Here are 15 best video editing software in 2018: 15 Best Video Editing Software 2018. Because there are so many good options out there, to make it easier for you, in this article, we have divided the video editing software into several categories. IMovie is the best video editor you can use on a Mac. (Free) Try Now. Best Video Editing. Check out15 best video editing software for beginners, professionals, YouTube, 3D, motion graphics (Windows, Linux, Mac, online tools, free, paid) in 2018.
Video editing has become a very popular and coveted skill. Since the success of many YouTube entrepreneurs, everyone seems to be trying their hands on it. If you are one of those people or someone who is truly looking to make career out of it, you will need a good video editing software as your companion. Depending on your goals and budget, the software you choose will differ from person to person. If you are just starting out as a beginner, you might prefer a free video editing software over the paid ones. Also, the editing software for a Windows user might differ from someone using a Mac or Linux computer. Some of you might even be into motion graphics and 3D-rendering. What I want to say is that there’s no one video editor which will suit everyone in this world. Hence, we have created a list which we think will cover most of the needs of people. So, ready to find out the best video editing software for you?
15 Best Video Editing Software 2018
Because there are so many good options out there, to make it easier for you, in this article, we have divided the video editing software into several categories. Now, one thing to note here is that the categorization is not hard and fast, and hence, editing software mentioned in one category can be used for other categories also. However, if a video editor is mentioned in one category, it means that it is more suited for that work. With that out of the way, let’s begin.
1. Adobe Premiere Pro
When it comes to video editing software, Adobe Premiere Pro is the first one that you will hear and that too for good reasons. Think of a feature, any feature that you might need in a video software, and I will bet that Premiere Pro has it. The editor is not only powerful but also has a clean and familiar interface. But, the best part about using Adobe Premiere Pro is the ecosystem that it supports. Every other tool that Adobe offers you connects seamlessly with Premiere Pro. Whether you are using Photoshop for photos, After Effects for animations, or Adobe Audition for audio editing, everything plays nicely with the Premiere Pro. When you are buying the Premiere Pro, you are not just buying a video editor rather you are entering an ecosystem which gives you access to some of the best creative tools out there. For that reason alone, I recommend Premier Pro over any other video software in the world.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS
Supported Input Formats: MP4, MPEG, MPE, MPG (MPEG-1, MPEG-2), M2V (DVD-compliant MPEG-2), MTS (avchd), MOV, FLV, AVI
Supported Output Formats: H.264: AAC, 3GP, MP4, M4V, HEVC (H.265), MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, among others
Price: $19.99/month (Billed annually)
2. Final Cut Pro X
If you are a Mac user, I don’t think you should even consider buying any other editing software other than Final Cut Pro X. The only reason to choose any other software like Premiere Pro over the Final Cut is if you had already invested considerable time in learning some other video editor and just switched to Mac. However, if you are just starting out, Final Cut Pro is the best option for you as it is a beast on a Mac. Apple’s software are just so in sync with their hardware that you get the best possible performance. However, performance is not only the play here, as Final Cut is as powerful as any other video editor on this list. Not only that, if you are a beginner and ready to invest time and money in this software, you will find that it is one of the easier video editing software to get used to. As I said, if you are on a Mac and you can afford it, buy this one without hesitation.
Supported Platforms: macOS
Supported Input Formats: H.264, Apple Animation codec, Apple ProRes (all versions), AVHCD, DVCAM, DVCPRO, and more
Supported Output Formats: Apple Pro-res, H.264, HDV, MPEG, and HDV among others
Price: $299.99
3. Avid Media Composer
Generally I don’t suggest Avid Media Composer to anyone because it’s such a high-end product, however, recently the company has released a free version of their video editor called the “Avid Media Composer | First” and it’s a great news for all the budding video editors out there. If you have not heard about Avid before, it’s because it is a software used by professionals taking on big projects. Your favourite movies and tv-shows are edited on Avid. Movies like the Guardian of Galaxy (vol. 2), the Martian, and Baby Driver have been edited using Avid. So, know this, if you are trying to take on a big project, like a feature film or a tv-series Avid is the industry leader here. That being said, the pro version of Avid costs you $49.99/month and there’s that. However, since they have released a free version with restrictions which will only affect users who want the full power of the editor, it has become accessible to normal customers. So, if you want to experience a true professional grade video editor give Avid Media Composer | First a try.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS
Supported Input Formats: MPEG, DV, DVPRO, H.264, XDCAM, MPEG-4, AVCHD, and more (click here to learn more)
Supported Output Formats: MPEG, DV, DVPRO, H.264, AVC, AVC-Intra, MP4, and more (click here to learn more)
Price: (Free, $49.99/month)
Best Editing Software For YouTube
Any of the above video editors will work great for budding YouTube editors, however, every one of them will also cost you a lot that is if you don’t go for the free version of Avid Media Composer. That being said, if you are just starting out, you should start with a software which is not only fairly cheap but is also easy to learn. The video editors mentioned in this section are cheap and easy to learn than those mentioned above. Again, if you want the best of the bunch, choose one from the above, however, I would suggest first you start with any of these and then upgrade yourself as get more comfortable with video editing.
