- What's the best video editing software
for Windows right now in 2020?
Well here's our roundup of the latest options
with our picks for the best video editors in every category.
From the best free software to paid and professional options
with everything that you need to know
to help you decide which one is the best one for you.
Hey, it's Justin Brown here from Primal Video
where we help you grow an audience
and scale your revenue with online video.
If you're new here,
make sure you click that subscribe button and
all the links to everything that we mentioned in this video,
you can find linked in the description box below.
So let's jump into it.
Now video editing software updates so fast.
So we do a roundup like this every 6 to 12 months
for both Windows and Mac.
And every time we go back to the drawing board, we restart
all of our research and we retest a ton of options.
And we eventually narrow the list down
to our recommendations for the best
video editing software across every budget.
Now as always, there have been some big changes
since our last video, some of my prior recommendations
still make the cut, whereas others have fallen behind
and some newer options have stepped into their place.
Now, just like last time, I'm going to
break this overview down into multiple pricing categories,
including free, paid and more professional software
so that you can see what's available at each level.
You can hear our recommendations.
And if you're just starting out
in one of the lower brackets,
you can know exactly what you'll be unlocking
if you do jump into one of the higher brackets.
And once we're done with my recommendations
across every pricing bracket, we're going to wrap up
with three quick tips that you can use to level up
your video editing and edit faster in any editing software.
Okay, so here's the pricing categories
that we're gonna be breaking this down into.
The first one is free software.
So obviously, that's all the stuff out there that is free.
Now I do want to say here, that every piece of software
that we are mentioning in this video is watermark free,
meaning that you can actually get good results
and use this software to create your videos
without any branding or watermark on the finished product.
The next category is sub $200,
or all video editing software under $200.
Now when we're running through this software,
we're also going to include free software
in this category as well, because if you are interested
in spending up to $200 for video editing software,
your options are also going to include free software.
So we're going to put the two head-to-head.
And the third category includes all software
that is $200 and above, and again,
to make this a fair assessment, if you were going to
spend that money on video editing software,
we've also included the sub $200 and the free stuff
in there as well so that you really see which
is going to be the best option for you moving forward.
So for the first category free software,
there's a lot of options out there, and those include
things like VSDC the free version, HitFilm Express
Lightworks, Shotcut, Avid Media Composer First,
and DaVinci Resolve.
Now typically what you would find with free software
is that it's very limited in what you can actually do.
Normally there's not a lot of pro features,
normally there's not a lot of control
over your actual editing,
and a lot of them are just theme based
or template based editing.
But that's not always the case.
So from testing all of these to narrow this down,
my shortlist includes HitFilm Express, VSDC Free,
and DaVinci Resolve.
And really, you're going to be able to create great videos
using any one of these.
With HitFilm Express, I think it's got a really good
really clean, easy to use interface.
So for someone who is an absolute beginner,
it's going to be easy for you to jump in here
and quickly figure out where everything is
and to start editing your videos down.
But it's not just a video editing application.
They've also got some amazing features in there
for special effects and for motion graphics
and those sorts of things as well.
Now if you do want to unlock some extra
and more advanced features in there,
you can either purchase some of their add on packs,
or there is a pro version of HitFilm available as well,
which we will cover a little later in this video.
But it really is the professional version of this software
with all the bells and whistles.
VSDC is another one that's got a fairly intuitive
and fairly easy to use interface.
I'd say it's probably not as easy or intuitive
as HitFilm Express, but there's probably
more advanced features in the free version
of VSDC than you get in the free version of HitFilm.
Now really what you're getting in this free version
of VSDC is actually pretty amazing.
There is a pro version that they do sell for just under $20.
But the biggest differences between them are
some added hardware improvements
and hardware integration for extra performance
and also a few extra
advanced editing features in there as well.
So for the most part, especially if you're someone
at the beginner to intermediate level,
the free version could do everything that you're after.
And the third one on the shortlist then is DaVinci Resolve.
Now this is hands down, the most advanced,
most professional video editing software for free.
It is crazy what you are actually getting.
This is full on professional software that they use
to make Hollywood movies and documentaries
and those sorts of things.
So it's really crazy that you can download
and use this for free.
Now given that you've got access in there
to all of the advanced tools
and all the professional features
and everything in there, it's definitely not going to
be great for someone who is an absolute beginner.
