15+ Best Video Editing Software in 2023 (Free and Premium)

Building a career as a video content creator requires you to master not only shooting techniques, but also post-processing. For that reason, you need to have the best video editing software.

But which one is the best editing software for your level of expertise? Due to the great number of options in the market, it can be challenging to choose.

Nonetheless, you do not need to worry. In this article, we will take a look at some of the best video editors for vloggers, vtubers, and streamers alike.

What Are The Best Video Editing Software? 

It is easy to find various video editing programs today. The followings are a couple of the most popular options you can try:

1. Apple iMovie

• Price: Free
• Compatibility: MacOS and iOS
• Best for: Beginners who want an easy-to-use video editor for Apple devices

iMovie is a video making software that comes preloaded on MacOS devices. iPhone and iPad users can also download this app for free from the App Store.

Even though iMovie comes without any cost, its features are quite impressive. Apart from basic editing tools, such as trimming, cutting, and stitching, this best video editing software for beginners provides useful tools like Storyboards and Magic Movie.

With Storyboards, you can make use of various video templates for different types of content, including product reviews and cooking tutorials. Each template offers guides to achieve a certain look, so you do not get clueless while editing.

Meanwhile, Magic Movie is the feature you will love if you want to keep video making processes simple. This tool allows users to combine clips and soundtracks into well-crafted footage. Once that is done, you may do some quick tweaks or leave the video as it is.

Unfortunately, iMovie is not available for other operating systems. That being said, Windows and Android users need to look for the best video editing software somewhere else.

2. Adobe Premiere Pro

• Price: $20.99/month (with 7-days free trial)
• Compatibility: Windows and MacOS
• Best for: Professionals and serious learners looking for the best PC video editing software

Adobe is a well-known brand in the creative industry, and Premiere Pro proves that it is a must-have video making software for professionals and enthusiasts.

At first glance, the Premiere Pro’s interface may seem intimidating with different kinds of menus and panels. Once you start using the program, however, you will realize that each panel is a well-organized workspace that helps to streamline your editing process.

Do not worry! You will get used to the multitude of tools at no time with the help of the tutorial library inside this best video editing software. These how-to guides are produced by content creators, so you will learn to use Premiere Pro with real-life cases.

Premiere Pro is also one of few best video editors that feature multicam editing. This lets you synchronize multiple footage in one video seamlessly. In many other programs, the process requires a lot of patience since you need to fine-tune manually.

Apart from that, Premiere Pro comes with smart features like automatic captioning and color grading. Therefore, you can save time on editing and get your content published faster.

3. CyberLink PowerDirector

• Price: Starts from $51.99/year (with 30-days free trial)
• Compatibility: Windows and MacOS
• Best for: Experienced enthusiasts

CyberLink PowerDirector is one of the best video editing software for those who want to do customizations without too much effort. The program lets you achieve that by providing AI-powered tools.

For example, its AI motion tracking feature recognizes subjects on your videos and allows you to add creative effects that wrap their body. On top of that, the motion tracking can be used to keep subjects in focus while blurring out the background.

Also, CyberLink PowerDirector is one of the best video editing software that offers AI audio restoration. By using this tool, you can easily detect and get rid of background noise from your video, removing any distractions from important dialogues and explanation sequences.

For those wanting to have control over the end result, be rest assured. CyberLink PowerDirector’s intuitive interface makes it easy to adjust effects, audio, and other tweaks.

Despite having many useful features, CyberLink PowerDirector is arguably one of the most lightweight video editing tools. That being said, rendering previews and saving projects happen faster than many other apps.

4. Avidemux

• Price: Free
• Compatibility: Windows, MacOS, and Linux
• Best for: Anyone looking for a simple, yet good editing software for videos

If you want the best video editing software to just handle essential tasks, Avidemux is one of our recommendations.

With Avidemux, you can do quick fixes like trimming, cutting, and stitching different parts of a  footage. However, it is important to note that this program does not support combining multiple clips together.

Despite that limitation, though, you may add up to four audio files and synchronize them with your video. So, you can still add background music or voice overs.

On top of that, Avidemux offers a few advanced features, such as contrast, brightness, and saturation adjustment. There are also some correction filters, including sharpening, de-noise, and interlacing.

That is everything that Avidemux can do, unfortunately. Video creators looking for the best video editing software with the ability to add multiple videos, color grading, and creative effects should check other options in this article.

5. HitFilm

• Price: Free & Premium (starts from $7.99/ month)
• Compatibility: Windows and MacOS
• Best for: Professionals and enthusiasts who want a free video making software

HitFilm is an intermediate-level PC video editing software. With that in mind, it is not as sophisticated as Adobe Premiere Pro or CyberLink PowerDirector but will satisfy people who want more than what Apple iMovie can give.

While this best video editing software offers instant edits like color filters and visual effects, it also lets you take control. For instance, you may choose transition styles, do color grading, and customize in-video texts.

Some of the more advanced features HitFilm has includes chroma key function. This feature makes it easy for users to add virtual backgrounds without using a green screen.

