Top 5 YouTube Video Cropper Tools: Free and Paid Options

Part 1. Why Cropping YouTube Videos Matters More Than You Think

Since video content is the primary form of entertainment on social media, learning to use a reliable YouTube video cropper and downloading the right options is more important than ever. If you manage to pick the right option, the time it takes to process video content will be greatly improved, as you will be able to outsource generic cropping tasks to a software that is much simpler to use.

With that in mind, you need to learn how to choose the right video cropping option first. Fortunately, there are key elements to consider when selecting the best tool for you. We will discuss these factors in the next section of this review.

Part 2. How to Choose the Right Video Cropper for Your Needs

Ease of Use

Valuing a program’s ease of use is much more important than just relying on its editing features. If a video crop editor program is packed with advanced features, you must ensure that its technical requirements for effective use are low enough to make it reliable based on your knowledge. Select a video cropper that fits your skills.

Pricing

In addition to practicality, the pricing plans of the video cropper software should also be considered, as this is one of the most significant obstacles for users seeking multimedia software. If a program’s paid options are much higher than the editing tool it supports, consider looking for a more affordable program.

Output Quality

Since cropping a video is a form of video editing, files that will run multimedia programs have a high chance of having their quality reduced. With that in mind, you must ensure that the crop tool you use can at least preserve the quality of the media files edited in it.

Processing Speed Feature

The greatest factor affecting software efficiency is its processing speed. The same is true of video cropping software. With that in mind, checking the processing speed feature of your program is also important to avoid inconvenience when cropping multiple videos. A helpful tip is to check if the cropping program is GPU-accelerated.

Supported Formats

Learning the tool’s input and output formats is another crucial factor to consider. If the YouTube video you want to crop is not supported by the software you have chosen, you will not be able to proceed with the process. Ensure that the option you choose can play videos saved in common formats, such as MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, and others.

Part 3. Best 5 YouTube Video Croppers (Free & Paid)

1. AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate

The first video cropping tool that we will review is AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate’s Video Cropper tool. This exclusive video editing feature is one of the 20+ tools available in the Toolbox tab of the software, which includes other multimedia options designed for easily applying creative adjustments to videos.

Equipped with a fully customizable crop box, users who choose to use the Video Cropper Tool can easily select the portion of the video they want to crop by simply adjusting the box selector in the video preview.

For a more precise cropping option, the software also allows for the selection of multiple aspect ratios, enabling accurate cropping of videos into a specific form, such as 9:16, ideal for short-form content on TikTok, Reels, and Shorts, or a 1:1 option applicable for Instagram videos. The availability of these cropping presets provides a major convenience for creating social media content.

In addition to the added practical cropping options, the quality of videos edited within the software will also be maintained even after cropping or conversion. In fact, videos edited in AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate may even have their quality enhanced thanks to the program's conversion tool.

Moreover, users who want to apply further editing adjustments to their videos may do so, as essential editing tools are available in the program, including video rotation, video trimmer, and video effects, which are all great complements to the video cropping tool.

For increased efficiency, batch processing offers significant value to the overall practicality of the program, as it can serve as a significant time-saver. Most of the software's features, along with the Video Cropping tool, support batch processing.

If you are concerned about the software's performance due to its flexible features, fear not, as AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate is supported by a GPU-accelerated system compatible with AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA graphics cards.

To learn more about the best free video cropper for YouTube Shorts and regular videos, make sure to download AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate using the link below, and read its pros and cons.

User Reviews:

The flexibility of AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate as a video converter, editor, and cropper tool makes it one of the most reliable multimedia software programs in the market. This is reflected among its users, who range from aspiring editors to experienced professionals looking to enhance their workflow.

2. DaVinci Resolve

The next option on this list is the most advanced YouTube video cropper, available for free use courtesy of the DaVinci Resolve video editor. Optimized as an advanced visual effects editor, the software can be considered the most reliable tool for experienced video editors.

This was made possible by the professional-grade video editing tool in the program, which includes the video cropper option. Available on the Edit page, the Cropping option in the Inspector panel allows you to remove portions of the video using top, bottom, left, and right sliders. Although more complicated, this option offers better accuracy than traditional video cropping tools.

