The Ultimate Guide to Linux Video Editing: Top 10 Premiere Alternatives

Undoubtedly, Adobe products are being used worldwide commercially, but for people with smaller budgets, several high-quality products are available for Linux. Different Adobe Premiere Alternatives for Linux are available, which have a relatively lower cost or are free of charge.

This article will discuss the best alternatives to Adobe Premiere for Linux, which are listed below. Before going through each of them, let’s first check if we can install Premiere Pro on Linux System.

Can I Install Premiere Pro On My Linux System?

No, Adobe Premiere Pro is not available to install on Linux systems. You have to go for its different alternatives,

1. DaVinci Resolve
2. OpenShot
3. Pitivi
4. Shotcut
5. Avidemux
6. Cinelerra
7. Kdenlive
8. Lightworks
9. Flowblade
10. Open Movie Editor

• How to Choose an Alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux?

Best 10 Alternatives to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux

1. DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve, a tool being used as an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux, provides features like color correction, editing, motion graphics, and audio post-production.

It is easy to learn and use, yet a handy tool for professionals. Using DaVinci Resolve, you can build your multi-user post-production studio.

DaVinci Resolve interface is divided into different pages, providing you with a dedicated workspace for a specific task. You must buy the paid version to get access to all features.

Main features:

• Multi-user collaboration
• Color correction
• All-in-one software for post-production

Pros

• Multiple resolutions and formats are available.
• Quick processing
• Advanced audio processing

Cons

• Some features are limited only to the paid version
• Confusing interface
• Requires much CPU capacity

Supported OS: Linux , Windows (version 8 and 10+), OSX (11+)

Best for:

DaVinci Resolve is best for professionals as well as for day-to-day use. It has all the basic as well as professional working programs.

Price: 295$ for DaVinci Resolve Studio

Ratings: 4.1/5

According to TrustRadius Ratings , DaVinci Resolve has almost 75% of 9-10 reviews. A total of 18 positive and two negative reviews.

Summary & user review

DaVinci Resolve is the software that can solve most of your editing-related problems. With many editing options, it is the tool for all your projects. Both free and paid versions are available. A TrustRadius Ratings and Reviews review states, “ None like it out there.”

2. OpenShot

OpenShot is an easy-to-use, simple-to-understand, and surprisingly powerful video editing tool designed to make video editing straightforward. OpenShot is an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux, and its features make it a valuable and handy video editing software.

It is available in 70+ languages. It might be lacking some features for professional use, but it contains all the essential video editing tools for daily use.

Main features:

• Unlimited tracks
• 3D Animation
• Trim and Cut
• Title Editing
• Different video effects

Pros

• Completely free
• It can be used as a video editing learning tool
• Easy to use

Cons

• Keeps crashing
• Time-consuming tool
• Can’t create good quality animations

Supported OS: Linux , Windows (version 7,8 and 10+), OSX (10.15+)

Best for:

It is best for most users for day-to-day use, but it is not recommended for professional use. You should use other video editing tools for professional and advanced video editing.

Price: Free

Ratings: 4.5/5

According to G2 Ratings , OpenShot has almost 85% of 9-10 reviews. A total of 27 positive and one negative review.

Summary & user review

OpenShot video editor is a free and easy-to-use tool for beginners and primary users. With many features and editing options, such as removing the background from the video, inverting color, adjusting brightness, slowing down or speeding up, and reversing the video, it can help create a good-quality video. A review regarding OpenShot on G2 Ratings and Reviews states: “Easy to use even for beginners.”

3. Pitivi

Pitivi video editor is an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux. It is a simple and unique video editor, that is free and comes with a lot of video editing and transforming features.

It is software designed for beginners and is suitable for creating simple and basic videos for social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok. Its easy user interface makes it a user-friendly tool.

Main features:

• Automatic backups
• Enhanced audio effects
• Framerate independent timeline
• Background processing of video being edited
• Animations, filters, and different transitions

Pros

• Completely free
• Easy to use
• Audio can be edited precisely
• Changes in the video can be seen in real-time
• Automatic backup
• Background processing of thumbnails

Cons

• Only basic editing can be done
• Not recommended for professional use
• Lagging issues
• Compatible with Linux only

Supported OS: Linux

Best for:

Best for beginners and people with primary use. Day-to-day videos for social media use can easily be edited.

Price: Free

Ratings: 4.3/5

According to Slant Ratings , Pitivi has almost 75% of 04-05 ratings. A total of 13 positive and 03 negative reviews.

Summary & user review

It is a simple, unique, and free video editor for beginners. Casual and basic editing can be done using Pitivi.

A review on Slant Ratings and reviews states ,” Free, open source, and easy to use.” and this sums it all up.

