Alexis Kestler
Videos are becoming increasingly important across social media, websites, and other platforms. However, videos shot for one purpose may not always fit the ideal formats for other uses. That‘s where video cropping comes in handy.
Cropping allows you to remove unwanted edges from a video and focus on the most important part of the shot. This lets you customize videos to fit specific aspect ratios needed for different sites and devices. From square Instagram posts to widescreen YouTube uploads, the right crop can make all the difference.
But with so many video cropper tools out there, how do you choose the right one? Here we cover the 11 best options on the market right now for both personal and business video editing needs.
Overview of the Best Video Cropping Tools
Animaker
Animaker is an online video creation and editing suite. It offers cropping options for various social platforms like square videos for Instagram or Facebook covers. You simply select a preset aspect ratio or enter custom dimensions.
Key Features:
- Intuitive drag and drop cropping
- Multiple preset sizes for different platforms
- Add transitions, text, animations and more
- Free version available
Animaker is great for quick and easy cropping to social media dimensions without watermarks. The easy-to-use interface makes it perfect for beginners.
Movavi
Movavi is a powerful and full-featured video editing program for Windows and Mac. The crop tool allows precise adjustments with guidelines based on common aspect ratios.
Key Features:
- Crop by specifying exact dimensions or visually
- Save preset crop sizes for reuse
- Additional filters, transitions, effects and more
- Paid software with free trial available
Movavi works great for those who want robust desktop cropping software with customizable options and other advanced editing tools. The customizable interface is perfect for intermediate to advanced users.
Promo
Promo makes it easy to crop videos into common social media sizes right within your browser. Simply upload a video then choose options like square or vertical.
Key Features:
- Crop into presets for Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook etc
- Trim videos and add music
- Completely free to use
- No watermarks
Promo is a straightforward online video crop and edit tool for social media. Quickly customize square or vertical videos with their templates and music library.
Adobe Express
As part of Adobe‘s free online creative suite, Adobe Express offers easy and flexible video cropping. Adjust the area to crop visually or enter precise dimensions.
Key Features:
- Crop videos and photos
- Visually crop or set aspect ratios
- Trim videos and adjust speed
- Completely free to use
Adobe Express is perfect for quickly cropping both videos and images. The intuitive drag and drop interface makes it easy for beginners to crop visually.
Kapwing
Kapwing‘s online studio has a full set of editing tools including video cropping. Just select an aspect ratio or enter custom dimensions to crop your video.
Key Features:
- Crop for social platforms like YouTube, Twitch, TikTok
- Trim, filter, subtitle, and watermark videos
- Create video memes and mashups
- Free version available with watermark
Kapwing excels at creative online video editing for social media. Quickly crop a full video down to highlights for any platform. The meme and mashup creation tools set Kapwing apart.
VEED
VEED makes video cropping easy with pre-defined aspect ratios for various social platforms. It focuses on quick online editing for social media.
Key Features:
- Crop presets for YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest and more
- Trim, filter, add subtitles and text
- No watermarks on exports
- Free version with upgrade available
From square crops for Instagram to vertical video for Snapchat, VEED has optimized crop sizes. The quick exports make it easy to test crops for different platforms.
Crop, Cut & Trim Video Editor
This mobile app provides a suite of video cropping and editing tools optimized for Android and iOS devices. Trim, cut and crop shots with just a few taps.
Key Features:
- Fast cropping with no compression
- Blur or pixelate areas
- Add filters and adjust colors
- Completely free mobile app
For quick on-the-go video editing, this mobile app excels. It‘s perfect for cutting and cropping clips to share on social media from your phone.
Easy Make Video
Easy Make Video is free cropping software for Windows that supports a wide range of video formats. Simple options make it easy to trim and export custom video sizes.
Key Features:
- Trim and crop video
- Customizable export sizes
- Add visual effects and transitions
- Completely free software
For those looking free desktop cropping software, Easy Make Video provides an intuitive interface and flexible customization options to trim video segments.
Typito
Typito‘s online video editor offers cropping into common social media sizes with just a few clicks.
Key Features:
- Crop presets for platforms like Instagram and YouTube
- Trim, merge, resize videos
- Add titles, music, effects, animations
- Free version available
Typito makes it super simple to crop both photos and videos to standard aspect ratios. The quick exports and easy interface work great for beginners.
Media.io Online UniConverter
Media.io‘s browser-based UniConverter offers free video cropping with no watermarks or size limits. Trim and crop videos visually or by entering dimensions.