1. Shotcut
If you are a budding YouTuber and you need a software which is not only free but also doesn’t cut down on features, look no further than Shotcut. Shotcut is an open source and free video editor which provides you with all the editing tool you will ever need. Since the editor is open source and completely free, if you are just starting out, it’s a great place to learn the basics of video editing without investing any money. Most of the video editors follow the same editing basics, hence once you are ready to move to a professional grade editing software like Premiere Pro or Final Cut, the switch won’t be that hard. The best part about using Shotcut is that despite being free it doesn’t cut down on too many features. The editor supports a wide variety of video and audio formats with a good selection of effects and color correction tools. Also, Shotcut is available for Mac, Windows, and Linux, so no matter which OS you are running, you can install and use Shotcut on your device.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Supported Input Formats: Based on FFmpeg hence supports most of the video formats
Supported Output Formats: H.264, WebM, ProRes, MPEG-2, and others
Price: (Free)
2. Hit Film Express
If you are looking for a full professional grade video editor which is also free, Hit Film Express is your best bet. The only con of using this software is the one which is same for any professional grade software, that is, you will have to invest a considerable amount of time in learning it. On the scale of video editor learning process, this one falls on the harder side. However, if you are ready to invest your time, Hit Film Express can become the only editing software that you are ever going to need. It has everything that you will need to support your expanding editing skills. The editor supports almost every know video and audio format and has over 180 visual effects which you can use. The company also keeps a great selection of free tutorials which can get you started. However, as I said earlier, you will need to invest a considerable amount of time in learning this one. Also, the editor is a little heavy on the resources so you will need a good system to run it smoothly.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS
Supported Input Formats: MP4, H.264, AVCHD, QuickTime Import, AVI, M2T, M2TS, MTS, MXF (DVCPro HD), DV, HDV, and WMV among others.
Supported Output Formats: MP4, H.264 among others
Price: (Free – Can add extra functionality at $349)
Best Video Editing Software For Beginners
1. iMovie
iMovie is my favourite video editor to I recommend to beginners. It’s a shame that the software is exclusive to macOS and hence neither Windows nor Linux user can enjoy this editor. However, If you do own a Mac, you must know that iMovie comes pre-installed with your Mac which essentially makes it free. But that’s not what makes it best for beginners. The best part about iMovie is its simple and intuitive interface which is really easy to figure out, even without help. Also, Apple’s optimisation makes iMovie a really snappy editor which can be used even on older Macs without any problem. As a beginner, iMovie is the best video editor you can use on a Mac. I say this especially because iMovie acts as a really good primer for Final Cut Pro, which you are essentially going to use as you get more and more comfortable with video editing and iMovie no longer satisfies your requirements.
Supported Platforms: macOS
Supported Input Formats: DV, HDV, AVCHD, Apple Intermediate Codec, Apple Animation Codec, Motion JPEG/A, iFrame, h.264, some, but not all, varieties of MP4, MOV.