Other than that, HitFilm’s automatic audio synchronization allows for a quick alignment of video and audio tracks. Thus, you do not need to set the start and end point of voice overs manually.

The aforementioned features are available in this best video editing software’s free version, but your videos will be watermarked. To get rid of the watermark, you need to subscribe to its premium version.

6. DaVinci Resolve

• Price: Free & Premium ($295 for a lifetime)
• Compatibility: Windows, MacOS, and Linux
• Best for: Professionals looking for a free, yet powerful video making software

DaVinci Resolve is arguably a free alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro. It offers many similar features that you can find in Adobe’s video editor, including a complete workspace tool, powerful color grading, and multicam editing.

That is not all, though. The best video editing software also comes with an elaborate visual effects and motion graphics tool. With that in mind, you can combine animation with real footage or create fully animated videos and movies without the need for another software.

On top of that, DaVinci Resolve has a sophisticated audio editor. It allows you to sample sound effects, mix audio sources, and equalize.

DaVinci Resolve also empowers video creators to collaborate using Blackmagic Cloud. This online storage lets you share projects and work with your team as long as they have a Blackmagic Cloud account.

Bottomline, DaVinci Resolve is one of the best video editing software with free features. But if you want additional visual effects and access to DaVinci’s neural engine, the premium version is reasonably priced.

7. Movavi Video Editor

• Price: $79.95 for a lifetime (with 7-days free trial)
• Compatibility: Windows and MacOS
• Best for: Beginners who want to edit videos effortlessly

Let’s say you just entered the world of video creation and want to learn editing. In that case, Movavi can satisfy your needs. This video making software has enough features and a beginner-friendly interface.

Apart from basic functions like cutting and trimming, Movavi gives access to advanced features like stabilization, color adjustment, and chroma keying. Not only that, this best video editing software can resize and crop clips to better fit your viewing platform.

Movavi also offers plenty of instant edits, including color filters, intro screen templates, and overlays. Using these features, you can create your own aesthetics without spending too much time.

Another noteworthy tool that Movavi has is the decent audio editor. It lets you control sound levels and do equalization to improve your footage’s audio quality.

8. VSDC Video Editor

• Price: Free and premium ($19.99 for a lifetime)
• Compatibility: Windows
• Best for: Professionals who want a full-fledged video editor for Windows

VSDC may not be as popular as some other software in this list. However, it can be considered as one of the best video editing software for some reasons.

First, this PC video editing software offers a revolutionary masking tool. It enables you to combine objects from different clips in one scene. Surely, this feature can step your video production up.

Secondly, VSDC has a controllable motion tracking function. This feature will come in handy whenever you want to add a motion graphic or caption that follows any object you select in the footage.

Last but not least, this program’s 360-degree video editing will please action camera users. Combined with slow-motion effect and stabilization, you can create cool sports and adventure videos that fascinate viewers.

VSDC is one of the best video editing software that comes without cost, but we recommend you to get its premium version for a full experience. At less than $20 for a lifetime, it is a small price to pay.

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9. Movie Maker Online

• Price: Free & premium (starts from $1/day)
• Compatibility: Browser-based
• Best for: Anyone who want to edit videos without installing a software

Some of us may not want to fill our device with many apps to save storage space. In that case, you can still edit footage using what is available on the internet, such as Movie Maker Online.

Instead of the best video editing software, Movie Maker Online is a website that provides video editing ability. It lets you trim, merge, and speed up videos. In addition to that, you may add transition effects, pictures, and music to your clips.

What is interesting, Movie Maker Online offers a collection of royalty-free music, sound effects, and graphics to help you start video production. Given that this is a free online tool, you would not expect to find such a feature.

Despite the cool things it can do, Movie Maker Online is not free of drawbacks. Among them are advertisements, limited video duration, and limited file storage.

However, you can get rid of the advertisements and get more storage by subscribing to Movie Maker Online’s premium plan. That way, this simple tool can be considered a worthy alternative to other best video editing software mentioned in this article.

10. Wondershare Filmora

• Price: $69.99/year or $79.99 for a lifetime (with 30-days free trial)
• Compatibility: Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android
• Best for: Enthusiasts looking for a powerful editing suite

As you are improving from being a beginner editor, you need to upgrade into a more robust video software that is fairly easy to use. Wondershare Filmora is one of the best choices for that purpose.

This best video editing software for enthusiasts provides beginner-friendly features, such as color filters, title screen templates, and AI audio denoise. They can give an amazing result as is, but also accept customization.

On the other hand, there are also functions that experienced users will like. These include masking, color correction, and chroma keying.

Aside from that, users who want more control over their projects are most likely to welcome Filmora’s keyframing tool. It allows you to easily combine hand-drawn animation and footage by setting its start and end point in the video.

You can get this best video editing software with a monthly subscription or a one-time payment. Unfortunately, though, the latter only lets you use Filmora on Windows and does not come with version updates.

11. Adobe Premiere Rush

• Price: Free and premium ($9.99/month)
• Compatibility: Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android
• Best for: Beginners who want a simpler Premiere Pro across PCs and mobile devices

Being able to nurture your creativity anywhere can help you grow as a content creator, and that is what Adobe Premiere Rush is all about. It is available across desktop and mobile operating systems, so you can edit videos at home or on the move.

