Summary: We will discuss top 5 best video editing software for mac in this article, include each video editing software’s pros & cons, and audience for, go and get the trial version to decide which is the best one for you.

The BEST video editing software for Mac in 2020! Here’s our review of the leading options, and our top picks for both free and paid Mac Video Editors right n. Best Easy-to-Use Video Editing Software For Mac Users. As Apple’s native video editing software, Final Cut Pro X has been around for a while and has seen consistent upgrades that make it more intuitive and better designed to work with Apple’s hardware.

Why You Need a Best Video Editing Software for Mac

This is the age of video consumption, where people don’t only love watching and sharing video content but also actively engage in the creation of videos. Thanks to powerful video editing tools and movie-making programs, anyone with a spark of creativity and the desire to learn can turn ordinary videos into exciting content.

In fact, popular YouTubers are great examples of people who started out with nothing other than a camera in hand and now have professionally created videos watched by millions of people. If you’re in a similar boat and hope to create outstanding video content, you’ll need to try your hands on some of the best video editing softwares.

These programs offer a variety of options and features that you can use to turn ordinary videos into professionally edited content, however, since they all differ in terms of pricing, options, and functionality, you’ll need to choose which suits your needs the best. Some of the programs are great for beginners looking to step into the world of video editing while others are designed for professional users, requiring you to have a basic understanding of video editing methodologies while using them. YouTube is the best teacher so if you want to learn how to use any of the following software, simply browse through some good videos and you’re all set to kickstart your video editing journey.

Being a Mac user, you’re in for a good experience since creatives always vouch for Mac to be the best machine if you want to get good graphics work done. This review enlists the top best video editing software for Mac, so go ahead, download these and use them on trial versions to decide which is the best one for you.

Review of the Top 5 Best Video Editing Software for Mac

#1. TechSmith Camtasia

Educational, informative or instructional videos (such as tutorials, how-tos etc) need to be created using a professional screen recording and video editing software. One of the most powerful screen recording and video editing software is TechSmith Camtasia, a favorite of both Windows and Mac users alike.

Camtasia lets you record your screen, your audio as well as your headshot as needed to create effective online tutorials. This is the go-to software for most online tutors who want the combination of screen recording, audio recording along with cam recording.

What sets Camtasia apart from other Mac video editors and makes it the most preferred video editing program for online tutorials is its multiple editing features. The most useful is the annotations that you can use to mark or highlight important areas in the video. You can also use titles and multiple callout styles to create dialogues to create instructional content with the video. Moreover, you can make use of the transitions, zoom in/out and effects to give your video the professional touch it needs. Unlike other Mac video editing programs, Camtasia has all the necessary tools to help you create demonstrative video content.

Since Camtasia video editor caters to online educational content, it also gives you options to create quizzes, record and import presentations as well as pan animations to your recording screen. A powerful video editing program for Mac, Camtasia comes at a price tag of $249.00 which is a far heftier price tag than its other counterparts. The program does come with plenty of useful tutorials so if you’re planning to start an online course or tutorship, this is one of the best video editing tools to use on Mac, although it is not as professionally cut out for video editing as Premiere or Final Cut Pro X. Nevertheless, this Mac video editing software is aimed at professionals and newbies may need some time understanding and figuring out the program.

You can read the full review of Camtasia video editor, to learn detailed features of it, and how to make the professional tutorials or how-to videos with ease.

Pros:
• Screen, cam and audio recording simultaneously. Good for live tutorials.
• A range of effects and feature set you can use to create professional content.
• Direct social sharing available.

Cons:
• Some deeper features may require editing of the UI.
• Expensive price tag.

Audience:
• The best video editing software for who wants to create professional tutorials or demonstrative content on Mac.

#2. Filmora Mac Video Editor

Filmora has gained quite a popularity with users, those who are looking for an easy-to-use video editing tool for Mac that doesn’t cost them hundreds of dollars and can get basic stuff done. Sporting a more of a DIY option, Filmora is designed for the casual user. With pre-defined musical tracks, great design themes and plenty of graphical tidbits to choose from, Filmora is a great video editor for Mac if you want something to get the job done. It also allows for easy screen recording, so if you’re hoping to record a cool video and get it edited without wasting too much time, Filmora is good.