Supported Output Formats: H.264, HDV, Apple Pixlet Video, Apple VC H.263, MPEG, and HDV among others
Price: (Free)
Best Free Video Editing Mac
2. Adobe Premiere Elements
If you are a Windows user and looking for a good video editing software which is capable yet beginner friendly, Adobe Premiere Elements is to the software to go for. I know at $99.99, it is not exactly cheap, however, I still think that it is good for beginners who are willing to spend a little money. Those looking for a free alternative should go for Shotcut, which I mentioned earlier (best video editors for YouTube). I prefer Premier Elements because of a few reasons. Firstly, just like iMovie acts as a great primer for Final Cut, Premiere Elements is the stepping stone to Premiere Pro. If you see yourself as a professional video editor few months down the line, you should start in such a way that you can reach there. You will have to switch to a professional grade video editing software in the future, so why not start with something which will help you do just that. For me, that alone is a reason you should consider this one. You will also love it sleek interface along with its natural and intuitive editing environment. It also comes with all the horsepower that you will need as a beginner. if you are serious about video editing, you should start with this one.
Supported Platforms: macOS, Windows
Supported Input Formats: H.264 (.mp4, .m4v), H.264-encoded QuickTime (.mov, .mp4, .m4v), MPEG-1 (.mpeg), MPEG-2 (.m2v, .mpg) and others.
Supported Output Formats: H.264 (.mp4), H.264-encoded QuickTime (.mov, .mp4),MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and others
Price: ($99.99)
Best Software Available for All Platforms (Windows, macOS and Linux)
In a world which is dominated by Windows and macOS, Linux users are often neglected when it comes to creative software such as video editors. While, it is true that most of the mainstream professional grade video-editing software doesn’t offer a Linux counterpart, there are some really good options available for Linux users. We already covered one such option in our YouTube subsection which is Shotcut. Here are some more options that you can look at:
1. Lightworks
If you are looking for a professional-grade video editing software for Linux, it doesn’t get better than Lightworks. What best about Lightworks is that it offers a free version along with its paid version. So, if you are just starting out you can start with the free version and then upgrade to the paid version, once you are comfortable with your video editing skills. The company also offers a good selection of tutorial videos to get you started on your video editing journey. When it comes to features, Lightworks doesn’t disappoint. The editor natively supports almost all the video formats you can think of. When it comes to exporting the software comes with a dedicated web export (MPEG4/H.264), so your videos are share-ready as soon as you complete your editing process. It also supports multi-cam editing and can support 4K content really well. The bottom line is, this is one of the best professional-grade video editing software you can get on Linux, Period.
Supported Platforms: Linux, Windows, and macOS
Supported Input Formats: MPEG-2 I-Frame SD, Apple Pro Res, DVCAM / DVCPRO 25, AVCHD (M2T, M2TS, MPEG4, H.264) and others
Supported Output Formats: Web-compatible file (MPEG4/H.264), WebM, Blu-ray and others
Price: (Free, $24.99 to $437.99)
2. OpenShot
The best part about using Linux is that most of the software available for Linux are open-source and free. So, if you are just getting started OpenShot can be a very good option for you. OpenShot is an incredibly good free video editing tool. Its interface is clean and easy to get around and is backed by a great set of professional video editing tools including 3D-rendering, video effects, animations, keyframes, and more. Despite being open source, the software is constantly updated to bring you new features and smooth performance. The software is built on powerful FFmpeg library hence it can read and write most video and image formats. For a Linux user, OpenShot is a great place to start.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Supported Input Formats: Based on FFmpeg hence supports most of the video formats
Supported Output Formats: H.264, WebM, ProRes, MPEG-2, and others
Price: (Free)
Best Editing Software For Color Correction
DaVinci Resolve
While all the other video editing software do offer built-in color correction tools, none of them offer as extensive control over color correction as DaVinci Resolve. This video editor started its journey as a color correction tool which slowly evolved into a full-fledged video editor. Needless to say, color correction still remains its biggest weapon that it can hold over other professional grade video editing software. In fact, its color correction tools are so good that it’s the default choice for film and tv-series makers for color grading purposes. Apart from its extensive color correction toolset, DaVinci resolve offers a familiar multi-track timeline with quick edit pop-up and customisable keyboard shortcuts. It also offers a plethora of video transitions and effects along with features like multi-cam editing, keyframes, speed effects and more. DaVinci Resolve is a very competent video editing software, with the best color correction tools to go with it.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS
Supported Input Formats: QuickTime, AVI, R3D, MXF, Prores, DNxHD, MXF, DPX, CIN, EXR and others
Supported Output Formats: H.264, HDV, MPEG, and others
Price: (Free, Pro-version is sold through offline stores – for more info click here)
Best Software For Motion Graphics and Visual Effects
Adobe After Effects
Okay, I know that this is not strictly a video editor, however, I still wanted to include this on the list for people who are mainly looking to create graphics and visual effects for videos. In fact, learning Motion Graphics and Visual Effects has become a required skill set for any video editor. If you call yourself a video editor, you need to learn at least the basics of motion graphics, and there is no software better than Adobe After Effects which can help you do that. Whether you use Final Cut or Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects is the go-to tool for editors who want to add motion graphics and visual effects to their videos. Whether you are a beginner or a Pro video editor, if you want to get into things like motion graphics, visual effects, animations, and special effects, this is the place to start.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS
Supported Input Formats: MPEG, MP4, M4V, M4A, MOV, AVI, WAV and others.
