The best video editing software, by what you edit

How did we pick and rank these editors?

We ranked them by reading each maker's own pages on 3 November 2026. We make mouzeclick, a mouse-shortcut app for editors, so keep that in mind as you read. mouzeclick is not a video editor, so it is not ranked here. It has its own section further down, labelled as ours.

Prices are copied exactly as each page showed them, in the currency shown. Where a page gave no price, platform or limit, we write "Not published". The order is our judgement of how much each editor covers for someone who edits often. No single tool wins every job, so each section ends with a "best for" line.

Which video editing software is best, at a glance?

The table below is ranked, with prices as shown on 3 November 2026.

Is DaVinci Resolve the best free video editor?

For most editors, yes. DaVinci Resolve 21 is free for Mac, Windows and Linux.

• What the free version handles: virtually all 8-bit formats up to 60fps at Ultra HD 3840 x 2160, with multi-user collaboration and HDR grading.
• Where each job happens: editing on the cut and edit pages, effects on Fusion, colour on the color page and audio on Fairlight. Fairlight takes up to 2,000 tracks.
• Studio 21: shown at $236 (was $295). It adds 10-bit up to 120fps at up to 32K, multiple GPUs, hardware H.264 and H.265 encoding, text based editing, magic mask and over 45 extra Resolve FX. The page doesn't say whether Studio is a one-time purchase.

Best for: one free app for cutting, colour and sound. See what Studio adds over the free version and the DaVinci Resolve keyboard shortcuts.

Is Adobe Premiere worth the subscription?

It is if you already pay for Adobe's apps or want to cut by editing a transcript. Adobe Premiere Pro is now called Adobe Premiere, and it is sold only as a membership.

• Single app: starts at US$22.99/mo, annual, billed monthly. That price is for the first year and new subscribers only.
• Creative Cloud Pro: includes 20+ more apps. It shows US$34.99/mo for the first 3 months, then US$69.99/mo, for new subscribers only.
• Free trial: runs on Windows and macOS. There is no charge until it ends, and you can cancel up to 14 days after for a full refund.
• Features Adobe lists: Text-Based Editing, which transcribes on import so you cut by editing text, and caption translation in 18 languages.
• Mobile: a free Premiere app runs on iPhone and Android.

Best for: editors already in Creative Cloud, and anyone who builds rough cuts from transcripts. Weigh it against DaVinci Resolve or CapCut.

Is Final Cut Pro still a one-time purchase?

Yes. Apple lists Final Cut Pro as a one-time purchase for $299.99.

• Apple Creator Studio: includes Final Cut Pro for Mac and iPad, plus Motion and Compressor on Mac. After a 30-day free trial, new subscribers pay $12.99 a month or $129 a year.
• Students and educators: Creator Studio is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year.
• Captions: automatic captions are built in, made by analysing spoken audio.

Apple's page names no Windows version. Best for: Mac editors who would rather pay once. Our Mac editor roundup goes further.

Is CapCut desktop good enough for real editing?

For short social video, often yes. CapCut desktop runs on Windows 7 or above (Windows 10 recommended) and macOS 10.14 or above.

• Editing tools: keyframes with graphs, a colour wheel, auto adjust, and media search by objects, dialogue and people.
• Captions: open the Text tab, then Auto captions. Pick the source language and click Create. You can translate the captions or export a separate SRT file.

CapCut doesn't publish the Pro price or say which features need Pro. Best for: Reels, Shorts and TikTok edits with captions. See CapCut keyboard shortcuts.

Who should use Avid Media Composer?

Editors who cut to a script or share bins and projects with others.

• Yearly plans (USD, before VAT): Standard $259.99, Ultimate $539.99 and Enterprise $899.99. Each lists 99 video and 99 audio tracks.
• What Ultimate adds: advanced colour management, shared bins and projects, ScriptSync (syncs video to script text) and PhraseFind (finds words through transcripts).
• Free and education options: Media Composer First is free to use forever. Verified students can get Enterprise for EDU at $99 a year, and students at partner schools get full access free.

The latest release is v2025.12. The pages we read named no operating systems. Best for: script-based and shared-project team editing.

Is Filmora good for beginners?

Wondershare thinks so: it aims Filmora at beginner to intermediate editors. Filmora 16 runs on Windows (7 or later, 64-bit) and macOS, with apps for iOS, iPadOS and Android.

• Timeline: keyframes, Camera Tracking, dual timelines and Pen Tool motion paths.
• Extras: a screen recorder that keeps screen, camera, mic and system audio separate, over 2.9 million stock assets and direct YouTube upload.
• Plans: free, one-time or subscription, with no desktop amounts on the pages we read. The free version adds a Filmora watermark.

Best for: creators who want stock media and effects in one app.

Can you buy PowerDirector once instead of subscribing?

Yes. CyberLink sells PowerDirector 2027 as a one-time purchase with a lifetime licence, or PowerDirector 365 as a subscription.

