Choosing the Right Video Editing Software for Home Users & Aspiring Professionals

Obviously, your video software needs to be compatible with your computer’s operating system, be it Windows, Mac OS, Linux, or others. But you also need to make sure it’s compatible with your system hardware, like the CPU, RAM, and graphics card. This is a two-way street – you can match the software to your hardware, or you can upgrade your computer to match the software you want to use if you need to. It’s better to upgrade your hardware if you can, in order to take advantage of as many cutting-edge software features and video formats as possible, but if an upgrade isn’t in the cards, or you’re working on a laptop, then check the minimum computer system requirements for the software and see if it will run on your machine.

Much like support for camera formats, you want support for the most common delivery formats, too. Often these are the same formats, but you want to tailor your renders for the way your audience will watch your videos. Will they watch on YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, or other online video streaming? Will they watch it on Blu-ray disc or DVD?

Exporting to the right format for any of these has unique requirements. Pick software which can deliver to all of these formats and more. Also, you want software that takes as much of the guesswork out of it as possible, so look for software which has render templates to match the requirements for these sources and formats.

There are a lot of video formats out there! Whether you’ll be working with 1080p, 4K, MP4, AVC/AVCHD, HEVC, H.264, LOG, HLG, or the many other format choices, look for software which supports the format of the footage you’ll use -- but just as importantly, look for support of a broad range of formats. As your work and skill expand, you’ll use many different formats. Also, as you grow in your work, you’ll start to take advantage of advanced aspects of video formats, like High Dynamic Range (HDR). Be sure your software has you covered!

There's an often overlooked, but critically important question you need to answer before you make your final choice of editing software: does it work the way you want to work, or does it make you work the way it wants you to? Look for software which works the way you want, not the other way around! Some software has very set ways of doing everything, and an interface which can only be set up in certain ways.

With beginners in mind, some feature tutorials or assisted worfklows, like the Guided Video Creator in VEGAS Movie Studio. Always keep in mind what you want to do, and make sure the editor you choose has the tools to do it. Also remember that as you do more and more editing, you’ll want to take advantage of more and more features, so choose an editor which can grow with you.

The best software for you gives you the power to decide your own workflow and lets you customize the interface to set it up in a way that feeds your creativity instead of blocking it. When the software really matches your style, it seems intuitive and easy. If it makes you work a certain way, it can seem to get in your way, and that’s no good for productivity or creativity. Get the software which works your way and lets you create freely!