Top 10 Best Vlog Editing Software in 2024

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

When you’re planning to start a vlogging YouTube channel, there are so many things you need to look into: cameras, lighting, microphones, editing software, tripod, lenses…

And not only that, but you also need to learn to use all these things like a professional.

I know, it can be overwhelming. But don’t worry! that’s why we exist.

Here you are going to learn what the best vlog editors are and how to choose the right one for you.

First, see here top choices, and then you can start learning about which one is the right for you:

Best FREE Vlog Editing Software

1. DaVinci Resolve (Windows / MAC)
2. iMovie (MAC / iOS)
3. VN Video Editor (Windows / MAC / iOS / Android)
4. Lightworks (Windows / MAC)
5. VideoPad (Windows / MAC)

Best Premium Vlog Editing Software

1. Final Cut Pro X (MAC)
2. Filmora Wondershare (Windows/MAC)
3. Sony Vegas Pro (Windows)
4. Adobe Premiere (Windows)
5. VideoProc Vlogger (Windows/MAC)

1. DaVinci Resolve (Windows / MAC)

Resolve is my favorite choice for video editing. It started as a weak editor but it quickly became one of the top editors out there. The best of all? It’s FREE.

Price: FREE

Adobe Premiere Pro used to be the king of video editing software for Windows until DaVinci Resolve started offering most of its features for free.

You can basically do whatever you want to do with this software. It’s even been used to edit Hollywood movies already, so it will be more than enough for YouTube videos.

This editor has a premium version with even more features, but I have personally found everything I needed, from animations and color grading to inserting text and effects, completely available and easy to use.

So unless you want to edit 4k videos, you’ll find everything for free.

The interface is completely customizable and the workflow is completely different from anything else I tried before. It’s very intuitive once you get the hang of it.

But that’s the trick, you have to get the hang of it first! It’s not an editor that you can instantly start using. You will need to learn it through YouTube videos. But believe me, it’s worth learning because you can do almost anything with it.

However, I’ve honestly encountered a lot of bugs and crashes with Adobe, which is not only paid but also ridiculously expensive.

2. iMovie (MAC / iOS)

iMovie is the free editing software from Apple that is available for any Mac user. It offers all the basics you need to edit a simple video.

Price: FREE

iMovie by Apple is among the most used video editing tools. You can use this software to edit your vlogs or movie in many possible ways, from adding text to your video, adding animations, voiceover, and adding a video to another.

The general layout of the software is very simple, which makes it a must-have tool for any vlogger. The Key features include slowing down/speeding up parts of a video, trimming down videos, and splitting them.

Moreover, this software comes with plenty of preset animation templates for your vlog.

You can also make video trailers using this software, and the best thing is that you won’t have to struggle with lengthy procedures to do it.

Just select an animation template, edit it, and boom, you have your trailer. You can also share your edited video editing on YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo.

Verdict

If you’re thinking of using iMovie, the first thing you should do is adding more templates.

These templates will come in handy if you​ appreciate better workflow.

You can use beautiful templates to customize your vlog and to express yourself on your project.

The software also has tons of tutorials which is a good thing because you will be able to learn anything about the software easily.

3. Final Cut Pro X (MAC)

Right after Premiere, this ​premium tool is ​also popular among vloggers​. ​It is similar to Adobe’s editor in many ways. However, this program is available with a single payment and it only runs on macOS.

Price: $299.99

If you like making short educational videos, small movies, or high-quality music videos, then this software was meant for you.

​It is made for professional work, so it supports several video formats including Mp4, MOV, AVCHD, AVI, and H.264, which are supported by most​ cameras.

Its incredible features cut across simple video editing to complex and fantastic effects.

This is not all; the software has various intelligent features such as Smart collections that automatically organize your video library. It also runs on a 64-Bit architecture, making it run smoothly on ​most Mac computers.

Even though it’s still a complete software, many people agree that it is easier to get into than Premiere, meaning that it is more newbie-friendly.

