Top 10 Video Editing Apps for Creating Viral Reels and TikToks
Top 10 Video Editing Apps for Creating Viral Reels and TikToks
Creating viral-worthy short videos starts with great editing. The right app can transform your raw footage into polished, engaging content that stands out on Instagram Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts. Whether you need snappy cuts, cool effects, or captions, there’s an app for that. Here are 10 of the best video editing apps (mobile and desktop) that creators use to make viral Reels and TikToks:
CapCut – Tailor-Made for TikTok & Reels Platforms: iOS, Android, Desktop (PC/Mac) Pricing: Free (with optional premium effects) Overview: CapCut, developed by the makers of TikTok, is one of the most popular editing apps for short-form videos. It offers an intuitive timeline editor and tons of viral effects and transitions. Creators love CapCut for its powerful features that remain easy to use – speed changes, reverse, freeze frames, auto-captions, and a huge library of stickers and filters. It even has templates for TikTok trends to which you can just add your clips. Cross-platform support means you can start editing on your phone and finish on desktop if needed. Importantly, CapCut exports videos without a watermark (unless you choose to add one), which is perfect for avoiding the watermark downranking on Instagram. CapCut is often recommended as “the best for social media creators, especially on TikTok and Instagram Reels”, thanks to its trending effects and user-friendly interface. If you want an all-in-one editor that keeps up with TikTok trends, CapCut is a top choice.
InShot – All-Purpose Mobile Editor Platforms: iOS, Android Pricing: Free (ads and watermark, removable via a one-time purchase or subscription) Overview: InShot has been a go-to mobile video editor for years, known for its balance of simplicity and features. It’s great for quickly trimming, splitting, or merging clips and adding music or voiceovers. InShot provides canvas sizes tailored for Reels/TikTok (9:16) and can export up to 4K. It includes fun extras like filters, glitch effects, text and emoji overlays, and the ability to add background blur for vertical videos. InShot also has an extensive music and sound effect library. The interface is very beginner-friendly – many creators say it’s easy to learn in minutes. While the free version places a small watermark, InShot Pro is affordable if you edit often. According to reviews, “InShot is ideal for quick, professional-looking edits on your phone. It’s popular with TikTokers and Instagram influencers”. If you need a reliable app to handle everyday editing tasks for short videos, InShot is a solid bet.
KineMaster – Pro-Style Editing on Mobile Platforms: iOS, Android Pricing: Free (watermark on exports), Premium ~$4/month (removes watermark + extra features) Overview: KineMaster brings near desktop-level editing power to your smartphone. It features multi-layer video editing (allowing picture-in-picture, overlays, and more), chroma key (green screen), blending modes, and detailed audio controls. KineMaster is perfect for creators who want to do more advanced edits like color adjustments, keyframe animations, or fine-tuned transitions on mobile. The app comes with a large asset store of effects, stickers, fonts, and music to enhance your videos. It might be a bit overwhelming for beginners at first, but it’s extremely capable. Many YouTubers and TikTokers use KineMaster for complex editing on the go. It’s often touted as “a professional editing touch on mobile… supports multi-layer edits, chroma key, voiceovers, etc.”. If you want to push the boundaries of mobile editing and don’t mind a learning curve, KineMaster is an excellent choice for creating slick, viral-ready videos.
VN Video Editor (VlogNow) – Feature-Packed and Free Platforms: iOS, Android, Mac, Windows Pricing: Free (no watermark) Overview: VN Video Editor has quickly gained a loyal following by offering pro features at no cost and with no pesky watermarks. It’s a multi-track editor with a clean interface, suitable for both beginners and advanced users. VN supports precise clip trimming, fast/slow motion with speed curves, keyframe animations, and has a variety of filters and FX. You can layer videos, images, and text, which is great for picture-in-picture or meme-style layouts. It even allows custom export settings up to 4K 60fps for high quality. Many creators praise VN for being “free and no watermark while offering professional-grade tools”. The only slight downside is a less extensive built-in media library compared to some competitors, but you can import your own music easily. If you’re looking for a free alternative to paid apps, VN is one of the best – it delivers high-quality results without the typical limitations, making it perfect for editing Reels and TikToks on a budget.
