The best video editing software of 2025 is Adobe Premiere Pro (paid), Final Cut Pro (paid), DaVinci Resolve (free & paid), CapCut (free & paid), iMovie (free), Wondershare Filmora (free & paid), HitFilm (free & paid), Canva Video (free & paid), InVideo (free & paid), Lightworks (free & paid), and VEED.IO (free & paid).
Choosing the right software depends on the video type, users’ goals, software features, cost, and industry needs. Use paid video editing tools when you are dealing with a large volume of projects, frequently need videos for promotional purposes, and need professional-quality videos. Use free video editing tools if you are new, or using video for occasional purposes or as a hobby.
What you’ll learn in this article
- 1 What to Look for in a Video Editing Software in 2025?
- 2 Free vs Paid Video Editing Tools-Which One Should You Choose?
- 3 What are the Best Video Editing Software of 2025?
- 3.1 1. Adobe Premiere Pro: Best for Pros and Agencies
- 3.2 2. Final Cut Pro: Best for Mac Users & Filmmakers
- 3.3 3. DaVinci Resolve: Best for Color Grading & Visual Quality
- 3.4 4. CapCut: Best for Social Media & TikTok Creators
- 3.5 5. iMovie: Best Free Software for Mac Beginners
- 3.6 6. Wondershare Filmora: Best for Quick Business Videos
- 3.7 7. HitFilm: Great for VFX & Motion Design
- 3.8 8. Canva Video: Best for E-commerce Product Videos & Marketers
- 3.9 9. InVideo: AI-Powered Editor for Templates & Speed
- 3.10 10. Lightworks: Best for Long-form Editing Projects
- 3.11 11. VEED.IO: Best Browser-Based Video Editor for Team Collaboration
- 4 Which Software is Right for You?
- 5 What are the Trends in Video Editing Tools in 2025?
- 6 FAQ’s Video Editing Software 2025
What to Look for in a Video Editing Software in 2025?
There are 2 key factors to look for in a video editing software: editing goals and editing features. Editing goals surround the users, who are either learning or experts. Learners use beginner-friendly apps, for example, CapCut, iMovie, or Veed.io. They are easy to use, offering drag-and-drop timelines, auto-captions, and ready-made templates for convenience. Experts use a full-fledged video suite such as Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, etc.
Editing Goals
Users who use videos for personal use or learning how video editing works, beginner-friendly apps are good for new users. For large-volume works, industry-grade production, or branded content, you need to switch to professional-standard software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro. Those software offer advanced color grading, 3D motion graphics, multicam editing, or custom codecs for broadcast and cinematic projects, ensuring precision, scalability, and full creative control for the users.
Editing Features
Consider the flexibility of several features video editing offers, for example, timeline editing, color correction, motion graphics/VFX, AI automation, cloud synchronization, and collaboration etc.
- Timeline Editing
Check for the timeline editing feature in your video editing software. It saves time, allows you to layer music, sound effects, multiple cameras, and graphics without limits. Ripple editing and magnetic timelines automatically close gaps when you delete clips. Multi-camera sync lets you switch between angles with clicks. In short, having a modern non-linear timeline allows you to drag, drop, trim, ripple, and rearrange clips, making complex edits intuitive.
- Color Correction
Color correction changes ordinary footage into a professional video. Focus on the color correction features such as HDR grading, LUT (Look-Up Table) integration, primary/secondary color wheels, and scopes that your software offers. Automatic correction fixes dark footage and color casts instantly. Manual controls create specific moods – warm for family content, cool for tech reviews, vibrant for lifestyle videos. LUT support gives instant Hollywood-style grades.
- Motion Graphics/VFX
Make sure to find video editing software that allows motion graphics to create memorable and shareable videos. Features such as animated titles, texts, transitions, effects, etc, make videos professional. Most of the software features built-in effects, which saves the extra costs of using plugins.