Still, you will need to learn the same editing techniques and “feel” as when using Premiere. It’s just that the tools are presented in a ​simpler way and there’s integration with your iPhone or iPad media files.

Verdict

Final Cut Pro is good for a user​ that uses Apple gear.

For those who don’t have skills, the transition from free software like iMovie can be easier with Final Cut Pro.

It also presents a better payment plan, even though it’s still pretty expensive if you take into account that you need a Mac to run it, which is ​higher priced than ​most computers.

4. Filmora Video Editor (Windows / MAC)

Available on both Windows and Mac, this vlog editor comes with several robust inbuilt editing tools. It is made for people that are new to editing.

Price: $89.99

Filmora’s main highlights include simplicity, user-friendly interface, compatibility across all major operating systems, and a fast processing speed.

This makes the whole vlog editing process flawless and fascinating. If you’re in doubt of the features mentioned above and their effectiveness, you can start with the free trial version before upgrading to premium.

It’s worth mentioning that Filmora is aimed at a fairly amateur audience. In fact, they actively promote themselves to vloggers.

This makes using Filmora a lot easier in the beginning. However, it does include limitations over professional editors, even though it’s subscription-based software.

At least it is cheaper and easier to use, which vloggers that have a lot of limited time to learn editing will find extremely useful, and even necessary.

They include a “free” plan but it includes an awful watermark that you won’t want to see in your videos, so we’ll take this as fully paid software.

Verdict

Although Filmora doesn’t do all the things done by other extensive programs, the software has some great features for vlogs.

But most importantly, it’s just extremely easy to use and very intuitive. That’s why we give it the first place for vloggers.

If you’re ready to learn using this software using their full range of tutorials, you’ll have no problems using it.

The software can give you a good-looking video fast with its simple user interface.

If you appreciate your time, want tons of free templates to use, and don’t mind paying a fee, Filmora is for you.

Be aware though that you can purchase additional effects as add-ons from Filmora, so if you end up needing too many you should just go with the more expensive Premiere or Final Cut Pro.

5. VN Video Editor (iOS / Android / Windows / MAC)

VlogNow (VN) Video Editor is a good option if you don’t have a computer for editing. It’s our favorite option for Android phones, although we like iMovie more for iOS.

Price: Free.

VN Video Editor is the best free editing software for smartphones that doesn’t leave a huge watermark that makes your video unusable. This is already a huge win because it’s difficult to find something like this.

You can feel that it was made for mobile-first. It’s very easy to use even if you have a really small screen to work with. It feels fast and responsive even on slower phones.

And really cool thing about it is that you don’t have to edit in landscape mode. You can do it vertically, and in fact, some people find it even easier to work with this way.

Of course, you won’t be able to make a Michael Bay movie with it, but as a vlog editing software, it has almost everything that you could possibly need.

It’s the best editing software we’ve found for mobile phones — although it also has a version for computers.

6. Lightworks (Windows / MAC)

Lightworks is Scorsese’s favorite editing software, but it’s not only for professional work. Its free version is very easy to learn and can do everything that most beginner vloggers will need to edit their vlogs.

Price: Free.

Lightworks might not have the most famous name, but it has been used to edit hugely successful movies like Pulp Fiction and The Wolf of Wallstreet. Of course, they used the paid version, but the free version has what most new vloggers need.

The beautiful thing about it is that even though it can be used for high-end professional jobs, it’s also intuitive and easy to learn the basics.

It’s difficult to say whether you should use this one or another similar option like Adobe Premiere. They’re similar in how powerful they are, but in the end, it should be about your personal preference.

You should test as many editors as you can and see how you like the organization, the interface, and the available features.

Even though Premiere can connect to every useful Adobe app, Lightworks (in its paid version) also offers things like tons of free-to-use clips for your videos.

Going back to the free version, the biggest limitation is that it can only export video at 720p. When you have editing software like DaVinci Resolve do everything but 4k for free, this is a big limitation that shouldn’t exist in this time and age.

