Video editing has become a very popular and growing skill. As it has resulted in the success of many YouTube entrepreneurs, everyone is eager to try their hands on it. If you are one of those people or someone who is thinking of truly looking to make a career out of it, you will need good video editing software as your companion. There are so many good options out there in the market, to make editing a video easier for you.

In this article, we have provided you with a list of video editing software divided by the categories of free and paid software that you can use according to your needs and requirements.

ADOBE PREMIERE PRO

Price: $20.99/month
Supported Platforms: Windows and macOS
Supported Output Formats: MP4, MPEG2, M4V, HEVC, and many more

Adobe Premiere Pro is the first editing software that you will come across when it comes to video editing software. Adobe Premiere Pro is equipped with any feature that you might need in video software. It is powerful and has a clean and familiar interface. The best part about using Adobe Premiere Pro is that it offers you to connect easily with other tools, for example, Photoshop for photos, After Effects for animations, or Adobe Audition for audio editing, everything can be used easily and effortlessly with the Premiere Pro. So, when you are opting for Premiere Pro, you are not just buying a video editor but you are entering a world that gives you access to some of the best creative tools out there for editing.

FINAL CUT PRO X

Price: $299.99
Supported Platforms: macOS
Supported Output Formats: H.264, MPEG, HDV and more

This is an ideal editing software if you are a Mac user. If you are just starting out on Mac, Final Cut Pro is the best option. Apple’s software is adequately in sync with its hardware and offers you the best possible performance. This software is a strong contender as any other video editor on this list. Moreover, if you are a beginner and ready to invest time and money in this software, you will find that it is one of the easiest video editing software.

ADOBE PREMIERE ELEMENTS

Price:$99.99
Supported Platforms: Windows and macOS
Supported Output Formats: H.264 (.mp4, .m4v), H.264-encoded QuickTime, H.264-encoded QuickTime (.mov, .mp4), MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and more

Adobe Premiere Elements is a software for beginners who are willing to spend a little money. The key feature of this editor is that it acts as a great primer for Final Cut. If you see hope to become a professional video editor within a few months you will have to switch to a professional-grade video editing software, so start with something which will help you to achieve exactly that. It has a sleek interface along with a natural and intuitive editing environment. It also comes along with the horsepower that you might require as a beginner.

WONDERSHARE FILMORA

Price: $51.99 per year
Supported Platforms: Windows and macOS
Supported Output Formats: WMV, MP4, AVI, MOV, F4V, MKV, TS, 3GP, MPEG-2, WebM, GIF, and MP3

Another one on the list is Wondershare Filmora. It has a varied range of features in its sleeve, some of them include standard trimming, transition overlays, along with effects usually expected in enthusiast-level video editing software. The company has recently added some more advanced and latest features in the software such as motion tracking. Filmora can get your desired job finished with its clear and satisfying interface.

AVID MEDIA COMPOSER

Price: $49.99/month
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS
Supported Output Formats: MPEG, DV, DVPRO, H.264, XDCA, AVC, AVC-Intra, MP4, and many more

It is a software used by professionals taking on big projects. For example, all your favorite tv-shows and movies are edited on Avid. So, if you are trying to work on a big project, like a feature film or a tv-series Avid is the best choice of the market. In addition, they have also released a free version with some restrictions which will only affect users who want the full power of the editor, it is easily accessible to normal customers. So, if you want to experience a professional video editor give Avid Media Composer a chance.

ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS

Price: $19.99/month
Supported Platforms: Windows and macOS
Supported Output Formats: OMF, MOV, AVI, AMC, 3GP, 3G2, and more.

There is no software better than Adobe After Effects to learn the basics of motion graphics. No matter if you use Final Cut or Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects is the go-to tool for editors who wish to add motion graphics and visual effects to their videos. Even if you are a beginner or a pro video editor, if you want to get into things like motion graphics, visual effects, animations, and special effects, this editor is the perfect way to start.

SHOTCUT

Price: Free
Supported Platforms: Windows and macOS
Supported Output Formats: H.264, ProRes, WebM, MPEG-2, and more

If you are in search of software that is not only free but also doesn’t cut down on features, your search ends on Shotcut. Shotcut is an open-source and free video editor which offers all the editing tools you will ever require for editing. It is an open-source editor and completely free if you are a beginner. It’s a great platform to learn the basics of video editing without any money. The key feature of Shotcut is that despite being free it doesn’t cut down on too many features. The editor offers a wide range of video and audio formats with a good choice of effects and color correction tools.

IMOVIE

Price: Free
Supported Platforms: macOS
Supported Output Formats: HDV, HDV, Apple Pixlet Video, Apple VC H.263, MPEG, and HDV among others

iMovie is a great editor for beginners if you own a Mac. It comes pre-installed on Mac which makes it free. The best feature of iMovie is its simple and intuitive interface which makes it really easy to figure out, even without any help. Moreover, Apple’s optimization makes iMovie a really ideal editor which can be used even on older Macs without any difficulties. iMovie acts as a really good primer for Final Cut Pro, which you will eventually use as you get more and more handy with video editing.

LIGHTWORKS

Price: Free, $24.99 to $437.99 (Upgraded Version)
Supported Platforms: Linux, Windows, and macOS
Supported Output Formats: MPEG4/H.264, WebM, Blu-ray, and many others.

Lightworks offers a free version as well as paid version. So, if you are just starting out you can start with the free version and later update to the paid version, once you are aware of editing tools. The company also provides tutorial videos to get you started on your video editing journey. The editor supports almost all the video formats and it comes with a dedicated web export, so your videos are ready to share as soon as you complete your editing. It also features multi-cam editing and supports 4K content.

OPENSHOT

Price: Free
Supported Platforms: Linux, Windows, and macOS.
Supported Output Formats: H.264, ProRes, WebM, MPEG-2, and more

If you are just getting started, this editor can be a good option for you as it is an incredibly good and free video editing tool. That is because its interface is clean and easy to handle and is backed by a great set of professional video editing tools including 3D rendering, video effects, animations, keyframes, and more. The best part is that the software is constantly updated to offer new features and smooth performance. It can read and write most video and image formats.

Now you may have a good idea which video editing software you should opt for. There are obviously a lot of other great options in the market but these are the best ones according to their features. But the choice really depends on your need, skills, and budget so pick the one which is suitable for you.

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