Best Video Editing Software Options for 2023

The Top Video Editing Software This Year will Transform Your Clips.

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The best video editing software for 2022 will instantly upgrade your video content, and give you the best possible chance of amazing your audience. Over the years, countless companies have released video editing tools intended to support beginners and professionals alike in creating amazing content.

While many of the top solutions for video editing used to be extremely expensive and complex, new contenders have emerged in the market to reduce costs and confusion. Today, you can get a robust set of video editing tools without breaking the bank.

The right video tools will transform your editing workflow whether you’re creating YouTube videos, social media content, or professional quality video. Some tools come with powerful post production features and overlays, while others focus on color grading and common video fixes.

We’ve sorted through some of the most popular software solutions on the market, to bring you a list of some of the most impressive video editors, based on their exceptional special effects, ease of use, and affordable pricing.

Let’s dive straight in.

Adobe Premier Pro

adobe premiere pro - Best Video Editing Software Options

Considered by many to be the industry standard for amazing video editing, Adobe Premier Pro gives creators a full range of tools for transforming their content. Premier Pro is available for both Microsoft Windows and Mac (unlike some editing tools), and it’s used by professional video editors worldwide.

Part of the Adobe Cloud ecosystem, Premier Pro is constantly updating its toolset, providing a new and improved range of features to users on a regular basis. You’ll have access to a host of VFX and animation tools, as well as a convenient interface where you can divide different tasks into different workspaces, such as editing, audio, and effects.

Each workspace helps with managing a specific task, helping to improve productivity. The software also supports various formats, including VR, 8K, and 4K. There are trimming and editing tools for an exceptional level of precision and control, and you can work on unlimited video tracks, and picture-in-picture editing.

Pricing

The price you pay for Premier Pro will depend on whether you want to access the technology on its own, or as part of the Creative Cloud. Alone, the service will cost £19.97 per month. Alternatively, with Creative Cloud, which includes access to Photoshop, Illustrator, and various other tools, you’ll pay £51.98 a month- which is a great saving.

If you’re going to be using lots of Adobe tools for your video clips, it’s best to get the Adobe Creative cloud.

Pros:

  • Industry standard editing functionality
  • Huge range of constantly updating features
  • Access to a wide range of video formats
  • Work on unlimited video tracks
  • Automatic sync functionality

Cons:

  • Can be quite expensive

CyberLink PowerDirector 365

If you’re looking for something a little less intense than Premier Pro, perhaps for editing YouTube and social media videos, CyberLink PowerDirector is a great choice. This is one of the best tools on the market for people with a little experience editing video, who want a simple and straightforward experience with their software.

CyberLink is one of the fastest video editors around, with support for all the latest video formats and more than 3000 effects and templates to choose from. Like with Adobe, you’ll see new features added regularly, and there’s availability for both Mac and Windows. There’s a 100 track timeline for editing multiple videos at once, and you’ll have various fantastic tools for correcting video errors.

Features range from professional effects to multi-cam editing, motion tracking and simple trimming. You’ll even be able to leverage 360-degree video editing, and add screen recording elements to your existing videos to expand what kind of content you create.

With royalty-free content available, you can quickly and easily upgrade your content, and there are various AI features available too, which help you to strengthen the quality of your videos without a lot of experience required.

Pricing

Pricing for PowerDirector will depend on what version you want. If you’re buying the service for Windows, you’ll pay £41.99 in total, per year, which is a great deal. Alternatively, you can pay £69.99 for the year and get the full Director Suite for Windows, with PowerDirector included.

There’s also PowerDirector Premium for Mobile, which costs £25 per month, and allows you to edit content straight from your smartphone.

Pros:

  • Reasonably easy to use environment
  • Lots of powerful AI features
  • Mobile application available
  • Powerful tools for editing and cutting
  • Range of free graphics and templates

Cons:

  • Slight learning curve
  • Can be limited for true professionals

Movavi Video Editor Plus

movavi plus - Best Video Editing Software Options

Movavi Video Editor is another state-of-the-art tool for people in search of powerful video editing features without the complex learning curve. The interface is simple and clean, so you can get the hang of making changes relatively quickly. The intuitive video editing software comes with a ton of useful one-click features, like the ability to change the background of clips instantly.

