The Best Video Editing Software in 2024 (For All Skill Levels)
by
Masooma Memon

The Best Video Editing Software in 2024 (For All Skill Levels)

Video Editing
Video Software
Apps

The best video editing software can turn the complex, often time-consuming task of making videos, into a streamlined and more effective process. On top of this, the right video editing software can even enable you to take your videos to another level entirely.

Yet, the wrong video editing software can cause headaches. And the search itself can often feel overwhelming. In fact, you might even end up with a compromise — using multiple tools to meet your video requirements or a clunky, difficult-to-get-accustomed-to video editor that just helps you get by.

Good news though? There’s always a video editing tool out there that matches your skill level, budget, and production requirements.

And to help you find it, we’ve created this handy guide where we’ve brought together our collective experiences (along with a deep dive into user reviews) to give you a curated list of the best video editing software.

By the end of this post, you’ll leave with a shortlist of tools to test drive for yourself before you’re ready to invest.

Dig in.

[#TOC1]Best video editing software for beginners[#TOC1]

If you’re new to video editing, the best video editing software is one that’s tailored to your skillsets. This means finding a software that doesn’t overwhelm you with tons of manual controls and settings you don’t need. But, equally important, the best video editing software for beginners should still deliver professional-quality videos (without overwhelming you).

1. VEED 

Advanced features in an easy-to-master tool for beginner and intermediate-level creators at an affordable price.

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Supported Platforms Web browser (online video editor)
Who's it For? Video creators of all levels (especially beginners), working solo or in marketing agencies and sales teams. They care about:
  • Using AI to speed up and simplify video editing and production
  • Sticking with a one-stop solution to manage video production
  • Using a tool that doesn’t take any desktop storage space
Key Features
  • Magic Cut (auto AI editor)
  • Auto subtitles
  • Audio cleaner
  • Text to speech
  • AI image generator
  • Chroma key/Green screen editor
  • Video speed controller
  • Video background remover
  • Vast library of video elements, effects, filters, templates, and stickers
  • 
and more.
Pricing
  • Basic plan: $18 per month
  • Pro plan: $30 per month
  • Business plan: $59 per month
Where Can I Try it? Try it here.

Who is it for?

VEED is a powerful video creation and editing platform that includes a suite of AI-powered tools. With an intuitive interface and AI support, VEED is great for small teams or individuals who are either new or experienced with video editing.

‍Why we picked it

VEED makes pro-level video editing accessible (and easy) for creators and teams with its rich medley of basic and advanced (yet highly intuitive) features.

It offers one-click solutions for captioning, resizing, sharing, and exporting videos — even creating your own video templates — speeding up production. Other available features include:

  • Screen recording
  • Teleprompter (handy for reducing retakes)
  • Brand kit, custom fonts, and custom watermarks

To add, there’s a wide variety of emojis, stickers, and other elements such as progress bars and music visualizers that you can add to your videos. Plus, you can use it to easily change your videos’ file type to multiple formats including MOV, WMV, MKV, AVI, MP4, and more.

Not to mention, it boasts some incredibly helpful AI features, including: 

  • Magic Cut to automatically edit out filler words, pauses, and outtakes from your footage
  • Eye Contact Correction to let you read off from an off-screen source while maintaining your eye contact with the camera
  • Audio Cleaner to automatically remove unwanted background sounds for crisp audio quality
  • AI Background Remover to remove your video’s background so you can replace it with a new one
  • AI Image Generator to generate engaging images based on the prompts you give it
  • AI Script Generator to auto-write scripts for videos based on the prompts you add‍
  • AI Avatars (Coming Soon!) to help you create training, promotional, and sales videos with realistic avatars — without getting in front of a camera yourself
Recommended Reading: AI-Powered Video Editing: How to Create Videos Faster with VEED. 

Reviewers particularly love VEED’s clutter-free interface and the fact that the tool is an all-in-one solution for creating, editing, collaborating on, and organizing videos at an affordable price.

The best part? In comparison with most tools here, VEED’s learning curve is relatively gentle. There are also tons of video tutorials and the how-to-use content for each feature is organized in an easy-to-study library on the site — making learning simple for you.

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VEED Pros and Cons Table
VEED Pros VEED Cons
Online web tool so it doesn’t make extensive demands for internal storage space. This also reduces headaches related to app installation and setup. No mobile app — you can edit from your iPad’s browser though. However, the company has plans to change this in the future.
All files are stored online, reducing load on your device, and making it easy to collaborate while editing videos. No multicam editing.
Generous free plan with 30 minutes of auto-subtitling, 2 GB storage, and unlimited projects that you can export in 720p.
AI features make video editing a breeze for beginners and speed up production for editing experts.

What do people say about VEED? 

1. G2
2. Capterra 

‍

2. Wondershare Filmora 

Easy video editing for new video creators on a small budget. 

