If you like to edit videos, the ideal tool depends on your technical skill, willingness to learn about your financial limits, and task complexity. Some of the best video editing software is free, even with advanced features.
Premium options usually provide free trials so you can be sure they’ll work for your project. You need the right video editing software to produce professional results.
Below are some of the best video editing software for different needs and skill levels:
Softwares | Best for | Standout Feature | Pricing |
Adobe Premieree Pro | A complete set of expert tools for video editing | Everything a video editor may require | $20.99 a month, paid yearly |
DaVinci Resolve | A cross-platform, free choice | Cut or Edit: two distinct editing workflows | Ample free choice available; Studio edition costs $295 |
Final Cut Pro | Apple customers desiring a high-end editor | Extremely tuned for Macs with Apple silicon | $299.99 |
Clipchamp | Remote web-based editing | Web-based editing that’s convenient and packed with features and integrations | There is a free plan available; watermark removal and exports above 1080p cost $11.99 a month. |
Adobe Premieree Rush | Quick desktop and mobile tweaks | This user-friendly feature makes it excellent for video editors who seek a gentle learning curve. | The free plan is offered; the monthly cost is $9.99. Adobe Express aims to access all features and uncap exports |
Luxea Pro | Users of Luxea Pro Windows on a tight budget | An extremely user-friendly interface that makes the application extremely accessible | $49.99 annually; a lifetime license is offered for $99.99 |
Wondershare Filmora | Beginners | Many AI-powered solutions available to enhance film | Cross-platform plans cost $29.99 per quarter, while lifelong single-platform purchases cost $79.99. |
iMovie | A no-cost choice for Apple customers | Easy to use and thoroughly incorporated into the Apple ecosystem | Free for iPadOS, iOS, and macOS |
Cross-Platform Video Editing Software
Need versatile video editing software? Adobe Premieree Pro for Windows and Mac is powerful. With a simple interface, it offers basic edits and complex functions like color grading and object tracking. Monthly rates start at $20.99.
Adobe Premieree Pro (Windows, Mac)
Adobe, known for Photoshop and After Effects, makes Adobe Premieree Pro, a popular video editor. It can do everything from basic edits to color grading, chroma keying, and object tracking.
Premieree Pro has simple editing tools and a clear UI. This simplifies simple modifications, and Adobe gives an in-app tutorial when you install it.
However, many complex processes involve digging. Automatic or manual object tracking can be applied to clips. Auto-generating keyframes in Premieree Pro help you clean them up later. This requires learning how to make a clip-based sequence and draw a mask.
Other tracking methods require changing the interface to provide the necessary features. If you want to learn how to use this software efficiently, enroll into our Adobe Premieree pro course.
Adobe Premieree Pro: $20.99/month (annually) or $31.49/month (monthly); 7-day free trial.
Free Video Editing Software
A top free video editing software is DaVinci Resolve, which works on Windows and Mac. It’s a powerful tool for editing, color grading, audio mastering, visual effects, and motion graphics.
DaVinci Resolve (Windows, Mac)
DaVinci Resolve may be the best video editing software. The free base edition has a stunning number of professional capabilities. DaVinci Resolve has world-class video edits, color grading, audio mastering, visual effects, and motion graphics workspaces.
Workspaces are organized into bottom-of-page tabs. You can use advanced features like Fusion interface motion graphics or ignore them until you’re satisfied with the basics. It’s also helpful for multitasking and finishing everything in one app.
DaVinci Resolve has two video editing workflows:
- Cut is focused on speed and user-friendliness (it includes all the basic tools you need to trim and make basic adjustments)
- Edit is there if you need a wider range of tools for a more traditional editing experience.
DaVinci Resolve: Free for the ordinary version, $295 for Studio (typically included with Blackmagic Design hardware).
Mac Video Editing Software
Powerful video editing is available in Mac-only Final Cut Pro. With updates, it includes chroma keying, object identification, color grading, HDR, and graphic design.
Final Cut Pro (Mac, iPad)
Final Cut Pro is only for Macs (save for the cheaper, less productive iPad version released in early 2023). This limits its appeal, but if you have a Mac and want a good video editor at a reasonable price, it should be your first choice.
The video editor outperformed most others on this list (excluding iMovie). You may simply preview footage by rolling your cursor over it before adding it to your timeline. As a frequent iPhone videographer, you’ll adore how the app works with iCloud Photo Library.
Final Cut Pro now supports the iPhone’s Cinematic mode, which lets you alter focus and aperture with keyframes after shooting. The program supports chroma keying, object detection, color grading, HDR, and graphic and title creation.
Final Cut Pro cost: $299 with upgrades; 90-day free trial.
iMovie (Mac, iPhone, iPad)
iMovie works on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, although the desktop app has the most functionality and is easiest to use.
