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Compare HitFilm Express to the brand new HitFilm (Free)

We’ve launched an exciting new free version of HitFilm alongside our subscription plan. But why should you use it instead of HitFilm Express? Here’s everything you need to know about why it’s time to get HitFilm (Free)!

This brand new software comes with a whole range of big features and benefits that make the move to the latest version a no-brainer. So let’s learn the differences between HitFilm Free and HitFilm Express.


Feature Comparison

FreeExpress
16-bit & Linear Color

Only available with 3D: Model Render/Color: Starter/Color: Correction/Color: Scopes add-on packs
32-bit & Linear Color
Scopes Panel

Only available with Color: Scopes add-on pack
360 Viewer Panel

Only available with 360°: Toolkit/360°: Neon Lights/360° VFX add-on packs
3D Model ImportWatermarked

Only available with 3D: Model Render add-on pack
BCC 3D Objects Plugins
Only available with Boris 3D Objects add-on pack
Mocha HitFilm Plugin
Only available with Mocha HitFilm add-on pack
Timelines & exports above 1080p Full HD (up to 4K UHD)Watermarked

(Up to 4K DCI instead of up to 4K UHD)
Timelines & exports above 4K UHDWatermarked

(Above 4K DCI instead of above 4K UHD)
Learn panel
Creative Library
Freehand Path tool
Integration with VEGAS Pro
Light Mode theme
Dark Mode themeAvailable in Pay What You Want bundles
Software activations11

Effect Comparison

360° Video

FreeExpress
360° Animated LasersWatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: Neon Lights add-on pack
360° BlurWatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: Toolkit add-on pack
360° BulgeWatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: VFX add-on pack
360° Channel BlurWatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: Toolkit add-on pack
360° Fisheye ConverterWatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: Toolkit add-on pack
360° Fractal NoiseWatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: VFX add-on pack
360° GlowWatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: VFX add-on pack
360° Glow DarksWatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: VFX add-on pack
360° Lightsword (2-Point Auto)WatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: Neon Lights add-on pack
360° Lightsword (4-Point Manual)WatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: Neon Lights add-on pack
360° Lightsword (Glow Only)WatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: Neon Lights add-on pack
360° MagnifyWatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: VFX add-on pack
360° Neon PathWatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: Neon Lights add-on pack
360° TextWatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: Toolkit add-on pack
360° TwirlWatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: VFX add-on pack
360° UnsharpenWatermarkedWatermarked without 360°: Toolkit add-on pack
360° Video Transform
360° Viewer

Animation

FreeExpress
Center WipeWatermarked
EvaporateWatermarked
Linear WipeWatermarked
PinwheelWatermarked
Radial RevealWatermarked

Audio

FreeExpress
Audio Reverse
Balance
Cathedral
Channel Levels
CompressorWatermarkedWatermarked without Audio: Toolkit add-on pack
Doppler ShiftWatermarkedWatermarked without Audio: Toolkit add-on pack
Echo
EqualizerWatermarkedWatermarked without Audio: Toolkit add-on pack
Large Room
Medium Room
Noise ReductionWatermarkedWatermarked without Audio: Toolkit add-on pack
Pitch
Shortwave Radio
Small Room
Telephone
Tone

Behavior

FreeExpress
Acceleration
Attract ToWatermarkedWatermarked without Behaviors: Starter add-on pack
Central SpiralWatermarked
Cinema StyleWatermarked
Doomo DesignsWatermarked
Down Dir InsertWatermarked
Down InsertWatermarked
Down RollWatermarked
DragWatermarkedWatermarked without Behaviors: Starter add-on pack
DropWatermarked
Drop In By CharacterWatermarked
ExpansionWatermarked
FadeWatermarked
Fly InWatermarked
Fly In and Fade OutWatermarked
Fly In and Fly OutWatermarked
Fly To Zoom InWatermarked
FollowWatermarkedWatermarked without Behaviors: Starter add-on pack
Gravity
Left Dir InsertWatermarked
Left RollWatermarked
Mix Parent PositionWatermarkedWatermarked without Behaviors: Starter add-on pack
Motion TrackWatermarked
PushWatermarked
Randomized InsertWatermarked
Randomized RevealWatermarked
Repel FromWatermarkedWatermarked without Behaviors: Starter add-on pack
Rich TickWatermarked
Right Dir InsertWatermarked
Right RollWatermarked
Rotate By LayerWatermarkedWatermarked without Behaviors: Starter add-on pack
Shuffle InWatermarked
String FadeWatermarked
Throw
Tiny ZoomWatermarked
TwirlWatermarked
TypewriterWatermarked
Up Dir InsertWatermarked
Up InsertWatermarked
Up RollWatermarked
Wavy StyleWatermarked
Zoom InWatermarked
Zoom OutWatermarked

