Best Video Editing Software
Top video editing software ranked by transparent trust scores.
8 products ranked
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Top Pick
9.4
Excellent
Adobe Premiere Pro
Ranked #1 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
#1
9.4
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #1 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Industry standard with vast community
- AI-powered editing tools
- Seamless Creative Cloud integration
Cons
- Subscription only no perpetual license
- Resource-heavy performance demands
Don't buy this if…
- Premiere Pro requires a Creative Cloud subscription with no option to purchase a permanent license.
#2
9.2
Excellent
Consensus
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Ranked #2 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Powerful free version available
- Best-in-class color grading
- One-time purchase no subscription
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Demanding hardware requirements
Don't buy this if…
- DaVinci Resolve heavily relies on GPU acceleration and performs poorly without a dedicated graphics card.
#3
9.0
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #3 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Optimized for Apple Silicon speed
- Magnetic timeline intuitive editing
- One-time purchase with free updates
Cons
- macOS only
- Smaller plugin ecosystem than Premiere
Don't buy this if…
- Final Cut Pro is only available on macOS and projects cannot be opened on Windows or Linux.
#4
8.7
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #4 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Generous free tier with pro features
- AI auto-captions and effects
- TikTok-native trending templates
Cons
- ByteDance data privacy concerns
- Limited professional features
Don't buy this if…
- CapCut is owned by ByteDance (TikTok's parent company) which may raise data privacy concerns.
#5
8.5
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #5 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Beginner-friendly interface
- Huge effects and template library
- Regular content pack updates
Cons
- Windows-focused limited Mac support
- AI features can be gimmicky
Don't buy this if…
- Some advertised AI features produce inconsistent results and may require manual cleanup.
#6
8.3
Good
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #6 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Very beginner-friendly interface
- AI music and text-to-video
- Affordable pricing
Cons
- Watermark on free version
- Less capable for pro work
Don't buy this if…
- The free version adds a prominent Filmora watermark to all exported videos.
#7
8.1
Good
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #7 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Edit video by editing text
- Edit video by editing text transcript
- Edit video by editing text transcript
Cons
- Limited traditional timeline editing
- Requires good audio for accurate transcription
- Requires good audio for accurate transcription
Don't buy this if…
- AI features consume transcription hours which are limited per plan and cost extra when exceeded.
- AI features consume credits and heavy usage may require upgrading to a higher tier.
- AI features consume credits and heavy usage may require upgrading to a higher tier.
#8
7.9
Good
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #8 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Completely free and open source
- Cross-platform Win/Mac/Linux
- No watermarks or limitations
Cons
- Dated interface design
- Steeper learning curve than consumer editors
Don't buy this if…
- Shotcut's interface can feel unintuitive for beginners coming from more polished consumer editors.
Quick Comparison
How We Rank
Composite trust score from expert reviews, user sentiment, complaint analysis, and value assessment.
Trust Score
Weighted composite of all factor scores
Expert Score
Aggregated expert review ratings
User Sentiment
Community votes and review analysis
Value Score
Price-to-performance ratio
Freshness
Recency of reviews and data
Change Log
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