Whether you’re an amateur enthusiast, a YouTuber, or a professional, choosing the right video editing software for your projects is a crucial step in the creative process. The market is somewhat oversaturated with a wide variety of options, making it sometimes an overwhelming task to figure out which one to choose. Luckily, we’ve compiled an eclectic top-10 list to help you with that task. Our diverse picks ensure there is at least one suitable for your needs regardless of platform and experience level.
A powerful and versatile video editor with a varied range of effects and tools capable of assisting you in any editing endeavor, big or small, from homemade documentaries, YouTube clips, to ambitious movie projects – Final Cut Pro X can do it all. Unfortunately, it is one of the most expensive on the list, so if you’re on a budget, keep scrolling for more cost-effective options!
Operating System and Requirements: Mac
Key Features:
- Multi-camera editing
- Intelligent color balancing
Recommended for: Professionals or Media Students
Price: $299.99, 90-day free trial available
| Pros | Cons |
| ⊕ Diverse capabilities ⊕ Intuitive interface | ⊖ Expensive ⊖ Not available for Windows ⊖ No stabilization for 360 degrees |
Movavi Video Editor Plus is an excellent choice for creating impressive edits for beginners. With a wide range of special effects, keyframe animations, and ready-made intros, to name but a few of the copious features included – polished productions can be rendered effortlessly. Themes and templates are available for instant editing, in addition to audio and transitions that automatically adjust to accommodate footage.
Operating System and Requirements: Windows 7 or higher, Mac OS X 10.10 or higher
Key Features:
- Over 160 filters and special effects
- Sound effects library
- Stickers
Recommended for: Beginners and Professionals
Price: Free trial version available. $39.95 for a 1-year license, $59.95 for a lifetime version
| Pros | Cons |
| ⊕ Easy to use ⊕ Intuitive interface ⊕ Lots of tools and features ⊕ Supports many file formats for import and export ⊕ Direct upload to youtube from app | ⊖ Limited control over color tuning ⊖ Limited free templates for text and transitions |
It would be remiss not to mention Adobe Premiere Pro, regarded by all as the industry standard. All features and their performances are benchmarks for other video editing software on the market. This software can pretty much make any editor’s dream a reality as it has all the capabilities you could want. But with great power comes high system requirements. For smooth functionality, the program needs quite powerful computing power and RAM.
Operating System and Requirements: Windows 10 or higher (64-bit), Mac v10.14 or higher, 8GB RAM
Key Features:
- Simultaneous projects
- Regional closed captions standard
- VR editing
Recommended for: Professionals
Price: from $19.97 per month
| Pros | Cons |
| ⊕ Boundless capabilities ⊕ Powerful and professional editing tools ⊕ Integration with other Adobe apps | ⊖ Expensive ⊖ High system requirements ⊖ Spreadsheet integration sometimes buggy |
Make your film a hit with HitFilm Express. This top-tier video editing software is offered for free, allowing everyone a professional editing experience. Beginners may take some time to get acclimated, but intermediate to expert leveled editors should find it accessible. The only small downside worth mentioning is the strange addition step in the installation process, where sharing a link to the developer’s website on your social media is required.
Key Features:
- 2D and 3D composite effects
- 180+ visual effects
- MP4 H.264 export
Operating System and Requirements: Mac OS 10.13 Sierra and Windows 8 (64-bit) or higher
Recommended for: Beginners and Professionals
Price: Free, with optional add-on features starting from $6
| Pros | Cons |
| ⊕ Free ⊕ Customizable interface ⊕ Easy drag and drop special effects ⊕ Supports a wide range of import formats ⊕ Great resources available for beginners | ⊖ Lacks support service ⊖ Complicated download and installation⊖ High system requirements |
5. Apple iMovie
For Mac and iPad owners, this nifty app comes pre-loaded. Great for general and quick editing of small video projects such as home movies or short clips. It is most notable for its audio tools, making it quite capable of creating flawless music videos and movie trailers.
Key Features:
- 4k resolution support
- Basic effects and filters
Operating System and Requirements: Mac
Recommended for: Beginners and intermediate enthusiasts.
Price: Free
| Pros | Cons |
| ⊕ Free ⊕ Easy to use ⊕ Great audio tools | ⊖ Lacks multi-cam, motion tracking, and 360-degree features ⊖ Too basic for professionals |
Developed by heavy-hitter Corel, this editor is aimed at those with professional aspirations in their creations boasting high-end features and support for motion tracking, stop-motion video, multi-cam video, 360-degree VR, and 4K video.
