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When you want to make a strong impression, few things can beat moving images and sound. To make great videos, you need great video editing software. The abundance of devices that can now shoot high-resolution video—smartphones, GoPros, DSLRs, and mirrorless cameras—make the case even stronger to invest in a powerful video editing app. The best video editing programs work for professionals and hobbyists, and they keep up with new formats. Features often trickle down from professional-level software to consumer-grade apps, like multicam editing, motion tracking, and advanced color grading. AI-powered tools like auto-captioning from audio dialogue, color optimization, and even generative AI are starting to appear as well. These trends are boons to hobbyist movie editors, vloggers, and even people making videos for social media because the software designed for them simplifies procedures that are complex in pro-level apps. Below are our top tested picks for video editing software. Read on after the product summaries to find our guide to choosing the best video editing software for your needs.
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Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
CyberLink PowerDirector 365
Best Overall
Why We Picked ItCyberLink has long been an industry leader in speed and support for new video formats and effects, and it’s long been a PCMag Editors’ Choice winner among video editors. Despite its massive feature set, the program interface is clear and not as intimidating as fully pro-level software. It lets you do everything from the simplest clip trimming and joining to VR to multicam to keyframed effects. You can get it either by one-time purchase or subscription.Who It’s ForPowerDirector is suited to serious video enthusiasts and YouTubers who want to do the most with their clips without needing a degree in film. Even professionals may find that it has everything they need.
PROS
Fast project rendering
Clear, usable interface
Loads of effects and AI tools
Multicam and motion tracking
Screen recording
CONS
Number of options can be overwhelming at times
SPECS
Name
Value
Number of Video Tracks
100
Motion Tracking
Multicam Editing
3D Editing
Supports 360° VR Content
Keyword Tag Media
Supports 4K XAVC-S Format
Exports to H.265 (HEVC)
Learn More
CyberLink PowerDirector 365 Review
Adobe Premiere Pro
Best for Professionals
Why We Picked ItPremiere Pro is an industry standard among professional video editing applications, coming from the leader in creative design software, Adobe. It offers all the effects, color tools, and collaboration and output options any pro could want. Recent updates have added impressive auto-captioning and the ability to edit video based on the text, as well as a new unified Color Manager and collaboration features. The program runs on both macOS and Windows. Premiere Pro is only available by subscription, so the cost is low upfront, but it adds up in the long run. That’s somewhat ameliorated by the frequent and sometimes impressive updates subscribers get.Who It’s ForAs its name suggests, Premiere Pro is for professional video editors. That said, plenty of serious amateurs use and enjoy it. It’s especially strong for those who need to collaborate with others, as well as teams who use Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite of applications.
PROS
Clear, flexible interface
Many organization and collaboration tools
Responsive speed and fast rendering
Excellent stabilization tool
Unlimited multicam angles
CONS
Intimidating interface for nonprofessionals
Some techniques require additional applications, such as After Effects or Media Encoder
No sound effect samples included
SPECS
Name
Value
Number of Video Tracks
Unlimited
Motion Tracking
Multicam Editing
3D Editing
Supports 360° VR Content
Keyword Tag Media
Supports 4K XAVC-S Format
Exports to H.265 (HEVC)
Learn More
Adobe Premiere Pro Review
Apple Final Cut Pro
Best for Professionals on Macs
Why We Picked ItFinal Cut Pro has a rethought, modern interface with a “trackless” timeline. An editor who has worked in this interface for a while will come to enjoy its flexibility and realize that it offers just as deep a set of tools and capabilities as any app with a more traditional interface. A new iPad version of the app (requiring a $4.99-per-month subscription) dovetails nicely with the desktop application. Also new is an AI-powered Scene Removal Mask tool that removes the background in video without requiring a green screen. Who It’s ForAs evidenced by the number of top Hollywood movies and shows made in Final Cut Pro, the software is a good fit for professionals, but its usability makes it a fine choice for amateur enthusiasts as well, particularly those wanting to move up from Apple iMovie.
