With an attractive interface, a multitude of video effects and the ability to upload directly to Facebook, Vimeo, Box and YouTube, Pinnacle Studio has long been a favorite in video editing. While it is one of the more expensive options in this list, and it doesn’t have 4K UHD support, Pinnacle serves as a nice middle-ground option for those who aren’t slackers in the video editing department, but who haven’t reached pro status just yet.
Price: $114.99
Packed with more than 670 transitions and effects, 46 text options and 34 templates for disc menus, AVS is surprisingly simple to use and customize. Users need only drag and drop the desired effect into place.
Editing videos is quick and easy, and AVS supports multiple formats, such as HD, MPEG, AVI, WMV, QuickTime, Adobe Flash, mobile video, Real Networks and WebM files, among others.
Price: $59
Those used to the Adobe Suite will instantly recognize this familiar setup. Version 11 of Adobe Premiere Elements comes with new effects, such as cinematic FilmLooks, slow motion and speeding up. Elements takes the best features of Adobe’s professional version of the software, Premiere Pro, and makes them simplified and user friendly.
Users also have the ability to share video with Vimeo, meaning your masterpieces are just a click away from a massive online audience.
Price: $99.99
Adobe Premiere Elements 11
Apple’s revamped video editing software boasts speedier performance, a friendlier interface, auditions for alternate clips, good organization tools, powerful new multicam support and support for both Thunderbolt and studio-monitor output. While you can’t import projects from previous Final Cut versions without a third-party plugin, this new software is a consumer-friendly upgrade to a pro-level Mac editor.
Price: $299.99
Final Cut Pro X 10.0.3
For Mac users who want a simple video editing software without the bells and whistles, there’s iMovie 11. Easy drag-and-drop functionality makes cropping and adding music a breeze, and previewing the resulting video in real time makes it easy to ensure that you got the right shot.
While it may not have the latest and greatest features, iMovie packs all of the basics in an easy-to-master interface for a relatively cheap price.
Price: $79
iMovie 11
Despite being the cheapest option on this list,
Corel Video Studio Pro X6 is simple to use without sacrificing power. Features such as motion tracking for moving effects, even better stop motion controls, an enhanced screen capture utility and a subtitle editor with voice detection make this a low-risk purchase for amateur videographers who still want quality.
The software supports 4K Ultra HD video and is the only available option for creating HTML5 interactive web movies.
Price: $49.99
For an option that falls in the middle of the price range,
CyberLink has one of the most impressive arsenals of tools -- and it's still easy to use. The recently revamped interface is intuitive, and the features are “content aware,” meaning that they analyze raw footage for things such as shakiness, lighting and faces to create a better final cut. There is also added support for 4K video content.
Price: $79.99
CyberLink PowerDirector
Magix Movie Edit Pro Plus is one of the lease expensive platforms on this list, and for the social butterfly, it might be one of the best options. With direct upload capabilities to Facebook, YouTube, and
Vimeo, its stunning interface, movie trailer templates and multicam editing capabilities can make even amateurs YouTube famous.
The downsides? There's a trimmer that can be confusing, no 4K support and too many licensing prompts, which can be a drag.
Price: $58.98
Magix Movie Edit Pro 2013 Plus
9 .Adobe Premiere Pro CC
As the industry leader in video editing,
Adobe Premiere Pro CC comes with a redesigned timeline and Paste Effects, which allows you to copy and paste the effects you need from one clip to another, making your editing faster and more efficient. Other new features include new sync settings, the ability to browse through your projects to find and combine clips faster, closed captioning features and improved multicam editing. And as part of the Creative Cloud, it’s backed by the Adobe Creative Suite, integrated with Behance and can be synced across multiple workstations.
Adobe Premiere Pro CC
3D capabilities help Sony's consumer-grade video editing software to stand out, and the precise editing and solid rendering speed make this an excellent option for consumers.
Other features include YouTube sharing, DVD and Blu-Ray compatibilities, and an excellent Picture in Picture preview.
The downside? The interface feels a little outdated, and definitely seems like a watered-down version of Sony's Pro software, as opposed to a product developed with the consumer's needs in mind.
Price: $94.95
Sony Movie Studio Platinum
Avid Media Composer's latest version comes with a wealth of new and improved features, such as accelerated high-res-to-HD workflows and automated media management to handle background media tasks while you focus on your creative vision. The $999 price tag is steep for amateurs, but worth it if you're looking for a professional-grade software. As the editing software of choice for summer blockbusters like Star Trek and The Great Gatsby, Avid Media Composer 7 can handle any editing challenge with ease.
Avid Media Composer 7