• Lifetime or subscription: the lifetime version has the core tools. The subscription adds every new AI feature, continuous updates and stock assets.
• Free version: PowerDirector Essential has no time limit. It holds back the advanced AI tools and some export options.
• Systems and export: runs on Windows 11, Windows 10 and macOS. Exports MP4 (H.264/H.265), MKV, WMV and MPEG-2 up to 4K.
• Guarantee: 30-day money-back from the official site.

Best for: home editors who want to own their copy.

Why do people pick Shotcut on older PCs?

Because it's free and offers low-resolution proxy editing, which speeds up seeking and cuts down on scaling. Shotcut is open source.

• Systems: Windows 10 and 11 (build 1809 or later), macOS 12 to 27, and Linux.
• Formats: reads hundreds of formats through FFmpeg with no import step, and handles 4K, 8K, HDR10 and HLG.
• Keys: its quickstart uses J K L for playback, I and O for in and out, the arrow keys to step a frame, Page Up and Page Down to step a second, and Alt+Left or Alt+Right to jump between start, in, out and end. Keyboard shortcuts are editable.

Best for: a free editor on modest hardware.

Is Kdenlive the best editor for Linux?

It is one of three editors here that run on Linux, with Shotcut and DaVinci Resolve, and one of two open-source ones, with Shotcut. Kdenlive (KDE Non-Linear Video Editor) is free and open source. It is part of the KDE Community, made by a small, mostly volunteer team, and runs on Linux, Windows, macOS and BSD. It is the only pick here that lists BSD. System requirements and export limits: Not published on the pages we read. Best for: Linux and BSD users who want a free, open-source timeline.

What do you get with Lightworks for free?

A free-forever plan at £0, with no watermarks on anything you export.

• Free plan limits: social presets for YouTube and Vimeo only, H.264 proxies at low quality up to 720p, one cloud integration at a time, and vectorscope, RGB and histogram scopes.
• Paid plans: Create raises proxies to 1080p and Pro to 4K. Both add Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Snapchat presets. A perpetual licence is offered too. The pricing page text showed no amounts, and prices are listed in USD, GBP and EUR before sales tax.

Best for: free editing with a paid upgrade path.

Is Clipchamp good for quick edits on Windows?

Yes, and you don't have to install anything.

• Where it runs: in Edge or Chrome at app.clipchamp.com on Mac, Linux, ChromeOS and Windows, as an app on Windows 11 and 10, and on iOS.
• Free plan: unlimited HD exports without watermarks, saved in 1080p. All of its AI tools are free, with no limit on how many you use. They include subtitles in over 80 languages and an auto cut that finds pauses over 3 seconds.
• Paid extras: premium stock and a brand kit need an upgraded account. Premium features in the desktop app come with a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Best for: fast talking-head and screen-recording edits.

Is iMovie enough to start on a Mac?

For first projects, yes. Apple publishes iMovie guides for Mac, iPhone and iPad.

• On a Mac: trailer templates sit under File › New Trailer, and File › Share › File exports a QuickTime file.
• External drives: Apple says to format a drive that holds a library as APFS, not ExFAT, FAT32 or NTFS.

The support pages we read gave no price. Best for: family and school videos.

Does VSDC Free Video Editor work on old Windows PCs?

Yes. Version 11.3 needs Windows 7 or later and comes in 64-bit and 32-bit builds, as a 126 Mb download.

• Free editor: over 200 effects, filters and colour tools, with no watermark or export time limit.
• Watch the Pro tools: you can try them in the free version, but a project that uses one can't be exported.
• What Pro adds: motion tracking, masking, stabilisation and faster processing. Schools can get Pro licences free.

Best for: Windows 7 or 32-bit machines.

What does Movavi Video Editor cost?

The Mac page showed ₹ 2,699 (incl. VAT) on 3 November 2026. It doesn't say whether that is one-time or yearly.

• Licences: Movavi sells the full version as a lifetime licence or an annual subscription.
• Free version: it is a 7-day try-out. Depending on the build, it may add a watermark, cap video at 60 seconds or hold back some export features.

Best for: simple edits bought once.

Is Pinnacle Studio still sold for Windows?

Yes. Pinnacle Studio 26 Ultimate is described as pro-level editing for Windows and lists Windows 11 and 10, 64-bit.

• Buying: the page shows Full and Upgrade options and a 30-day money-back guarantee, with no amounts in the text.
• Upgrade pricing: owners of Avid Studio, or of Pinnacle Studio 9 and later, qualify.

Best for: long-time Studio owners.

Can you try VEGAS Pro before paying?

Yes. The VEGAS site offers a free trial with full access, no limitations and no card needed. The home page didn't show the price, licence type, trial length or system requirements, so check those before you buy. Best for: trying a full editor without a card.

What is the best video editing software for beginners?

Start with the editor that matches where you post.

• Short video with captions: Clipchamp's free plan, or CapCut desktop. CapCut's web caption tool is free, but its desktop Pro terms aren't published.
• Stock and effects: Filmora suits beginners, but its free exports carry a watermark.
• Apple devices: iMovie.
• One app to learn for years: DaVinci Resolve costs nothing and keeps editing, colour and audio in one app.