Blurs

FreeExpress
Angle Blur
Bilateral BlurWatermarkedWatermarked without Edit: Beautify add-on pack
Blur
Diffuse
Lens Blur
Motion Blur
Radial Blur
Zoom Blur

Channel

FreeExpress
Channel BlurWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Looks add-on pack
Channel MixerWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Starter add-on pack
Channel SwapperWatermarkedWatermarked without Composite: Toolkit add-on pack
Channel Time ShiftWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Looks add-on pack
Chromatic AberrationWatermarked
Color Space Converter

Color Correction

FreeExpress
Auto Color
Auto Contrast
Auto Levels
Brightness & Contrast
Color AdjustmentWatermarked
Color Balance
Color Correction Wheels [Deprecated]WatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Correction add-on pack
Color Temperature
Crush Blacks & Whites
Curves
Custom GrayWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Starter add-on pack
DehazeWatermarked
ExposureWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Starter add-on pack
Exposure ProWatermarked
Gamma
Hotspots
Hue, Saturation & Lightness
Levels Histogram
Pro Skin RetouchWatermarkedWatermarked without Edit: Beautify add-on pack
Tone ColoringWatermarked
White Balance
YUV Color CorrectionWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Correction add-on pack
YUV Color TransformWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Correction add-on pack

Color Grading

FreeExpress
Bleach BypassWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Looks add-on pack
Cine StyleWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Cine add-on pack
Classic Cine StyleWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Cine add-on pack
Color Cycle
Color Map
Color PhaseWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Starter add-on pack
Color VibranceWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Looks add-on pack
Day For Night
Duo ToneWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Looks add-on pack
Grading TransferWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: LUT add-on pack
Hue Colorize
Hue Shift
Invert
LUTWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: LUT add-on pack
Shadows & HighlightsWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Starter add-on pack
Three Strip Color
Two Strip Color
VibranceWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Starter add-on pack
Vignette
Vignette Exposure

Depth

FreeExpress
Depth MaskWatermarked
Depth MatteWatermarked

Distort

FreeExpress
Block DisplacementWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Retro 2 add-on pack
Bulge
Chromenator
Derez (VGHS)
Displacement
Energy DistortionWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Distortion add-on pack
Fluid DistortionWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Distortion add-on pack
Heat Distortion
Insect Vision
Magnify
Mosaic
PuppetWatermarkedWatermarked without Motion: Puppet add-on pack
Smoke DistortionWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Distortion add-on pack
Twirl
Waves
Witness Protection

Generate

FreeExpress
3D ExtrusionWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Starter add-on pack
Animated LasersWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Starter add-on pack
Audio SpectrumWatermarkedWatermarked without Motion: Audio Visual add-on pack
Audio WaveformWatermarkedWatermarked without Motion: Audio Visual add-on pack
Auto VolumetricsWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Lighting add-on pack
Caustics
CloneWatermarkedWatermarked without Composite: Toolkit add-on pack
Clouds
CosmosWatermarked
Dimension Rift
Distance FieldWatermarked
Drop Shadow
ElectroWatermarked
End Credits Crawl
Fractal Noise
Grid
HyperdriveWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Retro add-on pack
Letterbox
Lightsword (2-Point Auto) [Deprecated]
Lightsword (4-Point Manual) [Deprecated]
Lightsword (Glow Only) [Deprecated]
Lightsword Ultra (2-Point Auto)WatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Neon Lights add-on pack
Lightsword Ultra (4-Point Manual)WatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Neon Lights add-on pack
Lightsword Ultra (Glow Only)WatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Neon Lights add-on pack
Neon PathWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Neon Lights add-on pack
PiP (Picture-in-Picture)WatermarkedWatermarked without Edit: Starter add-on pack
Pond Ripple
Pulp Sci-fi Title CrawlWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Retro add-on pack
Radio Waves
Reflection
Sphere
Split Screen MaskingWatermarkedWatermarked without Edit: Starter add-on pack
StrokeWatermarked
TextWatermarkedWatermarked without Edit: Starter add-on pack
Tile
Timecode
Vector StrokeWatermarked
Vertical VideoWatermarkedWatermarked without Edit: Starter add-on pack
Water CausticsWatermarked
WireframeWatermarkedWatermarked without 3D: Model Render add-on pack

