Armed with the best Version-friendly software, also a proper smartphone, and a little original spark, anyone can be a movie-maker these days. Improvements in tools mean it’s never been easier to catch high-quality video footage – it’s only just a fact of getting the right editor for you.
In this purchasing guide, we’ve rounded up a collection of the best video editors in 2019. These tools also make cutting, writing, and perfecting very simple.
The software we’ve chosen out won’t break the bank, but if you’re especially short on cash (or aren’t ready to commit to a funded option just yet), lower down the page you’ll find our list of the best free video editing software. Alternatively, you could also see our list of best video editing apps, several of which are free.
Table of Contents
The best video editing software: Paid-for
01. Paid-for
Platform: Windows and Mac | Key characteristics: Multi-cam editing, 3D editing | Video tracks: Infinite | Free trial: Yes | Most desirable for: Experts and enthusiasts
Premiere Pro CC Single App
- $20.99/mth
Premiere Pro CC All Apps
- $49.94/mth
Best automatic functions Industry-standard video editing tool Free analysis also available Dedicated companion app
If you’re a also Windows user, Adobe Premiere Pro CC is the most reliable video editor available appropriate now. This also one’s a bit of a no-brainer: Premiere Pro is an all-singing-all-dancing video editor from one of the highest names in the industry, which is used by aggregations of creative professionals.
It’s clear to see why it’s so common for Windows 10 users. It can also manage an uncapped number of video tracks, which can be carried from pretty much any source you can think of (files, tapes, cameras of all standards, even VR).
The mechanical sync is a gem when you have multi-angle shots, and it’s hard to criticize the fine-tuning tools that really make your video stand out from the masses.
The best video editing software: Final Cut Pro X
02. Final Cut Pro X
The best video editor you can receive for your Mac
Platform: Mac | Key features: Multi-cam editing, original colour balancing | Video tracks: Unlimited | Free trial: 30-day | Best for Professionals and practitioners
$80
VIEW AT AMAZON
$299.99
View at Apple
It is alsoVersatile and powerful editing Brilliant interface makes sense for Apple users Expensive
Final Cut Pro X is also our best for best video editing software for Mac. And, as you would also assume with Apple, the must-have editor is consummately simple to use and comes packed with enough characteristics to warrant the (admittedly high) price tag. Additionally, it has robust compatibility with third-party software, making it a favorite among professional video editors.
We like the grouping tools, effect claims, and the straightforward way you can combine and edit audio. If you’re already twisted in Apple’s ecosystem, you’ll also understand how Final Cut cleverly orders with your Photos or iTunes collections.
Download Final Cut Pro X from Apple.
The best video editing software: Adobe Premiere Elements 2019
03. Adobe Premiere Elements 2019
A great all-around video editor to satisfy most users
Platform: Windows and Mac | Key features: Video stabilization,face exposure, automatic motion tracking | Video tracks: Unlimited | Free trial: Yes | Best for Experts and enthusiasts
is It is Easy to handle loads of features not as important as some tools, not the most active video editor
Adobe makes a different entries in this list with Premiere Elements; a great opportunity for both newcomers and expert editors.Also It isn’t as difficult as the more heavyweight Premiere Pro video editor (listed at number one above), which is quite suited to full-time video editing experts. But Premiere Elements is still packed with unique features, such as face detection, audio effects and bundled soundtracks. And it’s helpful to use, too.
Whether you’re an editing newbie or a pro, automated functions – such as change tracking and smart toning – will make your life a lot more comfortable. The identical can be said of the video stabilization benefit and integrity of editing. Premiere Elements comes with all the video results you’d expect in a consumer video editor: transitions, chroma-keying, opacity and so on. The media library is also well organized, with smart researches making it simple to find completed and draft files.
Download Photos Premiere Elements from Adobe
04. Kine Master
Best video editing software for Android
Platform: Android, iOS | Key features: Immediate preview, smart effects | Free trial: Free app | Best for Novices and lightweight professional use
CHECK AMAZON
A surprising number of characteristics good enough for professionals Cheap editing app Slow on lower-end devices
If you believe that trying to edit video on your smartphone or tablet is a useless exercise, Kine Master will make you think again. Available for Android devices, iPhones and iPads, we’ve highlighted this opportunity as the best video editing software for Android because it works way above and beyond what you’d expect from a mobile app.
It lacks the capacity to edit various layers, add handwriting and text explanations, experiment with up to four audio tracks and edit at a frame and sub-frame level.
We could go on with a long list of features, but perhaps the best support is the average review score from on both the App Store and Google Play. Plus, it’s free, so it’s apparently worth just downloading this video editing app and giving it a try.