Supported Output Formats: MOV, OMF, AVI, 3GP, 3G2, AMC, and more.
Price: ($19.99/month – billed annually)
Best Editing Software For 3D Modelling
Blender
Just like After Effects, Blender is also not your normal video editing software, rather it’s a tool for creators who want to get into 3D Modelling Field. Truth be told, Blender does come with a full-fledged built-in video editor and theoretically you can create and produce a full movie just using Blender, however, I would not recommend that. However, if you want to get into 3D modeling, Blender is the software to do it with. The primary reason I suggest Blender over any other 3D Modelling software is because it is an open source software and is totally free. If you have done your research you might know that a 3D modeling software along with their various plug-ins doesn’t come cheap, hence, not many of us can afford them. Secondly, Blender is a cross-platform app with support for Mac, Windows, and, Linux. However, Blender also has a weakness. It has a very steep learning curve and hence you might find the software a bit intimidating at first. However, if you are ready to invest time to learn this software, you won’t find any missing feature here.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Supported Input Formats: OBJ, FBX, 3DS, PLY, STL, and more
Supported Output Formats: OBJ, FBX, 3DS, PLY, STL, and more
Price: (Free)
Beginners and Professionals
We have already covered a lot of video editing software, however, if for some reason none of them satisfy your needs, these are some other popular and good video editing software that you might want to consider. I know people who don’t like to buy Adobe products as they employ a subscription-based price. Many people don’t own a Mac, hence Final Cut is out of the picture. Basically, if there is any reason which is stopping you from investing time and money on any of the above-mentioned software, here are some other great options for you.
1. Sony Vegas Pro 15
Sony Vegas Pro has always been one of the best video editing software in the market. I love Sony Vegas Pro because of its built-in audio editing features. While other editing software like Final Cut and Premiere Pro provide some control over audio editing, Vegas Pro brings a full-fledged audio editor. It allows you to edit high-res multi-track audio to match with your video quality. The Vegas Pro 15 is bringing numerous new features including support for high-end graphics cards, a totally flexible workflow environment, powerful new tools and other minor improvements to make your editing journey as smooth as possible. The software comes in 3 different versions with each of them asking for a one-time payment. There’s no subscription-based pricing here.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS
Supported Input Formats: DV, HDV, AVCHD, NXCAM, MOV, MP4, WMV, MPEG-1/2/4, H.264/AVC, and more.
Supported Output Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, AVCHD Disc, (DV-)AVI, MJPEG, MXF, MOV, WMV, XAVC, XAVC S, MPEG-1/2/4, H.264/AV, and more
Price: ($399 to $799)
2. Cyberlink Power Director 16
If you can’t afford to pay for the Sony Vegas Pro 15, you should look at the Cyberlink Power Director 16 which provides you with a great editing environment at almost 3rd of a price. Despite being cheap, Power Director 16 is no slouch when it comes to video editing. It is regularly updated and adds the newest feature as soon as possible. It was one of the first video editing software to add support for 360-degree video editing. Like DaVinci Resolve, this one also focuses heavily on color correction and provides you with a plethora of tools to get that perfect tint on your videos. Other features include support for a wide variety of audio, video, and image format along with support for multi-cam editing.
Supported Platforms: Windows
Supported Input Formats: H.265/HEVC, MVC (MTS), MP4 (XAVC S), FLV (H.264), MPEG-4 AVC, and more.