It's not that intuitive.
It's not that easy to get up to speed fast editing in there.
You are going to have to invest some time
to really learn where everything is
and to master the platform.
But if you are someone who's at that
intermediate to advanced level, or you're a beginner,
but you're looking to learn and want to
get up to speed with professional grade features,
then this could be the perfect option for you.
So if you're an absolute beginner,
you don't need all the advanced features and stuff,
go with HitFilm Express or VSDC.
If you're someone at that intermediate level
through to advanced, DaVinci Resolve
is probably where it's at for you.
Now I just want to say with DaVinci Resolve
if you are looking to use it on an older computer
or a computer that's not very powerful,
you might find that it runs pretty slowly.
It is designed to run on more powerful computers
or newer computers.
So just keep that in mind.
Now it's a tough call but if I had to
pick a winner in this category,
it is going to go to DaVinci Resolve.
It's just amazing what you're getting access to,
pro level features and tools for free.
Now just before we jump into the next category,
I do want to say that no matter
which video editing software you pick,
they're all just tools to edit your videos down.
So you want to find the one that is the best for you,
for the types of videos you're creating, and the way
that you're going to approach your video editing.
So what I would suggest is that you grab
the trial versions of a couple of different ones
and have a play around and see which one
is going to be the best fit for you
for making videos moving forward.
And again, links to all of them
are in the description below.
So in this next category, we're going to be looking at
all video editing software under $200.
And again, including the free stuff as well.
Now typically, what you would find with
paid software versus free software is that
it's a more polished application, more complete,
less features removed, and less restrictions around
what you can actually do in those free applications.
But I say typically,
because there's things like DaVinci Resolve,
that just give you an amazing offering for free.
But for the most part, there's usually something
missing or something that's worthwhile paying for
to make the editing experience easier or faster.
So in this pricing category then we're adding to our list
AVS Video Editor, VSDC Pro,
Adobe Premiere Rush, Movavi Plus, Filmora, WeVideo,
Vegas Movie Studio, Magix Movie Edit Pro,
Adobe Premiere Elements, CyberLink PowerDirector,
Filmora Pro, Lightworks Pro, and Vegas Pro.
So you can see there's a lot of options in this category.
So after trying and testing all of these
I've narrowed it down to four in the shortlist.
And this was a really hard one to cut this down.
But the shortlist includes WeVideo, Filmora, Filmora Pro
and DaVinci Resolve.
So in this video this year,
one of the biggest ones that's no longer
in the shortlist is Adobe Premiere Rush.
I do think it's an amazing option on iPhone
and on Android, and it is cool.
You can start a project on iPhone or Android
and continue editing on your Mac or PC.
But in terms of video editing capabilities
on a computer alone, it's hard to stack it up
against some of the other options that are out there now.
So now with the shortlisted ones,
WeVideo is an amazing video editing application.
It's actually one that you don't need to download
and install on your computer,
you actually run it in your web browser,
which means that you don't need to have
the most powerful computer out there.
And that you can actually
move between different computers, because you're just
logging in to your account on the web browser.
This also makes it really powerful
for working with other people.
When you're creating your videos,
you can actually create a team account
and you can share access to your video files,
to your actual edits, and your editing projects.
And you can really have multiple people involved
in your video creation process.
The biggest thing to be aware of with WeVideo
would be if you've got slow internet that it's gonna
take some time for you to get your footage up to them.
But you can actually start editing while the files
are still on your computer,
and they'll upload in the background, which is awesome.
Now in terms of pricing,
it's a monthly subscription model with plans starting
at $4 99 per month for their Power plan.
That plan does restrict you to 720 paid
for the quality of your videos.
So I say that what you're probably going
to be looking at as a starting point will be their
Unlimited plan, which supports editing up to 4k files.
And this is actually something that blew me away.
This thing edits 4k video files so well, so smoothly,
and it's run in the cloud.
Now this is going to be perfect for someone
who is an absolute beginner right through to,
I'd say, maybe an intermediate level.
The interface is really simple.
It's really easy to get up to speed
and editing and everything in there.
But there's not too many advanced or pro features.
So the next one on the shortlist is Filmora.
Now, this is one that not that long ago,
I never would have thought that
I would be recommending this,
but it's now a really solid option
and a really great video editing application.
