps you should look elsewhere.
$29.99
iOS and Android.
Veed is an online video editing app that promises pro-level videos without pro-level skills. And, after using it, we can say it delivers on those promises.
Veed is incredibly easy to use for the purposes of creating Instagram Reels. You can even select the Instagram Reels option from the dropdown menu before you get started to ensure your video will be the correct dimensions.
With Veed, users can easily cut, merge, and enhance video clips. Add music, subtitles, text overlays. There’s even AI tools that can help you churn out video content with very minimal effort.
It’s free. It’s easy to use. It has all the features you’ll need and then some!
While Veed is fully responsive for mobile devices, it’s easier to use on a desktop because of the larger screen. The only issue with this is that you then have to send your Reels back to your mobile device in order to post them on Instagram.
There’s a free plan that works just fine for editing Instagram Reels. However, if you want more features then premium plans start from £9 per month (billed annually).
It’s an online tool so it’s available on any device with an internet connection!
According to the website, KineMaster can help you create mind-blowing videos in just a few minutes. The tool provides users with thousands of high-quality video templates that make it easy to get started, and also royalty-free music and assets.
Other tools include colour adjustment, audio editing, and video speed up and reverse. KineMaster also has AI tools that can enhance your IG Reels even further, including Magic Remover (which allows you to remove things from the background of your video with just a few taps) and an AI-powered super resolution plug-in (that can enhance low-res images).
This is a professional-grade tool that non-professionals should be able to navigate and use quite easily. It’s packed with features and the templates can make it easy to get started.
The kicker with this one is that the free version adds a watermark to every video you make.
It’s $8.99 per month or $44.99 for the year (a saving of $63)
iOS and Android.
Yes, it’s an Adobe product. But don’t let that intimidate you! Adobe Premiere Rush is a video editing app for creating and sharing online, so it’s perfect for making Instagram Reels.
One of the coolest things about this app is that you can capture stuff directly with the built-in camera and export directly to Instagram – so you can do everything in one place.
The app also offers colour correction, transitions, speed adjustment and more. You can also import and adjust audio, and even record a voiceover directly within the app.
It’s got everything you need in one place. You can record your video, edit it, and export it to Instagram Reels, all without leaving the app.
While there’s a free plan, this comes with restrictions on how many times you can export your videos. If you want unlimited exports you’ll have to upgrade.
It’s free but for the full suite of features prices start at £9.98 per month.
iOS and Android.
Movavi is a simple yet powerful video editor that you can use on Windows or Mac. There’s also an accompanying mobile app called Movavi Clips (but this doesn’t offer the full feature set).
Movavi’s intuitive set of tools includes AI background removal, motion tracking, and noise removal. You can also do all of the simple stuff too, of course – like add titles, transitions, overlays, and trim, cut, or merge your video clips.
It’s got a really strong feature set and Movavi also has other tools, like a photo editor and screen recorder. So if those tools also interest you then it might be good to go for Movavi.
It’s not free, so if budget is an issue then avoid Movavi (or try out their mobile app).
Prices start at £15.95 per month (Movavi Clips is free with in-app purchases).
Windows and Mac (Movavi Clips is available for iOS or Android).
Prequel is a photo and video editor. It has a simple and intuitive interface that makes it very beginner-friendly. Plus, video templates make it easy to get started with your Instagram Reels projects too.
In addition to all of the features you’d expect from a video editing app, Prequel also has a lot of cool filters and effects that can help your Reels stand out.
A huge bonus of using Prequel is that you can export your videos directly to Instagram.
Exporting directly to Instagram will save you tons of time and hassle. Plus, Prequel also has an inspiration section that allows you to explore and keep up-to-date with the latest trends.
You might find it too simple. And, as will all Freemium based models, the best features are locked behind a paywall.
Free with in-app purchases.
iOS and Android.
Descript has a great tagline: If you can edit text, you can edit videos.
From this, you can probably gather that Descript isn’t like other video editing tools. It uses text-based editing and allows you to edit your videos almost like how you’d edit a slide deck. So if you want to trim, cut, or rearrange clips then you do this by editing the text.
Of course, this means it only really works for spoken-word videos. But if you’re not tech savvy then this app could appeal to you.
It’s a little bit different! If you create a lot of to-camera Instagram Reels then this tool could be the one for you. Descript also has AI features that can help you enhance your video, such as removing background noise and enhancing voices, and making it look like you were giving eye contact to the camera the whole time, even if you weren’t!
Descript wasn’t built with Instagram Reels in mind. Plus, if you mainly create videos that run to music and don’t feature a person talking then this might not be right for you.
Prices start from $12 per month.
Windows and Mac.
Honestly, it doesn’t really matter which app you choose to edit your Instagram Reels. Every single app on this list will do a great job and give you everything you need. The only thing to consider is which app you like best.
A lot of the apps listed here are free (at least to try) so why not take them all for a spin and find out which has the interface that feels most user-friendly to you!
And if it’s inspiration you’re searching for, take a look at this article: 17 Clever Instagram Reel Ideas for Business.
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