Video editing, particularly in professional contexts, can be time-consuming, skill-intensive, and demanding on resources. Those features can be more or less daunting if one doesn’t have the appropriate editing software, and given the sheer number of video editing applications out there, it is easy to see why choosing an ideal option is difficult
In this article, we’ve curated a selection of video editing software tailored for Mac users, catering to a spectrum of project complexities, from novice to expert.
Some are geared toward beginners, offering essential functions like trimming, playback control, and basic filtering.
Meanwhile, others cater to advanced users, boasting features such as multi-monitor support, sophisticated color grading, dynamic animations, and comprehensive audio mixing capabilities.
The unifying factor among them all? They’re freely accessible, empowering users with tools to unleash their creative potential without financial constraints.
The best video editors for Mac often depend on your specific needs, skill level, and the complexity of your projects. Here’s a selection of some highly regarded options:
1. iMovie
iMovie is a user-friendly video editing software developed by Apple that is designed for quickly creating videos using a simplified timeline editor.
It’s suitable for beginners and offers basic editing tools, templates, and effects. iMovie comes pre-installed on Mac computers.
with its sleek interface and user-friendly editing tools, iMovie empowers you to craft animated drop zones Hollywood-style trailers, travel maps, 3D globes, motion effects, and stunning films effortlessly.
Seamlessly navigate your video collection, highlight cherished moments, and produce captivating movies editable in resolutions reaching up to 4K.
2. DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve is an advanced cross-platform video editor that combines 8K editing, visual effects, color correction, and audio post-production into a single-user interface for collaboration between professional editors, VFX artists, sound designers, colorists, etc.
Feature Highlights of DaVinci Resolve:
- Dual timeline
- Source tape
- Dedicated trim interface
- Intelligent edit modes with improved trackers
- Speed warp retiming and facial recognition
- Radio-style audio scrubbing
- Auto color balance and matching, GPU accelerated scopes, curves with histograms
3. Shotcut
Shotcut is a free and open-source cross-platform software for native video editing with support for several audio and video formats, and a wide variety of keyboard shortcuts for easily manipulating media content.
Feature Highlights of Shotcut:
- Audio and webcam capture
- Network stream playback
- Frame-accurate seeking for several formats
- Tone generator, support for JACK transport sync, video compositing across video tracks
- Clip reversal
- Video scopes
4. Blender
Blender is a free and open-source software for 3D modeling and video editing. It has an extensive toolset for sculpting, retopology, modeling, animation pipeline and rigging, 2D concept designing, motion tracking, masking, compositing, etc.
Feature highlights of Blender:
- Animation, rigging, and rendering
- Experience live previews alongside luma waveform, chroma vectorscope, and histogram displays.
- Effortlessly mix, sync, scrub, and visualize waveforms for audio.
- Video editing, sculpting, and scripting
- Utilize up to 32 slots to incorporate video, images, audio, scenes, masks, and effects into your projects.
- Take control of speed and layer adjustments, transitions, keyframes, filters, and a host of other features.
5. Lightwork
Lightwork is a professional non-linear editing software for editing and mastering videos in various formats. It is designed for beginners to easily get up and running with it while housing some of the features offered by expensive video editing software like Final Cut Pro.
It provides a comprehensive set of editing tools for trimming, cutting, and adding effects, transitions, and titles. Lightworks offers a free version with basic editing functionalities and a paid Pro version with advanced features like 4K editing and exporting.
Feature Highlights of Lightwork:
- Simple and intuitive user interface
- Timeline editing and trimming
- Audio and video FX presets
- Royalty-free audio and video content
- Lo-Res Proxy workflows for 4K
- Export videos for YouTube, Vimeo, SD/HD, up to 4K
6. HitFilm
HitFilm features professional-grade VFX tools and video editing options for manipulating videos, creating films, or gaming videos. It is specially designed to be used by beginners and video editors without a budget.
Feature Highlights of HitFilm:
- Unlimited tracks and transitions
- 410+ effects and presets
- 2D and 3D compositing
- Mask editing and rendering
- Intelligent search
- Adaptive trimmer
- Picture in picture
- 3D camera projection
7. KdenLive
KdenLive is an open-source video editor built in Qt and KDE framework libraries. Leveraging the MLT framework for processing video. It integrates various other open-source projects such as FFmpeg, frei0r, movit, ladspa, sox, among others.
The Software is designed to provide a free solution for basic and professional video editing projects. It boasts a robust feature set that allows users to create professional-grade video projects.
Feature Highlights of KdenLive:
- Free and open-source
- Multi-track video editing
- Configurable user interface and shortcuts
- Audio and video scopes
- 2D titler
- Proxy editing
- Automatic backup
- Keyframeable effects
8. HyperEngine AV
HyperEngine AV is an award-winning video editing application that enables users to capture, arrange, edit, and process video, audio, and text in a trackless, free-form document in order to create movies and slideshows.