Key Features:
- Crop, trim, rotate, and flip videos
- Unlimited exports with no watermarks
- Convert between 1000+ file formats
- Completely free to use
For those wanting completely free video cropping with no limits, Media.io delivers. Quickly customize videos with key editing tools and unlimited exports.
Biteable
Biteable focuses on making video creation and editing fast and easy. Crop by selecting common aspect ratios or entering custom sizes.
Key Features:
- Crop videos and images
- Animated shapes, backgrounds, and text
- Library of videos, audio and icons
- Free version with upgrade available
Biteable provides a full suite of tools to crop, customize and share videos with just a few clicks. The ever-growing media library makes video creation fast and easy.
Comparing the Best Video Cropping Tools
Desktop vs. Online vs Mobile
The video cropping tools featured cover the spectrum of platforms:
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Desktop programs like Movavi offer the most precision and control for advanced editing. But they require downloading software.
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Online tools provide quick and easy cropping right from your browser. However, video uploads and exports take more time.
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Mobile apps excel at fast editing on the go. But smaller screens limit some detailed editing capabilities.
Consider which platform aligns best with your workflow and needs. Desktop programs provide more fine-tuned control while online and mobile tools emphasize speed and convenience.
Free vs Paid Plans
Several of the video croppers like Kapwing and Biteable offer both free and paid versions:
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Free versions allow you to crop videos with basic options and usually have watermarks or size limits. These are great for testing tools out.
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Paid versions remove limits and watermarks while adding advanced features. These work better for professional use and serious editing.
Think about your budget and usage requirements. Free online cropper tools can meet simpler needs for personal social videos. But paid desktop programs add powerful advanced options for professional workflows.
Cropping for Social Media
Many of the tools feature specific cropping presets optimized for sharing on the top social platforms:
- Instagram and Facebook: square 1:1 aspect ratio
- YouTube and Twitter: 16:9 widescreen
- TikTok: 9:16 vertical
- Snapchat: 9:16 or 4:5 vertical
- Pinterest: 2:3 landscape
Look for croppers with many presets if you will repurposing videos across multiple platforms. Kapwing, VEED, Typito, and others make sizing for different social sites quick and easy.
Best Video Cropping Tools for Different Needs
Best for Quick Online Cropping: Kapwing
With its huge range of presets and templates, Kapwing makes resizing videos for social media a breeze. The intuitive browser-based editor excels at fast online trimming and cropping.
Best for Precise Desktop Cropping: Movavi
For frame-by-frame precision when cropping, Movavi delivers. The customizable timeline and guides help crop videos exactly. Advanced users will appreciate the robust desktop editing tools.
Best for Beginners: Adobe Express
The drag-and-drop visual cropper in Adobe Express is perfect for beginners. Easily trim and resize both videos and images in a simple browser-based interface.
Best for Instagram: Promo
Quickly customize video clips for Instagram stories and posts with Promo‘s square presets and editing tools. The library of music and templates optimized for Instagram saves time.
Best for YouTube: Biteable
Easily crop footage to widescreen 16:9 sizes ideal for YouTube with Biteable. The massive library of videos, music, icons and more helps fast YouTube video creation.
Tips for Cropping Videos Like a Pro
Here are a few pro tips to help crop videos quickly and efficiently:
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Check the source video resolution – For quality results, you want to crop from high resolution footage. Cropping 1080p or 4K video will give you more flexibility.
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Use preset sizes – Take advantage of social media presets in tools like Kapwing and VEED to quickly crop to the needed dimensions.
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Mind the source ratio – Cropping a horizontal video to vertical won‘t work. Make sure to crop horizontal or vertical videos to match their orientation.
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Watch the entire crop – Preview the entire video after cropping to ensure the framing still works as intended throughout.
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Export optimized files – Export cropped videos in smaller formats like H.264 MP4 to maximize quality yet minimize file sizes.
Get Cropping with the Best Video Tools
The right video cropping tool can save tons of time when editing footage for different purposes and platforms. Whether you need quick online cropping or advanced desktop control, this list covers the top options available today.
Look for tools that make cropping intuitive yet also offer key features you need like social presets, precise dimension input, transitions, and more. Test out multiple apps and find the best fit for your specific video editing workflow.
With these powerful cropping tools at your disposal, you‘ll be ready to customize videos for any social sites and beyond. Trim away unwanted edges and focus on the most engaging frames for polished, professional video content.