PROS
Magnetic, trackless timeline
Superior organization tools, including libraries, ratings, tagging, and auto analysis for faces and scenes
Support for 360-degree footage and wide color spaces
Multicam support
Fast performance
CONS
Nontraditional timeline editing may turn off longtime video producers
Import and export experiences trail those in Premiere Pro
SPECS
Name
Value
Number of Video Tracks
Unlimited
Motion Tracking
Multicam Editing
3D Editing
Supports 360° VR Content
Keyword Tag Media
Supports 4K XAVC-S Format
Exports to H.265 (HEVC)
Learn More
Apple Final Cut Pro Review
Apple iMovie
Best for Easy Editing on Macs
Why We Picked ItSimplicity joins a generous set of video editing tools in Apple’s entry-level app. We love the new Storyboards features that help people craft compelling digital movies, rather than leaving them to their own devices. You also get somewhat advanced tools like chroma-keying, picture-in-picture, and audio filters. Moving up to Final Cut Pro from iMovie makes for a smooth transition, too.Who It’s ForiMovie targets nonprofessionals like people who want to put together a video of that family vacation or Junior’s soccer match. But its Storyboard feature makes it a great starting point for those interested in filmmaking. Of course, it’s only for users of Apple hardware, as with most things Apple.
PROS
Beautifully simple interface
Color matching for consistent movie looks
Classy themes
Great chroma-keying tool
Lots of audio tools
Excellent movie templates
CONS
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
No 360-degree video editing
SPECS
Name
Value
Number of Video Tracks
2
Motion Tracking
Multicam Editing
3D Editing
Supports 360° VR Content
Keyword Tag Media
Supports 4K XAVC-S Format
Exports to H.265 (HEVC)
Learn More
Apple iMovie Review
Corel VideoStudio Ultimate
Best for Stop Motion and Motion Tracking
Why We Picked ItCorel first got our attention with its awesome stop-motion tool, and then reinforced that impression by being the first in this group with powerful motion tracking tools. It continues to add useful new tools while delivering fast performance and ease of use.Who It’s ForVideoStudio is aimed squarely at amateur videographers, YouTubers, and TikTokers. VideoStudio is also a value play, with a reasonable one-time license price.
PROS
Loads of snazzy effects
Extremely fast rendering
Support for 360-degree VR, 4K Ultra HD, and 3D media
Multipoint motion tracking
Color grading
Cool stop-motion tool
CONS
Audio editing capabilities are comparatively weaker than video
Lackluster support for high-DPI monitors
Too many easy-edit tools
SPECS
Name
Value
Number of Video Tracks
50
Motion Tracking
Multicam Editing
3D Editing
Supports 360° VR Content
Keyword Tag Media
Supports 4K XAVC-S Format
Exports to H.265 (HEVC)
Learn More
Corel VideoStudio Ultimate Review
DaVinci Resolve
Best Free Version
Why We Picked ItDavinci Resolve is a top-end professional video editing program that, while not the easiest to use, has a full-capability free version, making it appealing to amateurs as well as pros. The node-based editing workflow offers the ultimate in-effects control, and the software is replete with keyframing, color grading, and audio tools. It renders video projects with category-leading speed (as long as you select hardware GPU encoding), and the company also makes cameras, consoles, and other hardware that tie in smoothly with the software.Who It’s ForResolve targets professional video editors and has been used in many top-of-the-line Hollywood productions, including Avatar, Dune, and Snakes on a Plane. But that’s not to say a determined amateur can’t take advantage of its generous free version and go as deep (or as shallow) into its toolset as they like.
PROS
Plenty of editing tools for precise control
Clear, well-designed interface
Includes motion graphics and audio editing
Fast render performance
CONS
Requires a lot of system resources
Complex software takes time to learn
SPECS
Name
Value
Number of Video Tracks
Unlimited
Motion Tracking
Multicam Editing
3D Editing
Supports 360° VR Content
Keyword Tag Media
Supports 4K XAVC-S Format
Exports to H.265 (HEVC)
Learn More
DaVinci Resolve Review
Movavi Video Editor
Best for Fast, Fun Video Editing and Sharing
Why We Picked ItMovavi is hardly a household name in video editing software, but it features a truly pleasing interface housing all the tools hobbyist video editors and YouTubers are likely to want. Good-looking effects and transitions are included as are a selection of soundtrack music. Exporting is among the fastest, and you can directly upload to YouTube or Vimeo. It’s also reasonably priced, with both one-time and subscription options. Versions are available for both macOS and Windows.Who It’s ForThose just getting into video editing will appreciate Movavi’s clear interface and appealing set of tools for both video and audio. Everyone will appreciate its fast rendering and built-in uploading. It’s also good for those who don’t want to spend a lot of money on video editing software.