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Supported Platforms Mac and Windows
Who's it For? For beginner-level video editors, creators, marketers, streamers, and small business owners who:
  • Have limited technical knowledge of video editing
  • Care about ease of use to produce social media content and other basic videos
  • Have a small budget to put into a video editing software
Key Features
  • Chroma key/green screen
  • Smart cut out and brush
  • AI audio stretch
  • Auto reframe
  • Magnetic timeline
  • Speed adjustment
Pricing
  • For individuals: $19.99 per month
  • For businesses (only annual plans available): $155.88 - $701.40 per year for 1-5 users. Request a quote for more users.
Where Can I Try it? Try it here.

Who is it for?

Wondershare is ideal for individuals or small teams operating on a tight budget, with minimal video editing needs. Those looking for more advanced, robust editing features, should look elsewhere.

Why we picked it

Wondershare Filmora is among the best video editing software with a clean interface, built-in templates and themes, and AI features that simplify video editing for entry-level folks.

Notable AI features include:

  • Smart cut that automatically removes the background
  • Smart brush tool to draw over other objects/people that you want to cut out
  • Wind remover, denoiser, and an audio mixer to adjust volume
  • AI audio stretch to retime any track to fit the duration of a video

Filmora also comes with a screen recorder and gives you hundreds of effects, color filters, and transitions — you can access most with its paid plan. More importantly, transitions are easy to apply since the software automatically smoothens the transition between two clips.

There’s also a speech-to-text feature, which is among the tool’s most advanced features. Generally, however, Filmora isn’t an advanced video editing software — Wondershare is working to change that by adding advanced features like this one.

Since most features are basic though, you can’t expect the tool to give you precise control over your video timelines and clips. And as you master video editing, users say this tool will have little to offer.

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Wondershare Filmora Pros and Cons Table
Wondershare Filmora Pros Wondershare Filmora Cons
Not very resource intensive. You can use it to edit multiple videos without the need for a souped-up computer. Lacks advanced features such as multicam editing or VR capabilities for complex video editing.
Easy to learn and use with its AI features simplifying video editing even further. Video stabilization tool is poor in contrast with similarly-priced tools like Cyberlink PowerDirector 365.
Android and iOS apps help with mobile editing. Watermark in videos exported using the free version. The free version also caps your total exports to ten videos.

What do people say about Wondershare Filmora? 

1. G2
2. Capterra 

‍

3. CapCut

A social-first video editing tool that’s available on mobile and desktops.

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Supported Platforms iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Android, Microsoft Windows
Who's it For? CapCut is ideal for beginners, as well as small teams looking to make video content, especially if:
  • They’re interested in creating content primarily for social media use
  • They’re only making content for TikTok
  • They’re operating on a limited budget and don’t require a high output of videos each month
Key Features
  • Templates that simplify the creation process
  • TikTok-specific templates and features
  • A free mobile video and photo editor
  • Cloud storage support
Pricing
  • Free individual access with 720p video quality and watermark
  • Pro access for $9.99/mo per user, or $89.99/yearly per user
Where Can I Try it? Try it here.

Who is it for?

Anyone primarily posting in TikTok can benefit from CapCut’s TikTok-first approach, as well as anyone looking for a more social media-oriented video editor. Those needing more robust features, or powerful AI, should continue their search.

Why we picked it

CapCut made the cut because it’s fairly straightforward, has great integrations with TikTok, and offers a decent suite of features for beginners. 

We also liked that CapCut doesn’t gate too many features behind a subscription. With a free account, you can still make videos, utilize templates, access editing effects, and more. This makes it especially great for those looking to dip their toes in the video editing pool, without wanting to throw down any money. On top of this, CapCut:

  • Has a really simple interface that just about anyone can understand.
  • Includes a library of free templates to help beginners look professional.
  • Integrates nicely with social media, making it easy to create and share.

If you’re willing to pay for Pro, you can also benefit from 100gb of cloud storage, more advanced editing features, and professional-level effects.

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CapCut Pros and Cons Table
CapCut Pros CapCut Cons
The free version is fairly robust. CapCut can only create horizontal videos.
CapCut makes it easy to create and upload TikTok videos. The interface of CapCut is almost too simple for advanced users.
CapCut’s interface is simple and intuitive. CapCut accesses your phone’s entire library of videos and photos, which poses a security risk to some.

What do people say about CapCut?

1. Product Hunt
 2. App Store

4. Invideo

An AI-focused video editing and creation experience that utilizes a unique text-based video editing platform.

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Supported Platforms iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Android, Microsoft Windows
Who's it For? Invideo is ideal for individuals or small teams. Invideo is aimed primarily at beginners, as it:
  • Uses a unique text-based interface that’s comfortable for newcomers.
  • Doesn’t present too many manual controls.
  • Has several AI functions that assist with editing and creation.
Key Features
  • A text-based video editor.
  • AI-creation based on simple text inputs.
  • Voice cloning with AI.
  • Support for creation in all languages.
Pricing
  • Free for 10 mins/week of video creation.
  • $20/mo per user for Plus, which includes 50 mins/mo of AI video.
  • $48/mo per user for Max, which includes 200 mins/mo of AI video.
Where Can I Try it? Try it here.