- AI Automation in Editing
Having AI-automation assists new uses. AI handles time-consuming, repetitive, and boring tasks, identifies the best moments, and creates rough cuts. It creates time for you to focus on creativity, not technical work. Leading video editing tools now include auto-reframing for vertical formats, scene detection, smart noise removal, and speech-to-text transcription for instant captions. Many AI features recommend cuts based on rhythm or dialogue, and some Text-Based Editing allows creators to edit footage like a document.
- Export Options & Codec Support
Find a video exporting tool that has powerful capabilities, aligning with different platforms’ video requirements. YouTube video settings differ from those of Instagram or TikTok. Make sure your video editing software has comprehensive codec support to deliver the right file without losing quality. Software comes with plenty of presets to eliminate guesswork.
- Collaboration & Cloud-Sync
Collaboration features allow you to collaborate even in real-time. With version control, you get the previous version restored for further editing. By collaborating in real-time, you can comment and approval systems streamline client feedback. Cloud synchronizing feature, automatic backup protects your work from computer crashes, while cloud synchronization on any device.
Free vs Paid Video Editing Tools-Which One Should You Choose?
Between the free and paid video editing tools, you should choose paid video editing tools due to their guaranteed security, robust features for performing basic to advanced and custom video editing, along with diverse techniques, tools, presets, and templates. You can hire a professional video editor to ensure quality output. Choose using free video editing tools if you are a new user or have occasional use of videos.
Whether to use free video editors or paid editing software should be based on your editing goals, project volume, and business marketing plans. Casual users mostly use free tools to edit video, whereas professional and commercial users mostly use premium software or hire professional video editors who excel in that software.
Situations to Use Free and Paid Tools
| Tools | When to Use | When Not to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Free | In the learning stage, during occasionally us,e test different workflows. | When using advanced works when videos need watermark-free content, Editing requires the latest features. |
| Paid | In the learning stage, occasionally us,e test different workflows. | Professional, consistent, and branded video content. Advanced collaboration and high-volume production, Large-scale video editing, commercial business material, online promotional works, etc. Need to access numerous assets and codec flexibility for videos. |
What are the Best Video Editing Software of 2025?
The best video editing software of 2025 are Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, iMovie, Wondershare Filmora, HitFilm, Canva Video, InVideo, Lightworks, and VEED.IO. After manually testing 33 widely used video editing software, we have boiled down these 11 based on their user-friendliness, offered features, industry usage, and pricing.
Top 11 Software Comparison Table
| Software | Free Trial | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Premiere Pro | 7 days free trial | $22.99/mo | Professional video editors, e-commerce product video editing, advertising and marketing agencies, and YouTube video editing. |
| Final Cut Pro | 90-day free trial | $299 | Filmmakers, creative teams, and content creators. |
| DaVinci Resolve | DaVinci Resolve: Free | DaVinci Resolve Studio: $295 | Colorists, indie filmmakers, and digital content creators. |
| CapCut | 7-day free trial | Varies based on location | Social media content creators, short-form video editors, and digital marketers. |
| iMovie | Free to use | Creating learning or teaching material, working as a hobbyist videographer. | |
| Wondershare Filmora | 30 days free trial | Basic ($9.99), Advanced ($34.99), and Perpetual ($49.99) | Creating visual material for small businesses, marketers, and course creators. |
| HitFilm | Not-specified | Creator ($6.25), Pro ($11.6), and Enterprise (custom) | Indie VFX artists, action and short film creators, and hobbyist videographers. |
| Canva Video | 30-day free trial | Canva Pro ($120) and Canva Teams ($100) | Digital marketers, non-designers creating ad videos, and new learners. |
| InVideo | Not-specified | Plus ($35), Max ($60), Generative ($120), and Team ($999) | Social media video content and new content creators. |
| Lightworks | Unlimited use of the free version | Create ($13.99/per month) and Pro ($27.99/per month) | Creating long-form videos. |
| VEED.IO | Not-specified | Lite for $9, Pro $24, and Enterprise (Custom) | Working with remote teams, creating social media videos, or producing content with fast captioning. |
1. Adobe Premiere Pro: Best for Pros and Agencies
OC Rating: 5/5
Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional-grade video editing software that aids individual video editors to multi-million dollar agencies. It offers multi-format export, advanced timeline control, and AI-powered auto-reframing. Being integrated with the Adobe ecosystem allows the software to ensure seamless workflow for users needing 4K–8K workflows with reliable performance and cross-platform compatibility.
