12 Best MKV Editors

Our special pick from the above table is Movavi Video Editor. With a free trial version, Movavi Video Editor is easy to use and great for beginners. You can choose from a wide range of filters and stickers to add to your video, add ready-made intros and keyframe animations, and even change the background with chroma key.

Best for: Beginners or more advanced users looking for an affordable, feature-packed video editor that gives you a free 7-day trial.

Movavi Video Editor is a professional tool that helps you create engaging movies, even if you don’t have any previous experience. With its intuitive interface, it’s quick to start using all the basic functions, but there are plenty of advanced features on offer too, including the option to add titles and transitions, add your own voiceover, apply filters, upload music, remove unwanted fragments or split and join video fragments, and more! Once you’ve finished editing, share your results on YouTube, or easily save your movie for viewing on your mobile device, PC, or 4K TV.

Best for: Home users looking for an inexpensive Window video editor that supports 4K and offers a huge library of effects and templates.

Nero Video is great video editor MKV software for beginners, as there is a huge library of over 1,000 templates covering various topics, from sports and travel to holidays and family. You can add music as well as choosing from a wide range of effects including slow-motion, filters, and transitions, and Nero Video supports 4K video. The program can also be used as a video player for various different formats including DVD videos. You can also choose from a one-year license or a perpetual (lifetime) license.

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Best for: Those looking for the best free MKV editor with a customizable interface.

Kdenlive (KDE Non-Linear Video Editor) is a free, open-source video editor MKV which has been available since around 2002. Although it was initially available on Linux, it’s not available for Windows and Mac and is suitable for both beginners and professionals. You can customize the interface layout to suit your needs and way of working, with plenty of video effects, transitions, and video and audio cutting options to choose from. Kdenlive also supports most video formats, so you won’t need to convert your files before editing them.

Best for: Anyone looking for the best free MKV video editor that’s intuitive and easy to use.

OpenShot is a 100% free, open-source video editor MKV that boasts some surprisingly advanced features. The intuitive interface makes it easy to get started editing, even for beginners with no experience, and there are unlimited tracks on offer, so you can add as many layers as you need. With video effects, 3D animations, and slow-motion and time effects, it’s easy to create professional-looking videos in minutes.

Best for: Users looking for a free video editor to make simple cuts.

Avidemux is free, open-source software that’s great for beginners or those new to MKV video editing. It’s a simple tool that makes it easy to get started and it supports a huge range of file types, so there’s no need to convert your videos before using the software. Scripting capabilities, job queue, and project options make it easy to automate tasks for more advanced users.

Best for: Windows users looking for a free, no-frills editor that supports most file formats and lossless compression.

For those looking for a simple, no-frills free MKV video editor, Video Cutter ticks a lot of boxes. It’s free to download and use and supports most file formats, so you won’t have to convert your videos before editing. It’s intuitive too, so you can get started cutting and splitting your video files without any previous experience. It also supports lossless compression, so you’ll retain the best video quality.

Best for: Those looking for a high-speed, simple to use video editor that offers a choice of free or paid versions.

With Bandicut video editor MKV software you can trim, split, and cut video with just a few clicks, then upload the finished video to YouTube directly, or save it to your PC for sharing later. This software allows you to cut videos while maintaining the original video and audio quality, and it’s simple to use too. There’s a free version and the paid version has a one-time license fee that comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Best for: Creatives looking for short edits.

Gilisoft Video Editor is an MKV video editor for Mac, Windows, and Android. It’s packed with editing features that allow you to split, merge, cut, crop, rotate, and adjust the speed of your video. You can also add effects, text, and music, or create a GIF from videos and photos. Gilisoft Video Editor also features compression tools and split video screen editing.

Best for: Creatives or individuals looking to simply cut and join videos, without any added editing features.

SolveigMM Video Splitter is an MKV video editor for Windows and Mac. It supports all popular audio and video formats and there are two versions available: Home or Business. The Home version supports HD video, while the Business version supports up to 4K resolution and allows batch editing. This editor’s main feature is cutting and joining videos - there aren’t any options for adding text, effects, and so on.

Best for: Those looking for the best free MKV editor that doesn’t skimp on features.

VSDC is freeware for editing videos that’s packed with useful tools. This Windows-only MKV video editor supports all popular video formats and codecs and allows for 4K and HD exports. Features include the ability to create and burn DVDs, add video and audio effects, color blending, adding filters, motion tracking, and much more. This non-linear editor also makes it easy to export your videos to social media.

Best for: Personal use for light editing by anyone looking for a free editor.

Vidiot is a free video editor for Linux and Windows that’s designed for personal use. With Vidiot you can trim, crop, scale, cut, and move videos, as well as add transitions, key frames, and titles. You can even change your video speed or convert videos. Vidiot has a well-designed interface and there’s an included help file to get users started using the software.

Best for: Anyone looking for an all-in-one video editor, converter, downloader, and screen recorder.

Video Proc is an all-in-one video processing program for Windows and Mac. You can choose from the free or full version. As well as acting as a video editor for MKV videos, VideoProc lets you convert media files and also acts as a video downloader and screen and webcam recorder. Cut, crop, merge, and rotate video, use the MakeMKV feature, and add subtitles or effects. VideoProc is easy to use.

Paula is a seasoned content creator, copywriter, and editor, with more than 8 years of experience writing for tech and travel brands such as Thomas Cook, Skyscanner, Eltima Software, and DigitalTrends.com, as well as many others. She studied fiction editing with Liminal Pages in 2016 and launched her fiction editing business the same year, working with publishers in the UK and US and authors from around the world across a range of genres, from sci-fi and fantasy to thrillers and crime fiction. Today she writes regularly for DigitalTrends.com and Skyscanner's blog. She's also passionate about film photography and enjoys gaming.