Geometry

FreeExpress
BendWatermarkedWatermarked without 3D: Generate add-on pack
BevelWatermarkedWatermarked without 3D: Generate add-on pack
ExtrudeWatermarkedWatermarked without 3D: Generate add-on pack
RotateWatermarkedWatermarked without 3D: Generate add-on pack

Gradients & Fills

FreeExpress
4-Point Color Gradient
Color Gradient
Fill Color
Radial Gradient

Grunge

FreeExpress
Dot MatrixWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Retro 2 add-on pack
Film DamageWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Damage add-on pack
Film GrainWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Damage add-on pack
FlickerWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Lighting add-on pack
Grain
Half Tone
Half Tone ColorWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Retro add-on pack
Jitter
Lens DirtWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Retro 2 add-on pack
Noise
Pixel SortWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Retro 2 add-on pack
Scan LinesWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Retro add-on pack
Shake
Stutter
TV DamageWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Damage add-on pack

Keying

FreeExpress
Chroma KeyWatermarkedWatermarked without Composite: Pro Keying add-on pack
Chroma UV Blur
Color Difference Key
Demult
Difference Key
Hue & RGB Key
Luminance Key
Alpha Brightness & Contrast
Crush Blacks & Whites Alpha
Erode White
Invert Alpha
Light Wrap
Matte Cleaner
Remove Color Matting
Set Matte
Spill Removal
Remove Stock BackgroundWatermarked

Lights & Flares

FreeExpress
Anamorphic Lens FlareWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Lighting add-on pack
Auto Light Flares
Custom Light FlaresWatermarked
GleamWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Lighting add-on pack
Glow
Inner GlowWatermarked
Light Flares
Light LeakWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Lighting 2 add-on pack
Light RaysWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Lighting 2 add-on pack
Light StreaksWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Lighting 2 add-on pack
Neon Glow
Outer GlowWatermarked
Super GlowWatermarked

Particles & Simulation

FreeExpress
Atomic ParticleWatermarkedWatermarked without Motion: Audio Visual add-on pack
Blood SprayWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Starter add-on pack
FireWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Starter add-on pack
GunfireWatermarkedWatermarked without 3D: Gunfire add-on pack
Lightning & Electricity
Particle SimulatorWatermarkedWatermarked without 3D: Particles add-on pack
Rain On Glass
ShatterWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Starter add-on pack

Quick 3D

FreeExpress
Bonfire [Deprecated]
Falling Debris [Deprecated]
Fire Explosion [Deprecated]
Fluffy Cloud [Deprecated]
Missile Smoke [Deprecated]
Rain [Deprecated]
Sci-Fi Shockwave [Deprecated]
Smoke [Deprecated]
Sparks [Deprecated]
Storm Cloud [Deprecated]

Scene

FreeExpress
Parallax
ProjectorWatermarkedWatermarked without Composite: Toolkit add-on pack
Surface StudioWatermarked

Scopes

FreeExpress
HistogramWatermarked without Color: Scopes add-on pack
ParadeWatermarked without Color: Scopes add-on pack
VectorscopeWatermarked without Color: Scopes add-on pack
WaveformWatermarked without Color: Scopes add-on pack

Sharpen

FreeExpress
Highpass SharpenWatermarked
Sharpen
Unsharpen

Stylize

FreeExpress
Cartoon
Edge DistortionWatermarked
Emboss
Find Edges
Glow Darks
Leave ColorWatermarkedWatermarked without Color: Looks add-on pack
Oil Painting
Pencil SketchWatermarked
Photorama
Posterize
Rough EdgesWatermarked
Solarize
Threshold
Tint