PROS
Easy-to-understand user interface
Transitions with sound
Motion tracking and picture-in-picture tools
Chroma-key capability
Quick movie creation tool
CONS
Lacks advanced trim modes and clip pre-trimming
Not compatible with Apple Silicon M1
SPECS
Name
Value
Number of Video Tracks
Unlimited
Motion Tracking
Multicam Editing
3D Editing
Supports 360° VR Content
Keyword Tag Media
Supports 4K XAVC-S Format
Exports to H.265 (HEVC)
Learn More
Movavi Video Editor Review
Pinnacle Studio Ultimate
Best for Color Grading and Keyframe Editing
Why We Picked ItPinnacle is a solid and longtime player in the video editing field. It packs a healthy helping of near-pro-level capabilities into a fairly intuitive interface. Pinnacle has mask motion tracking, titling, and great audio tools, among other features. For speed, this snappy video editing software is among the best. You don’t need to pay a subscription, either, though it’s not the lowest-priced option.Who It’s ForPinnacle Studio is video editing software for people who want more advanced tools than the company’s consumer-friendly app Corel VideoStudio. If you need mulitcam, keyframing, and the like, it’s a good choice for you. Those who don’t want to pay a subscription will appreciate its one-time pricing.
PROS
Clear interface
Tons of effects
Multicam editing
Powerful title editor
Detailed masking tools
CONS
Limited motion tracking
Uneven 360-degree VR implementation
SPECS
Name
Value
Number of Video Tracks
Unlimited
Motion Tracking
Multicam Editing
3D Editing
Supports 360° VR Content
Keyword Tag Media
Supports 4K XAVC-S Format
Exports to H.265 (HEVC)
Learn More
Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Review
Wondershare Filmora
Best for Editing on a Budget
Why We Picked ItFilmora is a reasonably priced and easy-to-use video editing app that continues to receive new features. It has nifty features and capabilities, such as color matching, audio-syncing for limited multicam, motion tracking, and speech-to-text. It’s also a fine performer when it comes to export speed. Versions are available for both macOS and Windows.Who It’s ForFilmora is for amateurs who want to keep getting new effect ideas for their videos but don’t want to dig into the weeds of a Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve. It’s available as either an annual subscription or a reasonably priced perpetual license.
PROS
Blazing-fast render speed
Pleasant interface
Lots of effects and overlays
Inexpensive
CONS
Some tools are less effective than those of competitors
Weak video stabilizer feature
No multicam editing or VR capabilities
No DVD menu or chapter authoring
SPECS
Name
Value
Number of Video Tracks
100
Motion Tracking
Multicam Editing
3D Editing
Supports 360° VR Content
Keyword Tag Media
Supports 4K XAVC-S Format
Exports to H.265 (HEVC)
Learn More
Wondershare Filmora Review
Adobe Premiere Elements
Best for Digital Scrapbooking
Why We Picked ItPremiere Elements makes it easy to achieve a lot of the effects that would be complex in Premiere Pro. The consumer-level program contains many of the editing tools of a pro-level application, but it cloaks these in easy-to-use features and Guided Edits. If you want to have some fun with your video without stressing your brain with concepts like timecodes and keyframes, Premiere Elements is a good choice.Who It’s ForAdobe characterizes the audience for Premiere Pro as “memory keepers”—those members of the family who want to preserve fun outings and events, spiff them up, and share them with friends and family. It’s also for people who don’t want to pay the subscription required by most of Adobe’s other software while getting a good selection of features. The software is available for both macOS and Windows.
