The jump cut – splitting a scene as a transition – was first used in 1903 for one of the first cinemas called ‘The Train Robbery’ by Edwin S. Porter. Before that – movies were just one long shot.
We have come a long way from there today. And it wouldn’t be possible without the growing technology that gave us video editing tools. Today we will review the 10 best video editing tools that give you a great user experience and amazing results.
One of the new-age video editing tools that has quickly become every editor’s favourite is Descript. The powerful AI-driven server allows you to make complex edits in minutes. Let’s look at some of its special features.
For the ones who are not too keen on standard timeline editing, this text-based editing style with Descript will make your life easy. The AI-backed system automatically transcripts the video or audio which then you can edit and make changes – similar to editing a Word document.
Now you don’t have to make voiceovers after voiceovers. This feature captures your voice which now you can edit in the transcript. So whatever you write gets added to the edit, that will sound just like you.
Along with the two awesome features, there is much more you can do with the Descript video editing tool. Good news for podcasters, Descript automatically removes all the ‘uhs’ and ‘ums’. Moreover, you can change backgrounds without using a green screen. You can also edit multiple projects at once.
All early video editors are versed in Adobe Premier Pro. The vast range of features and the simple interface make this the perfect choice for beginners.
Adobe offers a comprehensive toolkit for both photo editing and audio mixing. With ‘essential sound panel’, you can easily remove background noise. Photoshop offers professional-level VFX and motion graphics, which are heavily used in Hollywood cinema.
Adobe was one of the first greatest video editing tools to incorporate all kinds of innovation. That obviously brings us to AI transformation. You can now use AI to reframe raw video and automatically add cuts. Basically doing your job – think of yourself as a supervisor. And if you have to make videos in different formats, it automatically adjusts the aspect ratio according to social media reels or YT videos. Good news for podcasters and interviewers, it can automatically collate multiple-camera footage. Also, forget about transcribing subtitles, this one does it for you.
The best part about Adobe is how easy it is to use for beginners and professionals. Adobe provides an all-in-one Lumetri colour panel that provides high-quality colour grading without third-party plugins. Most movies use Look Up Tables for cinematic presets that are industry-level LUTs which you can also adjust according to your preference.
Recently Adobe introduced the Firefly app which can be used to create vectors and now videos. Adobe is really stepping up!
This one is a little tricky to perform but it brings you insane results. With the magic of AI and a user-friendly interface, Runway has taken to professionals and filmmakers.
This is one tool that probably every video editor has been waiting for. Runway automatically detects raw footage and adds necessary cuts and transitions. It also does not require any green screen and can automatically remove the background. It can transcribe and add subtitles without any manual labour. It also comes with motion tracking and automatically adds effects.
Every video editor would love this for its preset colour grading and colour correction. With AI you can use this app to easily colour grade your frame. Choose from a plethora of cinematic styles and apply them in one click. You can also use different styles and apply them to your frame. For example, you want the style of 1800 painting in your video.
Making things easier for editors, you can now edit on the cloud with Runway. The entire application feels like an offline Google Docs. The best part is that the files are easy to render as they are on the cloud and can be accessed from anywhere.
For Mac lovers, this is the ultimate editing software. Final Cut Pro is best suited for Apple systems and can be used as the most basic video editing tool for students.
Owing to the traditional ways of editing, Final Cut Pro provides a great user experience for students. It provides a timeline which can be used to make multiple edits of multiple projects all at once. It allows you to individually edit parts of the video without hampering the rest of it.
Final Cut Pro is the one video editing tool that is used by many professionals and cinema editors. It comes with a feature-rich interface that can be manoeuvred simply.
Editors are well versed with long rending time. It makes no sense to wait half an hour or more for the product to build and render into something amazing. Sometimes it even takes up to a day. With Final Cut Pro you can skip the queue and get quick video renders.
Microsoft’s Clipchamp has been grabbing eyeballs from the very beginning of its inception. Making life easy for all editors, Clipchamp is inbuilt and very much user-friendly.
Unlike Adobe and more, you do not need to have high-end computer specifications or a large RAM to run Clipchamp. It is compatible with every Windows operating system. It also follows the simple timeline editing formula that allows users to make quick and complex edits without hassle.
You know all the times you have to download videos and upload them to the editor to make any changes. Yeah, Clipchamp eliminates that extra step. The editor can run on your browser as well thus you can choose from their built-in stock videos and images directly from the editor.
Making your life a little easier, Clipchamp supports all kinds of video resolutions from 1080p to 4K that give you crystal clear videos. Easily edit without any lagging and render 4K videos while saving time. You can also directly import your videos to social media and continue with your captions. And with automatic transcript and subtitles, you don’t have to worry about manual labour.