Who is it for?

Invideo is aimed at video editing beginners. Unlike other tools, Invideo has a text-based video editor that mimics the experience of editing a word document. This makes it ideal for beginners, but doesn’t translate well for those experienced with video editing.

Why we picked it

We picked Invideo as a great beginner video editing software for a number of reasons. First, it has a unique interface that allows anyone with word editing experience to feel right at home. This makes it approachable for those with virtually no video editing experience.

Invideo has a number of additional features that make it a great pick for beginners:

  • A large library of stock photos and videos to choose from.
  • The ability to easily add your company’s logo or branding to videos.
  • The ability to automatically create text-to-speech.
  • In-depth reports and analytics on video performance over time.

While Invideo lacks the robust editing features of some tools, its editing tools and performance metrics make it great for individuals, as well as those with larger teams who are looking to take video more seriously over time.

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Invideo Pros and Cons Table
Invideo Pros Invideo Cons
A text-based editor that’s easy for beginners to understand. The editor can feel limiting for those with more experience.
Highly-rated customer support that’s available to assist with issues. AI-powered tools aren’t as impressive as competitors.
A sizeable library of stock photos and videos to make videos look more professional. Invideo can get costly, especially for companies with larger teams and tighter budgets.

What do people say about Invideo?

1. G2
2. Capterra

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[#TOC2]Best video editing software for intermediate-level video editors[#TOC2]

As an intermediate-level video editor, you need software that’s more robust and capable than beginner-oriented software. But, you still want to find the right balance between functionality, and ease of use. These are our top choices that find that balance.

5. Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 

Powerful video editing for beginners and pros alike.

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Cyberlink Table
Supported Platforms Mac, Windows, Linux
Who's it For? Beginner- and intermediate-level video editors and marketers, content creators, and small business owners who:
  • Need an intuitive tool that offers all basic video editing features
  • Want to use AI to speed through their video editing
  • Use the latest device (Windows 10 or 11 or macOS 10.14 or above)
Key Features
  • Shaky video stabilization
  • Extensive video templates library
  • Access to stock video and audio
  • AI features including denoising and speech enhancement
Pricing
  • Subscription plan for creators: $24.99 per month
  • Subscription plan for businesses: $34.99 per month
  • Lifetime license, one-time purchase: $99.99 for Ultra and $139.99 for Ultimate
Where Can I Try it? Try it here.

Who is it for?

Individual marketers or content creators, as well as small teams, that have at least some level of video editing experience. Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 is ideal for those who have an up-to-date device and want AI-assisted editing.

Why we picked it

Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 is an easy-to-learn tool with a drag-and-drop video editing timeline. 

Because most of the tool’s features sit in the top-left corner — hidden under icons — the workspace is clutter-free, therefore, not too overwhelming for beginners. 

PowerDirector 365 also gives you access to tons of effects, fonts, plug-ins, and a stock audio and video library that you can access when you get a subscription. All content and feature updates alongside customer support are also reserved for paying subscribers. 

The tool also offers a handful of useful AI video editing features including: 

  • AI wind removal 
  • Audio denoising 
  • AI object selection 
  • AI speech enhancement 

To be able to use these features though, make sure you’re using an advanced device with an RTX GPU. The software download itself takes over a gigabyte of hard drive so you’ll want to double-check your machine’s available space.

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Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 Pros and Cons Table
Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 Pros Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 Cons
Simple export options to multiple destinations, including direct exports to YouTube and Vimeo. Limited import options compared to competing video editing tools.
AI features make video editing easy. AI features only run on the latest devices.
A growing list of plug-ins lets you do more creative work as you master video editing. Premium plug-ins and effects are only available to PowerDirector subscribers.
The stock video library helps put together decent videos easily. Watermark in videos exported using the free version. The free version also doesn’t give you access to most of the features discussed above.

What do people say about Cyberlink PowerDirector 365?

1. G2

‍

2. Capterra

6. Apple iMovie

Free editing app for entry-level creators using Mac. 

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iMovie Table
Supported Platforms macOS and iOS
Who's it For? Beginner-level video editors who:
  • Have basic video output requirements
  • Want to create professional-looking videos, fast
Key Features
  • Intuitive interface
  • Built-in themes and templates
  • Seamless integration across Apple devices
  • Auto combine selected clips into a video (Magic Movies)
  • Audio editing with iMovie’s integration with GarageBand and iTunes
Pricing Free (comes pre-installed in all modern Apple devices)
Where Can I Try it? Try it here.

Who is it for?

Apple iMovie is great for beginner-to-intermediate video editors who are looking to simply edit videos. If you aren’t looking for anything flashy, and only require minimal editing tools, iMovie is a free, great option.

Why we picked it 

Apple makes it super easy for Mac users to create and edit videos with its in-built free video editing software, iMovie.