Supported Output Formats: H.264 AVC, WMV, H.265 HEVC, XAVC S, and more.
Price: (Starts at $99.99)
3. Pinnacle Studio
It is one of the cheapest full-fledged video editing software out there. The software focuses more on effects, transitions, and color correction. It provides with a precise multi-track editing environment with customisable workspaces. It also supports both 4K and multi-cam video editing along with power audio-editing tools with royalty-free music, voice-over effects and more. Just like others, it also supports most of the popular video and audio formats, so whatever format your footage is in, you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues. Basically, if you are looking for a cheap video editing software with lots of cool features, this one is the one to get.
Best Video Editing Apps For Iphone
Supported Platforms: Windows
Supported Input Formats: AVCHD; DivX; MKV; MPEG-1, 2, and 4, QuickTime, WMV, XAVC S and others.
Supported Output Formats: MP4, MOV, AVI, and others.
Price: (Starts at $59.95)
SEE ALSO: 15 Best Cameras for YouTube Videos You Can Buy
Best Video Editing Software To Get You Started
At last, you have reached the end of the article and hopefully, now you have a fairly good idea which video editing software you should go for. The choice really depends on your need, skills, and budget. Don’t just the most popular ones, pick the one which is good for you. If this article helped in the choosing your favourite video editing software, do let us know which one you’re picked in the comments section below. Also tell us, if you are already in love with some other video editing software which is not on our list.
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Edit Video on Your PC
Nothing makes an impression like moving pictures with sound. That's why digital video continues to grow in importance online. Couple that trend with the ever-increasing availability of devices capable of high-resolution video recording—phones, GoPros, DSLRs—and the case for ever-more powerful video editing software becomes clear. Further, the software must be usable by nonprofessionals, and it has to keep up with newer formats such as HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) and 360-degree VR video, and it has to be able to handle 4K and higher resolution.
Increasingly, new capabilities trickle down from professional-level software to the consumer category. That's a good thing for nonprofessional movie editors, since the more consumer-oriented software tends to make easier procedures that can sometimes be pretty tricky in the pro-level software. Read on for a survey of the latest trends in video editing software along with our top picks in the field.
Multicam, Motion Tracking, and Yet More Motion
Advanced abilities continue to make their way into accessible, affordable, and consumer-friendly video editing software as each new generation of software is released. For example, multicam editing, which lets you switch among camera angles of the same scene shot with multiple video cameras, used to be a feature relegated to pro-level software. Now this and many other advanced effects are available in programs designed for use by nonprofessional enthusiasts.
Another impressive effect that has made its way into consumer-level video editing software is motion tracking, which lets you attach an object or effect to something moving in your video. You might use it to put a blur over the face of someone you don't want to show up in your video. You specify the target face, and the app takes care of the rest, tracking the face and moving the effect to follow it. This used to be the sole province of special effects software such as Adobe After Effects. Corel VideoStudio was the first of the consumer products to include motion tracking, and it still leads the pack in the depth and usability of its motion-tracking tool, though several others now include the capability.
The 4K Video Factor
Support for 4K video source content has become pretty standard in video editing software, but the support varies among the products. For example, some but not all of the applications can import Sony XAVC and XAVC-S formats, which are used by Sony's popular DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, camcorders, and professional video cameras. The same holds true for the H.265 High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. Most of the applications here now can import and export HEVC, though there are still a few holdouts.
360-Degree VR Support
Several of the products here (Adobe Premiere Elements is a notable exception) still support 3D video editing if that's your thing, though the this has been replaced by 360-degree VR footage like that shot by the Samsung Gear 360 as the current home-theater fad. As is often the case, our Editors' Choice, CyberLink PowerDirector was the first product in this group to offer support for this new kind of video media.
Other programs have jumped on board with 360 VR support, including Adobe Premiere, Apple Final Cut Pro X, and Magix Movie Edit Pro. Support varies, with some apps including 360-compatible titles, stabilization, and motion tracking. PowerDirector is notable for including those last two. Final Cut offers a useful tool that removes the camera and tripod from the image, often an issue with 360-degree footage.