PROS
Clear and simple interface
Guided Edits ease basic and advanced projects
Ample video effects
Professional-looking text tools
Cross-platform support
CONS
Slow output rendering speed
No 360-degree VR or 3D editing
No multicam support
No screen recording capability
No DVD or Blu-ray burning
SPECS
Name
Value
Number of Video Tracks
Unlimited
Motion Tracking
Multicam Editing
3D Editing
Supports 360° VR Content
Keyword Tag Media
Supports 4K XAVC-S Format
Exports to H.265 (HEVC)
Learn More
Adobe Premiere Elements Review
Microsoft Clipchamp
Small business marketers
Why We Picked ItWindows’ free included video editor is a strong choice if you simply want to join and trim clips, add background music, or make a screen cam video with or without webcam narration. Its templates for intros and outros can help give form to your video project. Strong points are its AI-powered speech-to-text auto-captioning, and conversely, its AI voiceovers that turn your captions into spoken words in many voice styles. Clipchamp also boasts some groovy effects to bling up your production values.Who’s It ForClipchamp is for anyone who wants to quickly produce compelling short videos without worrying about file formats and other technical details. Social marketers in particular will appreciate its templates and their pizzazz. For longer projects, you probably don’t want to wait for its much longer rendering times than the other applications included here. It’s not only for Windows users, though, since it works on the web on any desktop platform and has mobile apps for the two big OSes.
PROS
Included with Windows 11
Slick interface
Generous template selection
Stylish effects and transitions
Good text and soundtrack options
CONS
Requires a subscription for some features
Templates tend to be short and don’t specify shot types
Limited control over effects
Slow export rendering
SPECS
Name
Value
Number of Video Tracks
Unspecified
Motion Tracking
Multicam Editing
3D Editing
Supports 360° VR Content
Keyword Tag Media
Supports 4K XAVC-S Format
Exports to H.265 (HEVC)
Learn More
Microsoft Clipchamp Review
Buying Guide: The Best Video Editing Software for 2024
The Best Video Editing Software for MulticamAdvanced abilities continue to make their way into accessible, affordable, and consumer-friendly video editing apps as each new generation of software is released. Multicam editing, which lets you switch camera angles for the same scene shot with multiple video cameras, used to be a feature only for professional software. This and many other advanced effects are now available in enthusiast-level programs. CyberLink PowerDirector excels at multicam editing, as do the pro-level applications DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro.The Best Video Editing Software for Motion TrackingMotion tracking is an impressive effect in some consumer-level video editing software, which lets you attach an object or effect to something moving in your video. You might use this editing tool to place a blur over the face of someone you don’t want revealed in your video or to display a text box next to a moving object. You mark the object you want to track, specify the effect or text, and let the app take care of the rest, following the marked object.
(Credit: CyberLink/PCMag)
Motion tracking used to be the sole province of special-effects software tools such as Adobe After Effects or Apple Motion. Corel VideoStudio was the first consumer product to include motion tracking. It still leads the pack in the depth and usability of its motion-tracking tool (even including multipoint tracking), though several others now include this video editing tool. Pro-level software like DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro also do motion tracking, though they also support plug-ins and ancillary applications with more capabilities.Does Editing Software Support 4K and 8K Video?Support for 4K video source content has become fairly standard in video editing software, and pro software already supports up to 8K, which isn’t really practical unless you’re running a full-size movie theater. That said, even some smartphones can now shoot in 8K.