It offers tons of features that hand-hold new video creators through the editing process. The Trailer feature, for instance, guides you on how to create story-based videos by giving you a shot list and telling you exactly what type of shots to add and how long they need to be.

There’s also an auto-correct button for enhancing video clips’ color and lighting.

For audio editing, iMovie gives you a decent choice for sound effects and background soundtrack as well as one-click controls for:

  • Reducing hum
  • Enhancing voice
  • Treble (high pitch) reduction

There’s also a slider control for adjusting background noise.

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iMovie Pros and Cons Table
iMovie Pros iMovie Cons
Easy-to-use solution for quickly making videos. It’s only for Apple users.
User-friendly interface that only displays tools in use to reduce overwhelm for new editors. Lacks advanced video editing features such as limited color grading options, no direct voiceover recording, no animation features, and no support for 360-degree video editing.
Imports from various sources. Lack of auto-export option for social media channels.

What do people say about Apple iMovie? 

1. G2

‍

2. Capterra 

7. Clipchamp

Basic mobile and desktop video editing for entry-level creators.

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Clipchamp Table
Supported Platforms Desktop and online video editor with mobile apps for both Android and Apple.
Who's it For? For entry-level video editors, marketers, bloggers, and freelancers who:
  • Want a quick and easy solution for creating short videos
  • Want a free tool that doesn’t put too many restrictions
  • Don’t have robust/extensive video production requirements
Key Features
  • Drag and drop interface
  • Chroma key
  • Screen recording
  • Speaker coaching
  • Profanity filter
Pricing Essentials plan for creators: $11.99 per month
Where Can I Try it? Try it here.

Who is it for?

Clipchamp is great for both entry-level and intermediate video editors. If you’re a marketer, blogger, or solopreneur who needs a free tool without any bells or whistles, Clipchamp is a solid choice.

Why we picked it

Clipchamp is Windows’ equivalent of iMovie, but one that has a subscription on top of its free version. It’s built into Windows 11, but can also be installed from the Microsoft Store for older Windows operating systems. 

The app itself offers basic editing options so you can’t expect a wealth of advanced features from it. 

Its free version makes this tool a winner for three reasons though:

  • It doesn’t limit the number of videos you export
  • It doesn’t watermark the content you export
  • Lets you export videos in 1080p (but exports are comparatively slow)

The pro version, on the other hand, gives you access to premium effects, filters, content backup, brand kits, and a stock asset library — making the tool a better fit for commercial purposes.

Clipchamp also helps auto-caption videos and syncs projects across the devices you use the app on, which contributes to making the tool the best free video editing software for Windows. 

Recommended Reading: Subtitling 101: How to Automatically Add and Customize Subtitles.  

The text-to-speech feature is a little different from the market standard though — giving you options to choose from robot narrators (not human speech). After you choose the voice, you can adjust its speed and pitch as needed.

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Clipchamp Pros and Cons Table
Clipchamp Pros Clipchamp Cons
No watermarks in the free version. No advanced features like keyframing, motion tracking, or audio filters. Limited video speed-up and slowdown options as well.
Basic editing shortcut keys available. For instance, arrow keys for scrubbing. Advanced editing shortcut keys are lacking, such as shortcuts for reverse and pause and play.
Extensive template library for short videos including YouTube intro and outro video templates. Limited transitions, effects, background music tracks, and graphic overlays (GIFs, sound bars, and stickers).
Recommended Reading: 13 Best Video Editing Software for YouTube.

What Do People Say About Clipchamp? 

1. G2
2. Capterra 

[#TOC3]Best video editing software for experts[#TOC3]

If you have extensive video editing experience, you need software to match. The right expert-level video editing software will throw everything but the kitchen sink at you, and empower you to do just about anything you want with video.

8. Adobe Premiere Pro 

Advanced video editing for skilled professionals familiar with the Adobe suite of tools.

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Adobe Premiere Pro Table
Supported Platforms Mac and Windows
Who's it For? Professional video editors in agencies, brand and media marketing, and film and TV broadcasting who:
  • Have a hang of the Adobe ecosystem
  • Are looking for a full suite of video and image editing tools
  • Work in teams with all members familiar with the tool’s interface
Key Features
  • Auto reframe
  • Video stabilization
  • Multicam video editing
  • Support for 360-degree VR content
  • Custom captioning with AI text to speech
Pricing
  • Basic plan: $18 per month
  • Pro plan: $30 per month
  • Business plan: $59 per month
Where Can I Try it? Try it here.

Who is it for?

Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional-level video editor that’s ideal for agencies or smaller teams, and those with extensive video experience. Adobe Premiere Pro is incredibly feature-rich and powerful, but does have a learning curve that makes it difficult for those less experienced.

Why we picked it

Although Premiere Pro’s interface is known for its clutter, Adobe is working on improving it with two recently introduced simplified views:

  • The startup view to get straight to ongoing projects 
  • The dark view to bring the project you’re working on into focus

You can also create custom workspaces — choosing control buttons to display and panels to remove.