Video Editing 101
Of course, none of the extras matter if an app can't do the most basic editing tasks. At this point, however, all of the products included here do a good job of letting you join, trim, and split video clips. They also let you make use of special effects such as animated transitions, picture-in-picture (PiP), chroma-key (the technique that lets you place a subject against any background, often known as green screening), and filters that enhance colors or apply creative effects and distortions. With most of them you can add a multitude of timeline tracks that can accommodate video clips, effects, audio, and text overlays.
A tool coming to the latest versions of video editing applications is support for seamless transitions. Picture a scene showing people at a beach, and suddenly the sky zooms in and your in Rome or Paris, but it looks like you're in the same place because the transition glued the two scenes together using the sky. There are plenty of other examples of seamless transition; this magnificent video shows a good selection of them, and is partly responsible for starting the trend.
Color, LUTs and CLUTs
One of the capabilities that has been making its way into consumer-level video editing software is more-detailed color grading. Color wheels, curves, and histograms give editors control over the intensity of every shade. Related to this is support for LUTs (lookup tables), also known as CLUTs (color lookup tables). This staple of pro-level software lets you quickly change the look of a video to give it a specific mood. For example, think of the dark blue look of thriller movies like The Revenant. You can download LUTs for free from several sites or use those included with some video software to give your video a specific look. One well-known LUT type is the kind that can make a daytime scene look like it was shot at night.
Where the Action Is
Many video editing apps now include tools that cater to users of action cameras such as the GoPro Hero7 Black. For example, several offer automated freeze-frame along with speedup, slowdown, and reverse time effects. CyberLink PowerDirector's Action Camera Center pulls together freeze frame with stabilization, slo-mo, and fish-eye correction, and color correction for underwater footage. Magix Movie Edit Pro Premium includes the third-party NewBlue ActionCam Package of effects. And Wondershare Filmora lets you subscribe to new effect packs on an ongoing basis.
Titles That Zing
I've been seeing a lot of attention paid to creating title effects in the applications over the past year. Apple Final Cut Pro X has added 3D title creation, which is pretty spiffy, letting you extrude 2D titles and rotate them on three axes. Corel VideoStudio in its latest version also adds 3D Titling, though not as powerful as Apple's. PowerDirector's Title Designer offers transparency, gradient color, border, blur level, and reflection in titles; Magix has impressive title templates, complete with animations. Premiere Elements offers a nifty title effect in which your video fills the text characters, and Corel recently followed suit in VideoStudio 2019. Look for an application that lets you edit titles in WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) mode, so that you can type, format, and time it right over the video preview.
Gathering Speed
Video editing is one of the most computing-intensive activities around, so you'll want the best laptop or desktop you can afford if you're serious about cutting your own movies. Most applications help speed up the editing process by creating a proxy file of lower resolution, so that normal editing and previewing aren't slowed down by the huge full-resolution files.
Particularly intensive is the process of rendering your finished product into a standard video file that will by playable on the target device of choice, be that an HDTV, a laptop, or a smartphone. Most of the software can take advantage of your computer's graphics processor to speed this up. Be sure to check the performance section in each review linked here to see how speedy or slow the application is. In rendering speed testing, CyberLink and Pinnacle have been my perennial champs.
Other measures of performance include startup time and simple stability. Again, video editing is a taxing activity for any computer, involving many components. In the past, video editing programs took longer than most other apps to start up, and unexpected shutdowns were unfortunately common, even in top apps from top developers such as Adobe and Apple. The stability situation has greatly improved, but the complexity of the process, which increases as more powerful effects are added, means crashes will likely never be fully eliminated, and they often raise their ugly heads after a program update, as I found with the latest version of Pinnacle Studio.
Free Video Editing Software
If you don't want to invest a lot of money and effort into your video editing exploits, there are a few free options. Of course, if you use a Mac, the excellent iMovie comes with it. For PC users, Windows 10's Photos app (as of the Fall Creators Update) lets you join, trim, and even add background music, 3D animated effects, and titles to video.
There are also some free video apps on the Windows Store, including Movie Moments, PowerDirector Mobile, Movie Maker, and Magix Movie Edit Touch. Some of these are quite basic, but the Magix app is fairly capable, with clip joining, transitions, and effects, in a very touch-friendly interface.