Splice – GoPro-Level Editing Simplicity Platforms: iOS, Android Pricing: Free trial, then ~$9.99/month (annual plan available) Overview: Splice, originally by GoPro, is designed to bring the power of a desktop editor to mobile with an easy workflow. It’s great for making dynamic videos quickly. Splice offers one-tap editing styles, a rich library of free music tracks, and sound effects which auto-sync to your video cuts (great for dramatic effect). You can do speed ramps, add text overlays, and apply filters easily. It doesn’t (yet) have auto-captions or AR effects, but it excels in core editing. Splice’s interface is praised for being intuitive – even with advanced features like chroma key and keyframe animations available, they’re straightforward to apply. The subscription is on the pricier side annually, but many creators stick with the free trial outputs if they need just occasional edits. As a bonus, since it’s GoPro-rooted, Splice handles high-res footage smoothly. If you shoot a lot of action or on-the-move content, Splice can be a perfect mobile companion. It’s often noted that Splice provides “professional-grade tools, ideal for creators needing powerful editing on mobile”.
Adobe Premiere Rush – Cross-Device Editing by Adobe Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac Pricing: Free plan (export up to 3 projects), Premium $9.99/month (includes 100GB cloud) Overview: Premiere Rush is Adobe’s streamlined editor aimed at YouTubers and social video creators. It’s like a light version of Premiere Pro that works on your phone and computer, with cloud sync. Rush offers a simple drag-and-drop timeline, easy color correction presets, title templates, and a built-in library of royalty-free soundtracks. It’s very convenient for shooting on your phone, doing a quick edit, and then fine-tuning on a desktop (or vice versa). Rush has automatic aspect ratio adjustments, so you can edit once and export in vertical, square, etc. seamlessly. One limitation: it lacks some advanced features of other apps (no auto-captions or super fancy effects yet), and it doesn’t have the trendiest filters. However, its strength is reliability and integration – if you use Adobe CC, you can easily move a Rush project into Premiere Pro later. According to a 2025 review, “Premiere Rush is great for basic edits and integrates with Adobe’s ecosystem, but ensure you add captions via other means as it lacks auto-captioning”. Choose Rush if you want cross-platform flexibility and trust Adobe’s stability for editing your Reels/TikToks.
Canva (Video Editor) – Template-Driven Social Video Platforms: Web, iOS, Android Pricing: Free (with many templates), Pro $12.99/month (for full assets library) Overview: Canva is famous for graphic design, but it also offers a surprisingly robust video editor geared towards quick social media content. The standout feature is hundreds of ready-made templates for Reels, TikToks, Stories, etc.. For instance, you can pick a viral meme format or aesthetic style and just drop in your own clips and text. Canva’s video editor allows trimming, splitting, adding music, and basic animations/transitions. It’s not for frame-perfect edits, but it’s fantastic for marketers or creators who want stylish motion graphics, text animations, or intro/outro screens without video editing expertise. Also, Canva integrates a massive library of stock footage, photos, and music (especially useful with Pro) – so you can augment your clips with B-roll or fun stickers easily. If you need to create engaging short videos with captions, titles, or to follow a specific trend format and you’re not super technical, Canva is a lifesaver. It’s also cross-platform via web. In summary, Canva’s video tool shines for easy, templated editing and social content design, though it’s not as granular as traditional editors.
Zoomerang – TikTok-Style Effects and Tutorials Platforms: iOS, Android Pricing: Free with limited features, Pro ~$5/month Overview: Zoomerang is an app specifically created for short-form viral videos. It’s packed with trending effects, filters, and editing tutorials for TikTok/Reels challenges. One of its coolest aspects is step-by-step tutorials for popular TikTok dances or transitions – the app will guide you on how to shoot the clips needed for a given effect. Zoomerang offers hundreds of templates (many with AR effects, flashy transitions synced to music, etc.), so you can recreate viral trends with one tap. It also features AI effects, motion tracking stickers, and stop-motion tools. If you’ve ever wondered how creators do those rapid-fire zooms or clone effects, chances are they used an app like Zoomerang. This app is perfect for beginners who want to join trends without mastering complicated editing – it automates a lot. Just be mindful that outputs might carry a watermark unless you’re Pro. Overall, Zoomerang is a fun, trend-oriented editor that helps your videos look very TikTok-native. For any creator, especially newcomers, who want to effortlessly apply the latest effects seen on social media, Zoomerang is a top pick.