Feature Highlights of HyperEngine AV:
- Free and open-source
- Non-linear video editing
- Realtime video processing
- Still-capture video editing
9. Openshot
Openshot is a free and open-source video editor built with the aim of providing users with an accessible application that supports several formats, unlimited audio & video tracks, animation keyframes, etc.
Feature Highlights of Openshot:
- Powerful curve-based keyframe animations
- Cross-platform video editing
- Unlimited tracks/layers
- 3D animated titles and effects
- Video transitions
- Frame accuracy
- Audio mixing and editing
10. Avidemux
Avidemux is a simple video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering, and encoding tasks with support for many file types including DVD-compatible MPEG files, AVI, ASF, MP4, and other codecs.
Feature Highlights of Avidemux:
- Free and open-source
- Simple UI
- Colour filters
- Customizable options for output, audio, display, hardware acceleration, threading, etc.
- Video filter manager
11. Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro stands at the forefront of professional-grade video editing software developed by Abode which offers unparalleled versatility and power. With a comprehensive suite of tools, it enables seamless editing, color grading, audio enhancement, and visual effects integration.
Its intuitive interface caters to both novice and experienced editors, facilitating efficient workflows and creative freedom. Premiere Pro is considered to be the industry standard for editing videos and is used by filmmakers, YouTubers, and other video creators around the world.
Premiere Pro supports a wide range of formats and resolutions, including high-definition and 4K footage, ensuring compatibility with various production pipelines.
Collaborative features such as shared projects and version history streamline teamwork, while integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps enhances productivity.
Feature Highlights of Adobe Premiere Pro:
- Timeline-based editing interface enables users to easily drag and drop clips to arrange them in the order they want.
- Its wide range of effects can be used to polish video content.
- Audio editing tools allow you to mix and master the audio in videos
- Color correction tools allow you to adjust the look and feel of your videos
12. Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro stands as a pinnacle in professional video editing software programs, known for its intuitive interface and robust feature set. Developed by Apple, it offers seamless integration with macOS and other Apple devices, ensuring a cohesive editing experience.
With powerful tools for editing, color grading, audio mastering, and visual effects, it caters to a wide range of projects, from indie films to blockbuster productions.
Final Cut Pro’s magnetic timeline streamlines the editing process, while its multicam support and advanced metadata organization enhance efficiency. Real-time collaboration features facilitate teamwork, making it a top choice for filmmakers seeking precision and creativity in their edits.
Feature Highlights of Final Cut Pro:
- This non-linear editing platform allows you to freely arrange and adjust clips without concerns of technical hiccups or audio-video synchronization issues.
- Utilize robust tools to efficiently manage your footage. Tag clips with keywords, set up smart collections for automatic sorting, and filter files for seamless searching.
- Manage intensive editing tasks, particularly with high-resolution formats such as 4K.
13. CyberLink PowerDirector
CyberLink PowerDirector is designed for both beginners and advanced users developed by CyberLink. It offers a wide array of tools for editing, enhancing, and producing professional-quality videos.
With its intuitive timeline editing, advanced motion tracking, and multi-cam editing support, the app facilitates the seamless creation of dynamic content. PowerDirector boasts robust performance, handling high-resolution footage with ease and efficiency.
Its extensive library of effects, transitions, and templates enables users to unleash their creativity without limitations. With features like 360° video editing and AI-powered tools, PowerDirector remains a top choice for ambitious content creators.
14. Filmora
Filmora stands out as a versatile video editing software for creators of all skill levels that empowers editing and enhancing videos effortlessly. From basic editing tasks like trimming and splitting to advanced features such as color grading and audio mixing, Filmora offers a range of tools to bring creative visions to life.
Its features like filters, effects, transitions, and royalty-free music further expand editing possibilities. Whether for YouTube videos, social media content, or personal projects, Filmora provides a user-friendly platform for producing professional-quality videos with ease and efficiency.
15. Movavi
Movavi Video Editor an intuitive video editing software especially designed for beginners and hobbyists for creative ideas to life and share them with the world.
Feature Highlights of Movavi:
- Easy to use interface with drag-and-drop functionality
- Basic editing tools like trimming, cutting, and splitting videos
- AI-powered features such as background removal, motion tracking, and noise removal (available in paid version)
- Video effects, filters, transitions, and overlays
- Ability to import and export various video and audio formats
Conclusion
Now that you know the best options available for your macOS setup, pick the ones that appeal to you and dig more into their feature list to conclude on which of them is perfect for your video project.
Are there other free video editing software for Mac users that you will like to see added to the list? Make your suggestions and tell us what makes them special below.