Key Features
- Multi-camera editing
- Powerful timeline
- Lumetri color
- Motion Graphics templates
- Premiere + After Effects integration
- AI-assisted tools
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Equipped with all video editing tools, techniques, effects, and presets | Learning takes time for new users |
| Plugin ecosystem | |
| Frequent updates | |
| Cloud collaboration |
Application Suitability: Adobe Premiere Pro offers professional-grade features and editing tools for Professional video editors, e-commerce product video editing, advertising and marketing agencies, and YouTube video editing for professional workflows.
Price: 7-day free trial available, premium pricing starts at $22.99/mo.
2. Final Cut Pro: Best for Mac Users & Filmmakers
OC Rating: 5/5
Final Cut Pro is Apple’s flagship video editing solution, optimized for Mac and Apple Silicon chips. It has become a go-to solution for filmmakers, creative teams, and content creators due to the advanced color grading, HDR support, fast rendering, timeline editing, etc. It is a great tool for those who are looking for single-purchase, feature-rich software.
Key Features
- Multicam editing
- Motion integration
- Magnetic timeline
- 4K/8K & HDR support
- Fast Apple Silicon performance
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Intuitive UI | Exclusively usable for Apple users |
| Fast performance | |
| One-time purchase option |
Application Suitability: Final Cut Pro is a feature-rich tool for Apple device users, for example, Mac-based filmmakers and videographers.
Price: Offers a 90-day free trial. One-time premium purchase costs $299.
3. DaVinci Resolve: Best for Color Grading & Visual Quality
OC Rating: 5/5
DaVinci Resolve is a powerful video processing tool, best in class for color grading, visual effects, and multi-user collaboration. The free version of the software has professional tools for HDR coloring, AI editing, and Fairlight audio mixing. The DaVinci Resolve studio includes advanced AI, multi-GPU performance, pro codecs, etc. Altogether, it’s the best tool for post-production teams and filmmakers creating quality videos of a 12-bit workflow.
Key Features
- Fusion VFX
- Fairlight audio
- Neural-engine AI
- Free + Studio option
- Hollywood-grade color tools
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Best color tools | Occasional crashes are reported |
| Powerful free tier | |
| One-time Studio license available |
Application Suitability: DaVinci works best for colorists, indie filmmakers, and digital content creators who want film-level grading.
Price: DaVinci Resolve is free to download, and Studio costs $295 (one-time).
4. CapCut: Best for Social Media & TikTok Creators
OC Rating: 4.5/5
CapCut is a free, cross-platform video editor designed for social-first editing with AI-powered solutions. It provides AI-driven captions, auto reframe, background removal, templates, and fast exports of social media reels, shorts, stories, and posts. Available in both desktop and cloud-based tools, alongside phones, it is used by influencers and digital marketers who have minimal editing experience.
Key Features
- Cloud export
- Auto-reframe
- Numerous templates
- AI-powered editing solutions
- Accessible both on phone and desktop
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fast editing solutions | Lacks professional-level color grading |
| Excellent mobile workflows | |
| Social media integration |
Application Suitability: CapCut is an ideal tool for social media content creators, short-form video editors, and digital marketers.
Price: CapCut offers a 7-day free trial. Pricing varies based on location.
