5 of the Best Video Editors for Mac

It used to be that video was something only professionals needed to deal with. With the rise of YouTube and other more social video platforms, video is no longer only the realm of the pros. Video is just another medium for expression and communication these days. Of course, the question right now is this: what are the best video editors for Mac in 2021? 

Know that you have plenty of options in front of you. Whether you’re just trying out video editing or are serious about your videography hobby, we’ve prepared a list of options that suit different needs, budgets, and priorities. With that said, here are the five best video editors for Mac in 2021. 

1. iMovie

If you’re new to video editing, one of the truly best editors to start with is Apple’s iMovie. This software is free, for starters, but it also combines ease of use with a reasonably advanced feature set. You’re not going to edit a feature film with this, but if you’re just looking to put a quick video on YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram, iMovie should have you covered.

This is an excellent option if you shoot your video on an iPhone, as the editor is available for iOS as well. You can even start editing a video on your iPhone or iPad and finish on your Mac. iMovie handles 4K footage, comes with the basic set of video-editing tools, lets you add titles and backgrounds, and even supports green-screen effects. This really is the best free video editor for Mac, and we highly recommend trying it out.

2. Final Cut Pro

If iMovie seems too limited to you, Apple has another option. Final Cut Pro is a significant step up in almost every way. This video editor is easier to use than its competitors. Still, it’s powerful enough that it is frequently used by professionals as well. (Even major Hollywood studios rely on Final Cut Pro.) This software has everything you need to organize, cut, and finish videos.

Final Cut Pro doesn’t come free, but it’s not nearly as pricey as some other professional video-editing software. While some comparable video editors can cost thousands of dollars, Final Cut Pro comes priced at $299.99. Even better, Apple offers a completely free trial, letting you test-drive this video editor for 90 days without any restrictions.

3. Adobe Premiere Pro

It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that Adobe Premiere Pro is a very familiar tool for video professionals. Unlike Final Cut Pro, which uses its own (simplistic and user-friendly) style of interface, Adobe’s Premiere Pro layout is more similar to traditional video editors. If you’re familiar with editing video, this is nice, but it can be more daunting than some other options on this list for total beginners.

Still, Adobe Premiere Pro has become an industry standard for many good reasons, and you’ll find plenty of tools and tutorials built for this application. Unlike Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro isn’t available for purchase. Instead, it’s available as part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud subscriptions. You can get Premiere Pro for $20.99/month, but there are other options as well. If you want the whole suite of Adobe’s apps, you’ll need to pay $52.99/month.

4. Adobe Premiere Elements

If you’re just getting started with video editing, paying for a subscription may sound a bit intimidating. Adobe is also aware of that, which is the reason Premiere Elements exists. This is a video editor designed for beginners and hobbyists, letting you automate your creative workflow. Premiere Elements comes with the basic set of editing tools, includes all kinds of transitions, and has 25 guided edits to help you achieve your goals.

This video editor helps you create time-lapse videos, animate skies in your photos, and make Luma fade transitions, among other features. Plenty of exciting stuff awaits. Also, it comes without a subscription. Instead, Premiere Elements is a one-time purchase of $99.99.

5. DaVinci Resolve

Lastly, we have another highly interesting option on our list of the best video editors for Mac. Called DaVinci Resolve, this is a pro-level video editing tool that comes free of charge! That’s true – you can use this app free of charge, even for editing 4K footage. It comes from a Hollywood background, so you know it has plenty of power. DaVinci started its life as a color-grading tool, so if you want to work with color, this is a fantastic option.

Recent versions of DaVinci Resolve take a cue from the tape-based editing systems of old to make cutting video simpler. With the new “Source Tape,” DaVinci Resolve assembles your footage into a single virtual tape that makes finding the perfect footage quick and easy. With that said, this is your go-to tool for editing, cutting, color-grading, and exporting your videos.

Conclusion

The above are the five best video editors for Mac in 2021. In general, if you’re just getting started with video editing, we recommend going for a free option first, such as iMovie. As your skills grow, switching to a more comprehensive option will come easy, giving you a selection of tools that you’ll learn to use in no time.

If you’re running another operating system, both Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve work on Windows as well, and there are plenty of other options. If you’re on Linux, you have some nice options too. For an idea of what’s available, take a look at our list of the best video-editing software for Linux. You should also check out how to edit your videos using YouTube’s free video editor and how to convert images to video for social media.