Add captions and effects to YouTube videos on Windows, free

If you make YouTube videos, Shorts or Reels, you probably need captions, a few effects and pictures on top of your footage. PointerStudio is a free Windows app by Khizoft that does this in one editor, exports an MP4 with no watermark and has no time limit. It started as a screen recorder, so it is especially good for tutorials and screen videos, but you can also import your own videos, pictures and sounds.

What you can do

Auto captions for English speech, with many styles: word by word, highlighted words, boxes, outlines and more. Choose a style for all captions at once and drag the captions anywhere on the video.
Effects: colour looks and motion effects such as shake, glitch and zoom pulse. Each effect is a block on the timeline that you move and resize.
Pictures and video on top (overlays): add a logo, a thumbnail or a clip. A picture gets 5 seconds by default; drag its edges to change it.
Text styles for titles and lower thirds, and transitions between clips.
Backgrounds and shapes for 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:5, 4:3 and 21:9.
Music and voice-over: import sounds or record your voice in the editor.
Full screen preview so you can watch the finished video before you export.

A simple workflow for a YouTube video

Install PointerStudio from the download page.
Choose Import media on Home and pick your video. Extra pictures and sounds go into the media bin.
Trim and split on the timeline: S splits at the playhead. Click any block to see Split, Duplicate and Delete.
Open Text & Captions, generate the captions and pick a style.
Add an effect where the video needs energy, and a picture or logo as an overlay.
Press F for the full screen preview, then Ctrl + E to export an MP4.

Long videos are fine

Videos of 20 minutes or an hour open quickly and captions come in parts, so you can work while they are made. See auto captions for long videos.

What to know

Windows 10 and 11 only. There is no Mac version yet.
Auto captions are English only today.
The installer is new and not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may warn you the first time: select More info, then Run anyway.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free video editor for Windows with auto captions and no watermark?

PointerStudio is free, adds no watermark, has no time limit and makes English auto captions on your computer.

Can I edit videos that are not screen recordings?

Yes. Use Import media on Home to open a video, then add pictures, sounds, captions and effects.

Can I add a logo or picture on top of my video?

Yes, with the Overlay track. A picture gets 5 seconds by default and you can drag its edges.

Can I make vertical videos for Shorts and Reels?

Yes. Choose the 9:16 shape in the background settings.

Does it work on Mac?

Not yet. PointerStudio is for Windows 10 and 11.

Download PointerStudio for Windows

Free for Windows 10 and 11. No watermark, no time limit.