5. iMovie: Best Free Software for Mac Beginners
OC Rating: 4.5/5
iMovie is Apple’s beginner-friendly editor for macOS and iOS. It is popular for 4K export, easy templates, drag and drop timeline, and color adjustment, among others. New and hobbyist video editors can easily edit videos as the tool offers a clean and guided video editing experience, and later upgrade to Final Cut Pro.
Key Features
- Simplified timeline
- Allows 4K export
- Trailers templates
- Cross-device editing
- Basic color/audio tools
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Beginner-friendly user interface | Not suitable for advanced or professional users |
| Integrates with the Apple ecosystem | |
| No subscription is required |
Application Suitability: iMovie is beginner-friendly, so users can use it for creating learning or teaching material, as a hobbyist videographer, or to create personal videos quickly.
Pricing: Free to use.
OC Rating: 4.3/5
Wondershare Filmora is an intuitive editor, equipped with modern features and easy to use. It includes AI motion tracking, AI effects, preset templates, and brand kits for business marketing videos. Demos, course videos, marketing videos-it delivers professional-quality results without heavy system requirements.
Key Features
- Ready templates
- Simple timeline
- export presets
- Stock Media Library
- Pre-built Effects & Transitions
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Beginner-friendly software | Limited music licensing |
| Offers an affordable pricing structure | |
| Has drag-and-drop features | |
| AI-powered solutions to edit videos |
Application Suitability: Wondershare Filmora is best suited for creating visual material for small businesses, marketers, and course creators.
Price: 7-day free trial available. Premium pricing is categorized into Basic ($9.99), Advanced ($34.99), and Perpetual ($49.99).
7. HitFilm: Great for VFX & Motion Design
OC Rating: 4.2/5
HitFilm is a powerful video editing tool that combines a VFX toolkit (compositing, particles, and 3d) on one platform. The tool provides in-video effects without round-tripping, and pro VFX tools, making it an ideal solution for content creators, motion graphic designers, and advertising and marketing agencies.
Key Features
- Integrated VFX
- 3D compositing
- Particle systems
- Motion tracking
- plugin support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Strong VFX inside editor | Project rendering takes time |
| Has an affordable pro plan | |
| Plenty of learning resources |
Application Suitability: HitFilm is a feature-rich tool that assists Indie VFX artists, action and short film creators, and hobbyist videographers.
Price: Free plan available. Paid plans are categorized into Creator ($6.25), Pro ($11.6), and Enterprise (custom).
8. Canva Video: Best for E-commerce Product Videos & Marketers
OC Rating: 4/5
Canva Video is a web-based editor made for fast product promotion. Its drag and drop features, template-first editing, and one-click resizing make the tool ideal for business and creative-consistent teams producing branded content for e-commerce, social platforms, and online campaigns.
Key Features
- Brand kits
- Quick resize
- Stock library
- Simple animation
- Extensive template library
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Works fast | Restriction on export and output |
| Accessible through multiple devices | |
| Allows team collaboration | |
| Has a low learning curve |
Application Suitability: Canva video is a good video editing solution for digital marketers, non-designers creating ad videos, and new learners.
Price: Canva video editor offers free editing for individuals, teams, and education. Paid pricing structures are available in Canva Pro ($120) and Canva Teams ($100).
9. InVideo: AI-Powered Editor for Templates & Speed
OC Rating: 4/5
InVideo is an AI-powered video editor, optimized to create videos fast for social media. It is focused on speed and automation, making it an efficient solution for repetitive editing using brand templates. It offers a script-to-video tool, text-to-speech features, and templates for simplifying video creation to repurpose and brand positioning.
Key Features
- Brand presets
- Cloud export
- Stock media
- AI script-to-video
- 4,000+ templates
- Text to speech & voiceover
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Offers a fast workflow | Users reported a template switching issue |
| Large media library | |
| Has AI-powered features | |
| Lots of templates and stock assets |
Application Suitability: InVideo works well for creating social media video content, and new content creators who need fast-producing content.
Price: Alongside the free plan, the premium plan is categorized in Plus ($35), Max ($60), Generative ($120), and Team ($999).
