Instagram Edits Lands on Desktop, Mac Only - 4 Free Windows Editors to Use Instead

Instagram's free Edits video editor is now on desktop, but only for Macs with Apple silicon - there is no Windows version and no date for one.

If you edit Reels on a Windows PC, you will need a different app for now.

Here's what Edits for desktop does, who can run it, and four free Windows editors that do the same job today.

What Instagram Launched

On November 5, Instagram released Edits for desktop as a free download from its Edits website.

Edits started as a phone app in April 2025 as Instagram's answer to CapCut, and Instagram says more than 50 million creators now use it.

The desktop version gives you a bigger canvas for projects that have outgrown a phone screen. Instagram says it will get weekly updates.

What It Can Do

• A real timeline. Multiple video and audio tracks, keyframes for transitions, and audio waveforms for cutting on the beat.
• Color tools. Color wheels, curves and log conversion, plus your own LUTs - ready-made color looks you can import.
• Captions and audio. Unlimited automatic captions in several languages and Instagram's licensed music library.
• Your own shortcuts and fonts. Keyboard shortcuts can be set to match other editors you already know.
• Post straight to Instagram. Publish with tags, location and trial reels, without moving the file to your phone first.
• 4K export with no watermark. Vertical or horizontal, so the video can go to other platforms too.

Saved audio and text styles from the phone app carry over. Editing the same project on your phone and your Mac is still being worked on.

Who Can Actually Run It

• A Mac with an Apple silicon chip, M1 or later
• An Instagram account to sign in with

Older Intel Macs are left out. To check yours, open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac - an Apple silicon Mac lists a Chip starting with Apple M.

The Best Free Editors for Reels on Windows

All four of these are free, run on Windows 10 and 11, and export without a watermark. The real difference is how much editing you want to do.

CapCut is the nearest match, with AI captions and background removal. A plain export has no watermark - watermarks only appear if you use a Pro template or effect, which CapCut marks with a crown icon.

Microsoft Clipchamp is Microsoft's own drag-and-drop editor, with free captions, voiceovers and stock media. 4K export needs a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family plan.

DaVinci Resolve is what professionals use, and the free version already beats Edits on color work. It needs a capable graphics card and plenty of RAM, so it's the wrong pick for an older laptop.

Shotcut is free and open source, opens almost any file format and never asks you to sign in. It's plainer to look at, but it does the job on modest hardware.

If Shotcut still feels busy, OpenShot Video Editor is the gentler open-source pick. It has a simpler drag-and-drop timeline and ready-made export profiles, also with no watermark and no account.

Should You Wait for Edits on Windows?

Only if you're already deep into Edits on your phone and want its music library and direct posting. There's no sign of a Windows version yet, and the Mac app itself is only days old.

For everyone else, CapCut or Clipchamp does the same job today. You can still finish a project in the Edits phone app if you only need its licensed tracks.

Quick questions