The best video editing software

Lifestyle image of woman sat at desk with multiple screens using DaVinci Resolve 20
Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve is used in major Hollywood blockbusters – there’s even a free version available (Image credit: Blackmagic Design)

Getting to grips with the best video editing software is a huge part of the video-making process and you need look no further than the original Star Wars trilogy for proof. It’s often said that legendary film editor, Marcia Lucas, saved her then-husband, George Lucas’s, space opera in the edit. And that’s before you consider the plethora of coveted films that have received additional cuts that are considered superior to theatrical release, such as Blade Runner, Apocalypse Now, and Metropolis (1927).

Thankfully, the digital age has made video editing accessible for everyone. If you’re looking for the most widely used video-editing packages on the market, then it’ll probably come as no surprise that I recommend Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple's Final Cut Pro. But Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve Studio is used throughout Hollywood, too, thanks to its wide range of features and unrivaled color grading capabilities.

For those on a budget, I can recommend CyberLink PowerDirector 365, but this isn’t the simplest software to get to grips with. If you’re an intermediate, you may prefer Corel VideoStudio Ultimate, but an easy recommendation for beginners is Adobe Premiere Elements. It’s not necessarily the slickest option, but guides will give you a helping hand and it’s fairly priced, especially if you opt for the Photoshop Elements bundle. So, if you’re looking to pick up your first video-editing application or are thinking of upgrading, you’ve come to the right place.

The Quick List

Best video editing software

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Best video editing software for pros

(Image credit: Adobe)
Best video editing software for professionals

Specifications

Platform: Windows/MacOS
Ease of use: Intermediate/Professional

Reasons to buy

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Included as part of Creative Cloud
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Incredibly comprehensive

Reasons to avoid

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Monthly subscription may put some off
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Occasional stability issues

Probably the best video editing software for filmmakers and Professionals, Premiere Pro is pretty much the industry standard, and for good reasons. For starters, it integrates seamlessly with Adobe's Creative Cloud which includes software such as Lightroom, Photoshop, and After Effects.

If you already have a full all-apps subscription to Creative Cloud you'll already have access to Premiere Pro, you might just have to download it to your computer. This is a professional-grade video editing tool that offers lots of customizable options with its interface or you can select from predefined workspaces.

It's brimming with handy tools, pre-installed effects and transitions, an audio alignment feature and you can download third-party effects if it doesn't have quite what you need. Premiere Pro will take a while to get your head around as it has so many features but once you've sussed it, it's a powerful tool for video editing.

The past year has seen some substantial upgrades, and don't forget these are all included in the subscription. They include a speech-to-text feature for captioning, Apple M2 support, a Sensei-powered Remix feature to make your music fit your clips, and, more recently, Frame.io integration for cloud-based collaboration, and Sensei Auto Color adjustments.

Read the Adobe Premiere Pro review

Best alternative to Adobe for video editing

(Image credit: Rod Lawton)
Best Adobe alternative

Specifications

Platform: Windows/MacOS/Linux
Ease of use: Intermediate/Professional

Reasons to buy

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Professional-level colour grading
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Now supports 8K footage
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Basic free version available

Reasons to avoid

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Requires powerful hardware

DaVinci Resolve initially started out as a color-grading tool but has since become an industry-standard editor. If you've moved across from Premier Pro, the familiar interface complete with timeline, monitor window, and media pool should make you feel at home.

It also has a lot of more advanced features such as a new 'cut page' in Dual Time and its new Neural Engine uses machine learning to apply advanced effects such as removing objects from a scene and morph transitions focusing on a face.

The Pro version also supports HDR color grading, collaborative working and so much more. There's a one-time purchase fee but after that, it's yours so you don't have to worry about paying for a monthly subscription.

DaVinci Resolve 18 is a major update that adds a cloud-based workflow via Blackmagic Cloud, automatic proxy generation linked to original files, optimization for the Apple M1 Ultra, new Resolve FX features, and more besides.

Read the DaVinci Resolve Studio 19 review

Best iMovie upgrade for professionals

(Image credit: Apple)
Best video editing software for Mac users

Specifications

Platform: MacOS
Ease of use: Intermediate/Professional

Reasons to buy

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Easier to get to grips with for new editors
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Extremely powerful once mastered
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HDR and 360 support

Reasons to avoid

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Non-standard timeline could confuse
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Mac only

Final Cut Pro X is the video editing software created by Apple. It's perfectly optimized for Macs so so long as you're running on a new enough machine, it should be more stable and quicker to render projects than if you were using Premiere Pro. It's jam-packed with pro-grade features such as multi-camera edits to HDR support, in-app color grading, and even 360-degree video.