10. Lightworks: Best for Long-form Editing Projects
OC Rating: 4/5
Lightworks is a professional video processing suite that offers stable and precise timeline control. It allows users to work on multi-hour projects along with useful features such as advanced trimming, 4K exports with strong codec flexibility. Mostly renowned for long-form editing, Lightworks is used for documentary editing, filmmaking, and large-scale projects.
Key Features
- Timeline markers
- Collaboration options
- Long-project stability
- Robust trimming tools
- Multicam video editing
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Feature-rich for long projects | No-built in motion tracking |
| Flexible licensing system | |
| Professional feature set |
Application Suitability: Lightworks is perfect for creating long-form videos, for example, documentaries, podcasts, or broadcast shows.
Price: Free usage available. Premium pricing structures include Create ($13.99/per month) and Pro ($27.99/per month).
11. VEED.IO: Best Browser-Based Video Editor for Team Collaboration
VEED.IO is a browser-based video editing solution that simplifies cloud editing. Its features extend to multilingual subtitles, effects, brand kits, and AI-powered tools. Creating social media videos, marketing videos, or ad campaign videos, VEED.IO includes plenty of solutions for new users. Due to the ease of use, beginner-friendly interface, and ability to create professional-grade videos, it has become a reliable platform for efficient video creation.
Key Features
- Auto subtitles
- Brand kits
- Browser editor
- Cloud collaboration
- AI translation/dubbing
- Auto subtitling and transcription
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| User-friendly interface | Dependency on the internet connection |
| No installation is required | |
| Allows remote collaboration with teams | |
| strong captioning tools |
Application Suitability: Veed.IO is best for working with remote teams, creating social media videos, or producing content with fast captioning.
Price: Free trial available. Premium pricing is categorized in Lite for $9, Pro $24, and Enterprise (Custom).
Which Software is Right for You?
The software that is right for you depends on video type, individual goals, software features, cost, and industry needs. A long video needs stable multi-track editing; meanwhile, a short ad video or reel requires advanced effects. Note down your purpose and the software best suited for that. Based on our in-house video editing workflow, we have created a chart about the software that suits the user’s purpose the most, as follows.
Best Software Based on Users’ Industry
Best for YouTubers→Premiere Pro, CapCut, DaVinci Resolve. Best for E-commerce Brands→Canva, Filmora, InVideo. Best for Corporate Teams→Premiere Pro, Lightworks, VEED.IOBest for Fashion Projects→Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve Best for Real Estate & Drone Videos→Filmora, Lightworks, Premiere Elements.
Best Video Editing Software for YouTubers
The best video editing software for YouTubers is Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Capacut because of importing clips, multicamera editing, arranging timelines, graphics, captions, color correction, audio mixing, and exporting in multiple formats for YouTube and Shorts. Those tools handle complicated multi-track timelines, motion graphics integration, vertical export, cinematic output, and HDR color grading to produce the right videos aligned with brands.
Best Video Editing Software for E-commerce Brands
The best video editing software for e-commerce brands is Wondershare Filmora, Canva Video, and InVideo, among others, for their features like brand kits, drag-and-drop templates, pre-built graphics, and platform-optimized export. These tools offer high-volume video production at a faster rate for multiple social platforms.
Best Video Editing Software for Corporate Teams
The best video editing software for corporate teams includes Adobe Premiere Pro, Lightworks, VEED.IO, because of their team projects, frame-accurate trimming, multi-user timelines, real-time sharing, etc. These tools help users work on seamless collaboration and maintain organizational workflow on collaborative tasks, multi-format output, and internal review cycles.
Best for Fashion Projects
The best video editing software for fashion projects are Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, as they are full-fledged software with precise control, advanced color grading, cinematic effects, multi-cam editing, and professional-grade export. To ensure commercial standard video, these tools come with all the upgraded features a professional video editor needs to edit glamorous videos for fashion product ad campaigns.