Temporal

FreeExpress
Echo
Motion Trails
Speed
Time Displacement
Time Reverse

Transitions – Audio

FreeExpress
Cross Fade
Fade

Transitions – Video

FreeExpress
Additive Dissolve
Cross Dissolve
Dither Dissolve
Light LeakWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Lighting 2 add-on pack
Fade to Color
Iris
Push
Slide
Split
Page Turn
Clock Wipe
Linear Wipe
Radial Wipe
Cross Zoom
Zoom

Video Clean-up

FreeExpress
Auto StabilizerWatermarked
Clone Stamp
Crop & Pan
Deinterlace
DenoiseWatermarkedWatermarked without Edit: Repair add-on pack
Grain RemovalWatermarkedWatermarked without Edit: Repair add-on pack
Motion Lock
Rolling ShutterWatermarkedWatermarked without Edit: Repair add-on pack
Wire RemovalWatermarkedWatermarked without Composite: Toolkit add-on pack

Warp

FreeExpress
Action Cam CropWatermarkedWatermarked without Edit: Starter add-on pack
Action Cam Lens Distort
Bezier Warp
GoPro Lens Reframe
Lens DistortWatermarkedWatermarked without VFX: Distortion add-on pack
Page Curl
Perspective Warp
Polar Warp
Quad Warp
Spherical Warp
Vortex Displacement Warp

Minimum Requirements

FreeExpress
WindowsMicrosoft Windows 11 (64-bit), Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)Windows 10
MacmacOS 12 Monterey, macOS 11 Big Sur, macOS 10.15 CatalinaMacOS 10.14 Mojave, MacOS 10.15 Catalina, or MacOS 11 Big Sur
Internet connectionRequired for activation and accessing online functionalityRequired for activation and accessing online functionality
Processor6th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 (2015), AMD Ryzen 5 (2017), Apple Silicon (2020)*

* Supported through Rosetta 2
4th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors or AMD equivalent
RAM8 GB (16 GB recommended)4 GB (8 GB or more recommended)
Graphics card

Minimum

Recommended
Must have active support from driver vendor

2 GB of video memory (4GB or more and NVIDIA, AMD or Apple Silicon required for 8K UHD)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10 series (2016)
AMD Radeon RX 400 series (2016)
Intel HD Graphics 620 (2016)
Apple Silicon (2020)

8 GB of dedicated video memory
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 20 series (2018)
AMD Radeon RX 5000 series (2019)
Supported through Rosetta 2
Must have active support from driver vendor
Graphics processor with at least 1 GB of video memory.
2GB or more video memory is recommended for 4K UHD

NVIDIA: GeForce 600 (Kepler) Series (2012)
AMD: Radeon R5 240 (2013)
Intel: HD Graphics 5000 (GT3) (2013)
Support for Apple Silicon

New features added (a closer look)

Learn Panel

A new Learn panel has been added to HitFilm. This expandable panel allows you to play video tutorials alongside your project so that we can teach you how to use each feature and function of the software as you go.

The Learn panel will receive regular updates to cover all of the features of the software (or when new features are added) and will continue to be accessible no matter your skill level! All your Learn panel progress is saved as you watch through the lessons so you know just how far you’ve come since the start of your creative journey.

If there is a topic or feature you’d like to see covered within the Learn panel – let us know!

Creative Library 

The Creative Library features exciting creative assets for you to use in your video content! With the Free plan, you get access to:

  • 10 songs
  • 25 sound effects
  • 5 templates

Freehand Path tool

The new Freehand Path tool is perfect for creating open paths to use with many of the effects found in HitFilm.


Next steps…

Note: The Free plan of HitFilm is completely free but you can always upgrade if you need more features, effects, or assets. Check out the Creator and Pro plans on our pricing page to see which version of the software is right for you. Check out this article for an in-depth comparison between the Free, Creator, and Pro plans.

If you have any questions about the software, visit our Support page to read our FAQs or contact our dedicated support team. You can even email the team via customersupport@fxhome.com.

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Oli Thompson

Oli Thompson

Community Specialist at FXhome by Artlist
Oli Thompson

Oli Thompson

Community Specialist at FXhome by Artlist