The best video editing software

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The logos of three of the best video editing software programs, Premiere Pro, CyberLink Power Director and Davini Resolve

(Image credit: Future / Premiere Pro / CyberLink / Blackmagic DesignResolve)

Top 3 at a glance
1. Best overall: Premiere Pro
2. Best free: DaVinci Resolve
3. Best mid-level: PowerDirector
4. Best for beginner: Premiere Elements
5. Best for social: Vimeo Create
6. Best for Mac: Final Cut Pro
7. Best for Windows: Pinnacle Studio
8. Best for mobile: Premiere Rush
9. Best for Apple: Apple iMovie
10. Best for Corel: VideoStudio Ultimate
11. Best value: Filmora

How to choose
How we test
FAQs

Video content is in demand these days, and having the right video editing software makes the difference between the task being a joy or an annoying nightmare. To help you find the right app for you, our experienced reviewers have tried and tested the programmes below, weighing up the pros and cons of each option to help you make the best choice possible. 

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1. <a href="https://www.prf.hn/click/camref:1101lr4vm/pubref:hawk-custom-tracking/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adobe.com%2Fuk%2Fproducts%2Fpremiere%2Fcampaign%2Fpricing.html%3F" data-link-merchant="adobe.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Adobe Premiere Pro - free 7 day trial
Our top pick is the industry standard software for video editing. It supports every video format, and gives you a huge amount of flexibility. Workspaces are well organised and there are new AI tools to speed up workflows. You can try it out for free for seven days ($22.99 p/month after).

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2. <a href="https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/uk/products/davinciresolve" data-link-merchant="blackmagicdesign.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">DaVinci Resolve - Get it free or buy for $295/£245
For more tools, there's DaVinci Resolve. Many editors work in Premiere, but still move to DaVinci to correct colour. We love the flexibility, and the free version is easily the best free video editing software we've used, although it's a steep learning curve for beginners.

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3. CyberLink PowerDirector - <a href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8150602-9997660?sid=hawk-custom-tracking&url=https://www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdirector-video-editing-software-mac/overview_en_US.html" data-link-merchant="cyberlink.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Get it free or from $4.58 p/month 
Looking for something simpler and cheaper than Premiere Pro? CyberLink's software has a superb interface, a 100-track timeline, and 360-degree editing. It's perfect for those hobbyists looking for something that's feature-rich. There's a free version or you can sign up for a subscription. 

Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Tom May

Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity, published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World, T3.com and Tech Radar. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects. 

With contributions from