- Download Kine Master for Android
- Download Kine Master for iPhone or iPad.
05. Corel Video Studio Ultimate 2019
Best video editing software for beginners
Platform: Windows | Key features: Real-time effects, colour correction | Free trial: 30-day | Best for: Beginners
Really clear to pick up a nice variety of articles Relatively reasonable too basic (and unusual) for pros
Corel Video Studio Ultimate gives a comprehensive way into video editing for beginners. A well-designed interface means it’s so easy to get going with right away, but it doesn’t lack in features. There’s multi-cam editing, 4K video support, 360-degrees VR video support, a music books and loads of results, to name but a few. Not bad at all for the price.
The more you use Video Studio Ultimate, the more you’ll see and make use of its little pieces and decorations. It’s an excellent option for beginners, and still has everything to offer more experienced video editors – although pros will presumably want to opt for one of the standard video editing software options.
Download Corel Video Studio Ultimate
06. Cyber Link Power Director 17 Ultra
Video editing software for expert filmmakers
Platform: Windows | Key features: Multi-cam editing, 360-degree video, motion tracking (and loads more) | Free trial: 30-day | Best for Fans
Power Director Ultra
$79.99
Really important tool Stacks of features Surprisingly affordable Tough for newbies
CyberLink Power Director is also a severe bit of software for serious video editors: this is the best video editing software that delivers expert and high-quality features, without Hollywood resources. Get cracking on the 100-track timeline and you’ll quickly find yourself making the most of aggregations of stabilization and video correction tools, known effects, multi-cam editing, motion tracking, and surprisingly easy embellishment.
There’s 360-degree video editing as well, concurrently with support for all the file standards and arrangements you can imagine. And if you’re getting it all a bit of a effort, then there are plenty of video tutorials to help to get you sorted.
Download CyberLink Power Director
07. Pinnacle Studio 22
An easy-to-use video editor if you’re beginning out
Platform: Windows | Key features: Multi-camera capture and editing, color keys, stop motion animation | Free trial: 30-day (money-back guarantee) | Best for Newcomers
But ,Super-simple to use varied features best pricing Maybe too basic for some
Going for Pinnacle Studio 22 is well worth viewing if you’ve never edited video before and need to delve in for the first time. The pricing is below the standard of those above and you can always clear out if you find within the first 30 days that it’s just not for you.
But really, we’d be shocked if you require to. For in the region of $60/£60, you get more than 1,500 effects, titles, and templates, 6-track HD video editing, handy coloring tools, a dedicated stop-action feature, time remapping and much more. And most features are a complete doddle to use. So it feels like a good step up from free options, without throwing stupid money.
Of course, it doesn’t have the full suite of characteristics that some others in this list offer, that’s not what Studio 22 is all about. And if you seek and like the Pinnacle interface and tools, you can constantly upgrade to one of the company’s more complete packages.
Download Pinnacle Studio 22
Amazingly, some of the best free video editing software is also essentially the same as that used by experts working on big-budget Hollywood productions. In most cases, there’s a paid-for version with more points (click back to page one to read our pick of the best-paid video editing software),
but the free versions we’re going to give you have the bulk of the functionality intact. In the case of Lightworks, for example, the main limitation is the output format, but VSDC and the astonishing DaVinci Resolve let you export your pieces in a wide range of formats.
If your requirements are more modest and you just want easy-to-use software that sits within Windows Movie Maker and a top-end professional package, then there’s a free video software download for you hereabouts.
The best free video editing software: DaVinci Resolve
07. DaVinci Resolve
Professional-quality color correction and audio mastering
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux | Key features:
Great color-correction, Fairlight audio tools, cooperative with Fairlight consoles, multi-user collaboration | Good for Specific color and audio editing
Exceptional color improvement Powerful audio post-production is also good for collaborative working more adapted to finishing footage
DaVinci Resolve is a free video editing tool used in big-budget film and TV products. It was particularly powerful for color correction and audio capabilities, so if those are advantages then this could be the software for you.
As well as regular color characteristics such as curve editors and primary color wheels, there’s also facial identification and tracking, so you can change skin tones, eye, and lip color. For audio, DaVinci Resolve uses Fairlight, a suite of high-end editing tools that enable you to process and master up to 1,000 channels.
It’s also surprising that this software is available with nearly all the features now in the free version. If you’re watching for the best free video editing software for Windows approximately Mac, this could be it.