Free video editing software often comes with legal and technical limitations, however. Some widely used codecs require licensing fees on the part of the software maker, meaning they can't offer free software that can handle these standard file formats. That said, the impressive open-source Shotcut does a lot of the same things that the paid applications in this roundup do, including things like chroma-keying and picture-in-picture. Shotcut is completely open-source and free, while another free option, Lightworks has paid options that remove a 720p output resolution limit. Note also that both Shotcut and Lightworks run on Linux as well as Windows and Mac.
What About Apple?
Though Mac users don't have the sheer number of software choices available for PCs, Apple fans interested in editing video are well served, by four products in particular. At the entry level, the surprisingly capable and enjoyable-to-use iMovie comes free with every Mac sold since at least 2011. iMovie only offers two video tracks, but does good job with chroma-keying, and its Trailers feature makes it easy to produce slick, Hollywood-style productions.
In the midrange, there's Adobe Premiere Elements, which is cross-platform between Macs and PCs, and offers a lot more features and lots of help with creating effects. Professionals and prosumers have powerful, though pricey options in Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro. Final Cut is a deceptively simple application that resembles iMovie in its interface and ease of use, but it offers massively deep capabilities, and many third-party apps integrate with it for even more power. It also makes excellent use of the Touch Bar on the latest MacBook Pro, as shown in photo above. Premiere Pro uses a more traditional timeline and adds a large ecosystem of companion apps and plug-ins. It also excels in collaboration features.
Audio Editing
We still live in the days of talkies, so you want to be able to edit the audio in your digital moves as well as the images. Most of the products included here offer canned background music, and many, such as Pinnacle Studio, can even tailor the soundtrack to the exact length of your movie. All of these programs can separate audio and video tracks, and most can clean up background noise and add environmental audio effects such as concert hall reverb. A couple of the products have an auto-ducking feature, which lowers background music during dialog—a definite pro-level plus.
What's Not Here
There are more video editing software applications than we can fit into this roundup of the best options, which includes only software rated three stars and higher. The best known among them is probably Vegas Movie Studio, which was recently acquired by Magix from Sony. Sony's product used a very cluttered interface that more resembled high-end professional video editing software from the early days of the craft. Magix has made some progress in simplifying it and bringing it up to par with the competition, but more work is needed for it to be included here.
Another program, VSDC Video Editor Pro, simply has too outdated an interface, making common tasks difficult. Longtime pro video editors will note the absence of Avid Media Composer, which is simply too unwieldy for PCMag's primarily consumer audience. There are a couple of more interesting applications—NCH VideoPad and AVS Video Editor among them—that we simply haven't tested yet.
The Finish Line
The video editing application you choose depends on your budget, the equipment you're using, and how serious you are. Fortunately, you're spoiled for choice with the products available. Peruse our in-depth reviews of enthusiast-level video editing software reviews linked below to see which is the right one for you.
One final note about the features table at the top of this story: Check marks represent differentiating, above-the-call-of-duty features, rather than essential ones. So, just because Nero Video and Wondershare Filmora don't have any checks, it doesn't mean they're not good choices. In fact, both offer decent basic editing on a budget.
Best Video Editing Software Featured in This Roundup:
Adobe Premiere Pro CC Review
MSRP: $19.99Pros: Clear, flexible interface. Lots of organizational tools. Responsive speed. Ultimate power in video editing. Rich ecosystem of video production apps. Excellent stabilization. Unlimited multi-cam angles.
Cons: No keyword tagging for media. Some techniques require additional applications such as After Effects or SpeedGrade.
Bottom Line: An expansive professional-level digital video editing program, Premiere Pro CC has everything today's pro video editor needs, particularly when it comes to collaboration.
Read ReviewCyberLink PowerDirector Review
MSRP: $129.99Pros: Fast rendering. Clear interface. Loads of effects. The most 360-degree video capabilities of any video editor. Multicam editing. 3D and 4K capability. Motion tracking. Screen recording.
Cons: No trimming in source panel. Number of options can make interface overwhelming. Weak color matching.
Bottom Line: PowerDirector is one of the fastest and most capable consumer-level video editing apps for Windows around, and the first to support 360-degree VR footage.
Read ReviewCorel VideoStudio Ultimate Review
MSRP: $99.99Pros: Wide selection of fun video-creation tools. Clear, simple interface. Fast rendering. Support for 360-degree VR, 4K Ultra HD, and 3D media. Multipoint Motion tracking. Multicam editing. HTML5 video page creation. Stop-motion tool.
