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Key Takeaways
- iMovie is a free and up-to-date video editor ideal for beginners on Mac, iPad, and iOS.
- Final Cut Pro is a professional video editor with advanced features, perfect for film industry professionals.
- Adobe Premiere Pro offers a subscription-based video editing solution with 3D support for professionals and hobbyists.
When you buy a Mac, you’re investing in a mighty machine that is capable of handling some of the most intensive tasks. That’s why many creative professionals opt for Apple computers, particularly when dealing with video editing. After all, the hardware is powerful enough for these workflows, and macOS Sonoma supports a wide range of paid and free video editors. If you’re not sure which video editor for Mac you should get, then you may want to check some of our recommendations below.
1 iMovie
Free and up-to-date; ideal for beginners
iMovie is a free video editor from Apple. It’s available on macOS, iPadOS, and iOS, so you can start a project on your Mac and edit using another device on the go. This app is available on the App Store for free, and it comes pre-installed on new Macs. So you won’t have to pay a cent for it or download any software — assuming you haven’t deleted it from your machine.
This app allows you to create both movies and Hollywood-style trailers. The latter has several templates for various genres, where you can just import your media and get going. Apart from adding the videos and photos, you can control other aspects, such as the titles, background audio, and more.
The more powerful options, though, are available through the movie creator, rather than trailers. There you can create and edit your content in a freestyle manner. You can add color and audio filters, change the playback speed, reduce background noise, crop, rotate, and much more.
This video editor is perfect for casual hobbyists and students who don’t need a fully-packed editor. iMovie provides a playground where projects can be created but within certain limits. We’ve prepared for you an ultimate guide on how to use iMovie on Mac. If you’re looking for a professional editor, this software isn’t for you.
iMovie
iMovie is a free app from Apple that offers basic video editing tools and syncs projects across iDevices. You can create almost anything, from simple trailers to more complex movies.
2 Final Cut Pro
Best for professional video editors
This video editor from Apple is aimed at professionals. If you’re in the film industry or take video editing way too seriously, this one’s for you. Expectedly, it costs a whopping $300 as a one-time purchase. However, Apple offers a 90-day free trial, allowing you to give it a spin before investing your bucks in it.
Final Cut Pro takes iMovie to the next level, and it even supports importing projects from the latter for further Pro edits. You can deal with 360-degree videos, edit cinematic footage shot on newer iPhone models, and detect faces or other objects and track their motion. That’s in addition to adding and deleting focus points, adjusting ProRes Raw camera settings, and editing while importing media from other sources.
If you want to compile moments shot on a journey or document casual moments of your life, you might want to settle for iMovie rather than Final Cut Pro. This software is aimed at professionals and exceptional enthusiasts in the field.
Final Cut Pro
This software from Apple is available as a one-time purchase and is aimed at professionals and exceptional enthusiasts. If you don’t want to commit just yet, you may use it for 90 days without paying.
3 Adobe Premiere Pro
A subscription-based solution with 3D support
This software from Adobe is also aimed at professionals. However, it’s a subscription service rather than a one-time purchase. So, if you’d rather pay $23 per month, this one’s for you. This also makes it more affordable if you only temporarily need a video editor and don’t plan to use it long-term. It comes with a free trial, so you can also give it a shot before you start paying.
When compared to Final Cut Pro, there are a few differences between the two professional editors. Adobe’s supports 3D editing while Apple’s doesn’t. So, if you’ll be working on 3D projects, this is the app for you. Otherwise, both apps offer most of the main features, such as Multicam and 360-degree VR video editing.
Adobe Premiere Pro
This software from Adobe is offered as a subscription service. It is aimed at professionals and hobbyists who take their projects seriously. Notably, it supports 3D video editing.
4 Adobe Premiere Elements
The mid-range option, with support for automatic AI edits
Source: Adobe
If you aren’t a fan of monthly subscriptions, Adobe offers a video editor that is lighter than Premiere Pro as a one-time purchase. Premiere Elements costs $100 and allows you to make basic or intermediate edits. This editor takes advantage of Adobe Sensei AI for automated editing. You can add motion and colorize static photos, reframe subjects, select specific areas and add effects, and fix grainy footage.
This is the right video editor for you if you’re more than just an average user but not enthusiastic enough to get a professional one. It offers a 30-day free trial, so you can test it before deciding if you want to make the purchase.
Adobe Premiere Elements
This software from Adobe is available as a one-time purchase. It offers tools that match basic to intermediate needs, including support for automatic, AI-powered edits.
5 DaVinci Resolve
Flexible pricing with features that target different needs
This video editor offers both free and paid versions, depending on your needs. The paid version is a one-time purchase that unlocks extra capabilities for power users. The free version offers editing tools, motion graphics, visual effects, audio post-processing, and color correction.
If you need more, for $295, you can unlock automatic facial recognition for face refinement tools, temporal and spatial noise reduction, and photorealistic optical quality motion effects. That’s in addition to lens flare, lens blur, aperture diffraction, Revival restoration tools, film damage or film grain Resolve FX, and more.
DaVinci Resolve
This video editor comes in either free or paid versions, so you can choose one based on your editing needs. It offers a balanced mix of editing features, including face refinement, noise reduction, motion effects, and more.
There are plenty of video editors for Mac to pick from
Personally, I’m not a video editor, so I would go with iMovie if I were to choose one of these options. It supports the latest technologies Apple adds to newer iPhone cameras. So special footage types like Cinematic mode can be edited just fine. As somebody who only takes videos on his iPhone, this option makes sense to me most. Final Cut Pro is too advanced for my basic and infrequent needs, but it’s arguably the best premium option for professionals handling more complex projects.
** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
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