What is video editing software?

Video editing software allows you to create videos. These videos can be used across online channels, i.e., on your website, social media profiles, and YouTube.

Videos created on video editing software can be from scratch or based on a template provided by the video editor. You also get access to helpful tools to edit and enhance your videos for maximum exposure.

Why is video editing software important?

Videos make a strong impression on viewers and increase your marketing reach. The world has gone increasingly digital in the last few years and video marketing is an effective way to break through the noise and reach your audience.

To better demonstrate the importance of video editing software, let’s take a look at a few video marketing statistics.

For businesses:

For marketers:

https://biteable.com/blog/video-marketing-statistics[/efn_note]

The far reach of video in business operations and marketing strategies highlights the importance of video editing software.

As the use of video grows across industries, getting acquainted with and using video editing software is an important first step to growing your business and online presence.

How to pick the best video editing software

Picking the best video editing software comes down to your requirements and goals.

When you’re starting out, sometimes you’re not sure what types of videos you’d like to create, just that you’d like to create videos.

To help you out, here are some common reasons and goals to create videos:

This isn’t an exhaustive list of reasons to create videos. It’s possible you have just one goal in mind or a couple. No matter your goals for making videos, using video editing software will save you a lot of time and help you reach your goals.

With that in mind, let’s consider some basic questions to ask yourself when picking the best video editing software:

Once you’ve answered those basic questions, asks yourself these follow up questions as well:

Let’s say your goal is to create a website for increased brand awareness and you are a complete beginner to video creation. Your top requirements from a video editing software should be that it comes with templates, it’s easy to use, and offers a free trial or free version to get you started.

If on the other hand, you are a seasoned content creator and plan to make a corporate training videos at high volume, having the ability to edit videos from scratch, add custom branding, instructions, and transitions would be the most important requirements.

Picking the best video editing software comes down to your unique goals and requirements. With that in mind, let’s explore the best video editing software in 2022.

Best video editing software in 2022

Here are the top picks for the best video editing software in 2022, this list covers a range of video creation requirements and are the best video editors available on the market today.

1. Adobe Premier Pro

Adobe Premier Pro is a popular video editing software and is considered the highest standard of video editors available on the market. It is used by Hollywood, television, and YouTube production teams.

Adobe Premier Pro makes up a core component of the Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) creativity and design software applications, made up of Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Stock.

If you’re an existing Adobe user, using Adobe Premier Pro will fit nicely into your business software ecosystem and workflow.

Here are the Adobe Premier Pro’s best video editing features:

In addition to the robust and easy to use video editing features, Adobe Premier Pro also includes many design assets and tools to make it easy to make, edit, or enhance your videos.

Here are Adobe Premier Pro’s best design assets and tools:

The list of amazing video editing features on Adobe Premier Pro is extensive and they top our best video editing software list for their features and advanced video editing tools.

Despite all of their amazing features, there are also a few drawbacks when using Adobe Premier Pro, namely:

Adobe’s software is compatible across all major operating systems including Mac and Windows.

There are different pricing tiers for Adobe Premier Pro, depending on if you’re an individual, business, student and teacher, or school and university.

On any of the tiers, you have the option to buy a single license for Adobe Premier Pro or an All Apps license which gives you access to Adobe Premier Pro and the full suite of Adobe creativity and design apps.

Here is the pricing breakdown for each tier and license type –

Individuals

Business

Students and Teachers

Schools and Universities

Adobe Premier Pro also offers a 7-day free trial on both their Single or All Apps licenses. This means you can try Adobe Premier Pro out for 7 days for free and only pay when you decide it’s the right video editor for you.

2. Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is an easy to use and beginner friendly video editing software. It is also very affordable which makes it an accessible tool for startups, bloggers, or freelancers looking for an advanced video editor to enhance their marketing strategy.

Filmora provides a user-friendly and intuitive platform to build videos. It offers a non-intimidating video editing platform for anyone to create and edit videos.