At the time of writing this, Adobe is also introducing text-based video editing to beta users.

To boot, features like fast media sharing, real-time review and approval tools, direct camera-to-cloud transfers, and unlimited reviewers with 100 GB storage make team collaboration easy.

All these features, however, take a powerful computer to run smoothly. Otherwise, reviewers complain the app crashes often. Users also say product updates can move tools around, which can make it difficult to jump back to open projects.

That said, the tool comes with a hard pill to swallow: there’s no free version available. So if you’re keen on trying Premiere Pro, you get a small window of seven days to make your decision since that’s how long the free, full-feature trial runs. 

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Adobe Premiere Pro Pros and Cons Table
Adobe Premiere Pro Pros Adobe Premiere Pro Cons
Extensive in-app and online tutorials for learning to use and master the tool. Overwhelming interface that steepens the learning curve for those unfamiliar with the Adobe suite of tools.
Wide range of import options at your disposal. Resource intensive. So if you use Premiere Pro on an old device, you’ll experience tons of crashes.
Ample cloud storage space for team collaboration. Adobe pushes you to get more tools in its suite such as After Effects for simple tasks like resizing 3D animations you add to videos.

What do people say about Adobe Premiere Pro? 

1. G2

‍

2. Capterra 

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9. Apple Final Cut Pro X 

Advanced video editing software for professional editors using Mac.

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Apple Final Cut Pro X Table
Supported Platforms macOS and iOS
Who's it For? Experienced video editors, creators, and marketers who:
  • Want an advanced video editing software on their Apple devices
Key Features
  • Chroma key effect
  • Compound clips
  • 360-degree VR editing
  • Advanced color correction
  • Intelligent motion tracking
Pricing One-time purchase fee: $299.99
Where Can I Try it? Try it here.

Who is it for?

For individuals with previous video editing experience, and a preference for Apple devices, Apple Final Cut Pro is a great choice. But, if you’re not as comfortable navigating video editing software, and you’re not on a Mac or iOS device, there are equally or more capable options.

Why we picked it

With Final Cut Pro, Apple makes up for the shortcomings of its free iMovie video editor. For instance, it offers collaboration and video organization features. 

Edited videos also don’t automatically save in your iPhone’s photo gallery. Instead, they’re saved in separate drives and are automatically backed up.

Other notable features include:

  • Duplicate clip detection
  • Background noise remover
  • Flow transitions for editing jump cuts
  • Match audio to align separately recorded audio to recorded video

The color correction feature is impressive too — letting you automatically as well as manually balance color, exposure, and saturation.

Lastly, Final Cut Pro offers a wide variety of transitions, fonts (including 3D and cinematic font templates), and customizable audio and video effects. Plus, you can download plug-ins to add to the variety if needed — making this tool the best video editing software for Mac.

The only catch? You can only use Final Cut Pro if you and your team are Mac users. Not just that but all of you will need the latest macOS and ample storage space to ensure the video editing program runs smoothly. 

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Apple Final Cut Pro X Pros and Cons Table
Apple Final Cut Pro X Pros Apple Final Cut Pro X Cons
Fast performance. Takes 3GB in download space and requires macOS Catalina 10.15.6 or later with a minimum of 4GB RAM (8GB is recommended) to run.
Packs in advanced features like multicam editing. AI features such as the Smart Conform aren’t extremely powerful.
Numerous third-party plug-ins that open within the tool rather than a separate window. Video editing timeline is different than the traditional timeline, which can confuse long-time video editors.

What do people say about Final Cut Pro? 

1. G2

‍

2. Capterra

10. Corel VideoStudio Ultimate 

Basic video editing for Windows users and new creators unfamiliar with video editing tools.

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Corel VideoStudio Ultimate Table
Supported Platforms Windows
Who's it For? Entry-level videographers and creators who don’t have experience using video editing tools. They’re looking for:
  • A video editing solution for their Windows device
  • Speed and efficiency without too many control buttons
  • An easy-to-use video editor for making short social media videos (mainly for TikTok and Instagram)
Key Features
  • Color grading
  • 360-degree editing
  • Motion tracking
  • 3D text support
  • Text to speech
  • Stop motion animation
  • Video stabilization
  • Split Screen Template Editor
Pricing
  • One-time fee for VideoStudio Ultimate: $69.99 per month
  • One-time fee for upgrading from VideoStudio Pro to VideoStudio Ultimate: $54.99
Where Can I Try it? Try it here.

Who is it for?

Corel VideoStudio Ultimate is a feature-rich video editing suite that’s tailored to Windows users with some previous video editing experience. More robust than most entry and even intermediate-level video editing tools, Corel VideoStudio Ultimate does require some previous video editing knowledge.

Why we picked 

Advanced sibling to Corel VideoStudio Pro, VideoStudio Ultimate is yet another one of the best PC video editing software on our list for Windows 8, 10, and 11.