There are multiple annual plans for you to choose from starting from $44.99 to $79.99 with the last one giving unlimited downloads to stock footages from the Filmstocks library. You can also try the program with all its features in the Trial option, but your final product will have a huge watermark over it. For beginners, Filmora gives the best of both world editing and aesthetically pleasant content. You may be interested in reading the review of Filmora video editor.

Learn how to edit videos with Filmora from this video:

Pros:
• Plenty of themes and design options to choose from.
• Easy-to-use interface and requires no former training.
• Available at affordable price plans.
• Lifetime purchase available $59.99.

Cons:
• Limited features for those seeking extensive options.
• Limited stock footages in the Filmstock library.
• Not recommended for highly professional work.

Audience:
• Entrepreneurs, DIY users who want an easy-going video editing software on Mac.

#3. iMovie

iMovie is the video editing software comes along with all macOS devices. The program has a slick interface and is a great starting point for users who are absolutely new to video editing and are looking for free options before they invest in full-fledged video editing software. The iMovie can help you get basic editing done with pre-defined title designs, transition designs and backgrounds. You can add audio, maintain color balance, perform color correction, crop videos, and apply filters to videos using given options. You’re even given fourteen design themes to start from where you simply enter videos and titles letting the theme do its magic.

Being a free Mac video editor, the Apple iMovie has an impressive set of tools for media organization, color and speed optimization along with professional audio options for your video. Not to mention, it also has green-screen effects and supports 4K video although it still needs to provide support for 360-degree video. With a great interface, easy-to-use designs and theme options, the iMovie program is the best entry-level video editing software for Mac users. If you’re starting out and have absolutely no budget for investing in a professional video editing program, the iMovie is a perfect choice. The only setback to the iMovie is that you cannot record a screen and will need to use another screen recording program to record the screen and then import it into iMovie for editing.

Learn iMovie video editing tutorial for beginners:

Pros:
• Highly efficient interface.
• Multiple editing options.
• Free for all Mac users.
• Plenty of audio and design tools.

Cons:
• Has limited video track options.
• Needs additional flexibility.
• Animation options would have been great.

Audience:
• Entry-level novices experimenting with video editing on Mac.

#4. Apple Final Cut Pro X

Apple’s very own professional Final Cut Pro X is a powerful video editing software designed for professionals, and boasts of premium features such as 360-degree video support, face analysis, multi-cam support and many others that make it a worthy purchase at $299. Along with the price, you may also have to invest some money in purchasing various plugins (that is if you’re at a professional level requiring more effects). According to many experts, Final Cut Pro X is to Apple as Adobe Premiere is to Windows which essentially means the program is designed for providing cutting edge video editing functionalities, turning your normal video shoots into professional content fit for online distribution. Some have even gone ahead to place the Final Cut Pro X above the Premiere in terms of its easy-to-use interface and sleek design.

Since it’s a full-fledged video editing tool, it might not come easy for novice users which is why it’s highly recommended that you look up some tutorials online and try out the trial version before making a full purchase. The Apple Final Cut Pro X has an exciting interface that lets you do some pretty amazing things with its multiple editing features. The latest version of the Final Cut Pro is the most appealing as it allows you to dabble in 360-degree VR content and provides support for HDR and HEVC video forms. Since the Final Cut Pro X is a product of Apple, you’ll find it quite similar to the iMovie functioning in the same manner with of course the only difference being one is for novice users while the other is for professionals. If you’re ready to take on video editing as a regular activity and want to truly master the process, Final Cut Pro X could be your best video editing software on Mac.

Final Cut Pro X full tutorial may do help for you:

Pros:
• Support for 360-degree videos and VR Content.
• Dozens of features and options to choose from.
• Support for the latest Mac Touchbar.

Cons:
• Lack of timeline tracking.
• Maybe a bit complicated for new users.
• An expensive price tag.
• Additional purchase for plugins.
• You will need to invest in learning about the program before using it.

Audience:
• Professional editors who can make maximum use of the software’s features.
• Those who want to take up video editing as a professional skill.

#5. Movavi Video Editor for Mac

Video editors like Camtasia, Final Cut Pro X may be difficult to master for new users which is why it is often seen to be used by professionals who are able to dig into all the important features of the tools. For the average user though, an easy option like Filmora and Movavi are good enough. Similar to Filmora, Movavi Mac video editor has almost the same features with just one or two minor differences (such as Filmora’s lack of support for keyframe animation or lack of instructions within the program itself). Other than that, the price tag is the same with Movavi Video Editor Plus having a price tag of $59.95.