7. VideoPad (Windows / MAC)

VideoPad is old editing software that is still considered an excellent choice if you’re looking for a free editor with the basic features you’d need for editing vlogs.

Price: Free.

This editing software is great for vlogging because it is simple and intuitive to use. Anyone can use it and, without a tutorial, start editing a video without putting too much thought into it.

It’s also very easy to explore videos in multiple formats. This is great if you’re creating YouTube videos but want also to have the option of exporting higher-quality video.

It’s similar to Filmora in the easiness of use, although it doesn’t seem to have the same amount of presets. If you want a huge selection of free intros, for example, you’ll find that Filmora offers more options.

Also, the interface does look a bit outdated. This doesn’t mean the software lacks modern features, but if you don’t mind the look, you’ll find that it is easy-to-use editing software that has the basics that you need.

8. Sony Vegas Movie Studio

​Vegas is basically the closest to outperform Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro. It only lacks the 3d capacities and its ​Available on Windows platform from $49.99.

Price: $49.99 – $399.

​This video editing software comes with two editing modes: simple editing and advanced editing.

The simple editing mode has nice necessary edits you can add to your vlogs; you can use this mode to finish your video quickly and directly upload it to YouTube.

On the other hand, in advanced edit mode, you can create projects using multiple layers and effects.

You can also edit 4K videos, use compositing and the color-correction tool to give your videos a more polished look.

You even make green screen projects using this software.

This software has been the main competitor of Adobe Premiere since the beginning.

Premiere ​offers the huge advantage of integrating the other Adobe products to create ​an unmatchable workflow.

However, in the long run, Vegas is cheaper and has everything you need for a vlog, even if you want to get creative.

Verdict

With a fast running time and plenty of add-on programs, this program does a great job in log editing.

Once you know your way through the program, you will be able to create professional vlogs using this software.

The software also offers its users a great deal of controlling the finest vlog editing aspects to help them get exactly the output they desire.

Its vast library of tools and effects are highly recommended for vloggers who would like to give their videos a unique look.

9. Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is not only the preferred tool among professional photographers; it is also pretty popular among vloggers.

Price: $20.99 – $31.49

Adobe Premiere Pro has earned its place as the industry’s best vlog editing software, thanks to its familiar video editing interface, robust set of tools, and an unmatched ecosystem of features.

This software also supports 360 VR content, 4K, and HDR video, without forgetting the Lumetri Color tool.

This tool allows you to apply professional colorization—which is something fairly simple to do even if you’re new—, and any image modification to give your video a top-end finish.

And not only that; you have an almost unlimited combination of video and audio effects and transitions that you can easily apply to all of your clips by pressing a couple of buttons.

All these features make Adobe Premiere Pro well worthy of an Editors’ Choice award for a professional-level vlog-editing software

I mean, it is the most popular vlog editor for a reason.

​Verdict

The bad part about it is that it’s pretty expensive, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re just starting and have a small budget.

In fact, I can’t recommend it over Resolve as long as it remains free. 

You’ll see that on other sites and YouTube channels this is the most recommended software, but that’s old news.

IMO, Adobe will need to start offering something better or reduce its price if it wants to compete with Resolve.

10. VideoProc

VideoProc is the only full GPU accelerated video editing software that can help you effectively process 4K/8K/large videos from cameras, mobile devices, and drones, on mainstream computers. It has low CPU usage and brings high quality.

Price: $29.95 – $57.95

VideoProc comes with lightweight, easy and stable video editing & processing features. 

As a video editing software, it provides almost all your needs to process, edit, resize, enhance your 4K and large-sized videos from iPhone, GoPro, DJI, etc. With a specialized ToolBox, it also offers professional-grade options to fix footage, deshake, denoise, correct lens distortion, and so on. 

