Whether a complete beginner or an expert in video-editing waters, everyone needs a good software companion to help them achieve their final task – be it the creation of an amazing visual masterpiece or a simple Facebook video.
Such a video-editing program would be able to not only facilitate the video post-production process, but also speed it up, embellish, automate where possible, and apply various filters or even special effects.
Your ideal software depends on what sort of video you’re making and for what purposes, what level of quality it needs to be, and what format(s) it needs to export in. It also matters whether you’re a professional or a newcomer, how much control you want to have, and if you are planning to collaborate with others on your video projects. Of course, the price is an important factor but it shouldn’t be the deciding one.
To help you sort the wheat from the chaff and find the one suitable for you, we have assembled a list of the best video editing solutions in the industry.
It is available on Windows and Mac devices, and all users will get 100GB of cloud storage, their own portfolio websites, premium fonts, Adobe Spark (online and mobile design app), and Premiere Rush – online video creation and sharing service which by itself costs $9.99/month.
Pricing is based on a subscription model and signing up for a year will cost you $20.99/month or $239.88/year. There’s also a monthly plan at $31.49/month. A 7-day free trial is available for everyone who wants to test the platform out before committing.
Already becoming the industry-standard, support for 360-degree video editing isn’t lacking here either, and Final Cut Pro also features HDR and advanced color grading. Additionally, the Angle Viewer allows you to view up to 16 angles at the same time.
While some competitors offer a subscription-based pricing model, Apple does things differently with its professional video editing software. Specifically, you only need to pay once and you’re getting all the major updates. At $299.99, it may seem expensive, but it will pay off over a couple of years if you’re serious about video. In any case, there’s a 90-day free trial so you can see what you’re getting yourself into.
For example, its Magic Movie Wizard facilitates combining and optimization of videos in only several simple clicks if you just want to publish something on social media or don’t have the time to tweak them in the timeline editor.
If you do have the time for the timeline editor though, you’ll probably get better results. More advanced controls are available if you look for them in the control panels, and you’ll discover that all the options and filters are highly flexible.
PowerDirector is currently priced at $4.58/month ($54.99 paid annually) or $19.99 if paid on a month-by-month basis. If you’re still on the fence about CyberLink PowerDirector, you can take advantage of its 30-day free trial to see if this is what you’re looking for.
While all the other video editing tools described here are great, HitFilm Pro throws in something extra – hundreds of impressive special effects and presets. You can add distortion effects, powerful color correction, masks, blue/green screen keying, amazing particle effects, chroma-keying to reduce spill, and more.
It’s not all about special effects, either. You’ll also get a comprehensive set of features for all parts of the video post-production process, including titles, audio editing, animations, color grading, and more, all available in just a click or two.
You can import and animate custom 3D models with the help of 3D cameras, dynamic lighting, and simulated 3D cameras. The platform even throws in a dedicated 360-degree viewer if you have the right equipment.
This may sound overwhelming, but trust us, it isn’t, especially since all the features and options are neatly arranged into an intuitive user interface. HitFilm Pro can be yours for a one-time payment of $349. There’s a free trial available, but it doesn’t support exporting.
Centered around an editing timeline to which you drag video, image, and audio files, it features large, clearly labeled dashboard buttons. There are also searchable tutorials and guides for every step of the video-editing process and many common issues you may encounter while using it.
The platform can only be acquired through a rather inexpensive one-off purchase of $99.99, so once you make your payment, it’s yours to keep forever. There’s a 30-day free trial so you can check whether Adobe Premiere Elements is good enough for your requirements before purchasing.