The plus side to the Movavi Video Editor Plus is you can captures video from TV tuners and VHS which is a great deal for people who want to digitize old video cassettes and TV programs.

Learn how to edit video on Mac with MOVAVI video editor

Pros:
• Multiple effects and options to choose from.
• Support for older OS.
• Sound normalization.
• Allows for VHS capture.

Cons:
• No social integration options.
• Not recommended for highly professional work.

Audience:
• Casual users, bloggers, and beginners who want an easy video-editing option.

Conclusion

Video editing is an exciting field and one that thousands of aspiring YouTubers, bloggers, entrepreneurs, and artists are enthusiastic about. When choosing the best video editing application for Mac, it’s essential to understand what your goals are and what you expect out of the program. If you’re someone who’s just starting out and wants to dabble in video content at a rapid scale then options like Filmora or Movavi are great to use. They don’t require any pre-understanding or experience with video editing and can easily get the job done. With cool effects, music and footage library etc, you can get most of your task done.

On the other hand, if you want to take up video editing as a skill or a profession, then you must turn towards professional programs for video editing like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro which are tools professionals use. To master these tools though, you will need to invest time in online tutorials and experiment with multiple options. You also need to have a strong system that can hold these programs especially since video editing consumes RAM heavily. You will also need to invest money in buying these programs and they don’t come cheap which is why it’s advised that you need to be very clear on what you want and then spend your money accordingly.

To know which program suits you best, download the trial version, play around and see what features you want the most for your particular project. The trial version may have limited options and may even have watermarks at the end product, so it might be useless if you want to use it for a rare/one-time project. In that case, the iMovie makes the best choice! To record your screen for free, you can use other programs like Loom which you can download and then edit in iMovie.

Remember to always identify your needs, check and compare the video editing programs through trial versions before you make a purchase. You can also invest some time in reading user experience, reviews and suggestions by experts to see which Mac video editing software meets your expectations and goals.

The Mac is hugely popular among creative professionals, so it’s no great surprise that there are lots of video editing tools available for it. Whether you just want to add titles, transitions and a soundtrack, or you want to add Hollywood-style effects and access to professional color correction there’s a Mac application that will do the job.

The really great news is that many of these programs are free. You might expect that free video editing software would have fewer features or produce less professional results than expensive software, but many of the free tools featured here are more than good enough to produce professional-looking movies. The only downside is that they tend to have a steep learning curve and they don’t walk you through the process of editing. However, there are plenty of video on YouTube to help you get started. Here are the best free and paid-for video editing applications for the Mac.

Best free video editing software for Mac

1. iMovie

Apple’s consumer focused video editing tool used to only be free if you bought a new Mac. But now everyone can download it free from the Mac App Store. It’s a brilliantly easy to use application. One of its best features are the movie trailer themes that allow you to create amazing cinema-style trailers in a few minutes.

If you want to create your own movies, there are tons of effects, transitions, sound effects and title styles to help you. And it’s easy to import your own audio tracks and photos and add them to your production. If you’re looking for a free video editor for Mac, iMovie could be the only tool you’ll ever need.

2. DaVinci Resolve

If iMovie isn’t for you, give DaVinci Resolve a try. It’s the free version of DaVinci Resolve Studio, but being free doesn’t mean there aren’t many features. It’s loaded with professional tools like some of the best color correction and image stabilization there is. In the free version, you can work at frame rates up to 60fps and export your movie in SD, HD and Ultra HD.

It has a full digital audio workstation for sound editing, meaning you won’t have to leave the app to get the audio just the way you want it. It’s available on the Mac App Store, but if you want the full features of the free version, download it from the Blackmagic website.

3. Lightworks

While DaVinci Resolve gives away lots of its high end features in the free version, the same can’t be said of Lightworks. There’s still plenty here though, including: effects, multicam editing, titling, and a timeline with multiple layers.

There’s also access to royalty-free video and audio content for you to include in your projects. However, output in the free version is restricted to 1080p on Vimeo and 720p on YouTube. And there are no detailed export options for H.264 or MP4. Also, if you want to use the free version for more than seven days, you’ll have to register.

4. OpenShot

OpenShot is an open source video editor with a user interface that’s much simpler than most. That doesn’t mean it’s short of features, though. It has templates for creating titles, effects, the ability to remove the background from your video, and slow motion and time effects. You can also create 3D animated titles and effects, there’s support for unlimited tracks, and for more than 70 languages. The interface isn’t the slickest you’ll ever use, and there have been question marks over its reliability in the past, but it’s definitely worth trying if you want a free video editor for the Mac.

