Free video maker online will allow students enhance essential 21st century skills and to prepare for a future and for jobs that don’t even exist yet!
There was a time when cellphones were clunky, laptops were a prototype and the Matrix had just opened in cinemas. Fast forward a couple of decades and the emergence of the internet has changed everything from grocery shopping to how you spend your free time.
This means that the students of today need to be firmly in control of essential 21st century tools if they are to embrace and succeed in a world that is increasingly controlled by AI and robots. Mastering these skills will allow them to prepare for a future and for jobs that don’t even exist yet!
Due to the rise in social media, video content has become one of the most prominent forms of content on the internet. For students in school, sharpening their skills in video making such as book trailer project may just be a good idea. Even if you decide not to pursue the field, video making can be an excellent path to channel your creativity to.
Keep reading as we take a look at some of the best & free video maker online to help students realize their creativity.
5 Free Video Maker Online
1. Animoto
Animoto is one of those products that simply work. You know what I mean. You don’t need a deep knowledge of tech to use it, just a clear understanding of what you want your final video to be.
The software takes away the usually detailed decisions – there is no deciding on the edit style you should use or spending hours syncing your audio with the video. Animoto does the heavy lifting, allowing you to make a video in hours rather than weeks. By the way, the software features royalty-free music so you don’t have to worry about copyright infringement.
Unhappy with your final result? Simply click the ‘1 click remix’ button. As the name implies, the software does its magic and gives you a new version. You can use the option until you find something that you are happy with.
In short, Animoto is ideal if you are not looking for total control over the final video and if you lack the technological insight to get down and dirty. Pricing begins at $8 a month. There is a capable free version but you have to put up with a watermark. If you are okay with that, you get all the standard features of Animoto minus 1080p output and a larger library of media. The paid options begin at $65 a month or $396 a year.
What’s great?
- The mobile app lets you upload media from your smartphone
- The free version offers 720p HD while most competitors stick to 480p
- Free version includes a vast stock library
- Directly share your final video to social media channels including Facebook and WordPress
What’s not great?
- You don’t have control over every aspect of the video
- Can’t make subtle changes to a single frame
2. Powtoon
Powtoon, another free video maker online, allows you to create engaging and interactive animated videos. The web based program requires no installation – works on any laptop or OS – and includes a range of animation styles like infographics, whiteboards and cartoons.
For those of you creating marketing videos or videos related to your education, Powtoon’s clean interface, variety of features and massive media library makes it a great option to consider. It is subscription based and does offer a free version although it is pretty restricted – more on that below.
Powtoon’s animated videos are a great alternative to good ol’ (and BORING) slide decks. It is designed with nonexperts in mind with a heavy reliance on templates to help you achieve your goal.
As I mentioned, the free tier has many restrictions including a prominent watermark and an advertisement for Powtoon at the end of the video. The selection of royalty-free images, themes and music is limited and users don’t get HD or MP4 output either. Oh, and videos have a maximum limit of 5 minutes.
There are two paid options: Pro and Agency. The former costs $228 for a year or $89 a month while the latter costs $1188 a year or $99 a month.
What’s great?
- Clean interface
- Wide range of tools and templates
- Quick support and easy to access resources
What’s not great?
- A lot of content is hidden behind paywalls
- Expensive pricing structure
3. Animaker
Animaker is a video making software that is suitable for a range of uses, be it a video for your schoolwork or a personal hobby of yours. Similar to Powtoon, Animaker is completely web-based and its intuitive interface lets you get started in no time. The software opts for a simple drag and drop interface that allows the user to quickly add or remove elements.
There is no shortage of interesting templates in case you are not sure how the final output should look like. The software has a library of music, characters, and images that you can include in your video. The library is among the largest of its kind with over a million subscribers from 180+ countries. It is this kind of deep support that allows Animaker to stand out from the crowd.
It is a freemium software that operates on a subscription model. The free plan is excellent for deciding if you want to splurge on the paid version. The free version limits videos to 720p, includes a watermark, and doesn’t allow commercial usage. The Starter plan costs $228 a year or $35 a month and Pro costs $468 a year or $79 a month. What’s great?
- More cost effective compared to competitors
- Quick support
What’s not great?
- No autosave
4. WeVideo
WeVideo is hands down one of the best free video editors. The online software includes cloud storage, has screencasting, and voiceover features to help students create neat professional videos for school or personal use.
The application is designed to allow you to quickly upload, edit and share high-res videos. Support for multiple graphics, images, audio and video formats make for an uninterrupted editing experience. The easy to use interface is coupled with two levels of editing tools so students of all ages can easily get a feel of the software and quickly get to creating and editing.
WeVideo is a free video maker but – no surprises – it is terribly restricted. You get 5 minutes of video PER MONTH, cloud storage of 1GB and video is limited to 480p. It is excellent for getting a feel of the software but if you are serious about video making, you should consider upgrading. Annual plans begin at $4.99 a month while monthly plans begin at $9.99.
What’s great?
- Intuitive editing interface
- Wide range of features allow students to experiment with style
What’s not great?
- Convoluted sharing options
- Complete software is pricey
5. Moovly
Moovly allows you to create videos in a variety of styles: footage based, whiteboard or animated videos – you name it, chances are Moovly has it. If you are comfortable with PowerPoint, Moovly is right up your alley. The software uses a drag and drop approach that allows you to easily combine media from its extensive library with your own media. A timeline then lets you animate, time and synchronize objects. Moovly supports export in virtually every format you can ask for formats suitable for social media, smartphones or online publishing.
The software has more than 1.3 million pieces of commercially licensed media that you can incorporate into your video – this includes stock photos, stock video, motion graphics, music and other audio.
Similar to most of the other recommendations, Moovly is cloud based so all you need is an internet connection. The free tier limits export to 480p HD and videos to a maximum of 2 minutes. There is also a prominent watermark. Paid options begin at $49 a month and $299 annually.
What’s great?
- Low learning curve
- 1.3 million stock images, video, and music
- Compatible with all laptops
What’s not great?
- Few templates
Video making is an excellent area to pursue, both as an occupation and as a hobby but in a sea of very similar software, it can be difficult to narrow down the best free video maker that will satisfy you and your students. My curated choices above will hopefully take that burden away, making it much easier to find the best of the bunch and get to video making!
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Thaung Shwe
April 21, 2020 2:48 amI’m a language teacher so I want to use the technologies in my teaching and learning process. And then, I want to create video lessons to reduce time and to be an effective teaching.