Where the Pro version is good enough, the Ultimate one gives your plenty of special effects, video stabilization, plug-ins, more import options, support for 4K editing, and six (not four as in Pro) multicam tracks.

Besides, VideoStudio Ultimate boasts a clutter-free interface, which makes it easy for video editing amateurs to get started. Those familiar with tools like CorelDraw in the Corel family will particularly find it welcoming since all tools share similar interfaces.

In terms of functionality, VideoStudio Ultimate lets you:

  • Record your screen and voice-over
  • Add your own animated drawings to clips using its Painting Creator
  • Add custom overlays or remove unwanted objects from footage with Video Masking
  • Alter video footage speed and freeze, reverse, or replay clips using its Time Remapping and Variable Speed features

All this is paired with tons of effects from industry leaders proDAD and NewBlueFX, transitions, overlays and graphics, and animated AR stickers. It also gives you Face Effects to touch up faces.

Reviewers also agree that VideoStudio Ultimate offers value for money. And once you’ve got a hang of basic video editing, you can dabble with advanced features like motion tracking, 3D test editing, and multi-cam editing.

The biggest downside though? VideoStudio Ultimate is for Windows users only — requiring 64-bit OS versions and taking up 4 GB of storage space (with all its plug-ins).  

Since it’s a desktop app, you’ll need a big hard disk as well to ensure the software performance optimally — especially if you’re working with 4K footage.

One more point worth noting: the free version that comes pre-installed in Windows devices isn’t a full-feature trial. So you’ll buy it for a complete taste of the editing options VideoStudio Ultimate offers.

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Corel Video Studio Ultimate Pros and Cons Table
Corel Video Studio Ultimate Pros Corel Video Studio Ultimate Cons
Basic and advanced features packed into a user-friendly interface. Limited features for audio editing. You may need to use another third-party software to do advanced audio editing.
Offers the same interface as other tools of the Corel family, making it easy for Corel users to get started with video editing. Only for Windows users.
Fast performance. The interface isn’t highly customizable.

What do people say about Corel VideoStudio Ultimate? 

1. GetApp
2. Capterra 

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11. DaVinci Resolve 

Advanced video editing for eager beginners and intermediate video professionals.

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DaVinci Resolve Table
Supported Platforms Mac, Windows, and Linux
Who's it For? Video editing professionals and filmmakers who:
  • Are looking for a one-stop advanced video editor instead of a suite of tools
  • Have robust output requirements (for example, they might want to make long YouTube videos)
The learning curve isn’t too steep so beginners and mid-level editors who are open to learning can easily master the software too.
Key Features
  • Color correction and grading
  • Multi-user cloud collaboration
  • Multi-cam editing available
  • Smart reframe
Pricing One-time purchase fee: $295
Where Can I Try it? Try it here.

Who is it for?

DaVinci Resolve is a powerful video suite that’s tailored toward professional video editors and full-time filmmakers. If you’re looking for an advanced editor and plan on making longer videos or feature-length films, DaVinci Resolve is a great choice.

Why we picked it 

Blackmagic Design’s video editing tool, DaVinci Resolve, boasts an intuitive, clutter-free user interface.

It basically started off as a simple color grading tool but has since evolved into a powerful, all-in-one movie editing software that lets you add special effects, edit footage, and tweak sound among other things.

What’s more, thanks to its multi-user database and universal editing timeline, the tool makes it easy for team members to coordinate on real-time video editing on the same project.

The best part: all its features are advanced, giving you precise control over your editing. But to be able to use them though, you need a device with at least 16GM RAM (32GB for Linux).

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DaVinci Resolve Pros and Cons Table
DaVinci Resolve Pros DaVinci Resolve Cons
Cost-effective in comparison with most powerful video editing software out there. Needs a lot of system power to run, which makes it inaccessible for older gadgets.
Regular updates and lots of online resources for learning. Steep learning curve for beginner-level video editors.

What do people say about DaVinci Resolve?

1. G2

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2. Capterra 

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12. Adobe Premiere Elements 

Basic video editing for beginners who want to get their foot in the Adobe universe.

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Adobe Premiere Elements Table
Supported Platforms Mac and Windows (Android app in beta mode at the time of writing this)
Who's it For? Beginner video editors including creators and freelancers creating their own videos who:
  • Appreciate speed and ease in the software
  • Don’t have time to spend learning to master a video editor
Premiere Elements is also helpful for new video editors looking to get a grasp of the Adobe ecosystem.
Key Features
  • Smart trim
  • Guided edits
  • Auto reframe
  • Animated GIF creation
  • Video noise reduction
Pricing
  • One-time purchase fee: $69.99 plus tax
  • Premiere Elements bundled with Photoshop Elements: $99.99 plus tax
Where Can I Try it? Try it here.

Who is it for?

Adobe Premiere Elements is a slightly more beginner-friendly Adobe offering, but still has a large number of features. If you’re a solo creator, whether freelance or part of a team, and want to branch into the Adobe ecosystem, Adobe Premiere Elements is a great starting point.