How To Edit Videos For Youtube

5. Video Editor MovieMator

Video Editor MovieMator allows you to trim, split, move, and merge clips from a variety of different sources. It handles every consumer file format you’re likely to need and can import directly from your iPhone or GoPro. There are lots of built-in effects and transitions, and, of course, you can add titles too.

The interface is simple enough for most people to get to grips with quickly and the real-time preview makes it easy to see exactly how your video is coming along. There is a significant limitation on the free version of the app — exports are listed to videos that are up to five minutes long. Also, there is only one transition and a handful of effects in the free version.

Best paid-for video editors for Mac

1. Final Cut Pro X

Final Cut Pro has come a long way since it was overhauled a few years ago and lost several features that caused lots of criticism to be directed at Apple. The fact that it’s designed by Apple means that it takes full advantage of hardware on the Mac, particularly the Mac Pro and iMac Pro. It pushes their multi-core CPU and GPUs to the maximum.

Features like the Magnetic Timeline 2 and Enhanced Timeline Index may be beyond the needs of most of us, but if you edit videos for a living, you’ll appreciate them. Support for up to 64 camera angles with automatic audio syncing is another feature that makes video professionals lives much easier. And of course, it supports the formats you would expect of a serious video editor including ProRes, RED, and XAVC, as well as H.264 from digital SLR cameras. When it comes to Mac video editing, Final Cut Pro X has all the bases covered.

2. Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Like all of Adobe’s professional products, Premiere Pro is only available as a subscription package and subscribing for a year will cost you almost as much as buying Final Cut Pro X outright. However, if you prefer your video organisation tools and especially the timeline to look and work like a traditional non-linear video editor, you may prefer Premiere Pro over Final Cut’s Magnetic Timeline.

In other respects, Premiere Pro is very similar to its Apple rival, offering a full range of audio editing and color correction tools, as well as effects, support for multiple formats (including Apple’s ProRes) and all the output options you’re likely to need.

One area where Mac users will notice a difference is in rendering performance, particularly on a high-end Mac like a Mac Pro or iMac Pro. Adobe’s application is designed for Mac and PC and so optimized or for the Mac’s multi-core CPU and GPU the way that Final Cut Pro is.

3. Adobe Premiere Elements 2018

The simplest way to describe Premiere Elements is that it is to Premiere Pro what iMovie is to Final Cut Pro. But Elements and iMovie are two very different apps. For a start, while iMovie is free, Elements costs $100. The other main difference is that Elements is set up to automate much of the process of creating your movie masterpieces. So, for example, Quick mode takes the clips and other media you’ve imported and throws them together on the timeline, you can then re-order them, trim them and add transitions and other effects. Even here, however, the emphasis is on letting Elements do the hard work for you. So, press the Fix button and it will apply image stabilization and other ‘fixes.’ If you want to be more involved, a guided mode prompts you with onscreen tips. Of course, if you’d rather work completely manually, you can. Elements doesn’t make it as easy to import media as iMovie does, and you’ll have to download much of its additional content, like music scores, individually.

4. Filmora

FIlmora allows you to import clips from your Mac’s hard drive, a camera, and even from social media accounts. It has a somewhat quirky interface, that may take some getting used to if you’ve used other video editors. But it has plenty to commend it including lots of effects, titling options, and audio controls. It’s neatest feature could be the lighting preset options that allows you to emulate the look of Game of Thrones, Star Wars, or House of Cards at the click of a button.

How to make space for video on your Mac

Working with video editing software means you need lots of free space on your Mac’s main drive — video clips use several gigabytes of space for every hour of content, and that’s before you export the final version. You should also make sure your Mac is running at its optimal speed, you’ll need every ounce of power to render video.

Audio Editing Program For Mac

One quick and easy way to both improve your Mac’s performance and clear space on its hard drive is to use CleanMyMac X. CleanMyMac identifies “junk” files that sit on your Mac’s drive, taking up space and slowing it down. It makes removing the files very easy and could claw back tens of gigabytes of space. You can download it free here.

The best video editing software for Mac is, ultimately, the one that does what you need to do in a way that you enjoy working. There’s lots of Mac video editing software, and much of it is free. Take time, try out as many applications as you can and choose the best one for you.

Best Program To Edit Video On Mac

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