Best for Real Estate & Drone Videos
The best video editing software for real estate and drone videos includes Filmora, Lightworks, and Adobe Premiere Pro due to their features like motion tracking, stabilization, editing 4K drone footage, advanced trimming, multi-camera editing, LUTs, etc. These tools assist in editing property videos that require stabilized aerial, close, and detailed views to convince viewers.
What are the Trends in Video Editing Tools in 2025?
The trends in video editing tools in 2025 include AI-assisted editing and auto reframe, mobile-first editing, cloud collaboration for remote teams, voice to edit captions and templates for social media. These trends have made workflow easier and faster for video editors and non-technical users, reducing manual hassle.
AI-Assisted Editing & Auto-Reframe
AI video editing assists the workflow with automatic clip selection, cropping, transition, and following any command. Advanced AI suggests colors, audio levels, and the use of effects. Auto-framing adjusts videos’ aspect ratios for different platforms. It has reduced the stress of manual workflow and increased productivity.
Though AI or automatic workflow has upgraded, users feel skeptical about complete reliance on AI. This is where manual intervention is required for precision in branded content.
Mobile-First Editing Tools
Most video editing software now has its app versions available, allowing users to access from anywhere, anytime, multi-track timelines, directly through smartphones or tablets. An integrated cloud system has made the working process easy, as video creators can produce professional content without using their desktops.
Cloud Collaboration for Remote Teams
Video editing software’s cloud allows remote team collaboration. Multiple users can work in real-time on a single project with synchronization and version control. Users can control who can work, ensuring security, sharing timelines, LUTs, and media assets, to develop creative projects.
Voice-to-Edit & Smart Captions
Voice-to-edit features have cut video editors’ time in half. Use of voice commands to trim and rearrange clips, captioning, detecting speaker changes, and applying style presets has reduced manual effort and has accelerated the content creation process.
Templates for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikToks
The trends of using templates for reels and shorts on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are on the rise due to the following platform-specific aspect ratios, auto caption placements, export presets, etc. Users can produce content faster, quickly adapt the social channels, and stay aligned with the trend with consistent branding. It results in driving higher engagement for brands.
FAQ’s Video Editing Software 2025
What’s the easiest video editing software for beginners?
The easiest video editing software for beginners is Filmora, CapCut, Canva, and iMovie in 2025 for their intuitive features, drag and drop timelines, AI-powered editing techniques, one-click effects, ready-made templates, etc. They provide essential features necessary for processing social media, personal vlogging, and small business videos.
What do most YouTubers use to edit their videos?
Most YouTubers use professional-grade software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro to edit their videos. Those software offer plenty of features to create seamless and comprehensive branded video content. As using that software requires knowledge, reputed YouTubers mostly hire expert video editors to produce unified content.
Can I edit professionally using free tools?
You can edit professionally with free tools, if they are full-fledged and allow you manual intervention while editing. Industry-grade software allows free usage for some time; you can take advantage of 4K timelines, color correction, multi-tracking, transitions, effects, etc. But if you use online available platforms or apps that edit videos for free, make sure it is secure to use. They are usable for minor-level editing for new users.
Is CapCut good enough for professional use in 2025?
Yes, CapCut is good enough for professional use in 2025 as it is being upgraded. It features a desktop and cloud version that has made editing easier, merging with AI-powered solutions, for example, advanced keyframing, background removal, export support to 8K, etc. It has provided fast and high-quality output for digital marketers, social media agencies, content marketers, and YouTubers.
Which software is best for Mac/Windows?
The best software for MAC is Final Cut Pro for seamless integration with Apple’s other features (AirDrop and iCloud), and it renders fast on Apple Silicon chips. The best software for Windows is Adobe Premiere Pro for its diverse, powerful features, robust plugin ecosystem, and AI features. There is cross-platform video editing software, such as DaVinci Resolve, that works on both Mac and Windows.