Learn playback and in/out keys first. In Shotcut those are J K L, I and O. Our free editors roundup, YouTube editor picks and shortcuts in every editor go further.

Which video editing software works without a subscription?

Most of this list works without a subscription.

• Free: DaVinci Resolve, Shotcut, Kdenlive, Lightworks Free, VSDC, Clipchamp's free plan, PowerDirector Essential and Media Composer First.
• Pay once: Final Cut Pro ($299.99), the PowerDirector 2027 lifetime licence, Movavi's lifetime licence, the Lightworks perpetual licence and Filmora's one-time option. Only Apple showed an amount for a pay-once licence.
• Subscription only: Adobe Premiere, which has no perpetual licence.
• Priced per year: Avid's Standard, Ultimate and Enterprise plans. Avid's perpetual prices are not published.
• Not stated: whether Resolve Studio's $236 is one-time, and Pinnacle's licence type.

What is the best video editing software for Windows 11 and PC?

On a Windows 11 PC, DaVinci Resolve is our pick for free work. Premiere is the pick if you want a subscription alongside Adobe's other apps. Both list Windows. Makers that name Windows 11 on their own pages:

• PowerDirector (Windows 11 and 10)
• Pinnacle Studio (Windows 11 and 10, 64-bit)
• Clipchamp's app (Windows 11 and 10)
• Shotcut (Windows 10 and 11, with ARM builds)

Others give a floor instead of naming Windows 11. CapCut desktop needs Windows 7 or above and recommends Windows 10. Filmora's download is for Windows 7 or later (64-bit), and VSDC supports Windows 7 and later. Resolve Studio is optimised for OpenCL and CUDA on Windows, and Blackmagic says the DaVinci AI Neural Engine is fully supported on Snapdragon X Elite. If Premiere stutters, see how to make Premiere Pro run faster.

What runs on a low-end PC? The minimum specs makers publish

None of the maker pages we read listed RAM or graphics-card minimums. Go by the oldest system each one lists, and by proxies.

Shotcut's last build for Windows 7 and 8 was 22.12.21.

Where mouzeclick fits (we make it)

mouzeclick is not an editor. It puts shortcuts, chords, gestures and three wheels on the mouse you already own, per app, on Windows and Mac, with no driver.

• Ready-made wheels: Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, Photoshop and CapCut have them. Any other editor gets its own profile that you fill yourself.
• Shortcut library: 309 built-in shortcuts on Windows. See Premiere Pro shortcuts on any mouse.

What it doesn't do:

• There is no Resolve or Final Cut panel; the mouse app simply works in them like any app.
• The Tool wheel and panels work only in Premiere Pro and After Effects.
• The two workspaces, captions and Retakes are Windows-only. The Mac app does not include them (Mac install steps).
• It needs an internet connection while it runs.

Price: $25 a month, $249 a year, or $499 once for one of the first 100 lifetime keys. The free trial is 3 days, with no card (pricing).

How do I choose the right video editor?

1. Start with your system. On Linux: Resolve, Shotcut or Kdenlive. On a Mac only: Final Cut Pro or iMovie. On Windows 7: VSDC or CapCut.
2. Set the money rule. Nothing: Resolve. Pay once: Final Cut Pro or PowerDirector. A subscription is fine: Premiere.
3. Match the output. Captioned shorts: CapCut or Clipchamp. Colour and audio: Resolve. Cutting from a transcript: Premiere's Text-Based Editing or Resolve Studio's text based editing. Script-based team work: Avid.
4. Try before paying. Premiere's trial, Creator Studio's 30 days, Movavi's 7 days and VEGAS's no-card trial cost nothing.

More head-to-heads are in the comparison hub.

Questions people ask

Sources

Checked on 2026-11-03. Prices and features change: each link goes to the maker's own page.

1. Adobe Premiere product page
2. Adobe Creative Cloud plans (video and audio)
3. Adobe Premiere free trial
4. DaVinci Resolve 21
5. DaVinci Resolve Studio
6. DaVinci Resolve what's new
7. Final Cut Pro (Apple)
8. CapCut desktop video editor
9. CapCut add subtitles to video
10. CapCut caption generator
11. Avid Media Composer pricing
12. Avid Media Composer student pricing
13. Avid Media Composer latest release
14. Wondershare Filmora
15. Filmora comparison page
16. Filmora for Windows
17. CyberLink PowerDirector overview
18. Shotcut home
19. Shotcut features
20. Shotcut download
21. Kdenlive
22. Lightworks pricing
23. Clipchamp home
24. Clipchamp AI video editing
25. Clipchamp green screen editor
26. Clipchamp premium stock note
27. Clipchamp mobile app note
28. iMovie support
29. iMovie libraries (Apple Support)
30. VSDC Free Video Editor
31. VSDC features
32. VSDC download
33. VSDC help: free vs Pro
34. VSDC for schools
35. Movavi Video Editor for Mac
36. Movavi Mac licences and trial
37. Movavi free version limits
38. Pinnacle Studio 26 Ultimate
39. Pinnacle Studio upgrade
40. VEGAS Pro

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