Along with many other creative software tools, Adobe provides a great video editing tool in Premiere Pro. It isn’t one of Adobe’s tools that doesn’t need a subscription, so if you’re looking for alternatives to Premiere Pro’s expensive barrier to entry, then there are many video editors available you should use instead. Whether you’re running Windows, Mac, a browser only, or whether you need a free tool or can drop a bit of cash, there’s a video tool that will work well for you and your needs.

7 VideoStudio Pro and Ultimate

Windows platform video editor

VideoStudio offers a 30-day free trial to its Windows-only video editing tool, but it’s only $80 for a full license — with upgrade purchases available from $60.

You can import your own video clips, record directly from your screen, and capture footage from multi-camera options using VideoStudio’s built-in features. The editing tools are not quite as comprehensive as Premiere Pro, but you can edit with basic features, color adjustments, and filters, plus also insert text overlay and transitions between clips. The tool also provides some video templates for faster editing, with drag-and-drop editing features.

6 Lightworks

Hollywood-strength video editing

Self-acclaimed Hollywood-strength video editing tool, Lightworks, offers a freemium video editor that turns you from a beginner to a video editing pro. Although it claims to be free now and forever, although there is a free version, there are also paid plans available. The paid plans are from $10 for Create and $20 for Pro, and all plans are available on Windows, macOS, and Linux systems.

The free plan offers basic editing tools such as timeline editing, transitions, and simple VFX features, along with only 720p HD export. The Create plan provides 4K video export, social media templates, motion graphics tools, color editing features, and high-res export. The Lightworks Pro plan offers audio and video plugin support, advanced VFX and color tools, cloud export, and higher quality file export, among other tools.

Lightworks adapts its tools for best use for beginners and pros, allowing beginners to drag and drop, while providing more comprehensive tools as your experience kicks in. There are also a handful of third-party integrations to enhance your video projects.

5 Wondershare’s Filmora

Multi-platform and affordable video editing

Filmora by Wondershare offers video editing on multiple platforms, including Mac and Windows for desktop options, and iOS, iPadOS, and Android for editing on-the-go. Due to the different platform options and availability of other Wondershare software, there are many pricing options and bundles.

There is a free version which has limited features and exports with a Filmora watermark. You can get a short 3-day free trial of the paid plan which includes watermark-free exporting and 100 AI credits. Paid annual plans start from $50, but there are different bundles with various offers, including a perpetual license for $80, although the perpetual license is only available for macOS.

Filmora features many AI tools such as Copilot editing, text-based editing, text-to-video, smart masks, and AI music libraries. There are also many traditional video editing tools, such as stabilization and color correction, timeline controls, text and image editing, video effects, and transitions to allow you to create great videos.

4 VEGAS Pro

Professional video software from the 90s

VEGAS Pro was first released in the late 90s as a professional video editing tool. While there are now plenty of other tools that many have overtaken its professional status, it remains on the list of great Premiere Pro alternatives. VEGAS Pro offers a couple of different tools.

From VEGAS Pro Edit, you’ll have tools built for creating serious and professional videos, including color correction and grading, HDR support, VFX and compositing tools — all in one platform — plus a full digital audio station for comprehensive audio editing.

VEGAS Pro Suite provides a subscription package with unlimited HD video and audio libraries, and AI tools like text-to-speech as well as speech-to-text.

VEGAS Pro Post includes more post-production tools than you can think of. With VEGAS Pro, VEGAS Effects, VEGAS Image, and SOUND FORGE software all combine to offer VEGAS Pro Post. These features provide high-demand video tools for high-quality results.

All VEGAS software comes with a 30-day free trial. You can choose to purchase perpetual licenses of VEGAS software, including upgrades, or you can subscribe to both annual and monthly plans. Perpetual licenses cost from $200.

3 Final Cut Pro

Apple-only video editing

Final Cut Pro is optimized for use on Apple silicon, making this tool unsuitable for Windows users. Final Cut Pro features tools that appear in both Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects, which spares you from using two separate programs when you could just use this one.

In addition to video editing, file organization, great audio and delivery tools, you can also create motion graphics like 2D and 3D titles and other elements. This really feels like a 2-in-1 tool compared to Adobe’s offerings. You can even integrate features from other Apple products, such as iMovie and your iPhone’s camera settings, especially the Cinematic video features.

While Final Cut Pro is not an option for Windows users, it makes for a great Premiere Pro alternative for Apple users. You can get it with a free 90-day trial and purchase it for $300 with no subscription.

2 CapCut

Desktop, mobile, and browser-based video editor

CapCut video editor is owned by ByteDance—the company responsible for TikTok—so it’s a great video editing tool for short-form videos, but it still offers plenty for long-form and landscape video editing. You can get the CapCut app for desktop or mobile and tablet across all operating systems. You can also use the tool from the browser for video creation without installing software.

You can use CapCut for free, and it has a huge library of tools that compete easily with Premiere Pro. There is a Pro subscription from $13 per month, meaning you can subscribe to CapCut Pro for less than it costs to subscribe to Premiere Pro.

Both the app and the desktop versions are easy to navigate. While not all tools and features appear in the desktop version, between the browser and mobile versions, you’ll have access to countless tools including templates, AI editing tools, and traditional video tools like color grading, audio tools, and much more. Not only its wide platform availability, but also comparable AI tools, makes CapCut a strong competitor against Premiere Pro.

1 DaVinci Resolve

Best Premiere Pro alternative

Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve video editor is the best Premiere Pro alternative. It doesn’t require a costly subscription, but you can purchase the full version, DaVinci Resolve Studio, for $295. It includes some extra features, but the free version of DaVinci Resolve is more than enough for even high-level video editors’ needs. DaVinci Resolve was released for Windows on Arm even before Adobe hit the mark for Premiere Pro.

DaVinci Resolve 19 includes AI tools, similar to those found in Premiere Pro and CapCut, such as text-based editing on your timeline, dialogue separation, UltraNR noise reduction, and music remixing. DaVinci Resolve also boasts Hollywood-standard color grading tools, for great results that could compete at professional levels.

Video editing tools for everyone

Despite Adobe and Premiere Pro being among the biggest names in video editing software, it isn’t your only choice. You don’t need to pay the prices Adobe charges, but it may even be worth evaluating other tools in that price range. Consider whether you want to be locked into subscriptions, pay a one-off fee for a perpetual license, or be happy with a free version of some great software. Free video editing tools don’t mean bad features, and our top two in this list offer free versions with almost no features you’d miss from their paid plans. Adobe isn’t always the go-to for creative software.