The video editor ecosystem doesn’t take a lot of getting used to, with intuitive controls you can discover instantly, and a helpful onboarding video to get you started. There’s access to Chroma Key, Titles, filters, and transitions, and specialist support for vertical videos.

Movavi also has a dedicated effects store, where you can download and use excellent high-quality effects from a range of creators. The overall experience is ideal for anyone who might be getting into video editing from the first time, and doesn’t want to spend too long learning how to use something new. There’s even a free trial to help you explore the tech.

Pricing

There are a few different pricing packages for Movavi, starting with the Movavi Video Editor for £58.95. Alternatively, you can explore the Video Suite, which costs around £68.95 per month for the more complex video editing functionality.

If you want to access things like the Movavi Effects store, you’ll need to pay another £75.93 per year. There’s also a purchasing price for the Movavi Picverse ecosystem at £41.95.

Pros:

  • Extremely easy to use interface
  • Lots of one-click features and tools
  • Powerful functionality for social media videos
  • Great onboarding experience
  • Reasonably affordable

Cons:

  • May be too simplistic for professionals

Adobe Premiere Elements

adobe elements - Best Video Editing Software Options

Adobe Premier Elements is another leading solution from the Adobe team for your video editing needs. Like Premier Pro, this service is frequently updated to include new and improved features for the modern video editing team. The solution is perfect for transforming simple clips into high-quality content in no time, without the complexity of Premier Pro.

The user-friendliness of Adobe Premiere Elements is probably it’s most compelling feature. This video editing service uses Sense.ai artificial intelligence to make it as simple as possible to perform edits, with a Guided Edits feature for demystifying the whole process.

Although most people find this technology easier to use than full Premier Pro, that doesn’t mean you’re missing out on crucial functionality. There’s now additional support for all kinds of formats, including 4K resolutions and stabilized video. Plus, you’ll have tools for selective edits, real time effects, double exposure, and so much more.

Ideal for social media creators, there are even specialist video reframing tools for your vertical videos, to ensure you can make the best impact online.

Pricing

You can purchase Premier Elements separately from the Adobe Cloud as a one-time transaction. The service is available on its own for £86.56, with no additional subscription costs required. Alternatively, you can get Photoshop Elements and Premier Elements at the same time for a one-off cost of £103.36.

Pros:

  • Excellent intuitive interface and ease of use
  • Great for 4K resolution and stabilized video
  • Various outputs specially selected for social media
  • AI tools to make editing easier
  • One off purchasing price

Cons:

  • No 360-degree video editing
  • Some limitations compared to Premier Pro

Apple iMovie

imovie - best video editing software

Probably one of the most accessible video editing tools for beginners in the video editing field using Mac computers, Apple iMovie is a great piece of kit. This surprisingly powerful tool is easy to use, and brimming with fantastic features to transform basic videos into works of art. You’ll even be able to implement effects using drag-and-drop, making this one of the best free video editing software options available.

The iMovie software is perfect for beginners who need to upgrade their content for social media and website publishing, without spending a fortune. You’ll get access to abundant themes and trailers, as well as special effects, and an easy-to-learn interface. The solution is also completely free, so it’s great for getting started when you don’t have a lot of budget.

Like many of the top video editing tools mentioned in this article, iMovie comes with support for the latest formats, including 4K. You’ll also be able to take advantage of touch bar functionality on your Mac books. You’ll also have complete syncing between all of your Apple devices, in case you need to take your edits with you from an iPad to a desktop.

Pricing

One of the only solutions for video editing you don’t actually have to pay for, iMovie is completely free to use. You can simply download the service straight to your Mac with absolutely no fees to pay. Outside of various open-source video editing program options, the user-friendly iMovie is widely regarded the best free video editor around.

Pros:

  • Free to use
  • Excellent for beginner film-makers
  • Wide range of video editing features
  • Powerful format support
  • Great for syncing across devices

Cons:

  • Some limitations compared to the top tools

Apple Final Cut Pro X

fina cut pro - Best Video Editing Software Options.png

Similar to Adobe Premier Pro, Final Cut is one of the best-known and most popular tools in the industry for video editing. If you’re on the hunt for professional-grade editing technology, you really need one of these two solutions. Since both are industry standard, they’re almost neck-and-neck in terms of feature richness and performance.

