If you are looking for a video editor, it is likely you have heard about Hitfilm Express.

But is HitFilm Express safe and legit or is it a tool to stay away from?

I have done video editing for some time myself and decided to give this tool a go.

In this HitFilm Express review, I will share the details with you about what you can expect from this tool and if it will be worth it.

Let me reveal right away that it, in my opinion, definitely has potential but it is NOT a tool for everyone. That does not mean it is not legit or not good but just that you need to know if it is the right option for you or not depending on your needs.

So let’s look into what it offers, what you can use it for, and if it is really free, so you can also take your budget into consideration.

Is HitFilm Express safe?

Before downloading any software, it is important to know if it is safe to use. So let’s start by looking into that.

HitFilm Express is developed by the company FXhome. This company is also behind other tools like Imerge and Action Pro.

It is used by more than 5 million users worldwide and is used in more than 160 countries.

I think it is safe to say that it is a legit and safe tool. So if you are interested in trying it, you should not be worried about if it is legit or not. It is a legit company behind and it is a legit piece of software.

I have also downloaded the software myself and have had no issue with my computer or security while testing it.

So with that out of the way, let’s now look into what the tool offers so you can find out if it is the right option for you or not.

What does HitFilm Express offer?

HitFilm Express has some similarities with other video editors. So if you have used video editors before, there will be certain things you can probably recognize.

However, it does also have a lot more features than the more basic editors. That has both its advantages and its disadvantages, in my opinion (more about this later).

Since HitFilm Express has so many features, I am not going to describe all of them in detail here as that does not make much sense.

I will instead give you an overview of what you can use it for and highlight some of the features that, in my opinion, are very important when editing videos.

Feature 1 – Video editing:

Since HitFilm Express is a video editor, it, of course, makes it possible to do regular video editing.

This makes it possible for you to trim videos, mix the audio, add effects, add transitions, use layers, use picture in picture mode, use animation tools, and more.

Compared to some of the more basic video editors, it has many more features.

But that also means that if you are new to video editing, then it is not that easy to get started with.

It can be quite overwhelming and it is not so easy to just get started with it as it, for example, is with Movavi Video Editor that is a lot more intuitive for beginners.

But you can do a lot with HitFilm Express, and you can also use it for very professional editing. But it all depends on your needs and the time you are willing to put into learning how to use it.

Feature 2 – Particle simulator:

HitFilm Express has a particle simulator option.

If you do not know what that is, then it is a tool you can use to, for example, create weather systems, grow your own cities or summon swarms of creatures, as HitFilm Express describes it themselves.

This gives a lot of cool options and makes it possible to create some great effects.

But it will take some time to learn how to use this, but it also gives a lot of potential.

Feature 3 – 3D model import:

HitFilm Express has several options when it comes to 3D.

You can, for example, import 3D models, animate objects, import and apply any texture to any model, and more.

Again, some more advanced options that give a lot of opportunities if you need to make advanced editing.

Other features:

As mentioned earlier, I am not going to go over all the features HitFilm Express has in details, as it has a lot.

The purpose of this review is to help you get an overview of what it offers and find out if it is the right tool for you or not.

So here I just want to mention shortly some of the other features it has.

If you do not know what they mean, it is likely because you do not need it for an editor at the moment but still good to know the options are there.

Some of the other features are:

• Compositor’s toolkit
• Color correction and grading
• Tracking
• Keying and extraction
• Specialized effects
• Support of many file formats

HitFilm Express training and support

An extra thing HitFilm Express offers is training so you can learn to use the tools it has.

I think it is great they have training as it would be very difficult to get started on your own without it – especially if you do not have a lot of experience with video editing.

There is a written user manual but the main training is through the HitFilm Express YouTube channel where they post weekly training.

It also here has tutorials for the basics of the video editor when you first get started.

Even though there are a lot of training resources, it will definitely take some trial and error to get used to using the editor.

But I think it is great that they have so many video tutorials and continuously post new ones with more advanced training.

In my opinion, the basic training is, however, not step-by-step enough if you are a complete beginner. But it also depends on how patient you are to just test yourself and use the training as inspiration.