Making new strides in the video editing tools category is iMovie. Along with exceptional in-built features, this app provides exceptional editing in a beginner-level interface.
For Mac and Apple OS users, iMovie is a great tool! The application seamlessly integrates with the Apple ecosystem which means you can start editing your videos on your Mac and finish on your iPad. The seamlessness is perfect for every nomadic video editor.
Audio is a crucial part of cinema or any video for that matter. iMovie provides exceptional audio-ducking that balances the background sounds with the dialogues perfectly. Moreover, there are built-in sound effects to choose from and go with your videos. But the best part about this is that you can directly record voiceovers and add it directly to your edit.
iMovie is a great application for professionals and beginners both. Editors who edit just for fun, generate great results. Easily upload 4K resolution videos to social media including Instagram. Additionally, with Apple products, you can avail it completely free.
Ah the love of everyone beginner editor’s life. Kinemaster is a mobile-friendly pro editor that gives you professional editing within a few swipes.
One of the first applications on app store is Kinemaster. It is one of the first video editing apps used by most beginners. This application ensures multi-layer editing where you can add multiple videos and images without hassle. With the app’s drag-and-drop feature, the desktop version makes it easier to edit, cut and file videos.
Along with the general timeline editing, Kinemaster provides a lot of presets and effects you a cinematic approach. You can also adjust time and speed to add dramatic effects to the project. Use chroma key features to replace backgrounds and create cinematic effects.
For something that is primarily a mobile-friendly video editing tool, Kinemaster provides crazy professional editing packed into one application. You can preview videos in real-time without lagging that create high-quality videos for social media and YT, on the go.
This is one underrated professional video editing tool. Shotcut is not known by a lot of beginners or professionals. But some of the features of this tool are absolutely insane.
The best part about this whole ordeal is that it is completely free. Make the most of your video editing with Shotcut. The tool has a drag-and-drop feature that is simpler than uploading videos and images you want to edit. Save time and energy by directly adding it to your timeline.
Shotcut is a master audio editor. For people who like to edit crazy background sounds, Shotcut gives you wavelength-based audio editing. This is perfect for YouTubers with gaming channels and more. It also comes with multiple filters like noise-cancellation, equaliser, gain, compression and more.
Most video editing tools like to take credit for your manual work. But Shotcut is 100% free with no watermarks. It is also compatible with all kinds of operating systems including Linux, Windows and Mac.
This editing tool has taken the market by storm. DaVinci Resolve is loved by many Hollywood cinema makers. Along with the existing awesome features like drag-and-drop and resolution support, it gives unique features.
The DaVinci is rightly named due to its insane colour grading. It consists of node-based colour grading that simplifies complicated edits. It also provides HDR colour grading and professional look-up tables. Finally, it automates colour balancing for cinematic editing.
Unlike Adobe and other video editing tools, you do not need AfterEffects. DaVinci Resolve comes with an in-built graphic editor. This includes cinematic editing, node-based editing and Chroma keying which is perfect for particles, tracking and rotoscoping.
This video editing tool is recommended for major Hollywood cinema especially because of its Digital Audio Workstation. This benefits in audio mixing through multi-track audio mixing. Its professional-level audio editing provides voice isolation, reverb, EQ, and noise reduction.
Video Software Development Company or VSDC is known for its professional editing in beginner mode. The tool is handy with all kinds of editors due to its simple interface and packed features.
This is a non-linear editing tool that gives you the freedom to make edits and cuts anywhere without worrying about starting over. It gives you timeline-based video editing where you can use multiple images and overlap them accordingly. It also gives you endless blending modes and transparency effects.
VSDC takes professional editing very seriously. We understand that by the plethora of features, they have added within the tool. The professional-level colour grading and motion graphics are the best ones to talk about. Select from RGB and HSL colour adjustments. Use curves and levels for precise colour grading. This app also comes with insane motion graphics from smoke effects to stabilisation, this one has it all.
A major reason why this is considered one of the best video editing tools in the world is because of how professional and smooth it creates the projects. From audio normalization to making in-built voiceovers, you can do anything. With in-built waveform audio editing and audio spectrogram, you can achieve everything.
With the rapid advancements in video editing technology, there is now a perfect tool for every type of creator—whether you’re a beginner experimenting with simple cuts or a professional editor crafting Hollywood-level productions. From AI-powered editors like Descript and Runway to industry giants like Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, and mobile-friendly options like Kinemaster and iMovie, the choices are endless.
Each tool comes with its own strengths—some excel in AI automation, others in colour grading, motion graphics, or cloud-based collaboration. With so many tools available, packed with features, a video editor has the liberty to choose what fits their projects best.