Final Cut is excellent for accessing some of the most incredible state-of-the-art features around, such as object tracking and cinematic mode. You also get a host of tools for audio management, organizing your files, and more. Designers can even create powerful effects for their videos using Motion and Compressor capabilities.

While Adobe’s Premier Pro is the perfect addition to the Creative Cloud environment, Final Cut is better-suited to the wider Apple ecosystem. You’ll be able to take advantage of Metal functionality for ultra-fast graphics, and there’s optimization for Mac Pro too.

Although there’s something of a learning curve to get used to with things like Magnetic Timeline, range of effect options, and Smart Conform Cropping, you’ll really appreciate the outcome for your projects once you get the hang of everything.

Pricing

Unlike many of the top video editing solutions on the market today, Final Cut Pro delivers professional video editing with a one-off payment. There’s no subscription, just a price tag of £249.99 for the whole service. You can also access a free trial to test the service before you buy.

Pros:

  • Powerful range of video editing features
  • Great for organizing video content
  • State-of-the-art, industry-standard technology
  • Ideal for use with the Apple environment
  • One-off pricing

Cons:

  • Learning curve for beginners
  • Can feel quite expensive

DaVinci Resolve

davinci resolve - Best Video Editing Software Options.png

A pro-level, cross-platform solution for video editing, DaVinci Resolve is one of the top video editing solutions in the world today. Combining color correction, visual effects and motion graphics in one ecosystem, DaVinci Resolve really does have it all. The solution even comes with access to Fusion, which includes four high-end modules for color correction, video effects, audio production and motion graphics.

DaVinci is one of the more powerful video editing tools on the market right now, but that also means it has one of the more significant learning curves to deal with. Though you do get a modern and elegant interface to work with, you’ll need to dedicate some time to figuring out how everything works. There’s even a manual with over 250 pages.

The good news is you’ll never end up with out-of-date software when using DaVinci Resolve. Like Adobe’s cloud-based products, this service is constantly updating and improving to include a wider selection of features. There’s even machine-learning and intelligence included to help really upgrade your designs.

DaVinci is used by Hollywood leaders in a award-winning productions around the world, and you can even access the technology in correlation with Fairlight for audio production.

Pricing

There’s a free version of DaVinci Resolve available to get you started, or you can upgrade to the Resolve Studio package for $295. This is actually quite affordable when you consider some of the costs associated with other high-end editing tools.

Pros:

  • Quite affordable pricing for professional-level editing
  • Excellent range of color correction features and visual effects
  • Audio production functionality included
  • Machine learning and artificial intelligence
  • Fairlight audio production

Cons:

  • Steep learning curve

Choosing the Ultimate Video Editing Software

Choosing the best possible video editing software can be a powerful way to start your journey into the world of video creation. Many of the options above come with tutorials to help guide you through the various advanced features on offer. What’s more, you can find tons of great forums online from people who are dedicated fans of tools like After Effects, Movavi, and Premiere Pro.

When selecting your ideal video editing software, make sure you think carefully about how and where you’re going to use the technology. Do you need something suitable for both MacOS and Windows? Are you going to be using an iOS app on your iPhone, or your Android phone for on-the-move social media video editing? Maybe you want your video editing apps to be compatible with Linux?

Once you’ve considered compatibility, only then should you start looking at what you can do with your video clips with each app. For instance, the best video editing software will allow you to add your own watermark, experiment with green screen and color grading, or check out customizable filters to bring your content to life.

With so many options out there, from Filmora and Hitfilm express, to Lightworks, Videostudio, VSDC, Wondershare, and Shotcut, there’s something for virtually every need. Hopefully our reviews above have given you a good head start on finding the best video editor.

Rebekah Carter

Rebekah Carter is an experienced content creator, news reporter, and blogger specializing in marketing, business development, and technology. Her expertise covers everything from artificial intelligence to email marketing software and extended reality devices. When she’s not writing, Rebekah spends most of her time reading, exploring the great outdoors, and gaming.

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