Why we picked it

Premiere Elements is Adobe’s tool for new video editors — offering them a simple interface paired with basic video editing features that help quickly edit video content.

Its Guided Edits feature, in particular, is geared toward simplifying editing for newbies as it holds users’ hand throughout the edit, explaining exactly which steps to take.

Other AI features that make editing easy include:

  • Smart Trim which auto-removes scenes from a video based on attributes such as the scenes’ quality and people.
  • Candid Moment that selects the best still images from video clips — useful for creating more marketing assets for a single video.
  • Compress Video Output which reduces your exported videos’ file size so it’s optimized for its target destinations.

Adobe Premier Elements also offers a video stabilization feature for fixing shaky footage. But it takes quite some time for the tool to stabilize videos.

Reviewers agree that Premiere Elements’ biggest advantage (it’s basic) is also its biggest drawback. Meaning: the software isn’t much of a help for audio editing and adding advanced animations and effects.

Users also complain the video editor takes quite some time and space to download and run. So you’ll want to ensure you have ample space in your hard drive to use the program.

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Adobe Premiere Elements Pros and Cons Table
Adobe Premiere Elements Pros Adobe Premiere Elements Cons
Simple, clean user interface. No 360-degree VR or 3D editing.
Guided edits make the software easy to use. No multicam support.
Cross-platform support available. No option to create screen-recorded videos.
Variety of video effects, text tools, and templates. Doesn’t offer any stock elements for video creation and editing.

What do people say about Adobe Premiere Elements? 

1. G2

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2. Capterra 

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[#TOC4]An overview of the best video editing software[#TOC4]

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Video Editing Software Comparison
Our Top Picks VEED Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 Adobe Premiere Pro iMovie Wondershare Filmora Apple Final Cut Pro Corel VideoStudio Ultimate DaVinci Resolve Adobe Premiere Elements Clipchamp CapCut Invideo
Free ✅ ✅ 7-day free trial ✅ ✅ 90-day free trial ❌ ✅ 7-day free trial ✅ ✅ ✅
Video hosting (cloud storage) ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Video sharing ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅
Ease-of-use Easy Easy Advanced Easy Easy Advanced Easy Medium Medium Easy Easy Easy
Stock library (video and audio) ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅
Native video recording ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅
AI editing ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Templates ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅
Supported output formats MP4, AVI, MOV, FLV, and more WMV, AVI, MPG, MP4, and more AVI, VOB, MP4, MXF, and more MPV, MOV, MPV MP4, GIF, MKV, MOV, and more AVC, DV, HDV, XAVC, and more HDV, AVI, WMV, MPEG, and more MOV, MP4, AVI, CDX, and more MP4, MOV, AVI, MOD, and more WEBM, MP4, MOV, FLV, and more MP4, MOV MP4, MOV, AVI
4K support ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌
360-degree video editing ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅ ✅

[#TOC5]How to select the best video editing software in 2024[#TOC5]

Before you begin your search, write down your budget, video output, experience with video editing, and potential future plans (say, you plan to hire a VA to help with editing in the future or may add a full-time team member). This will help you save time in test driving only 1-2 shortlisted tools that meet all your requirements. 

Once done, go through this list of must-review characteristics to find the best editing software for yourself: 

Ease-of-use

A video editor’s ease of use depends on your existing skill level, output requirements, and familiarity with video editing tools.

So, for example, if you’re a beginner looking to create a quick video or two, you’ll want to opt for a tool that makes video editing a cinch with its simple interface, stock footage, video templates, and guided edits feature. 

If you already have some video editing experience though — and are currently using or have used different tools to meet your moderate to high video production requirements — pick an advanced, all-in-one tool that gives you both AI features and precise control over editing.

That way, you can quickly create mini masterpieces for videos that don’t look like they’ve been strung together using worn-out templates — all with one tool. 

AI features

AI features speed up video editing — saving time and reducing work on your plate.

For instance, an audio cleaner feature can remove your footage’s background noise, making it usable instead of you having to retake the shot. Similarly, the text-to-speech feature adds an automated voice to your videos with the text you type in.

The takeaway? Select a tool that offers plenty of advanced AI features. Be sure to review the available features though so you can see how they can help you meet your current video production requirements.

If you’re aiming to make your videos accessible and engaging, for example, look for a tool that offers auto-subtitling that is as close to accurate as possible. 

Collaborative editing

Even if you’re a one-person team managing video production or a solo content creator, you’ll want your video editing tool to make it easy to run the video content by stakeholders, coworkers, and friends.

Ideally, the video editor you choose should:

  • Let you share beta-versions of your videos using a link
  • And, offer reviewers a way to share feedback, for example, by leaving timestamped comments

This way, stakeholders and colleagues wouldn’t need to download large video files. Instead, they’d be able to review the video straight from their browser and share their feedback on specific parts.

