Today’s video editing software is incredibly powerful. You can create Hollywood-quality videos on your computer if you use the right software. Basic video editing tasks, such as trimming and splitting clips, adding text overlays and artwork, and creating animated videos, are now standard in almost all video editing programs. Today, the best video editing software competes with features such as 3D editing, processing speed, and the number of special effects available.
It’s important to know what features to look for when comparing different video editing software options on the market. We’ve put together this guide to what to look for in the best video editing software for those who aren’t sure which software is best for their needs.
Ease of Use
One of the most important factors when choosing a video editing software is ease of use, compared to the program’s features. Some video editing tools are simpler and easier to use. On the one hand, this makes them less powerful, but it also means that beginners can create simple movies without difficulty. Corel VideoStudio focuses on making movie editing easier for new users, and Adobe Premiere Elements offers a similar approach, providing ease of use with advanced features.
If you’re looking for powerful features but don’t yet have much experience with video editing, we recommend HitFilm or CyberLink PowerDirector, which come with a large library of tutorials and videos. You can also manage it yourself if you choose a program with an intuitive interface, such as Apple iMovie.
Users with video editing experience can probably handle the less common interfaces of advanced programs like VSDC Free Video Editor and Shotcut, both of which have extremely comprehensive features, as well as complex and confusing interfaces. If you decide to use a professional program but have no previous experience editing videos, a program like Adobe Premiere Pro, with its intuitive and easy-to-use interface, good tutorials, and extensive features, will likely be useful.
Price
Today’s video editing programs range in price from free to premium. Not all “free” video editing programs are truly free. Many claim to be free, but reserve most of their features for paid users or include watermarks on footage. However, Apple iMovie, Shotcut, and Blender are among the completely free programs you can use. Blender is open source, so you can be sure that it will be free.
Other programs have both free and paid versions, such as HitFilm, which offers a free basic program and a premium version for $349 for use on up to three computers. You can also pay to buy additional tools in addition to the free basic version. It’s important to note that there are mostly free programs, such as VSDC Free Video Editor, which offers the full software for free, but you have to pay for technical support.
If you decide to pay for a video editing program, you can also choose between purchasing a one-time license, such as Corel VideoStudio or Adobe Premiere Entsleme, which cost $99.99, or an ongoing monthly subscription, such as Adobe Premiere Pro.
Operating System
Obviously, you’ll want to make sure you choose a video editing program that’s compatible with your operating system. Some options, such as Adobe Premiere Elements, are truly cross-platform. If you’re using Linux, your options are likely more limited, but Avidemux, Blender, and Shotcut are still available to you, as well as Windows and Mac users. It’s worth noting that Apple’s iMovie only works on Macs, while VSDC Free Video Editor is designed exclusively for use on Windows devices.
Speed of Performance
The more features your video editing software offers, the more likely it is to be slow unless you have a very powerful computer. You may not mind waiting a while for videos to load or play; in fact, that’s quite to be expected. However, some programs, like HitFilm, require a more powerful device to use without frustration, while others, like CyberLink PowerDirector and Corel VideoStudio, run faster.
Supported Video File Formats
Another point to consider is which file formats are supported by your video editing software. This applies to both the formats you can use when uploading your video to the program and the output formats. Finally, it’s important to make sure that your editing software is compatible with the format used by your digital camera. If you want to get feedback on your video or use it in presentations or marketing campaigns, you’ll also need a program that can export the final content in the format you need.
Fortunately, most programs can import and export a wide variety of file formats. Many programs even support the 4K XAVC-S format, including Adobe Premiere Elements, Corel VideoStudio, CyberLink PowerDirector, and more. The export formats offered by Avidemux include AVI, DVD, MPEG, MP4, and QuickTime, to name a few.
Features
One of the most important features in video editing software is the variety of features it includes. And that’s also the most fun part. Some video editing programs, like Blender or Adobe Premiere Pro, include hundreds of features—so many that we couldn’t possibly list them all. However, here are some of the most common features you should look for when comparing video editing programs.
All video editing programs have special effects, from a few filters to dozens of advanced effects like smoke, selective special effects, motion tracking, transparency, and more.
Chroma keying, also known as green screen, allows you to create exotic backgrounds and seamlessly place your characters in a wide range of unexpected locations. Simply select the chroma key options and choose your preferred background.
Color correction and adjustment tools let you adjust brightness, hue, and saturation levels, sometimes to an extremely sophisticated degree. Adobe Premiere Pro offers Lumetri Color, a tool that provides Photoshop-level color correction for your videos.
Multicam functionality is becoming increasingly popular among video editing programs. It allows you to work on and combine multiple camera angles at the same time, although each program supports a different number of camera streams.
3D editing is another popular option, as is editing 360-degree videos in new and popular video formats.
Create Professional Videos with Video Editing Software
Whether you’re a vlogger, a marketing professional, an avid home video creator, or just want to have fun experimenting with video effects, you can find video editing software that fits your experience level, budget, and device.
