TL;DR: Looking for the best vertical video editor? This guide reviews 7 popular tools, including Video Converter Ultimate, CapCut, Quik, InShot, iMovie, Kapwing, and VEED. Each editor offers unique features for creating TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts videos. Video Converter Ultimate is recommended for users who need a powerful desktop solution with advanced editing, format conversion, and video enhancement features, while CapCut, InShot, and Quik are better choices for quick mobile editing.
With the rise of TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and other mobile-first platforms, vertical videos have become one of the most popular content formats. Compared with traditional horizontal videos, vertical videos are designed for smartphone screens and can provide a more immersive viewing experience.
However, creating high-quality vertical videos requires a professional vertical video editor that can help with cropping, resizing, adding effects, inserting subtitles, and optimizing videos for different platforms. Whether you are a content creator, social media marketer, or beginner looking to edit videos quickly, choosing the right vertical video editing software can significantly improve your workflow. Below are seven popular vertical video editors that can help you create engaging portrait videos with ease.
Video Converter Ultimate is a powerful all-in-one video editing tool that works well as a vertical video editor for PC/Mac. It allows users to convert regular landscape videos into vertical formats suitable for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and other platforms.
The software provides useful editing features, including video cropping, aspect ratio adjustment, rotation, trimming, adding filters, subtitles, and watermarks. Users can easily change a 16:9 horizontal video into a 9:16 vertical video while keeping the important content centered.
Besides vertical video editing, it also supports more than 1,000 video and audio formats, batch conversion, video compression, GIF creation, and AI-powered video enhancement features. It is suitable for users who need a complete solution for video editing and format conversion.
Key features of Video Converter Ultimate:
Pros:
* User-friendly interface for beginners.
* Support multiple video editing and conversion features.
* Maintain high video quality after editing.
* Fast video processing speed.
Cons:
* Some advanced features require the paid version.
CapCut is one of the most popular vertical video editor apps among TikTok and short-video creators. With CapCut, users can quickly adjust video dimensions, choose a 9:16 canvas, add transitions, apply trendy effects, generate automatic captions, and synchronize music with video clips. Its large collection of templates and effects makes it especially popular among beginners who want to create professional-looking videos without complicated editing skills.
CapCut also includes AI-powered tools such as background removal, auto captions, and AI effects, helping creators speed up the editing process.
Pros:
* The free version includes many useful features.
* Ideal for short-form videos on social media platforms.
* Easy for beginners to learn and use.
* Available on both mobile and desktop devices.
Cons:
* Some features require a paid subscription.
* Limited advanced professional editing tools.
* Depending on the settings, some exported videos may include platform branding or logos.
Quik is a simple vertical video editor developed by GoPro, mainly designed for users who want to create videos quickly. It is especially useful for editing action camera footage, travel clips, and personal videos.
The app can automatically analyze video clips, select highlights, sync edits with music, and create polished videos within minutes. Users can also manually adjust video length, add text, change layouts, and customize the final result. (If you are looking for a GoPro video editor, you can read this article.)
Pros:
* Very easy to use.
* Save editing time through automation.
* Ideal for travel and action videos.
* Beginner-friendly user interface.
Cons:
* Limited advanced editing controls.
* Fewer creative effects compared with CapCut.
* Not suitable for professional video production.
InShot is a widely used mobile editing app that works well as a free iPhone vertical video editor. It supports video resizing, trimming, merging, adding music, applying filters, and inserting text. One of InShot's biggest advantages is its simple interface. Users can easily convert videos into vertical formats and prepare them for Instagram Stories, Reels, TikTok, and other platforms. It also provides many creative tools, including stickers, transitions, emojis, and background effects.
Pros:
* Easy mobile editing experience.
* Good for Instagram and TikTok content.
* Many creative effects available.
* Suitable for beginners.
Cons:
* Free version contains watermarks.
* Limited professional editing functions.
* Some features require in-app purchases.
* Not ideal for complex professional editing.
iMovie is a free video editing software developed by Apple for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Although it is not specifically designed as a vertical video editor, users can still create vertical videos by adjusting project settings and cropping video clips.
As a free iPhone vertical video editor, iMovie provides essential editing features, including trimming, transitions, music, text effects, and video enhancements. It is a great choice for Apple users who need a free and simple editing solution without installing additional software.
Pros:
* Completely free for Apple users.
* Clean and intuitive interface.
* No learning curve for beginners.
* Compatible with Apple devices.
Cons:
* Limited vertical video templates.
* Fewer advanced effects.
* Not available for Windows users.
Kapwing is an online vertical video editor that allows users to edit videos directly in their web browsers. It is ideal for creators who need a convenient editing solution without downloading additional software.
Kapwing supports video resizing, automatic subtitles, background removal, collaboration tools, and various AI-powered editing features. Users can quickly convert videos into vertical formats optimized for social media platforms. With its online workflow, Kapwing is also a useful tool for teams that need to collaborate on video projects.
Pros:
* Work directly in a browser without installing software.
* Support collaborative editing.
* Simple and beginner-friendly.
Cons:
* The free version has limitations.
* Require an internet connection.
* Advanced features require a paid subscription.
VEED is another popular online vertical video editor designed for creators, businesses, and social media marketers. It provides a complete set of browser-based video editing tools for creating professional portrait videos.
Users can resize videos for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, automatically generate subtitles, add branding elements, and improve video quality. VEED is especially useful for creators who rely on captions because subtitles can significantly improve engagement for short-form videos.
Compared with simple mobile apps, VEED offers more business-oriented features and is suitable for marketing teams and professional content creators.
Pros:
* Powerful online editing features.
* Excellent subtitle tools.
* Suitable for professional creators.
* Convenient sharing and collaboration.
* Ideal for creating marketing videos.
Cons:
* Advanced features require a subscription.
* Limited export options in the free version.
* Online editing depends on internet speed.
Choosing the right vertical video editor depends on your editing needs and experience level.
Related Articles:
6 Best Apps to Rotate Videos for Android (Free & Effective)
10 Best Free Video Editing Software with No Watermark: In-Depth Review
Feedback
Free Download for PC 
Free Download for Mac 