The interface alone is really intuitive,
and even someone who has maybe never edited before
is gonna be able to get up to speed editing fast in here.
One of the biggest things that blew me away with Filmora
was how optimized it is and how well
and smooth it runs while you're editing your videos down.
We've tried this on multiple computers
and even on some older computers.
This thing still ran incredibly smooth while you're editing.
The other thing that's cool about Filmora is the pricing,
you can actually purchase a lifetime license
so you don't have to go a subscription,
you can purchase a lifetime license for under $60,
which is awesome.
So I'd say Filmora is gonna be perfect
for someone whether you are an absolute beginner,
never edited a video in your life.
This is going to be great for you right up to
an intermediate level because it does have
a lot of those more advanced features and tools
and things in there.
But the interface and everything makes it so easy
to use and to find everything.
The next one on the shortlist then is Filmora Pro,
so the pro version of the one that we just covered.
Now, I do want to say at this point that this video
is not sponsored, they have no idea that we are making it
but I am blown away with what they are actually offering
and putting out there as video editing applications
and they are definitely worth considering.
The interface on the pro version is really
built upon from the non pro version.
So again, it's really intuitive, it's easy to find stuff.
It's nice and fast, and it's nice and snappy
while you're actually editing in there as well.
But obviously the big difference in here is that you've got
access to far more advanced and professional level tools.
Hence the name.
Now I know it's a big call,
but I would say that the features
and everything that you have inside of Filmora Pro
are just insane and they actually rival
what you find in applications like Adobe Premiere Pro,
which is again, insane, when you look at the price.
You've got a couple of different options
with the pricing on Filmora Pro,
they do have an annual subscription for 89.99 per year,
or you can pay 149.99 for, again,
lifetime access to Filmora Pro.
So you only need to pay once
and not sign up for a monthly or annual subscription.
And the last one on the shortlist in this category
is once again DaVinci Resolve
the free video editing application.
This is beating out a lot of the paid options
in this category.
And is still hands down the most professional,
most advanced video editing application
in this category as well.
So while I'm blown away with the features,
and control, and everything inside of Filmora Pro,
DaVinci Resolve really takes that to the next level.
So rounding this out WeVideo is gonna be perfect for someone
who is going to be editing on a low powered computer.
You want to work in the cloud and transfer
between different computers easily,
and work with other team members remotely as well.
Filmora is going to be a great option
for someone at that beginner level
right through to an intermediate level
with the clear upgrade path to the pro version of it,
which is going to be perfect for someone
at that intermediate to advanced level.
So someone that still wants to be able to edit
fast and efficiently, but have access
to all the extra features and stuff in there.
But if you are looking for the most professional,
most amount of features, most amount of control
in your editing application,
that's where DaVinci Resolve has it hands down.
So if I had to pick a winner in this category,
it is going to go again to DaVinci Resolve.
It's just pretty hard to beat,
given what you're getting access to and the price of zero.
And that brings us to the third category,
which is where we add in all of the $200 plus
video editing software into the mix as well.
So if you are looking to spend money, more than $200.
What is your best option for video editing software?
Including the sub $200, and the free options as well.
Now typically, once again, what you would find
in this category of video editing software above $200
is that they are the most professional options out there.
So all the advanced features, all the advanced controls,
really letting you get into frame by frame accurate edits
to allow the most amount of creativity in your videos.
And this is the stuff that the pros use.
So in this category, you've got things like HitFilm Pro
Camtasia, Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer
Magix Video Pro X, and DaVinci Resolve Studio,
which is the studio version or the next version up
of the free one that has been taking out
all of the categories in this video so far.
The biggest differences between the two
is the studio version is going to let you unlock
more things like higher than 4k, UHD resolutions.
So true 4k, right up to 8k resolutions,
higher frame rates, a larger range of professional effects,
multi user collaboration tools,
and they've even got facial recognition
in the studio version as well.
And the studio version really
isn't ridiculously priced either at $299.
But I would say for probably most people out there the
free version is going to do pretty much everything you need
without needing to upgrade to the studio version.
Now I do want to quickly call out that Camtasia
is in this category purely based on it's price
coming off the back of all the pro talk,
I definitely don't think it's professional grade
video editing software, but it's in this category
because of the price.
So my shortlist then comes down to
WeVideo, Filmora, Adobe Premiere, and DaVinci Resolve.