4. Shotcut

Shotcut is a free, regularly updated video editing software, with powerful features and an easy user interface. It can be used as an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux.

It offers a simple, user-friendly UI. Shotcut, in contrast to most free video editors, provides features like chroma key and color correction. It contains all the basic and some advanced video editing options but is not recommended for professional use.

Main features:

• Incredibly easy keyframing
• Editing and transitions
• Exporting
• Sleek, user-friendly interface

Pros

• Easy to use
• Regular updates
• Advanced effects
• High-quality input/output support

Cons

• A bit frustrating because of lag
• No preview for effects and transitions
• No stock music
• Can’t upload external subtitles

Supported OS: Linux , Mac, Windows

Best for:

ShotCut is best for beginners and professionals with basic editing needs. It is your go-to editor for editing Youtube or Facebook videos.

Price: 9.79$ at Microsoft US

Ratings: 4.3/5

According to G2 Ratings , ShotCut has almost 85% of 04-05 ratings. A total of 33 positive and 04 negative reviews. A review on G2 Ratings and Reviews states,” Amazing Lightweight Free Basic Video Editor.”

Summary & user review

Shotcut can be used to produce both basic and advanced-level videos. It can be very helpful and handy for professionals in their editing.

5. Avidemux

Avidemux is a perfect tool for simple edits. With limited editing options, it is a very easy-to-use editor for beginners. You can cut, crop, copy or delete parts of your video. 2 or more video clips can also be merged by using Avidemux.

It can render and export at high speeds. Avidemux contains advanced features like a green screen, audio editing, and change speed.

Main features:

• Audio filters
• Video filters and transitions
• Advanced interlacing
• Open source
• Container format
• Encoder

Pros

• Free
• Easy interface
• Standard editing formats available

Cons

• No updates
• No customer support
• No timeline

Supported OS: Linux

Best for:

Avidemux is best for editing, cutting, resizing, and encoding multiple video formats, including MPEG, AVI, MP4, and DVD.

Price: Free

Ratings: 4.5/5

According to G2 Ratings , Avidemux has almost 90% of 4-5 ratings. A total of 8 positive and one negative review.

Summary & user review

Avidemux is a handy video editing software for day-to-day use and it can edit your videos in no time. It is easy to use even for beginners. A review on G2 Ratings and reviews states, “ Avidemux is best for beginners.”

6. Cinelerra

Cinelerra is a free video editing tool that you can use to edit your video and make it look wonderful with different transitions, effects, and texts. Cinelerra is free and open-source software and is considered one of the most used editing softwares for Linux.

It can edit videos of any quality you want and provides you with a perfect video according to your demands. It is helpful for beginners and also handy for professionals.

Main features:

• Video and audio editing
• Different transitions and effects
• Floating point imaging
• Color correction
• Video stabilization
• Motion tracking
• 400 plus decoders and 150 plus encoders

Pros

• Contains all professional features
• It has 3D editing tools
• Real-time processing of the video
• User friendly

Cons

• Only available for Linux
• Some codecs are not supported
• Four windows might get confusing sometimes

Supported OS: Linux

Best for:

It is the best free editing tool for professional and non-professional use. With a lot of video effects and transitions, it makes your video look like a movie.

Price: Free

Ratings: 4.2/5

According to Slant Ratings , Cinelerra has almost 90% of 04-05 ratings. A total of 19 positive and 02 negative reviews.

Summary & user review

Cinelerra is a user-friendly software that has some advanced features like 3D video editing and is free of cost. A review on VideoHelp ratings and reviews states, “The GG version has many professional features. Easy to install too.”

7. Kdenlive

Kdenlive is a free and open-source video editor that can be used in place of Adobe Premiere Pro on Linux. Its best features include multi-track video editing, audio/video formatting, configurable interface and shortcuts, many effects and transitions, audio and video scopes, proxy editing, automatic backup, timeline preview, keyframeable effects, a simple interface, and much more.

Kdenlive lets you use and mix many audio and video tracks, each of which can be locked or muted as needed.

Main features:

• Multi tracks editing
• It supports almost all audio and video formats
• Many shortcuts available
• Titler
• Multiple effects and transitions
• Automatic backup
• Timeline preview
• Keyframing
• Online resources available

Pros

• Automatic backup
• Dozens of transitions and effects
• User-friendly interface
• Fast and stable performance
• Supports 420 plus formats

Cons

• Basic editing
• Not recommended for professional use
• It crashes if you have a slow computer

Supported OS: Linux , Windows, Mac, FreeBSD , Ubuntu

Best for:

Kdenlive is best for casual video editing for social media platforms. Good videos with multiple effects and transitions can be created using this software.