Its image-heavy user interface might have startled seasoned video editors when it was first introduced but for anyone just starting out in video editing who wants a more professional program, it makes the process a lot simpler.

If you already own a Macbook or iMac and want someone more advanced than iMovie, there's a good chance that Final Cut Pro X will provide the upgrade you're looking for.

The latest features include the ability to drag effects titles and graphics into the viewer to automatically detect and track objects and faces, editable focus points for iPhone 13 Cinematic movies, and optimization for the latest Mac M2 Pro and Max chips.

Read the Apple Final Cut Pro review

Best budget video editing software

(Image credit: George Cairns/Digital Camera World)
Here you get high-powered video editing at an intermediate price

Specifications

Platform: Windows, Mac
Ease of use: Intermediate
4K support: Yes

Reasons to buy

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One-off fee or subscription
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Animated type, titles etc
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YouTube friendly features

Reasons to avoid

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Complex for beginners
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No Mac version

CyberLink is recognized for its range of reliable creative applications. PowerDirector is a popular video editing suite and the choice of many enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Each year a new release adds functionality and incremental improvements to the software and version 19 welcome's a raft of useful tweaks including a new, simpler interface, cleaner timeline controls, and the ability to easily duplicate title attributes and clips allowing users to edit footage efficiently.

There are also updates to PowerDirector's keyframe tools, color matching, and motion graphic titles. Cyberlink still offers PhotoDirector as a perpetual license – but the subscription offer is the best overall value, as it gives you free access to Shutterstock HD clips, making it one of the best video editing software programs for those on a budget.

Read the CyberLink PowerDirector 365 review

Best intermediate level video editing software

(Image credit: Corel)
The best option for semi-serious filmmakers, but Windows only

Specifications

Platform: Windows
Ease of use: Beginner
4K support: Yes

Reasons to buy

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Comprehensive features for price
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One-off payment

Reasons to avoid

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Limited audio control

With expanded color grading options and a range of automatic filters, VideoStudio Ultimate is seriously competitive. It gives you control of highlights, mid-tones, and lowlights, just like Lightroom does for photos and the pricier Premiere Pro for videos. It even offers control over specific colors, so you can make a shade of green pop without affecting the rest of the scene.

The software also supports the creation of text masks, so you can easily overlay dynamic titles on your videos without having to jump into another application. Even transitions are handled in a novel, customizable way, so you can align elements across scenes so the fades, blurs, or wipes happen exactly how you want them to.

With a core interface that’s very similar to much of the more premium competition, it’s a great gateway editor for beginners to get started with. Recent versions add face effects, a new speech-to-text converter, animated AR stickers, GIF creator, camera movement transitions, and more besides.

Read the Corel VideoStudio Ultimate 2021 review

Best for a simplified alternative to Premiere Pro

(Image credit: Rod Lawton)
No subscription fee and lots of comprehensive features makes Elements perfect for beginners

Specifications

Platform: Mac and Windows
Ease of use: Beginner
4K support: Yes

Reasons to buy

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Quick, Guided and Advanced modes
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Plenty of templates, stickers, transitions and more
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Support for common log profiles
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Decent range of effects

Reasons to avoid

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Things can quickly get complicated
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Highlight Reel feature slow and may not work
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Advanced mode not all that advanced
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Maximum 4K UHD 30p project size

Premiere Elements can be bought as a standalone product or bundled with Adobe Photoshop Elements as a twin pack. For many enthusiast users, beginners, or those starting out as vloggers, this is a big deal, as it is not necessary to pay for other apps you may have limited or no use for on a regular basis.

Adobe Premiere Elements 2025 helps video-editing novices hit the ground running as it guides you through simple and then more sophisticated techniques. You can then develop your video editing skills using the tools in the Expert workspace.

Its focus on using animated overlays to create eye-catching social media content helps it keep pace with competing non-linear apps such as CyberLink PowerDirector19. If you’re already using Photoshop Elements then Premiere Elements will slot smoothly into your organizing, editing, and sharing workflow.

Read the Adobe Premiere Elements 2025 review

Best video editing software for social media edits

(Image credit: George Cairns / Digital Camera World)
Best NLE for creating content for YouTube and TikTok

Specifications

Platform: Mac, Windows, iPadOS, iOS, Android
User level: Beginner/Intermediate
4K support: Yes

Reasons to buy

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You need an entry to mid-level NLE
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You’re editing for social media sites
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You need AI-assisted compositing tools
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You need to the option to expand its toolset

Reasons to avoid

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You want to own an NLE app outright

Movavi Video Editor 2024 is on par with Adobe Premiere Elements 2024 in that it is designed for entry-level video makers who want to cut their unedited footage together into slicker social-media-friendly sequences.