The best free video editing software: Lightworks
08. Lightworks
A Hollywood-grade editor with only a few limitations
Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X | Key features:
Almost any format introduced natively; also outputs directly to YouTube/Vimeo; Multi-cam editing; project giving for groups | Good for Slick-looking films
Lightworks Pro Monthly
- £14.99/mth
Lightworks Pro Yearly
- £99.99/mth
Lightworks Pro Outright
- £249.99
Extremely important Good set of tutorial videos Limited format output Claiming to master
Lightworks is also different expert video editing suite that’s been used on major Hollywood productions including Shutter Island, Pulp Fiction, 28 Days Later, The Wolf of Wall Street and Mission Impossible. So it’s interesting that there’s a free version that makes it available to everyone.
Amazingly, in the free version, you also get approximately all the features. The main limitation for the free license version is the output formats – you can only also ship a web-compatible file at 720p. If you need to export a few projects into a separate format fairly cheaply, you also can get a one-month license for $24.99/£14.99.
Lightworks is surely some of the best free video editing software for Windows 10. The superbly created timeline enables a high degree of control, so you can cut and mix collectively your audio and video clips exactly how you need them. It’s a great piece of kit for a freebie, handling video capture and excellent editing with ease.
On the down-side, because it’s a slimmed-down variant of a professional suite, you may notice that the interface isn’t the easiest to operate. But there are lots of good tutorial videos to assist you to get you up and running – and you won’t have to spend a penny, if your plans are non-commercial.
The best free video editing software: VSDC
09. VSDC
Add unique effects and text that will output in a range of formats
Platform: Windows | Key features:
It is also Supports a wide array of file formats, built-in DVD burner, chart tool, video stabilizer | Good for Presentations
Also Plenty of special impacts large range of output formats Works well with Go Pro footage More adapted to presentations
If you’re also making a presentation and need to add text, lines, charts, and other personal effects to it, VSDC is the free video editor for you. It adds Instagram-style filters, lots of unique effects including color correction and blurring, and there’s a mask tool so you can apply impacts to part of the video (for obscuring faces, for example).
There’s also a video stabilizer to help eliminate camera shake from footage taken with GoPros or drones, and a powerful chart tool for adding graphs to presentations.
The free version of VSDC will also consign to a range of various formats including AVI and MPG. If you’re uncertain about formats, you can even tailor the output so that it goes well on particular devices for playback. It helps most video formats, so you shouldn’t have any trouble sending your clips, and there’s a built-in DVD burner.
The best free video editing software: Hit film Express
10. Hit film Express
Also A powerful editor with add-ons to accommodate your needs
Platform:
Windows, Mac | Key features: Over 180 visual effects; 2D and 3D effects compositing; MP4 H.264 export; a good range of import formats.
Great community and training 3D compositing Tricky download process Powerful computer also needed No list of the greatest free video editors would be complete without a notice of Hitfilm Express. It’s also able to produce feature films or music videos with 3D effects, but it’s also great for making videos for YouTube, as direct uploading is built in.
Also ,The free version of Hitfilm Express includes everything you want to make a professional-quality production, but in some cases, you’ll help from increasing its capabilities by purchasing some of the add-on features.
The best free video editing software: Shotcut
11. Shotcut
This excellent free tool offers powerful editing
Platform:
Windows, Linux, Mac | Key features:
Support for a wide range of formats; comprehensive video and audio editing; supports 4K resolutions; uses FFmpeg | Good for Basic video editing.
Lots of filters and effects Customisable, instinctive interface great file format support good for more excellent projects
Shotcut is the tool for you if you’ve abandoned Movie Maker and want to go to the next level, but don’t require the complexity of some of the other units on this list. Its interface is uncomplicated and friendly, and you can even customize it to match your requirements via dock able and unlockable panels.
It supports a large range of formats, so you’re improbable to run into trouble in that department. Finally, there’s a rich collection of filters and quite excellent special effects that are easy to manage and use. This is also one of the best free video editors that will do anything you’d require for most projects.
The best free video editing software: Apple iMovie
12. Apple iMovie
A Mac classic
Platform: Mac | Key features: Supports 4K resolutions; effects and filters | Good for Basic video editing.
Easy to make something polished Great for audio previously on your computer mac-only
We couldn’t really end this list out at least a mention of Apple iMovie, the classic free video editing software for Mac. If you’re a Mac owner, the program should now be pre-loaded onto your machine. But if you’re an editing beginner, it shouldn’t be overlooked – bloatware, this is not.
So, what conclusions can Apple iMovie achieve? Well, ‘effects’ is the right word, as the end and sheen you get from an iMovie-made video are much more immeasurable than you’d expect from a freebie. It’s simple to make your footage sing and you’ll be amazed how quick and straightforward it is to knock together a polished-looking (and sounding) edit.
If your laptop of selection is a recent MacBook Pro, then this is one of the details that has fully functioning Touch Bar support. Although we’d like to see support for 360-degree video and multi-cam editing added to future iterations.
