Best Video Editing Software in 2026

This guide is for anyone who edits video regularly or is starting a new workflow: hobbyists, YouTubers, educators, indie filmmakers and post professionals. It helps you match common project needs to the strengths of modern editors, from fast turnaround social clips to feature film finishing.

What matters most are compatibility with your hardware and formats, the editor's core tools for trimming and timeline management, and the app's capabilities for color, audio and effects. Ease of learning and the availability of trial or free versions also affect how quickly you can be productive.

Use the ranked list to quickly find apps that excel in particular areas: performance and Apple optimization, industry-standard collaboration, all-in-one color and VFX, simple beginner workflows and specialized screen-recording editors. Read the buying guide to understand which features will actually impact your day to day work and to avoid common pitfalls.

Before committing, test shortlisted apps with a typical clip, check system requirements and confirm export support for your target delivery formats. Projects, team workflows and long term support are as important as raw feature sets.

How to choose

• Platform and hardware: Confirm native macOS, Windows or Linux versions and check CPU, GPU and storage requirements.
• Skill level and workflow: Pick a beginner-friendly editor for quick social clips or a professional NLE for collaborative feature work.
• Project type and formats: Match the editor to your common codecs, resolutions and delivery targets, including proxies for large files.
• Audio and color needs: If you do detailed color grading or complex audio mixing, prioritize apps with dedicated tools for those tasks.
• Collaboration and media management: For multi-user projects choose software with project sharing, user permissions and robust relinking.
• License model: Decide between perpetual licenses, subscriptions or free tiers based on frequency of updates and ongoing cost.
• Plugin and ecosystem: Check third-party plugin support and integrations for motion graphics, stock and cloud services.
• Learning resources: Look for active documentation, tutorials and community support to reduce ramp-up time.

Key features that matter

• Timeline and trimming tools: Precision trimming, ripple/roll edits, multicam and magnetic timeline behavior speed editing.
• Color grading and scopes: Primary and secondary correction, curves, LUT support and waveform vectorscopes for accurate color work.
• Audio editing and mixing: Multitrack mixing, clip-level gain, effects, noise reduction and support for external audio suites.
• Effects and compositing: Built-in VFX, keying, motion tracking and integration with node or layer compositors when needed.
• Performance and proxy workflow: GPU acceleration, background rendering and proxy/optimized media for smooth playback on lower-end hardware.
• Format and codec support: Native handling of camera formats, RAW and professional codecs to avoid time-consuming transcodes.
• Export and delivery: Flexible export settings, batch exports, and presets for web, broadcast and social platforms.

Common mistakes

• Choosing software based on brand or popularity rather than the features you actually use.
• Ignoring system requirements and assuming any editor will perform well on older hardware.
• Underestimating audio; poor sound quality undermines otherwise great visuals.
• Skipping media management and organization, which leads to broken links and lost time on larger projects.
• Assuming the free tier has everything you need without testing it on real footage and timelines.
• Failing to consider long term collaboration needs and how projects will be archived or handed off.

Maintenance and longevity

• Keep software and plugins updated to maintain compatibility with OS and camera formats.
• Plan storage, backups and archive strategies so projects remain accessible over time.
• Use proxies or optimized media to extend usable life of older workstations and ensure consistent timelines.
• Prefer widely adopted codecs and open formats for long term interoperability.
• Monitor vendor update cadence and community activity to gauge future support and feature development.

How we ranked

Rankings reflect a mix of practical editing capabilities and real world considerations: timeline efficiency, color and audio tool depth, effects and compositing power, performance on typical hardware, and cross-platform support. We also weighed how usable each app is at different skill levels, from quick edits to large collaborative projects.

We considered availability of free or trial versions, ecosystem and plugin support, and reputation for stability and updates. Products that offer strong core tools and clear upgrade paths for professionals ranked higher, while apps optimized for specific niches or beginner workflows appear where those strengths matter most.

This guide was drafted by AI and should be verified against official product documentation and trials before making a decision.

FAQ