Simplicity is its main strength, therefore it’s hard to get stuck in. Integrated with your iCloud Photo Library, iMovie lets you preview drag, and drop clips into the timeline like a simplified Final Cut Pro. High-quality transitions, titles, and backdrops with precise animations and typography can improve footage from other free editors.
iCloud connection helps you transfer project files between devices, so you can edit on your iPhone and finish on your Mac. After editing, render a local file or upload it to YouTube or Facebook. Like GarageBand, you can only utilize a limited number of sound effects and music files to enhance your films.
iMovie price: Free
Online Video Editing Software
Chrome and Windows 11 users can use Clipchamp to edit videos. It has a free tier and a premium edition with drag-and-drop features.
Clipchamp (Chromium-based browsers, Windows 11)
Microsoft-owned Clipchamp is a browser-based video editor that works on most platforms. The standalone offline progressive web app is also available. If you’re not installing it locally, use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge to access it.
Clipchamp has an easy-to-use drag-and-drop timeline. Use the categories on the left to add transitions, titles, and stock media, or choose media in the timeline and use the toggles to the right of the editing interface to adjust it.
Use templates to easily construct Instagram and TikTok content and export it to YouTube, TikTok, or Google Drive. Lots of free stuff and an AI video composer can edit your video.
Clipchamp Price: Free tier outputs up to 1080p without watermarks, $11.99/month to eliminate constraints and access additional content.
Video Editor for Mobile and Desktop
Adobe Premieree Rush supports Mac, Android, iPhone, Windows, and iPad. It streamlines editing with multiple effects. The free version exports 1080p.
Adobe Premieree Rush (Mac, Android, iPhone, Windows, iPad)
Simply select your films in order, set an aspect ratio, and click Create. Rush will add your videos to a timeline faster than you can drag and drop. To avoid gaps in your footage, click and drag each clip’s start and end positions, and Rush will adapt the timeline.
Click and drag on the project to add clips and choose whether they go before or after the current clip. The right side of the program has bins of effects you can drag onto film, transitions you can position between clips, and titles and overlays. You may quickly change a clip’s speed, audio, location, and color.
However, chroma keying and object tracking are lacking, which is part of the idea. Rush’s free edition exports up to 1080p but doesn’t include Adobe’s Auto Reframe, a wonderful tool for vertical video artists. Upload instantly to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Behance, or locally without watermarks.
Mid-Range Option for Windows Video Editing
Windows-based Luxea Pro is a mid-range video editor for beginners and intermediates. It balances basic and advanced features.
Luxea Pro (Windows)
Not everyone requires a pro video editor, but free ones sometimes fall short. Here come mid-range choices like Luxea Pro. This simple video editor is for beginners and intermediate users who don’t need the depth of more expensive software but want more capabilities than freeware.
A modern interface connects everything and makes it easy to find what you need. Drag and drop your media pool, transitions, titles, filters, and more from the top toolbar onto your timeline or over a clip to apply them.
Double-clicking a clip lets you quickly alter the speed, opacity, and audio settings and apply keyframe-based transformations. Luxea has advanced tools like a simple chroma key effect (choose color, change threshold).
Luxea Pro Price: $49.99/year or $99.99/lifetime for the current edition.
Beginner friendly Video Editing Software
Wondershare Filmora for Windows and Mac has a simple interface with many effects, transitions, and more.
Wondershare Filmora (Windows, Mac)
Wondershare by Filmora has many video editing features. Its core is a simple video editor with a familiar UI for creating simple videos. Drag and drop clips onto the timeline, then use the inspector pane to transform them.
This is one of the best apps for video editing that has transitions, titles, stickers, themes, and video effects that you may add to your project. With so many, Filmora provides a Trending area to identify the greatest ones, or you may search by description or utilize the identify Similar option on each item.
Filmora packages various tools for ease of use. You can use Instant Mode to select a template, add media, and create something in a few clicks when you activate the app.
Wondershare has an auto-reframe tool for aspect ratios that don’t match your source video, a screen recorder, and AI-powered text-to-video and text-based video editing.
Filmora Wondershare Price: It costs $29.99/quarter for cross-platform or $79.99/lifetime (single OS).
Bottom Line
There isn’t a single best way to locate video editing programs to edit videos. Your available options will be greatly influenced by your budget, which is why DaVinci Resolve is such an obvious recommendation. For all but the most taxing tasks, the payoff will be well worth the time it takes to learn how to utilize it.
Additionally, Adobe Premieree Pro is highly recommended if budget is not a concern. There isn’t much this industry-standard video editing package can’t do. If you want to learn about detailed comparison between Adobe’s softwares checkout our dedicated blog- Adobe Premieree Pro Vs Adobe After Effects.
Similarly, Final Cut Pro is a valuable tool for Mac users who would find it well-streamlined. Mid-range editors, such as Luxea and Filmora, are at the center for everyone else.
These products reduce the pain associated with editing videos, albeit at the expense of sheer power. For quick adjustments, it’s easy to suggest the attractive free plans offered by Adobe Premieree Rush and Clipchamp.
Additionally, iMovie is pre-installed on Macs and works well for short projects—as long as you edit in 16:9 widescreen. Everything ultimately comes down to your spending limit, the apps for video editing you select, and other crucial components. If you want to learn about video editing, we are the leading training institute that offers top notch Video Editing courses in Dubai. Get in touch with us to know more!