But more than that, it acts as a 4-in-1 combo of video editor, media converter, video downloader, and screen recorder. You will find below some nice highlights of VideoProc:

• Supports any videos and it’s skilled at processing 4K, HD, HDR, 3D, 360° VR & high-speed videos. 
• Editing: cut, split, crop, merge, resize, reframe, add effect/subtitle/watermark, make Gif, etc.
• Repair: stabilize, denoise, defisheye, rotate/mirror, adjust footages speed, force A/V sync, etc.
• Adjusting: resize, customize bit rate, resolution, GOP, encoding mode, 4K to 1080/720p and more.
• Convert: any old/new DVDs, videos, audios to any video audio formats for playback. 420+ profiles.
• Download: save video, audio, playlist and channel from 1000+ UGC websites.
• Record: capture computer/iOS screen; record computer screen in 3 modes; apply green screen.

Verdict: 

If you often process 4K and large videos, VideoProc can help you speedily edit and convert for further usage. For vloggers, this lightweight software is the go-to tool to download media sources, create vlogging, screencasts, podcasts and apply green screen. 

How to Choose the Right Editor for Your Vlogging Channel

Ease of use

Editing is not easy if you’ve never done it before.

Easily, this is what makes most YouTube channels fail.

You can get overwhelmed when you try to use a professional editor for the first time.

It can take you hundreds of hours only to learn the basics.

That’s why I’ll give a lot of importance to editors that are actually easy to use and that are newbie-friendly.

Special Effects

It would be best if you also thought of the graphics and effects, audio effects, and all the other elements that are required to make professional-grade vlogs. 

As a vlogger, you will probably need a vlog editor that can at least do slow motions for you.

You should also be aware of how complex ​your editing will be.

If you just want to record simple vlogs that are made of a bunch of clips glued together​, you won’t need anything special and you​ can start with something ​free.

Hardware

Then there’s the hardware.

Will the vlog editor run seamlessly on your existing equipment?

Does the software support your operating system?

Some of the top editors ​run much better in high-end devices, are you ready to upgrade your hardware to fit your preferred software needs?

If you want to edit 4k videos, you will need a high-end ​computer.

This is something really important to think about even when you’re choosing a camera.

You should have at least a 64-bit PC and 8GB-16GB of RAM if you want a ​crash-free ​editing experience.

Storage.

Think of where the finished videos will go after you’re done editing your vlog.

Does your preferred vlog editor integrate with video servers and other online platforms? 

​Videos are heavier the longer and the higher quality they are. Things like frames per second will also influence its size. 

You will need a considerable amount of storage if you’re planning to start a vlogging channel.

Make sure you have this covered up before going ahead.

If you have a good internet connection, you can get a cloud storage solution, but they aren’t free.

Now, we can start reviewing the editors that are great for vlogging.

Conclusion ​And Final Considerations

​It’s important to consider what other things you will want in the future before choosing an editor that has fewer features and it’s cheaper.

For example, you might prefer Vega now because it has basically all the features from Adobe Premiere. However, sooner or later you might want the integration Premiere offers with its over 20 apps. This integration includes Photoshop, Lightroom, and Audition, ​which can ​help you ​edit pictures to use in your videos and thumbnails. They can also let you edit the noise out of your audio clips.

​Relearning another editor​ software, later on, is like starting all over again, so ​the best way is to ​start with the one that is more future-proof for what you want to do.

Also, it’s difficult to really compare all of these editors because they all have pretty much the same features.

Since they offer similar things, the smart thing to do is to use their free trial to see which interface you like the most. Most people prefer one editor over another because of this​.

​Finally, the best option and most complete one is definitely Adobe Premiere. 

However, it is​ also the most expensive and you need an even more expensive subscription ​for the license for the rest of the Adobe programs that allow its integration.

So you need to decide according to your needs and available budget. If you got the money, Premiere is never the wrong choice.

​And give it some time to learn how to use the program. There are thousands of video tutorials on YouTube and you can learn ​on your own like thousands of vloggers have done.

Also, the better you record your video, the less editing you might need. There are many things you can do to improve ​quality without needing your editor.

It takes practice, but you will start doing it faster and better as you practice. So get on with it!