Cons: No keyword tagging for media.
Bottom Line: Corel VideoStudio remains one of the most feature-packed consumer video editing packages around. The 2019 update adds powerful color-grading tools, seamless transitions, and text masks.
Read ReviewPinnacle Studio Ultimate Review
MSRP: $129.95Pros: Clear interface. Edits 360-degree VR content. Fast rendering performance in testing. Tons of effects. Multicam editing. 4K and H.265 support. Tagging and star ratings for media. Good audio tools.
Cons: Motion tracking issues on one test PC. Occasional crashes in testing. Uneven 360-degree VR implementation.
Bottom Line: Pinnacle Studio is a fast, full-featured, near-professional-level video-editing application with support for 360-degree VR, 3D, and multicam edits. New color grading and four-point editing make it even more appealing, though our testing uncovered some instabilities.
Read ReviewMagix Movie Edit Pro Premium Review
MSRP: $129.99Pros: Lots of video effects. Multicam. Good titling tools. Trailer-like movie templates. Solid audio editing tools. Strong disc authoring. Fast rendering. Good stability. 360-degree media support.
Cons: Not much help with difficult procedures. Lacks import and organization tools. Extra costs and coded downloads for some video formats.
Bottom Line: Now with faster rendering, Movie Edit Pro offers solid stability, up-to-date support for 4K, 360-degree, and multicam editing, but it trails other video editing software in ease-of-use.
Read ReviewAdobe Premiere Elements Review
MSRP: $99.99Pros: Clear, simple interface. Guided Edits ease basic and advanced projects. Lots of video effects. Solid text tools. Powerful Audio editing. Good control over stabilization. 4K support.
Cons: No 360-degree VR or 3D editing. No multicam feature or screen recording capability. Slow rendering speeds. No HEVC support in Windows.
Bottom Line: Adobe's consumer video editing app adds a new start page, Auto Creations, a redesigned quick-editing interface, and faster performance.
Read ReviewWondershare Filmora Review
MSRP: $59.99Pros: Pleasing interface. Inexpensive. Lots of effects and overlays. Good title tool.
Cons: Action Cam and Cutter modes only allow one clip at a time. No search for effects or transitions. No motion tracking. No DVD menu or chapter authoring. Not a touch-friendly interface.
Bottom Line: Wondershare's Filmora video editing software may not have multicam or the hottest new VR tools, but it does have a pleasing interface and lots of effects.
Read ReviewApple Final Cut Pro X Review
MSRP: $299.99Pros: Magnetic, trackless timeline. Superior organization tools, including libraries, ratings, tagging, auto analysis for faces, scenes. Support for 360-degree footage and HDR. Multicam support. Fast performance. MacBook Touch Bar support.
Cons: Nontraditional timeline-editing may turn off longtime editors. Can't import projects from previous versions without a third-party plug-in. No stabilization or motion tracking for 360-degree video.
Bottom Line: Apple's professional-level video editing software, Final Cut Pro X, brings a wealth of power in an interface simple for pros and consumers alike. Recent highlights include rich support for 360-degree content and improved stability.
Read ReviewNero Video Review
MSRP: $49.99Pros: Inexpensive. Plenty of video effects. Good audio tools. Solid file format support, including H.265. Compatible with 4K content. Burns DVD, Blu-ray, and AVCHD.
Cons: Light on features. Outdated, unconventional interface. No 360 or 3D support. No motion tracking. No direct output to social networks.
Bottom Line: For less money than the competition, Nero offers a wide array of enthusiast-level video editing capabilities, but the interface is dated and it trails in support for new formats and techniques.
Read ReviewApple iMovie Review
MSRP: $0.00Pros: Beautifully simple interface. Color matching for consistent movie looks. Classy themes. Great chroma-keying tool. Lots of audio tools. Theater feature shares movies to all your Apple gear.
Cons: Not as flexible as some PC video editors. In the name of simplicity, some useful controls are missing. Does not support tagging. Lacks multicam or motion tracking capabilities. Limited to two video tracks.
Bottom Line: Apple's excellent entry-level desktop video editing application can turn your footage and photos into impressive productions.
Read Review