Unfortunately, the technical demands required to run DaVinci Resolve effectively are quite high, especially if you plan to use it only as a video cropping tool. This makes the program a suboptimal choice for beginner editors.

User Reviews:

DaVinci Resolve’s high-grade editing materials make it the best option for skilled video editors. Unfortunately, this feature itself made it an intimidating tool for casual editors. Despite that, reviews of the software are largely positive, as it is widely used in professional editing.

3. CapCut

With two desktop-based software options now discussed, let us proceed to the best online YouTube video cropper: CapCut. Although popularly known as an online tool, the software is actually a cross-platform editor that is also available for desktop and mobile devices.

Among the programs on this list, CapCut is the easiest to use, as its online nature makes it highly beginner-friendly. With that in mind, it uses a similar cropping option to AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate, featuring a crop box option that can be adjusted using your cursor.

However, its background as an online tool and its freeware nature made it susceptible to paid plans. Most of its advanced and practical features are only available with a subscription to its premium offerings. Ads, especially on mobile devices, also plague the free version.

User Reviews:

CapCut’s accessibility is the most praised element of the program. Additionally, it's easy to grasp the cropping tool, further solidifying its position as one of the best free online YouTube video croppers.

4. iMovie

The fourth option in this article for cropping a video is iMovie for Mac. The built-in video editing tool is available for modern Mac computers. Since it is free to use and functional enough for its target market, iMovie could be considered as one of the go-to options for amateur video editors looking to crop their YouTube videos.

To make the program a reliable video cropping software for Mac, it uses a box selector crop mode for quick and easy editing. The option to use iMovie to crop a video is a beginner-friendly way that makes the program a welcome addition to the highly optimized Mac computers.

Unfortunately, its freeware nature makes the tool an unreliable option for users who want to edit higher-quality and larger videos.

User Reviews:

The built-in nature of iMovie appeals to beginners who are already familiar with the Mac operating system. Fortunately, it was specifically designed for amateurs, as it is both easy to use and reliable.

5. Adobe Express

Although most Adobe software is desktop-based, the company recently added an online tool to its catalog with Adobe Express. Designed to rival multimedia online tools like Canva, this Adobe offering was also created to be beginner-friendly and highly accessible.

Moving forward to its cropping tools, the program also features a generic crop box option, allowing you to easily crop an MP4 video and other formats. Unfortunately, Adobe Express’ free version can be considered highly limited, as most of its premium features are locked behind its paid versions.

User Reviews:

Although Adobe Express is browser-based, it is suitable for users accustomed to the Adobe interface design. Unfortunately, its steep price tag for an online tool makes it an unreliable video editor, as it presents a significant barrier to entry.

Part 4. Final Verdict: Which Cropper Is Best for You

Now that we have reviewed five of the best options for cropping or changing the aspect ratio of YouTube videos, we can proceed to a side-by-side comparison of each software based on specific measurements that must be considered when choosing a video cropping tool.

Using the comparison table below, we can now select AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate as the best video cropping solution for YouTube videos and general social media video dimensions due to its excellent balance of functions, efficiency, and ease of use throughout the program.

Part 5. How to Crop a YouTube Video Step-by-Step

For an easier time learning how to crop YouTube videos, please refer to our three-step guide on using AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate’s professional-grade video cropper tool.

1. Open AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate and select the Toolbox tab. Next, select the Video Cropper tool.

2. After selecting the Video Cropper tool, select the Add button in the pop-up menu to upload the video you want to crop.

3. Inside the Video Cropper menu, adjust the yellow Crop Box in the preview window to manually select the portion of the video you want to crop. You can also select the Aspect Ratio tab to choose a preset aspect ratio. Once done, select the Export button to save the editing adjustments.

With the help of our quick guide, we hope that this article has helped you learn how to crop a YouTube video for use on TikTok, Reels, and other short-form content platforms. Among the programs in this list, we selected AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate as the most balanced solution for editing YouTube content.