Wondershare Filmora’s best features are:

You also get access to Wondershare Filmstock, a large and database of free stock video assets including special effects, videos, audio, and images.

As you learn video editing on Filmora’s video editor, you can start using advanced video editing tools, namely:

Wondershare also has a mobile App, if you’d like to create and edit videos on the go or don’t have access to a computer, the App gives you access.

There are also a few drawbacks when it comes to using Wondershare Filmora as your video editing platform, here are a few we noticed:

Filmora by Wondershare works on both Mac and Windows operating systems.

On pricing, Filmora is very affordable and provides pricing based on tiers for individuals, teams and business, or educational (students, teachers, and schools).

For individuals, there is the option to buy an annual bundle or annual bundle plan. The annual bundle plan gives you access to premium videos and effects from the Wondershare Filmstock library. The video assets are updated monthly.

The pricing and licensing vary depending on your subscription.

Here is the pricing breakdown for each tier along with license types –

Individuals

Educational

Business and Teams

Wondershare also has a lifetime license plan called the Perpetual Plan, this allows you to buy the software straight out for a one-time fee. For individuals, the Perpetual Plan is $79.99 and $49.99 for educational purposes.

The Perpetual Plan is a great deal, however, it does lock you into a defined software version and update called ‘Filmora X.’ If your video editing uses are defined, it works well. However, you might miss out on new features pushed on later software version updates.

Wondershare Filmora also has a free tier available, but all of your exported videos will carry the Filmora watermark. If you’d like to have branded and professional videos, a paid plan is best.

3. Apple Final Cut Pro

Apple Final Cut Pro is a video editing software developed by tech giant Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) to provide an expert video editor for MacOS operating systems.

Final Cut Pro offers a simple to use video editing software platform with powerful features.

The best features on Apple Final Cut Pro include:

If you’re already in the Apple ecosystem, the compress and export feature to the Apple iTunes Store is very handy.

True to Apple services, they offer a full set of unique and advanced video editing tools, namely:

Apple Final Cut Pro is a favorite among Hollywood and YouTubers, it packs professional grade video editing tools to create ‘wow-factor’ grade videos.

In fact, the BBC Planet Earth series uses Apple Cut Pro to edit raw footage of the wild. We’ve all had our ‘wow’ moment watching lions fight in the wild.

We noticed some drawbacks to using Final Cut Pro as well, here are a few:

Final Cut Pro has a straightforward pricing model, for a one-time fee of $299.99, you get lifetime access. No tiers to worry about. You can buy and download Final Cut Pro directly from the App Store on you Mac computer, iPhone, iPad, or any MacOS device.

There is also a 90-day free trial, no credit card required, you can download Final Cut Pro and use it to see if it’s the right video software for you.

4. CyberLink PowerDirector

Cyberlink PowerDirector is another popular video editing software that comes packed with features at a fair price.

The Cyberlink website looks a bit dated, however, the sheer amount of video editing tools included on Power Director can’t be overlooked.

Here are just a few highlights:

There was one feature that stood out called “Mask Designer,” which lets you combine images from different clips and tracks.

Let’s say If you have a shot of a someone swimming in a pool and another one of a cappuccino.

Your shot will look like this:

PowerDirector also has a few downsides, namely:

PowerDirector works on both Windows and MacOS, across all devices. Pricing is straightforward, you can choose a yearly or monthly plan.

On monthly, you’ll pay $19.99 per month. If you go on an annual plan, you’ll pay $4.58 per month ($54.99 per year). On an annual subscription, you save 20%.

PowerDirector also has a 30-day free trial, you can download the video editor for free to see if it’s a right fit.

5. Camtasia

Camtasia is a screen recorder and video editor. It is easy to use, provides a drag and drop interface, and works directly on your browser.