PicsArt (Video Editor) – Creative Filters and Visual Flair Platforms: iOS, Android Pricing: Free (with in-app purchases), Gold $11.99/month for full features Overview: PicsArt is widely known for photo editing, but it also has a solid video editor within the same app. It’s geared towards creative visuals: you can apply artistic filters, add animated objects or stickers on your videos, and overlay text with unique fonts. PicsArt Video Editor stands out for its aesthetic effects and transitions which can give your video a unique look. For instance, you can do glitch transitions, add sparkles, or apply VHS camcorder looks easily. It also allows basic editing like trimming, music, and speed adjustment. Think of PicsArt as a toolkit to make your TikToks/Reels visually distinct – if your niche is artsy edits or you want to add some graphical pizzazz, it’s very useful. They also have premade templates and animations to give your content a slick feel without heavy lifting. One con: the free version has limited features and some assets are behind the paywall. But many creators use a combo of apps – you might edit base footage in InShot or CapCut, then bring it into PicsArt for the final filter or cool effects. If you value creative styling highly, PicsArt is worth a try for that extra layer of polish.
Filmora (Wondershare FilmoraGo) – Beginner-Friendly with Advanced Options Platforms: FilmoraGo (Mobile: iOS/Android), Filmora (Desktop: Windows/Mac) Pricing: FilmoraGo mobile – Free with watermark, or in-app purchase to remove; Filmora desktop – subscription or lifetime license options Overview: Filmora by Wondershare is a popular editing software for YouTube videos, and its mobile counterpart FilmoraGo brings much of that power to phones. It’s known for a simple interface that’s great for beginners, but packed with features you can grow into. On mobile, FilmoraGo allows you to do the basics – cut, transitions, music – and also add title animations, picture-in-picture, and voiceovers. On desktop, Filmora offers more advanced editing with a gentle learning curve (think of it as easier than Adobe Premiere but more robust than a phone app). Filmora includes a rich set of filters, motion elements, and an effects store where you can download trendy effects. It’s especially good for creators who make both short and long content and want a one-stop solution. For Shorts/Reels specifically, you can edit in vertical aspect, use keyframe animations to make dynamic movements, and apply one-click beautify effects or color tuning to make your video pop. Many users praise Filmora for making complex edits simple with presets – for example, ready-made split screen layouts or fun transitions that you can apply without manual keyframing. If you’re the type who edits some videos on a computer for precision and some on the go, Filmora provides a cohesive experience (you can even transfer projects between the mobile and desktop in some cases). It’s a reliable app to create professional-looking viral videos without needing pro editing skills.
Conclusion: The above apps each offer unique strengths – some excel at quick, template-based editing, while others give you pro control over every frame. The best app for you depends on your workflow: if you do everything on your phone, apps like CapCut, InShot, or VN are must-haves. For artsy effects, consider PicsArt or Zoomerang. If you prefer editing on a computer or need more advanced capabilities, Adobe Premiere Rush or Filmora are great bridges between mobile and desktop. Many top creators actually use a combination of these tools to achieve viral-worthy results. For instance, they might use CapCut for cutting and timing (leveraging its trending effects), then InShot for final tweaks, and PicsArt for a finishing filter.
Try out a few of these apps and see which interface and features you click with. Most have free versions, so there’s nothing to lose. Ultimately, remember that while editing apps can greatly enhance your video quality and style (and thus your likelihood of going viral), the content of your video is king. Use these tools to tell a compelling story or showcase something amazing in your Reel/TikTok – the editing will then be the polish that helps your content shine on the viral stage.