Those are my full go to recommendations right now
depending on what you're looking to do,
and your skill level as well.
So the new one on the shortlist then is Adobe Premiere Pro.
Now for years this has been
my go to for video editing software on Windows.
We've been using it for the bulk of our client projects
and any documentaries or long form work,
and pretty much any broadcast work as well.
Not only is it really amazing video editing software
on it's own as a standalone, but it also works
really, really well with the rest of the Adobe Suite
like Photoshop or After Effects or Audition.
So you can really bring in all of those
different applications and work seamlessly
on your project, literally with the click of a button.
I personally really liked the workflow in here,
especially if you're working with teams or external editors.
It's really easy to transfer your projects between them
and to make it collaborative as well.
And yes, I realized that a lot of the
other options out there now have these features as well.
But for me, the go to for anything
like that is still Premiere.
The other big thing for me with Premiere is the huge support
for all the different types of files and codecs out there.
You really can almost throw anything at premier
and you're going to be able to edit it down in there
without the need to convert it to something else first.
I'm also a really big fan of their new auto reformat tool.
So if you are looking to repurpose your video content
from one platform to another, say a widescreen video
from YouTube to something portrait for Instagram story,
so IGTV, you can literally do it with a click of a button
and it will go through an analyze your footage
and track it and reposition it
so that it looks good in a different format as well.
It is absolutely amazing.
Now in regards to pricing, though,
this one is a subscription model,
so your options are $20.99 per month,
or there's a $52.99 plan,
which gives you access to not just Premiere,
but also the rest of the Adobe Suite as well.
So to round out this shortlist with some recommendations,
I would say that WeVideo is going to be perfect
for someone an absolute beginner out
through to an intermediate level,
who is maybe editing on a computer that isn't so powerful,
or something like a Chromebook,
because the editing is done in your web browser.
It's also going to be great for someone
if you're working with external team
or people remotely because it is cloud based.
I'd recommend Filmora Pro then for anyone
who's looking for the next step up from that,
looking for some more advanced features and controls,
and are at that intermediate to more advanced level.
And then for someone really at that advanced level,
looking for industry standard software,
looking for professional grade features and tools.
It is really going to come down to
DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere Pro.
And obviously you can grab DaVinci Resolve for free.
But there's also a trial version of Adobe Premiere,
which we will link in the description.
Now it's a tough call, but if I had to pick
one overall winner, best video editing software on Windows,
it is going to go to Adobe Premiere Pro,
which is actually the same winner as last time as well.
It's tough because it is incredible what DaVinci Resolve,
are giving you for free.
I know I've said that a lot throughout this video.
It's ridiculous, it is an awesome offering.
But I do really think that Adobe Premiere Pro is a step up
from that still right now.
But I think next year's video
could be a little different with how fast everything
is growing and changing on the Resolve side of things.
All right, so I know there was a lot to take in.
But here are my top three tips
for editing faster in any software.
Tip number one is to try and learn
some of the keyboard shortcuts.
I can't stress enough how much faster
this is going to make your editing.
With just pressing a couple of keys on the keyboard
is going to save you maybe three or four mouse clicks
and mouse movements, which over time
is going to speed up your editing dramatically.
Tip number two is to focus on editing down your core story
or your core content first, before getting carried away
with all of the color grades,
and color effects, and those sorts of things.
A lot of people jump straight into the stuff
to make your video looks pretty first.
And all that does is end up slowing down your computer
and making your computer process
and render everything while you're editing.
Save that stuff for last,
to focus on the content and the story first.
And tip number three is to take that little bit of time
when you're starting a new project to create some folders,
or bins, to categorize everything that you're bringing in.
So it could be that you're creating a folder for footage,
one for music, one for sound effects,
one for any photos or graphics that you're going to use.
Also that you can have things in a quick,
easy to find place while you're editing.
You don't want to be sorting through a big list of files,
trying to find everything,
when you're in the middle of editing.
It's really all about keeping that momentum going.
So taking that little bit of time upfront
to catalog everything and categorize everything
is going to save you a heap of time later
in the editing project.
Now those three tips are just three tips
from our full video editing process guide,
the Primal Video Method, the most efficient way to
edit your videos down with minimal wasted time and rework.
You can grab your copy with the link on screen.
And there's a link below in the description as well
and I'll see you in the next one.