But there definitely are a lot of training resources for HitFilm Express and you can also write their support if you have some technical problems.

Is HitFilm Express really free?

One thing is to know what HitFilm Express can do for you. Another thing is that you, of course, also need to know the true cost of it so you can take your budget into consideration when deciding if this is the right tool for you or not.

HitFilm Express is advertised as a free tool. But many online products are advertised like this without actually being free if you want to get any true benefits out of them.

So what about HitFilm Express? Is it really free or what does it cost to be able to actually use it?

Well, HitFilm Express is actually free to a certain degree and you can definitely use the free version for editing.

The free version actually gives quite a lot of options compared to many other free editors and it does not put a watermark as most other free video editors do.

You just need to be aware that to get access to the free HitFilm Express download, you need to share a link on Twitter or Facebook. A pop-up comes up with this when you try to download.

So in that sense, you need to do something to get access. And you then also need to create an account and login to it to get access.

In addition to this, HitFilm, of course, also has paid options if the basic editor is not enough for you. They also need to make money, so I do not have a problem with this. You just need to be aware of it so you know what to expect.

For HitFilm Express you can buy several add-ons to get more features.

Some of the features I mentioned earlier in this review are, for example, add-ons.

The most basic video editing tools are available for free. But the particle simulator, most of the 3D options, and the specialized effects are, for example, something you how to pay extra for.

There is a total of around 30 add-ons you can get.

The price per add-on varies from $10-$50 per add-on, and you can choose the combination and add-ons you need for your projects.

So if you need all the add-ons, it can, of course, end up being quite expensive. But you can also do a lot with the free version depending on your needs.

If you have a lot of needs when editing, you can also get the HitFilm Pro software instead which is the paid version with most effects and options included.

The HitFilm Pro costs around $299 per year. So if you are a serious video editor this might be the best option for you.

Who is it for/not for?

As I already mentioned at the beginning of this review, HitFilm Express is not a tool for everyone, in my opinion.

If you are serious about editing and creating videos, it can definitely do a lot for you.

But if you have more basic needs and, for example, just need to do some basic editing for your YouTube videos or similar, then HitFilm Express might be a bit overkill.

Especially because it will require you to spend quite a bit of time learning to use it. So if you are new to video editing, there are definitely tools that are a lot easier to get started with.

If you start with HitFilm Express as one of your first editors, there is, in my opinion, a big risk you will get overwhelmed and give up on even trying to edit videos, which would be a shame.

Also, I, for example, prefer working on a laptop so I can work where I want to. HitFilm Express is very difficult to use on smaller screens, in my opinion.

Everything becomes very small. So if you want to use it, I clearly recommend that you do it on bigger screens.

But if you already have some experience and know what you need from an editor and want to be able to create more complex videos, HitFilm Express can definitely be a good option.

So it very much depends on your needs and experience.

Whether you have a MAC or Windows computer does not matter. You can download it and use it for both.

Final verdict

As you can see, HitFilm Express definitely has potential and can be a great video editor.

But it depends a lot on your needs, whether it is a good option for you or not.

So let’s finish this review by summing up the pros and cons to help you get a better overview before deciding if it is for you or not.

Pros:

• The free version has good options
• Has many features
• Makes it possible to create very professional films

Cons:

• Not beginner-friendly
• Difficult to use on smaller screens
• Steep learning curve

How important the pros and cons are for you depends on your needs.

If you already have some experience with video editing, have a big screen to use it on, and need a lot of features, then HitFilm Express can definitely be a great tool.

If you., on the other hand, do not have much experience with video editing and do not need to do too many fancy things, then there are definitely programs that are easier to get started with.

Even though HitFilm Express is great, I personally prefer using a tool like Movavi Video Editor because that is a better match with my needs.

I just need to edit some videos for YouTube and do not want to spend too long on learning many of the other effects at the moment.

That might change at some point and then this is definitely a tool I will consider, but at the moment I have other needs. But what is best for you depends on your particular needs.

But now you have a good overview of what you can get with HitFilm Express, and I hope this review has helped you find out if it is the right tool for you or not.

 

If you have any comments, questions, or have any experiences with HitFilm Express yourself, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.