There are many reasons to need a video cutter. These reasons can range from very professional reasons like editing a music video or movie to personal reasons like editing out a very embarrassing part of a video you took of your family. Whatever the reason, a video cutter is a very handy tool to have around. Weeny Free Video Cutter is, as its name suggests, a free alternative to big-time video editors like Sony Vegas and Adobe Premiere. However, just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s automatically good. Is the Weeny Free Video Cutter good enough to be an effective alternative to professional video editing software?

The Good

I’ll be upfront and say that the Weeny Free Video Cutter didn’t impress me, but we’ll get to those reasons in a bit. First, let’s talk about the good aspects of the program. One good thing about it is the fact that it’s relatively easy to install. If one of the reasons why you’re hesitating about Sony Vegas and Adobe Premiere is the fact that they take too long to install, you won’t have to worry about that with this program. Additionally, the program has a simple interface. There are no complicated buttons and windows that only confuse the users. Of course, this could also be seen as a negative. Finally, I should mention that it is able to cut videos.

The Bad

As I mentioned above, the Weeny Free Video Cutter was far from impressive. One of the biggest reasons is the fact that it’s difficult to use. In the paragraph above, I listed the simplicity of the interface as a positive, but that it could also be seen as a negative. The interface is simple, to be sure, but that’s also the reason for the difficulty in using it. There are a lot of features that the program could have benefited from that are missing such as timestamps and rewind buttons. 

Cutting videos is also a very confusing and difficult process. In theory, it’s simple. All you have to do is add a file or segment then click the Cut Now button on the command bar at the top of the page. However, simple and essential functions like resizing the videos and adjusting the audio are inexplicably hidden in the menus. I do appreciate that the video options are displayed on the front screen. Another very important feature missing is an undo feature. How developers miss such an important feature escapes me because it seriously damages your productivity.

Just Not Good Enough

I should point out that professional editing software like Vegas or Premiere are pricey and resource-heavy for a reason. You may not be paying hundreds of dollars for the Weeny Free Video Cutter, but that doesn’t mean it will serve you well. It does do its job, but against better paid and free alternatives, that’s just not good enough.