The Best Video Editing Software for 2023
Whether you’re vlogging on YouTube, uploading to TikTok, or working for a movie studio, we break down the top video editing software based on features, capability, and price.
Overview
 | CyberLink PowerDirector 365 Best for Tons of Tools and Ease of Use | Available at CyberLink | Click Price |
 | Adobe Premiere Pro Best for Professional Video Editing | Available at Adobe | Check Price |
 | Apple Final Cut Pro Best for Professional Editing on Macs | | $299.99 at Apple.com | See Me |
 | Apple iMovie Best for Easy Editing on Macs | $0.00 at Apple.com | See Me |
 | Corel VideoStudio Ultimate Best for Stop Motion and Motion Tracking | $59.99 at Corel | See Me |
 | Movavi Video Editor Best for Fast, Fun Video Editing and Sharing | | $79.95 at Movavi | See Me |
 | Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Best for Color Grading and Keyframe Editing | | $70.76 at Amazon | See Me |
 | Adobe Premiere Elements Best for Digital Scrapbooking | | $99.99 at Adobe | See Me |
There’s nothing like moving images with sound when you want to make a strong impression. That’s why video is more important online than ever, whether on news sites, Instagram or YouTube. Couple that trend with the increasing availability of devices that can shoot high-resolution video—smartphones, GoPros, DSLRs, and mirrorless cameras—and the case for investing in powerful video editing software becomes clear. The best video editing software works for both professionals and hobbyists. It also keeps up with newer formats and supports 4K and higher resolutions.
More and more, we see features trickle down from professional-level software to the consumer category. Multicam editing, motion tracking, and advanced color grading have all made the leap. This trend is a boon 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. Another plus for people who use consumer-grade video editing apps is that they often get features relegated to separate apps in the pro world, like motion graphics, encoding, and color grading.
Below are your best options for video editing software. Read on after the product summaries to find our guide to choosing the best video editing software for your needs.
Our Experts Have Tested 16 Products in the Video Editing Category in the Past Year
Vibersol Tech has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. See how we test. Table of Contents Best for Tons of Tools and Ease of Use Best for Professional Video Editing Best for Professional Editing on Macs Best for Easy Editing on Macs Best for Stop Motion and Motion Tracking Best for a Powerful Free Version and Pro-Level Tools Best for Fast, Fun Video Editing and Sharing Best for Color Grading and Keyframe Editing Best for Editing on a Budget Best for Digital Scrapbooking Multicam, Motion Tracking, and Yet More Motion Does the Software Support 4K Video? How About 8K? How to Edit Video on a PC Can You Edit Video on a Smartphone? What Are Color Grading and LUTs? Where Is the Action? Titles That Zing Speed Matters in Video Editing What’s the Best Free Video Editing Software? Do You Need 360-Degree VR Support? Audio Editing What About Apple Video Editing Software? What’s Not Here? The Final Shot Compare Specs: Our Picks Side by Side
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
CyberLink PowerDirector 365
Best for Tons of Tools and Ease of Use
Why We Picked It
CyberLink 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 For
PowerDirector 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.
Adobe Premiere Pro
Best for Professional Video Editing
Why We Picked It
Premiere 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 For
As 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.
Apple Final Cut Pro
Best for Professional Editing on Macs
Why We Picked It
Final Cut Pro has a rethought, modern interface with a “trackless” timeline. An editor who works 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 For
PROS
As 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.
Apple iMovie
Best for Easy Editing on Macs
Why We Picked It
Simplicity joins a generous set of video editing tools in Apple’s entry-level app. We love the new Storyboards features that helps 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 For
iMovie 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.
Corel VideoStudio Ultimate
Best for Stop Motion and Motion Tracking
Why We Picked It
Corel 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 For
VideoStudio is aimed squarely at the amateur videographer, YouTuber, and TikToker. VideoStudio is also a value play, with a reasonable one-time license price.
DaVinci Resolve
Best for a Powerful Free Version and Pro-Level Tools
Why We Picked It
Davinci 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 For
Resolve targets professional video editors and has been used in may 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.
Movavi Video Editor
Best for Fast, Fun Video Editing
Why We Picked It
Movavi 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 For
Those 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.
Pinnacle Studio Ultimate
Best for Color Grading and Keyframe Editing
Why We Picked It
Pinnacle 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 For
Pinnacle 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.
Wondershare Filmora
Best for Editing on a Budget
Why We Picked It
Filmora 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 For
Filmora 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.
Adobe Premiere Elements
Best for Digital Scrapbooking
Why We Picked It
Premiere 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 For
Adobe 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 the features. The software is available for both macOS and Windows.
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