Choosing the best video editing software for YouTube is no easy task. There are just so many out there, ranging from wildly expensive to free and open source.

Over here at Storezar, we have edited using dozens of different software – if you need proof, then check out these two editing challenges in which our founder, Finzar, tries out a whole load of weird and wonderful programmes.

However, when it comes to the actual best editing software for YouTubers (and we mean small-time creators, not those making Hollywood movies), there are only really four main options: Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, and Final Cut Pro.

Choosing which of these is the right software for you is a challenge, but in the video above, we deliver a subjective opinion of what we think is the very best for aspiring video creators. But before we tell you our winner, here’s some info on each of the software.

Premiere Pro

Premiere is the software that helped launch Storezar, with our first-ever presets being made for Premiere. It’s a complex beast with a rigid timeline and hundreds of effects that require a whole lot of meddling with to get right. But that’s where Premiere also shines – every effect is hugely customisable, the software giving you the ability to incrementally change the smallest of settings on a frame-by-frame basis.

Better yet, since Adobe launched Premiere back in 1991, with the “Pro” added to the name in 2003, there have been plenty of changes to make it more user-friendly. The different workspaces have been streamlined and you now have this really simple, yet really complex piece of software that’s a part of Adobe’s huge ecosystem, which also includes After Effects and Photoshop.

DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is, without a doubt, the fastest-growing software among more advanced editors and stands out from the other software we’re talking about today because it’s the only one that uses Nodes, which are effects you string together like building blocks to build even more complex effects.

This all happens on what DaVinci calls the Fusion page, which is the scariest workspace of all these software, and can be especially confusing for new users. However, after camera-maker BlackMagic Design took over DaVinci in 2009, huge waves have been made to make the software a great match for everyday editors, and there are now two options: the free DaVinci Resolve or the paid-for DaVinci Resolve Studio, both of which my fellow editors are using more and more.

CapCut

CapCut is by far the youngest software on this list, having only started life properly in 2019. It was made with the needs of modern video-editors in mind – AKA for people looking to cut up footage for quick TikTok videos. In fact, its developers are ByteDance, who created TikTok in the first place.

However, like how TikToks have become more advanced, so has CapCut, which has gone from being a mobile-only software to having a substantial desktop app. The timeline is pretty colourful, but where CapCut stands out is in its pre-made effects and even sound effects. This really is meant to be a super user-friendly software that’s been made with social media editors in mind.

Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro is the most unique software on this list because it’s limited to just one operating system, Mac OS, which means that you can’t use it without an Apple computer. This makes it the go-to for many Mac users, especially as it has a sleek design similar to other Apple products, which are known to prioritise ease-of-use and functionality prioritised over complexity, plus FCP works incredibly smoothly with Apple’s silicon hardware.

Opening Final Cut, you’ve got the timeline, which is best known for its magnetic snapping, where it keeps all your clips snapped together, plus there’s the advanced colour grading space, and an area for 3D text. It’s also one of the oldest editing software, having first launched in 1999.

Which is the best video editing software?

So, which is the best? In the video at the top of this article, Finzar spends a good 25 minutes debating this exact question, but to summarise: CapCut is very much still in its infancy, and makes for a good first software. However, anyone looking to make something longer than a TikTok is better suited to going elsewhere. Meanwhile, Final Cut Pro is a solid choice for Apple users, but that also limits a lot of people. It also does not have the same customizability as Premiere and DaVinci.

Speaking of, we highly recommend either Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve to anyone looking to take YouTube and editing seriously. Premiere is a really great software, offering huge amounts of customisation to editors – just be warned, it can be a difficult beast to master, which is why we created a Premiere Pro course for beginners – made precisely with up-and-coming YouTube editors in mind. We also offer Premiere Pro presets that offer custom effects for anyone using the software.

Meanwhile, DaVinci Resolve is a cheaper option and offers very similar benefits to Premiere, and Black Magic continue to improve the software and take it to the next level. However, the Fusion page – where you create effects – can be a little complicated (which is why we also offer DaVinci Resolve presets, which are essentially custom-made Fusion effects which are way easier to use).

In other words, you can’t go wrong with either Premiere or DaVinci! And if you want a more in-depth analysis, then check out our YouTube video on the subject.