The premium version of this best video editing software is integrated with Adobe’s Creative Cloud that Premiere Pro also uses. Thus, you can record clips on the phone, do simple edits with Premiere Rush, and save your project in the Cloud for fine-tuning with Premiere Pro later.

The features you will find in Premiere Rush are quite simple. Among others, you can add audio, transition effects, and color presets. But knowing that you can further edit the result with Premiere Pro, it makes sense.

Premiere Rush itself is available as an individual app. However, Premiere Pro users who opt for its monthly subscription already get Premiere Rush premium as a bundle. That being said, getting both of the best video editing software is a better choice if you want to scale up your editing skills.

12. Vimeo Create

• Price: Free and premium (starts at $9/month)
• Compatibility: iOS, Android, and browser-based
• Best for: Beginners who want to make a short videos quickly

For social media creators, uploading fresh content regularly can boost engagement with their audience. Vimeo Create is the tool that helps you meet that demand.

Using Vimeo Create is very simple. Once you register your account, you can start from scratch or have the video making software guide you. We recommend choosing the guided option for a quick process.

The best video editing software will then ask you to choose from various templates. Each of them represents different purposes, including announcements, product review, and self introduction.

After choosing a template, you will need to answer a few questions that help Vimeo design your video and wait for it to finish. You can export the result or do some edits like changing aspect ratio, replacing stock footage and music with your own, and personalizing in-video texts.

Vimeo Create can be used across devices since it is browser-based. But Android and iOS users can also download Vimeo’s app for a better editing experience.

13. KineMaster

• Price: Free and premium ($4.99/month)
• Compatibility: iOS and Android
• Best for: Beginners and enthusiasts who want the best video editing software on mobile with intuitive interface

Many mobile video editing tools are tailored for those looking for quick results, but KineMaster is different. Its rather advanced features can help beginners become better editors and satisfy seasoned video creators.

KineMaster offers timeline editing like what you find in professional PC video editing software. On top of that, you can use the app in landscape orientation and zoom the timeline panel. Thus, you can adjust clips, transition effects, audio, and other additions precisely even on smaller phones.

This best video editing software could also be one of a few mobile editing apps that provides chroma key function. With that in mind, you can replace the video background and put your subject in a different scene.

Apart from that, the audio editor in this video making software is not disappointing. It lets you control pitch, reverb, and modulation.

You can download KineMaster for free, but it comes with some limitations. So, we recommend getting the premium version as it is only $4.99 per month.

14. Splice

• Price: Free
• Compatibility: iOS and Android
• Best for: Beginners who want to edit on mobile effortlessly

If you want the best video editing software for mobile that is completely free, Splice is one of the best options. Nonetheless, note that the songs in this app’s audio library are probably not royalty-free. Therefore, it is better to use your own audio files to avoid copyright strikes.

Despite that drawback, Splice can be considered a good editing software. For zero cost, you can edit with some degree of precision using its timeline panel. However, it is only available in portrait orientation, so it can be difficult if you edit on a small screen.

Splice also offers a few other features, including adding transition effects, color filter, and overlays. Even though that may sound limited, it is expected from the best video editing software that comes without any cost.

15. Quik

• Price: Free and premium ($9.99/year)
• Compatibility: iOS and Android
• Best for: Beginners who want to edit on mobile effortlessly

Are you a GoPro camera user? Quik serves both as a companion app and a video editing software for your cool action cam.

Once you install the app, your phone or tablet can be used as a remote trigger for any GoPro camera. What the camera sees is also displayed on your screen, so you can compose videos easily.

What is more interesting than that is this best video editing software’s editing features. They are pretty simple, but lets you do fundamental adjustments that create a professional look, such as trimming, cropping, and adjusting speed.

Alos, you also get access to a bunch of color filters, themes, and stock music. In addition to that, premium users will get unlimited online storage for their videos.

16. CyberLink Promeo

• Price: Free and premium ($29.99/year)
• Compatibility: iOS and Android
• Best for: Anyone who want a video editor with templates and stock assets

Promeo is similar to Vimeo Create as it also makes video creation easier with templates and stock footage. However, this best video editing software is ready to help you with more of those instant assets.

In fact, you do not need to get the premium version to take advantage of Promeo’s generosity. Free users can access millions of stock videos and graphics provided by Getty Images. Thus, they are royalty-free for sure.

Editing with Promeo is also very simple. You just choose a template, add various media, and customize texts. Once that is done, you can export the result in different aspect ratios that match your platform.

Choose The Best Video Editing Software for Your Needs

Taking your content creation to the next level requires utilizing the best video editing software. With these tools, you’ll be able to create high-quality videos that stand out from the crowd. 

In this article, we have taken a look into many video making software, ranging from professional ones to beginner-friendly options. Some of them offer a free version, while others come with a price.

You can start with a free best video editing software and upgrade to a more powerful paid app as your skill improves. That way, you will not be overwhelmed by various tools and functions.

Want more exciting insights about content creation? Stay tuned to our blog!