With its Guided Edit feature, Premiere Elements holds the hand of the novice in a step-by-step way, though Movavi Video Editor does offer pop-ups that talk you through key features. Where Movavi beats Elements is in the quality of its collection of post-production assets such as titles, overlays, and stickers. Movavi’s assets look modern and slick compared to Premiere Element’s dated graphical content.

Unlike Premiere Elements (which you can buy for a one-off payment) Movavi Video Editor is a subscription-based app so you will end up paying more for Movavi Video Editor in the long run, though Movavi updates the app throughout the year with new assets to keep it fresh. You also have the option of subscribing to Movavi’s Effects Store for additional graphics, titles, and music though this will cost you more. Fortunately, there are plenty of attractive assets provided via the basic annual subscription.

One key area that makes Movavi worth a look (and you can download a free trial version) is in its AI-assisted tools. You can use AI to remove a background (and then replace it with another) without using a green screen key (though this feature is also available). AI also helps reduce unwanted background noise and you can use it to make graphical elements on one layer track the movement of a person on another layer in the timeline. So if you want to jazz up your YouTube channel videos with quick composites or animated titles then Movavi Video Editor 2024 is well worth a look.

Read the Movavi Video Editor 2024 review

Best video editor for GoPro footage

(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
Get a content feed of all your best work – and you don't even need a GoPro

Specifications

Platforms: Android and iOS
Ease of use: Beginner/intermediate
4K support: Yes
Price: Free download, US$9.99/year for all features

Reasons to buy

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Auto-generated highlight videos
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Works with everything on your camera roll
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Free download

Reasons to avoid

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'Mural' is video-centric
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Auto-edit highlight videos are basic
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Some editing features cost extra

Based on the premise that your best photos and videos can get lost in the dross, GoPro’s reimagined Quik app works as an effective private content feed and makes it easy to produce slick-looking auto-generated highlight videos set to music.

Initially a free download, Quik automatically pulls photos and videos from your smartphone, whether the original source was a GoPro, a DSLR, or any other device. It’s completely device agnostic, as the previous iteration of the Quick app was, though the new version can also be used to operate a GoPro, transfer content to a phone, and live stream.

Much improved on the original Quik app and a total refresh for all GoPro users, the action camera maker’s new device-agnostic app has a slick new user interface, including new filters, tools, and music. Star of the show is a ‘mural’ page for keeping track of your favorite photos and videos, though it’s video-centric and you do have to subscribe to get unlimited access to its editing tools, which will put off many.

Read the GoPro Quik review

FAQs

What software is best for video editing?

Right now, Adobe Premiere Pro tops my list of the best video editing software. Premiere is the industry-standard subscription model aimed at professionals and video editing enthusiasts.

It's brimming with handy tools, pre-installed effects and transitions, and an audio alignment feature and you can download third-party effects if it doesn't have quite what you need. Premiere Pro will take a while to get your head around as it has so many features, but once you've sussed it, it's a powerful tool for video editing.

If you're looking for a video editor to support your hobby of video making, then Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 is a better option. It's cheaper and easier to use while maintaining some pro features, and it's always available to buy with a one-off payment.

What is the easiest software to edit video?

If you're just starting out in the world of video editing and using a desktop, PC, or Mac, my top recommendation is Premiere Elements from Adobe. It's a simplified version of its more powerful rival, Premiere Pro, so there won't be as much of a learning curve, plus it's cheaper too. Unlike most Adobe tools out there, Premiere Elements can be bought for a lump sum, rather than a continuing monthly subscription. However, do note that this is a fixed three-year license term, not a perpetual license.

Peter Fenech

As the Editor for Digital Photographer magazine, Peter is a specialist in camera tutorials and creative projects to help you get the most out of your camera, lens, tripod, filters, gimbal, lighting and other imaging equipment.

After cutting his teeth working in retail for camera specialists like Jessops, he has spent 11 years as a photography journalist and freelance writer – and he is a Getty Images-registered photographer, to boot.

No matter what you want to shoot, Peter can help you sharpen your skills and elevate your ability, whether it’s taking portraits, capturing landscapes, shooting architecture, creating macro and still life, photographing action… he can help you learn and improve.

With contributions from