System requirements

Besides selecting a tool that meets your video output, workflow, and budget requirements, you’ll want to look at:

  • Which software will work best on the device you (and your team) are currently using
  • Whether you’ve enough storage space to download and use the tool

iMovie and Final Cut Pro are strictly for Apple users, for example. 

However, when selecting one of these tools, don’t only look at whether you’ve an Apple device. Keep in mind your future video output as well — reviewers say they’ve had to find alternate tools for working with VAs who don’t use Apple devices. Some have also had to switch to mastering new tools altogether after switching to the Windows universe.

As for other download-to-use tools that work on all devices, irrespective of the operating system, ensure your device is compatible. Not only is that critical for successful installation but also the app’s performance and maintenance.

Don’t want to worry about these technical requirements? Want to start using the video editor right away? Opt for a browser-based video editing tool.

Such a software works on all devices — Mac, Linus, and Windows. It also doesn’t eat up storage space on your computer. Bonus: you wouldn’t need to worry about manually installing, setting up, and rebooting the app when updates come up.

Speed of editing

Video editing is a slow, resource-intensive task.

To overcome the challenge, some video software create a lower resolution proxy file that doesn’t take as long to edit as a full resolution file does — speeding up video editing.

When your video is ready, these tools create a higher, full-resolution file (the process is technically called video rendering) — with most applications using your device’s graphics processor to speed up rendering.

This means when selecting a video editing tool, you’ll want to look at its:

  • Requirements for graphics processor to review whether you’ve enough resource power to use the tool
  • Video rendering speed to make sure videos don’t take too long to be ready for use

The lower the video rendering time and the fewer system requirements, the better.

Again, a refresher: desktop-based video editing apps typically have high system requirements, whereas, browser-based video editors only require a fast internet connection. 

4K and 8K support

4K and higher resolutions are clearer and more realistic on large screens than lower resolutions.  8K resolution, in particular, is best for Hollywood-level projects that involve lots of visual effects (VFX) — think Stranger Things.  

If your video output revolves around producing branded, entertaining, or informative content for social media, you only need support for 4K (good for both quality and video editing).

The good news? Support for 4K is fairly common now with most tools including the free iMovie video editor and VEED offering it. Only a handful of advanced tools like DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premier Pro provide support for 8K. 

360-degree video editing

Although 360-degree videos are walking out of their heyday — they’re currently in use only on Facebook — several video editing software support 360-degree VR editing.

Apple Final Cut Pro is one such tool. Other video editors provide variable support. For instance, PowerDirector helps with motion tracking and 360-compatible titles.

Final verdict: What is the best video editing software?

To wrap it up, here are our top three picks for the best video editors:

  • VEED: Best tool for people who want to edit like pros — minus the learning curve. One-stop, affordable solution for video editing that offers both basic and advanced features in the browser — minus a steep learning curve. It’s the best match for those who need to create tons of high-quality, engaging videos with the help of AI, but don’t have the time to learn advanced tools like Adobe. 
  • DaVinci Resolve: Great software for filmmakers of all levels. A download-to-use cost-effective, advanced video editor offering industry-leading color grading, special effects, and support for 8K video editing. It’s great for beginners willing to invest time in learning the tool as well as for pro-level teams using the latest devices.
  • Adobe Premier Pro: The go-to tool for the advanced editor. A powerful video editor offering advanced editing features, perfect for those who already have a hang of the Adobe universe (and use other tools from its suite).
Edit videos like a pro

Faq

Which software is best for video editing?
  • Cyberlink PowerDirector 365
  • VEED
  • Adobe Premiere Pro
  • Apple iMovie
  • Wondershare Filmora
  • Apple Final Cut Pro
  • Clipchamp
  • Corel VideoStudio Ultimate
  • DaVinci Resolve
  • Adobe Premiere Elements
What do YouTubers use to edit their videos?

The best free video editing software for YouTube are VEED, Cyberlink PowerDirector 365, and DaVinci Resolve. When you select a YouTube editing tool for your videos, go for one that is easy to use for you — tools like VEED and PowerDirector 365 come with video templates and AI features that make it easy to edit your videos.

Which is the top 1 video editing app?

VEED is a top video editing app since it’s user-friendly and offers all the video editing features you need to make engaging, professional-looking videos including video captioning, resizing, and screen recording. There are also tons of stickers, transitions, and effects you can use alongside the AI features.

How do I edit a video to look professional?
  • Edit out mistakes and filler content from your footage
  • Resize video according to the channel you’re publishing it on
  • Automatically add stylized captions to make your video accessible
  • Add animated stickers and sound effects
  • Use uniform brand colors in all your videos
  • Use a teleprompter to avoid making mistakes in your audio recording
How to edit videos?

The right video editing tool can help you quickly turn raw footage into professional-looking, engaging videos. For example, VEED simplifies editing by offering you one-click solutions to resizing, captioning, sharing, and exporting videos, and AI tools like text-to-speech for adding an automated voice to your videos. Here’s how to quickly edit videos with VEED.

When it comes to  amazing videos, all you need is VEED

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