Camtasia’s dual functions, as a screen recorder and a video editor, it provides a particularly good tool for creating a wide array of videos, including:

Camtasia’s best video editor features are its simplified drag and drop video editor, web camera capture, animations, annotations, and unique screen transitions.

For making instructional videos, Camtasia offers very unique features, namely:

You can even add quizzes to encourage interactivity with your videos, courses, and tutorials.

Camtasia works on both Windows and MacOS. It has a free App that lets you take screen recording directly on your device and edit them from your cell phone as well. If you have mobile specific tutorials, this is a very handy feature.

A few drawbacks to Camtasia’s video editing software we noticed are:

The Camtasia pricing model is similar to Apple Final Cut Pro, there is a one-time license fee, however, it’s split into tiers.

Here is a summarized pricing breakdown:

Individuals

Business

*Discounts increase as you add more licenses

Education

Government and non-profit

There is a catch with one-time fees, the annual software upgrade fee, which starts at $139.99 per year. If you want maintenance, it’s another $50 per year.

Camtasia has a 30-day free trial, you can download the video editor to your computer and try it out.

6. Nero Video

Nero Video is a budget-friendly video editor. It’s not as robust as other video editing software, however it offers a set of advanced features at a low price.

The Nero website is dated, but don’t overlook these features:

You can also create slideshows and movies with 1-click video storyboards. If you’re a beginner, Nero Video provides dozens of professional templates to create stunning videos.

Another great feature are Nero Video’s advanced streaming tools that let you broadcast and share your videos from your computer, cell phone, tablet, and the free Nero Streaming Player App.

There are some cons to using Neo Video, including:

There is also no motion tracking, which allows you to capture and edit the movement of objects and people within your videos. If you’re a beginner, you might not care, however, nearly all of the video editors we reviewed had this feature by default.

Nero Video only operates on Windows. If you use MacOS devices, you won’t be able to use it.

Cost wise, Nero Video is inexpensive. An unlimited life-time license costs $47.95. If you want a cheap video editing software, Nero Video is a good deal.

There is no free trial, however, Nero does provide a 30-day money back guarantee.

We hope our list of best video editing software helps you pick the right video editor.

Our team reviewed dozens of professional video editors and narrowed it down to the list above to make your decision as easy as possible.

Video editing FAQ

Let’s review and provide answers to some frequently asked questions about video editing software.

What is the best free video editing software?

There are many free video editing apps available on your computer with beginner to advanced video editing software tools.

On MacOS, you can use iMovie, it’s free, works across all Apple devices (MacBook, iPhone, iPad). It’s beginner friendly as well.

iMovie normally comes preinstalled on your Mac devices.

On Windows, you can try out Movavi Clips, it features beginner-friendly and free video editing tools.

You can also try out the Wondershare Filmora free tier, however, keep in mind your videos will carry a Filmora watermark.

What is the best video editor to make YouTube videos?

From all of the video editing software our team reviewed, the best video editors for YouTube videos were Adobe Premier Pro and Apple Final Cut Pro.

Both offer a complete set of video editing tools that let you make, tailor, and export high-quality videos to YouTube.

Most professional and famous YouTubers use either Adobe Premier Pro and Apple Final Cut Pro.

What is the best video editor for beginners?

Camtasia is the most beginner friendly video editing software. It is a drag and drop video editor with an easy to use interface.

Camtasia comes with many advanced tools and also works as a screen recorder.

What is the best professional video editing software?

The best video editing software is Adobe Premier Pro. It is considered the gold standard of video editors.

It is used by Hollywood, television, and YouTube production teams.

Adobe Premier Pro comes with an easy to use platform, access to hundreds of stock design assets, and advanced tools for motion graphics, color palettes, and transitions.

What is the cheapest professional video editing software?

The cheapest video editing software is Nero Video, an unlimited life-time license costs $47.95.

It comes with a dated user interface and lack of tools, however, for a beginner on a budget who needs a professional video editor, it offers a good platform to get started.