Best Video Editing Software for YouTubers: 9 Compared

DaVinci Resolve is the best video editing software for most YouTubers: its free version covers cutting, color, audio and export. Mac creators who record raw multi-take talking heads should also look at ClipsPal, which this site makes.

Video editing software for YouTube compared

Editor	Best for	Price
DaVinci Resolve	One free editor for cutting, color and audio	Free; Studio $236 one-time
Final Cut Pro	Mac creators who want a fast timeline	$299.99 one-time (Mac App Store)
ClipsPal	Raw multi-take talking heads on Mac	$59 one-time
CapCut	Templates and quick edits on any device	Free plan
Descript	Editing video by editing its transcript	Free plan; paid from $16/month
Gling	Cutting bad takes and silences automatically	Free plan; Plus $20/month
Filmora	An all-round editor with AI tools	Free plan; Advanced $59.99/year
Kapwing	Browser-based edits and subtitles	Free plan; Pro $16/month
Lightworks	A free professional timeline editor	Free

1. DaVinci Resolve

Best for: YouTubers who want one free editor that grows with the channel.

DaVinci Resolve combines editing, color correction, visual effects, motion graphics and Fairlight audio in a single application. It runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. The free version is a full download, and Resolve Studio is a $236 purchase from Blackmagic Design. Blackmagic describes the interface as fast to learn for new users, with separate cut and edit pages.

2. Final Cut Pro

Best for: Mac creators who want a fast, native editor.

Final Cut Pro uses a Magnetic Timeline that keeps clips in sync as you move and trim them. Generate Captions builds captions from spoken audio, Transcript Search finds a spoken phrase in your footage, and Smart Conform reframes a project for square or vertical delivery. Apple sells Final Cut Pro for Mac as a one-time App Store purchase, and it is also part of Apple Creator Studio.

3. ClipsPal

Best for: Mac creators who record talking-head videos in many takes. It is third because most YouTubers want a general editor first, and ClipsPal is built for one kind of video.

This site makes ClipsPal. You import raw clips, or record your voice or screen, and it edits the result:

• Cuts failed takes, silences and filler in one click
• Adds subtitles in 40 languages, zoom-ins, visuals and sound effects
• Gives you a multi-track timeline to edit by hand or to change by asking Director in plain words
• Makes one to five vertical shorts from a full video, plus chapters and articles
• Keeps footage and transcription on your computer, and only the transcript goes to the AI account you pick
• Opens the edit as a timeline in Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve
• Runs on macOS 14 or later (Apple Silicon or Intel) and as a Windows 11 beta, where screen and camera recording and background removal are Mac-only
• Costs $59 once with no subscription and a 14-day refund; you can download it first, and editing starts when you enter a license

See ClipsPal for the full tour.

4. CapCut

Best for: Quick edits with templates, online, on desktop or on mobile.

CapCut is an AI-powered editor with smart templates and creative effects, and it is built for content aimed at YouTube and Instagram. You can try it in the browser or download it. It has a free plan, with Pro and Ultra as paid tiers.

5. Descript

Best for: Creators who would rather edit a document than a timeline.

Descript's text-based editing lets you edit video by editing a doc. Underlord, its AI co-editor, and tools such as Remove Filler Words and Create Clips sit on top. The free plan includes 60 media minutes a month. Paid plans start at $16/month, and Hobbyist adds 10 media hours a month with watermark-free 1080p export.

6. Gling

Best for: Solo YouTubers who talk to camera and want bad takes cut for them.

Gling is a desktop app made for YouTube creators. Upload a raw recording and it removes bad takes, silences and filler words, then adds AI captions, automatic zoom and noise removal. It also writes titles and chapters. Export to Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve or Premiere, or to MP4 and SRT. The free plan has 1 hour of AI-edited media a month and exports with a watermark.

7. Filmora

Best for: Beginners who want familiar tools with AI built in.

Filmora 16 is AI-powered editing software for desktop and mobile. AI Media Analysis tags and summarises your footage, the rough-cut tools remove pauses and edit from text, and a screen recorder captures screen, camera and audio together. It exports in 4K. The Advanced plan is $59.99 a year, and there is a free plan.

8. Kapwing

Best for: Browser-based edits and quick subtitles.

Kapwing records your screen, camera and audio inside the editor. The free plan exports with a Kapwing watermark at 720p, up to 4 minutes long. Pro is $16/month: no watermark, 4K export, projects up to 2 hours long, and auto-subtitling of up to 1,000 minutes a month.

9. Lightworks

Best for: Creators who want a free editor with a traditional professional timeline.

Lightworks is an Emmy-winning editor, free to download on Windows, macOS and Linux. Lightworks Free is aimed at YouTube and social videos, and it connects to Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive and publishes straight to YouTube and Vimeo. Create and Pro add more tools, formats and delivery options.

How to choose

• Start with the computer you own: Final Cut Pro is Mac-only, ClipsPal runs on Mac with a Windows beta, Resolve and Lightworks run on Mac, Windows and Linux, and Gling is a desktop app.
• Decide between paying once and paying monthly. Resolve Studio, Final Cut Pro and ClipsPal are one-time purchases; Descript and Kapwing bill monthly or yearly.
• Count your cuts. If most of the work is removing takes and silences from a talking head, an auto-cutter saves more time than a deeper timeline. If you layer b-roll, graphics and color, pick Resolve or Final Cut Pro.
• Check what the free plan removes. Several free plans export with a watermark or cap resolution and length.
• If you also publish shorts and captions, see how to edit a YouTube video from raw takes, the wider video editing software page, or the best AI video editors.