You don't need a large budget to start editing: CapCut is a free mobile-and-desktop editor popular with short-form creators, DaVinci Resolve offers a surprisingly full-featured free version used by professionals for color grading and advanced editing, and iMovie comes free on Mac and iOS devices. Every editor follows a similar basic workflow regardless of brand: import your raw footage, arrange clips on a timeline, trim and cut, add effects or text, and export in the correct format for your platform. Beginners should start with one tool and master its basics — timeline navigation, cutting, and exporting — before exploring advanced features like multi-camera editing or motion graphics.