saasrankedSoftware, ranked on the facts

Design, Video & Audio

Best video editing software

Cut, grade and export videos on a Windows PC, from a quick social clip to a long project. 12 video editors, ranked by points out of 100.

Facts checked 8 Oct 2026 · How we score video editors

In short

  1. 1
    DaVinci ResolvePeople who want one editor for cutting, colour grading and sound without a subscription
    87/100
    $8.19/mocheapest paid plan
  2. 2
    ShotcutPeople who want a free editor with no paid tier
    79/100
    $0cheapest paid plan
  3. 3
    Wondershare FilmoraHome creators who want a one-time purchase with colour scopes, proxies and plug-in support
    75/100
    $2.22/mocheapest paid plan
  4. 4
    KdenlivePeople who want free multicam and proxy editing on Windows, macOS or Linux
    73/100
    $0cheapest paid plan
  5. 5
    CyberLink PowerDirectorHome editors who want multicam, tracking and HDR export without a subscription
    66/100
    $3.89/mocheapest paid plan
  6. 6
    VEGAS ProWindows editors who want a one-time licence and many built-in tools
    62/100
    $6.11/mocheapest paid plan
  7. 7
    OpenShot Video EditorPeople who want a free editor with no watermark and no project limits
    57/100
    $0cheapest paid plan
  8. 8
    Corel VideoStudioWindows users who want a one-time purchase with multicam and tracking tools
    56/100
    $2.22/mocheapest paid plan
  9. 9
    Movavi Video EditorBeginners who want AI helpers such as automatic subtitles and a lifetime option
    42/100
    Not publishedcheapest paid plan
  10. 10
    CapCutPeople who edit short social videos and want a free desktop editor
    36/100
    Not publishedcheapest paid plan
  11. 11
    Adobe Premiere ProEditors who want a subscription editor that works with team projects and Adobe's other apps
    34/100
    Not publishedcheapest paid plan
  12. 12
    Adobe Premiere ElementsBeginners who want guided edits and templates without a subscription
    16/100
    $2.78/mocheapest paid plan

How the points add up

Points earned out of the points available in each part of the method.

ProductSystems
of 10		Price and licence
of 30		Output
of 16		Editing tools
of 44		Total
DaVinci Resolve621164487
Shotcut424163579
Wondershare Filmora616163775
Kdenlive42483773
CyberLink PowerDirector624132366
VEGAS Pro013163362
OpenShot Video Editor42472257
Corel VideoStudio01693156
Movavi Video Editor6692142
CapCut8871336
Adobe Premiere Pro6002834
Adobe Premiere Elements2100416

Each video editor in brief

1. DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve suits people who want editing, colour grading, effects and audio in one editor and prefer to pay once. The free version covers Ultra HD, multicam and proxy editing, and Studio adds noise reduction and AI tracking for $295. The catch: the vendor's pages do not say how long a $295 licence receives updates, and the apps are not listed as open source.

Best for: People who want one editor for cutting, colour grading and sound without a subscription. Prices, facts and sources

2. Shotcut

Shotcut suits anyone who wants an editor at no cost, on any desktop system. It lists scopes, tracking, proxies, chroma key and plug-ins, and its code is public. The catch: the features page names no multicam tool and no shared projects, and its VST and OpenFX support is marked work in progress.

Best for: People who want a free editor with no paid tier. Prices, facts and sources

3. Wondershare Filmora

Filmora suits home editors who want a one-time licence and a long feature list: scopes, proxies, multicam, tracking and OpenFX plug-ins are all documented. The free version adds a Filmora watermark to exports. The Perpetual licence stops at Filmora 16 updates and is tied to one operating system.

Best for: Home creators who want a one-time purchase with colour scopes, proxies and plug-in support. Prices, facts and sources

4. Kdenlive

Kdenlive suits people who want a free editor with multicam and proxies. Its code is public under GPL-3.0. The catch: GPU render presets are labelled experimental, the docs list no general stabilisation effect, and an audit found a serious flaw in project-file handling, fixed in 26.04.1.

Best for: People who want free multicam and proxy editing on Windows, macOS or Linux. Prices, facts and sources

5. CyberLink PowerDirector

PowerDirector suits home editors who want a one-time licence with multicam, motion tracking, chroma key and HDR export. The free Essential edition has no time limit, but its export limits are not itemised. The one-time licence gets no regular updates, and the vendor's pages do not list proxy editing, colour scopes or plug-in support.

Best for: Home editors who want multicam, tracking and HDR export without a subscription. Prices, facts and sources

6. VEGAS Pro

VEGAS Pro suits Windows editors who prefer to pay once. The one-time price of $219.95 works out well below the monthly subscription over three years. It covers multicam, scopes, tracking, plug-ins and speech-to-text. The catch: it runs on Windows 11 only, and the vendor's pages do not mention proxy editing or shared projects.