(Credit: Corel/PCMag)
The support for 4K and higher formats varies among the consumer products. For example, some but not all 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, but there are still a few holdouts.If you plan on working with 4K or higher video content, make sure you choose a video editing application that’s fast at rendering output files (see the section on speed testing below).Support for newer formats, such as the open-source AV1 and the even more efficient H.266 (VVC—Versatile Video Coding), is very limited at this point, with only DaVinci Resolve supporting AV1 at this point. Furthermore, none of the apps included here supports H.266. Happily, several of them do support importing Google’s relatively new WebM format.How to Edit Video on a PCNone of the extras matter if an app can’t do the most basic editing tasks. At this point, all the software included here does a good job of letting you join, trim, and split video clips. Most also provide extensive tutorials, help, and guided editing tools. You can make use of special effects such as animated transitions, picture-in-picture (PiP), chroma-key (aka green screen), and filters that enhance colors or apply creative effects and distortions. With most products, you can add a multitude of timeline tracks that accommodate video clips, effects, audio, and text overlays.Some video editing applications include seamless transition tools. Picture a scene showing people at a beach, and suddenly the sky zooms in, and you’re 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 transitions; this magnificent video shows a good selection of them and is partly responsible for starting the trend.Can You Edit Video on a Smartphone?You can create and edit videos on mobile devices almost as easily as you can watch them. If you’re making videos for social media, you might even prefer to edit on a phone. Many of the desktop applications included in this list of the best video editing apps also offer mobile video editing apps. Adobe offers a separate app called Premiere Rush, which you can use to edit video on your phone and then continue editing it on the desktop Premiere app if you want. Apple’s iMovie interacts similarly with Final Cut Pro. TikTok itself offers the excellent, free CapCut. With more than 100 million downloads on the Google Play store, the powerful CyberLink PowerDirector’s separate mobile app has made a name for itself on mobiles as well as the desktop. Many of these apps let you shoot video with the phone and start editing right away on the same device.What Are Color Grading and LUTs?
(Credit: Adobe/PCMag)
One capability that has arrived in consumer-level video editing software is color grading. Color wheels, curves, and histograms give editors control over the intensity of every shade. Another important color tool offered by some of the applications is color matching. If you shoot videos with multiple cameras with different lighting, you’ll want to make sure your video editing software has good color-matching capability for a consistent look.LUTs (lookup tables), also known as CLUTs (color lookup tables), are powerful color editing tools. 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 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, known in movie-making as day for night. In fact, pros use LUTs to simply get colors right based on the camera they use for shooting.Many video editing apps now include tools that cater to users of action cameras, like the GoPro Hero9 Black. For example, several offer automated freeze-frames along with speedup, slowdown, and reverse time effects. CyberLink PowerDirector’s Action Camera Center pulls together freeze-frame with stabilization, slo-mo, fish-eye correction, and correction for underwater footage. Magix Movie Edit Pro Premium includes the third-party NewBlue ActionCam Package of effects. Which Video Editors Have the Best Title Effects?I’ve been seeing a lot of attention paid to creating title effects in these video editing applications. Apple Final Cut Pro has added 3D title creation, which is pretty spiffy, letting you extrude 2D titles and rotate them on three axes. Corel VideoStudio also includes 3D titling, though it’s 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 followed suit with a similar tool in VideoStudio. Look for an application that lets you edit titles in WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) mode so you can type, format, and time it right over the video preview.Captions for dialogue are another type of text you may want to overlay on your video. Corel VideoStudio and Adobe Premiere Pro recently added features that automatically create captions from spoken dialog in the timeline. It even lets you edit based on the detected spoken text.What Are the Fastest Video Editors?Video editing is one of the most computing-intensive activities. It pays to have 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 huge full-resolution files.Particularly intensive is the process of rendering the finished product into a standard video file that will be playable on the target device of choice, whether it’s an HDTV, laptop, or smartphone. Most of the software can take advantage of your computer’s graphics processor to speed it up. Be sure to check the performance section in each review linked here to see how speedy or slow the application is. For render speed testing, I have each program join seven clips of various resolutions ranging from 720p all the way up to 8K and apply cross-dissolve transitions between them. I then note the time it takes to render the project to 1080p30 with H.264 and 192Kbps audio. The output movie is just over five minutes in length. I tested on a Windows 11 PC sporting a 3.60GHz Intel Core i7-12700K, 16GB RAM, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, and a 512GB Samsung PM9A1 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. In my render speed test results over the years, CyberLink PowerDirector and Pinnacle Studio have been PCMag’s perennial champions, but in the latest test runs, Wondershare Filmora takes the crown, with PowerDirector and Adobe Premiere Pro hot on its heels.
