WHICH EDITING SOFTWARE
IS BEST FOR YOU?
JORDAN ORME | FILM EDITOR
If you are interested in the magic of editing, and are wanting to know
where to start, the first question that often comes to mind is, Which
software should I use? You are probably wondering out of hundreds of
video editing softwares out there, which one is for me?
Lucky for you, after 7+ years for professional video editing experience I
put together this free guide to reveal the best editing software just for
YOU. The best software to fulfill your personal video editing needs and
goals and get you started on your exciting creative journey. YAY! :)
Once you are done reading this guide you will know exactly what
software to use. Join me on the journey to discover the right software to
fit your needs.
JORDANORME.COM ©JORDANORME ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
SHOULD I GET FREE SOFTWARE OR PAID VIDEO
EDITING SOFTWARE?
“In this world, you get what you pay for.”
-Kurt Vonnegut
PAID
FREE
If you are sure that you want to
learn to edit videos and films I
would highly recommend
investing in professional
software.
If you are not really sure if you
want to fully commit, I would
recommend getting a free
version of professional software
or a free software entirely.
➔ Best for maximizing creativity and a
great overall editing experience.
➔ Best for those who are simply
curious, or want to try it out.
➔ These are softwares that many
editors are familiar with so tutorials,
troubleshooting and support will
abound.
➔ No cost and no commitment.
➔ If you ever decide to turn editing
into an income source, professional
software will be what you are
required to work with.
➔ Remember the free software will
most likely have some limitations
with what you are able to
accomplish within it.
Project Applications
●
●
●
●
YouTube
Personally Creativity
Editing at your job
Professional Freelance Editing
Maximum Freedom
IF YOU FALL WITHIN THIS CATEGORY HEAD
TO THE PAID SOFTWARES
Project Applications
●
●
●
School projects
Social media
Videos for friends and family
Experimenting
IF YOU FALL WITHIN THIS CATEGORY HEAD
TO THE FREE SOFTWARES
JORDANORME.COM ©JORDANORME ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
PAID
SOFTWARE
1. PREMIERE PRO $20.99/month, with 7-day free trial.
Adobe Premiere Pro is my #1 overall recommendation for most editors and it is the
software I personally use. It is the industry standard editing software for most
professional editors and is the post popular editing software in the world with over 9
million users.
Since Premiere Pro is the most popular editing software of choice, there are plenty of
tutorials and resources teaching editors to use the software. If you encounter an issue,
there is an army of Premiere Pro users on the internet to troubleshoot the issue along
with you.
With Premiere Pro, you can edit footage in any format, from 8K to virtual reality.
It comes with Premiere Rush, a new all-in-one app that works across all devices. Film
and edit on your phone, and then share to social from your device or desktop.
Lastly, Premiere works seamlessly with other apps and services, including Adobe
Photoshop, After Effects, Audition, and other very common apps that visual digital
artists use often.
1. FINAL CUT PRO X $299
If you are someone who wants to edit exclusively on a Mac and does not collaborate
with other editor’s or post production professionals to finish their projects, Final Cut
Pro X may be for you.
Final Cut Pro X is the fastest editor on Mac. The way that it communicates with OS X
is virtually seamless allowing you to edit more complex projects and work with larger
frame sizes, higher frame rates, and more effects all at blazing speeds.
The downside is it is used much less in the film and video making industry, which
makes it difficult to collaborate with others if the project needs to be handed off or if
you need an assistant editor. It is not the industry standard and much less people use
it making it slightly more difficult to receive help if needed.
It does, however, come with a cheaper price tag than Premiere given you use it for
more than one and a half years. Final Cut Pro X is definitely a great choice for
independent creators.
JORDANORME.COM ©JORDANORME ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3. AVID MEDIA COMPOSER $23.99/month or $1,299 total, free lite version with limitations.
Avid Media Composer is my top recommended software if you want to edit feature
films or television shows. This is the editing software that is taught in most film
schools (including the one I attended) as it is the industry standard for film and
television editorial and is used by the best, most seasoned editors in the industry.
Most blockbuster movies you go see in the cinema like Avengers and Star Wars are
edited on Avid.
Avid Media Composer has been rooted in the industry for decades and is not going
anywhere soon as the career path of film editing starts as an apprenticeship as the
wisdom of older editors are passed down. If you hope to edit feature films, or TV and
are just beginning, learn Avid so you can become an assistant editor or editing
apprentice.
Avid is highly customizable and is capable of performing virtually anything that needs
to be done in an editing suite, but it does lack some user friendly features for new
editors. If your dream is to edit large movies, television shows, edit on Avid.
FREE
SOFTWARE
1. DAVINCI RESOLVE Important features free, upgrade available for $299.
Davinci Resolve is my #1 recommended free software out there. It is an extremely
powerful application that combines editing, color correction, visual effects, motion
graphics and audio post production all in one software tool. And it is the industry
standard software for color grading.
DaVinci Resolve lets you work faster and at a higher quality because you don’t have to
learn multiple apps or switch software for different tasks. It is very intuitive and user
friendly, perfect for beginners and advanced users alike.
Though it is not standard for editing, and will be missing a few fancy features unless
upgraded, it has all of the basic features needed to get the job done well. So, if you
are just starting out and looking for a robust FREE application Davinci Resolve is
perfect for you.
JORDANORME.COM ©JORDANORME ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2. iMOVIE Free
Welcome to the first editing software I ever used! We all start somewhere don’t we? I
remember editing school projects and drum covers to upload to YouTube on
good-old iMovie :)
iMovie is very user friendly and easy to understand and use right off the bat. The
learning curve is not steep at all. Whether you’re using a Mac or an iOS device, it’s
never been easier to make videos. iMovie even supports 4K video for high resolution
videos.
Though I’d recommend Davinci Resolve first, iMovie may be perfect for you if lots of
buttons and an intimidating interface is a bit much at once. iMovie is simple and
effective for beginners.
BONUS
MOBILE SOFTWARE
Sometimes you are on the go and ya gotta whip an edit up really quick on the
go. Or maybe you have a TikTok or Instagram post you need to finish really
quick. If you’re in that boat, these are my top picks.
1. ADOBE PREMIERE RUSH Free, Upgrade available
After trying quite a few mobile editing apps like Quik, InShot and Splice and
Adobe Premiere Rush remains my favorite. It has the ability to speed, ramp, split
audio, duplicate clips and navigate the timeline with ease.
I especially like some of the timeline control features where you can scrub
forward and backwards frame by frame to ensure you are making precise edits.
It does require you to create an adobe account, but the app is free to use and
exports without watermarks. Overall, Premiere Rush is the best mobile editing
option.
1. iMOVIE MOBILE Free
In second place comes iMovie for mobile. It honestly acts just like the desktop
app but on mobile. If you are against having an adobe account and want basic
editing functionality, with little customization, iMovie might be the best choice
for you.
JORDANORME.COM ©JORDANORME ALL RIGHTS RESERVED