Best for: Windows editors who want a one-time licence and many built-in tools. Prices, facts and sources

7. OpenShot Video Editor

OpenShot suits people who want a no-cost editor with open-source code. Its effects list includes chroma key, tracker and stabilizer, and scopes are built in. It offers 4K and 8K export profiles. The catch: GPU acceleration is labelled experimental, and the guide pages mention no multicam, plug-in support, or 10-bit and HDR.

Best for: People who want a free editor with no watermark and no project limits. Prices, facts and sources

8. Corel VideoStudio

VideoStudio suits Windows users who prefer paying once and want multicam, motion tracking and speech-to-text in a consumer editor. Pro lists at $79.99. The catch: there is no free version, only a 30-day trial, and the vendor's pages list no Mac or web editor and no 10-bit or HDR support.

Best for: Windows users who want a one-time purchase with multicam and tracking tools. Prices, facts and sources

9. Movavi Video Editor

Movavi suits beginners who want one-click AI tools, such as automatic subtitles, audio noise removal, motion tracking and a stabilizer, on Windows or Mac. It exports 4K. The catch: the free version adds a watermark and a length cap, the pages show no colour scopes, multicam or plug-in support, and the page shows the monthly price after the trial at $44.95.

Best for: Beginners who want AI helpers such as automatic subtitles and a lifetime option. Prices, facts and sources

10. CapCut

CapCut suits people making short videos who want a free desktop editor with captions, motion tracking and chroma key. A CapCut page says its desktop background removal exports without a watermark. The catch: CapCut's help pages show no Pro price, so the cost of the paid tier is unknown until you sign in, and PC membership features need Pro.

Best for: People who edit short social videos and want a free desktop editor. Prices, facts and sources

11. Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro suits editors who accept a subscription in return for multicam editing, Speech to Text and shared Team Projects. The first-year price is US$22.99 a month for new subscribers, and the page does not state the price after that. The catch: there is no one-time licence or free desktop version, and the US government's billing case against Adobe settled in 2026.

Best for: Editors who want a subscription editor that works with team projects and Adobe's other apps. Prices, facts and sources

12. Adobe Premiere Elements

Premiere Elements suits beginners who want guided edits and templates for a flat $99.99. It is not a keep-forever licence: the app stops opening after 3 years. It also needs a recent PC, Windows 11 24H2 or later on an Intel 9th Gen or newer processor, or an AMD equivalent.

Best for: Beginners who want guided edits and templates without a subscription. Prices, facts and sources

Every fact, side by side

Each row is one rule of the method and the points it is worth. "–" means the vendor does not publish it, which earns nothing.

Rule (points)DaVinci ResolveShotcutWondershare FilmoraKdenliveCyberLink PowerDirectorVEGAS ProOpenShot Video EditorCorel VideoStudioMovavi Video EditorCapCutAdobe Premiere ProAdobe Premiere Elements
Other systems (10)3 of 52 of 53 of 52 of 53 of 50 of 52 of 50 of 53 of 54 of 53 of 51 of 5
Free version (8)YesYesNoYesYesNoYesNoNoYesNoNo
One-time licence (6)YesNoYesNoYesYesNoYesYes–NoNo
Cheapest paid plan (12)$8.19/mo$0$2.22/mo$0$3.89/mo$6.11/mo$0$2.22/mo–––$2.78/mo
Open-source apps (4)–Yes–Yes––Yes–––––
4K export (4)YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes––
8K export (3)YesYesYes––YesYes––Yes––
10-bit and HDR (4)YesYesYesYesYesYes––––––
GPU-accelerated export (5)YesYesYesNoYesYesNoYesYes–––
Multi-camera editing (6)Yes–YesYesYesYes–Yes––Yes–
Colour grading with scopes (6)YesYesYesYes–YesYes–––Yes–
Automatic captions (5)YesYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesYesYes–
Motion tracking (4)YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Multitrack audio and noise reduction (4)YesYes–Yes–––Yes––––
Proxy editing (4)YesYesYesYes––YesYesYes–––
Third-party plug-ins (4)YesYesYesYes–Yes––––––
Shared projects (3)Yes–––––––––Yes–
Green-screen keying (4)YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes–
Video stabilisation (4)YesYesYes–YesYesYesYesYes–––

Head to head

We read each vendor's own pages, record every fact with its source and date, and score it by the rules on how we score video editors. A tie goes to the lower price. Desktop video editors that run on Windows, for individuals and small studios. Browser-only and phone-only editors, screen recorders and AI clip generators are left out. "On at least one plan" counts plans sold online to individuals and small teams; quote-only enterprise plans do not. Price lines count one person; a one-time licence is spread over 36 months. Vendor claims about speed or quality are shown on product pages but never scored. Prices are in US dollars before tax.