Free and watermark-free is real now, and some of it is embarrassing how good it is.
- DaVinci Resolve: a professional editor that happens to be free. Start here if you want free. - CapCut desktop: the easy pick for TikTok and Reels, templates and auto-captions. - Shotcut: open-source, unpolished, completely free, no strings. - Kdenlive: another open-source workhorse for people who like real timelines. - OpenShot: basic cuts and titles, nothing fancy, fine for starters. - Phones: CapCut, InShot, VN, and KineMaster are all solid, but check watermark and export terms in the app itself before you build a workflow on a free tier.
Download, edit a real project, export it. Five minutes of testing beats fifty reviews. And for converting and compressing your thumbnails and cover images, PicConvert is free forever.