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 feature update.What’s the Best Free Video Editing Software?If you don’t want to invest a lot of money and effort into your video editing exploits, you have some free options. Our top pick for free video editing is DaVinci Resolve. The free download is popular among YouTubers and gamers because it gives you a large subset of the program’s features without the pro-level capabilities you don’t need. The free version is surprisingly robust, offering standard editing and cutting, effects, motion graphics, color correction, and audio editing.If you use a Mac, the excellent iMovie comes with your computer. For Windows users, the free ClipChamp gets you all the basics along with some nifty effects, though some of its more appealing features (like exporting to 4K) require a paid subscription. A very cool feature it offers is text-to-speech voiceover capability. The app is the same on Windows 10 and Windows 11, and it’s a Progressive Web App with a multitrack timeline that outputs videos suitable for social media sharing.There are some free video editors in the Microsoft Store. These include Animotica, Movie Maker, and Video Editor Studio. Some of them are quite basic, but most include clip joining, transitions, and effects in a touch-friendly interface. One free video editing app is not in the app store that recently caught my attention is MiniTool MovieMaker. I prefer apps from the Microsoft Store, however, since I know they’ve been vetted for security and function, run in sandboxes that can’t mess with your system software, and are easy to install and update. Free video editing software often comes with legal and technical limitations, however. Some widely used codecs require licensing fees, meaning makers can’t offer free software to handle these standard file formats. That said, the impressive open-source Shotcut does many of the same things as the paid applications in this roundup, including chroma-keying and picture-in-picture. Shotcut is completely open-source and free, as are the also surprisingly powerful Kdenlive and Openshot applications. Lightworks is also free but has paid options that remove a 720p output resolution limit. Shotcut, Lightworks, Kdenlive, and Openshot all run on Linux as well as Windows and Mac.
Recommended by Our Editors
Do You Need 360-Degree VR Support?With VR headsets resurging thanks to Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta’s Quest 3, VR video is once again a notable consideration. Several of the products here (Adobe Premiere Elements being a notable exception) still support the older 3D video editing if that’s your thing, though it has been replaced by 360-degree VR footage like that shot by the GoPro Max. If you want 360-degree VR support, you can use CyberLink PowerDirector, the first product in this group to offer it. Other options are Adobe Premiere, Apple Final Cut Pro, 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, which can be an issue with 360-degree footage.Which Video Editors Have the Best Audio Features?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 picture. 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. Most 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 About Apple Video Editing Software?Though macOS users don’t have the sheer number of software choices available for PCs, Apple fans interested in editing video are well served. At the beginner 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 a good job with chroma-keying, and its Trailers and Storyboard features make it easy to produce slick, Hollywood-style productions, showing you what kind of shots to include.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)
In the midrange is Adobe Premiere Elements, which is cross-platform between Windows and macOS and offers a lot more features and lots of help with creating effects. Recently joining that program in Apple world is a macOS version of PCMag’s Editors’ Choice enthusiast-level video editing application, CyberLink PowerDirector. Though it doesn’t offer quite as many tools as you get in its Windows version, what it does include is impressive, and its rendering performance beats all the other Mac products mentioned here in our render-speed tests.Professionals and prosumers have powerful but pricey options in DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, and 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. Premiere Pro uses a more traditional timeline and enjoys a large ecosystem of companion apps and plug-ins. It also excels in collaboration features and plays well with ancillary Adobe software such as After Effects and Photoshop. Read more about the differences between Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro here. Note: you do not need a full Creative Cloud subscription to get Premiere Pro. You can buy it separately from the Creative Cloud suite.For more advice, see our list of the best video editing software for Macs. What’s Not Here?We’ve tested more video editing applications than are in this list. Only those rated 3.5 stars and higher are included. But we have reviewed other apps, including ACDSee Luxea, Nero Video, Vegas Movie Studio, and VSDC Video Editor Pro, just to name a few. It’s not that they are bad products; it’s just that we didn’t feel they should be included among the best video editing applications. Some have made improvements to previously convoluted interfaces and slow performance, so don’t count them out completely, especially if price is an issue. Longtime professional video editors will note the absence of Avid Media Composer and some other professional-level video software, which are simply too unwieldy for PCMag’s consumer-level audience. There are a couple of more interesting applications—AVS Video Editor and NCH VideoPad among them—that we simply haven’t tested yet.The Final ShotThe video editing application you choose depends on your budget, your equipment, and how serious you are. Fortunately, you’re spoiled for choice. Also, check out our top tips for home video editors. If you’re looking to edit video without installing any software at all, check out our article on the best online video editing apps.
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