Key Features:
- Color balancing
- Multi-camera capture and editing
- Stop motion animation
Operating System and Requirements: Windows
Recommended for: Beginners and professionals
Price: Studio $54.95, Studio Plus $79.95 or Studio Ultimate $99.95 (no free trial, but 30-day money-back guarantee)
| Pros | Cons |
| ⊕ Easy to use ⊕ Lots of useful features ⊕ Great audio tools | ⊖ Affordable ⊖ Can be buggy ⊖ Too basic for professional edits |
7. VideoPad
An ideal replacement for Windows Movie Maker, VideoPad is a powerful editor with many coveted tools and features. The full version is on the pricier side, but there are often promotional discounts, and even a quarterly payment plan is available for the Master’s Edition. Though notably, the Mac version is a lot more limited than the Windows version; therefore, it may not be the best choice for those using Apple products.
Key Features:
- Imposing 2D video or pic into a 360-degree compilation
- Extensive set of editing tools including Green Screen capabilities
- High definition and stabilization
Operating System and Requirements: Windows 7 or higher (64-bit), Mac OS X 10.5 or higher
Recommended for: Beginners or amateur movie makers.
Price: Free trial available, $60 or $99 for Home or Master’s Edition. free version from NCH
| Pros | Cons |
| ⊕ Easy to use ⊕ Supports a wide range of import formats ⊕ Lots of tools and features | ⊖ Annoying pop-ups in the free version ⊖ Poor auto speech to text subtitling |
8. Lightworks
Lightworks has an established reputation amongst video editing professionals. In fact, the premium version of the software was used in post-production for numerous blockbuster Hollywood films: The Departed, Shutter Island, 28 Days Later, Pulp Fiction, and Mission Impossible, to name a few. This video editor includes various features that make it a formidable rival to even the top-end expensive programs.
Key Features:
- Real-time preview of effects
- Import and render background footage
- Custom keyboard shortcuts
Operating System and Requirements: Windows 7 or higher, Mac OS X 10.11 or higher, Linux
Recommended for: Professionals
Price: Free
| Pros | Cons |
| ⊕ Free ⊕ Customizable Interface ⊕ Multi-track editing ⊕ Many features and effects | ⊖ Intimidating learning curve |
A pleasantly competent web-based video editing tool that can do all basic edits in addition to having a decent range of filters and special visual and audio effects. Music is courtesy of independent musicians hosted on Jamendo.
Key Features:
- Capable web-browser tool
- Drag and drop video file editing
- Good selection of stock images and music files
Operating System and Requirements: Any browser
Recommended for: Beginners, Experimental Enthusiasts
Price: Free
| Pros | Cons |
| ⊕ Free web browser-based tool ⊕ No watermark or registration ⊕ Some stock photos and music included ⊕ Free download for an offline desktop version | ⊖ Distracting Ads ⊖ Odd layout ⊖ Only exports to MPEG |
10. KineMaster
For a mobile app, there is none other that can produce quality results like KineMaster. Easy to use with an impressive range of features, this app brings video editing on the go to another level! Though not quite able to replace desktop counterparts, KineMaster is a comprehensive tool great for beginners, traveling editors, and quick edits.
Key Features:
- Blending modes and chroma keying
- Instant previews
- Audio mixing
Operating System and Requirements: Android v6.0 or higher, iOS v11.4 or higher
Recommended for: beginners, quick edits
Price: $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year. Free version available.
| Pros | Cons |
| ⊕ Free ⊕ Intuitive interface ⊕ Plenty of impressive features | ⊖ Slow on older devices ⊖ Lacks fine-tuning of features ⊖ Watermark on free version edits |
Conclusion
There are many factors to consider when choosing the right video editing software to bring your artistic vision to life. You must think carefully about your needs and budget in addition to system requirements when making your decision.
| Top Video Editing Software For Windows | Top Video Editing Software For Mac | Top Video Editing Software For Phone Apps |
| Movavi Video Editor Plus Adobe Premiere ProHitfilm ExpressVideoPad | Final Cut Pro X Lightworks Apple iMovie | KineMaster Movie Maker Online |
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