Price: Free

Ratings: 4.1/5

According to Slant Ratings , Kdenlive has almost 70% of 04-05 ratings. A total of 228 positive and 53 negative reviews.

Summary & user review

Kdenlive is a free and open-source editing software that is free and easy to use.

A review on AlternativeTo Ratings and Reviews states, “This is so much more awesome and I worked on it for over 2 hours, and it didn’t crash or lag even once.”

8. Lightworks

Lightworks is a video editing software that is used to enhance the content of videos by both film industry experts and social media marketers. Its free version can satisfy most of its users but if you want more advanced features, you’ll need to pay for this. It is a video editing tool with multi-track editing capabilities and is also powerful, and customizable.

Main features:

• Drag and drop interface
• Color correction
• Blend modes
• Rendering effects
• Applying chromakeys
• Video routing
• Keyframing
• Export to Youtube directly

Pros

• Multiplatform
• Audio/Video editing
• Tutorials available
• Active user forum
• Good performance

Cons

• Export option limited to only 720p
• Difficult for beginners
• You’ve to pay for advanced features

Supported OS: Linux , Mac, Windows

Best for:

Its paid version is best for professionals to create videos with multiple effects and transitions. The free version can also be used for casual video editing.

Price: Lightworks pro is available at 9.99$/month. Its free version is also available.

Ratings: 4.3/5

According to G2 Ratings , Lightworks has almost 75% of 4-5 ratings. A total of 22 positive and 05 negative reviews.

Summary & user review

It is an easy-to-use, advanced, and paid video editing software for Linux for people with a low budget. A review on G2 Ratings and Reviews states, “Good editing platform for intermediate users.”

9. Flowblade

Flowblade is a very famous, easy-to-use, simple, and fast video editor which can be used as an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux. Flowblade is an open-source editor that offers all basic editing options.

It has constantly amazed its users with the smoothness of its playback. There is an inbuilt render UI, which makes the process of delivering your work pretty innocuous.

Main features:

• Editing tool (Insert, Move, Trim, Roll)
• Audio/Video filters
• Proxy editing
• Audio mixer
• Inbuilt rendering
• Titler (Multiple text layers)

Pros

• Powerful
• Multifunctional
• Open source
• Stable

Cons

• For Linux only
• Lack of advanced editing features
• Requires higher display resolutions

Supported OS: Linux

Best for:

It provides a fast, precise, and robust editing experience. It is best for normal day-to-day use.

Price: 24.99$/month; 174.99$/year

Ratings: 4.5/5

According to Slant Ratings , Flowblade has almost 90% of 04-05 ratings. A total of 61 positive and 05 negative reviews.

Summary & user review

Flowblade is advanced, paid, fast, and precise video editing software for people with a low budget. A review on Slant Ratings and Reviews states, “Power, lightweight and multifunctional.”

10. Open Movie Editor

Open Movie Editor is a free and open-source video editing application for generating basic movies. It aspires to be powerful enough for the inexperienced filmmaker while being simple to use. It can be used as an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux.

It helps to create titles in Inkscape. The Open Movie Editor supports a variety of file formats, frame rates, frame sizes, video codecs, and video containers. The Open Movie Editor provides a range of Tools and Filters for adjusting colors and improving the appearance of your videos.

Main features:

• Color grading
• Filter effects
• Different Audio/Video formats
• 3D video editing
• Text overlay
• HD resolution

Pros

• Simple
• Free
• 70 plus languages
• Export your project in 4K, 60FPS

Cons

• Crashes very often
• Rendering speed is slow
• Hard to control video effects

Supported OS: Linux , OS X, Windows

Best for:

It is best for casual use and video editing with limited features. For professional work, you should opt another video editor.

Price: Free

Ratings: 4.0/5

According to Slant Ratings , Open Movie Editor has almost 60% of 04-05 ratings. A total of 25 positive and 16 negative reviews.

Summary & user review

It is a simple, free, and easy-to-use video editor that can edit and export videos in high resolutions.

A review on Slant Ratings and Reviews states,” An easy to use and powerful video editor.”

How to Choose an Alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux?

Out of these 10 software discussed above, which software you want to use is still a bit confusing. If you need basic editing software that is free and open source, you should go for Kdenlive

DaVinci Resolve provides advanced editing features such as color correction, and multi-track editing. This can be your choice if you have a good budget.

Lightworks and Flowblade are the best options if you have got a low budget and need advanced editing options. They provide a good value for money experience.

Open Movie Editor, Cinelerra, Avidemux, OpenShot, and Pitivi are free and easy-to-use software that are the best options for beginners.

Besides, if you are going to switch from Linux to Windows or MacOS. Wondershare Filmora can be your good choice to go. It owns built-in stock media and features that are not so complicated as compared to other software.

Final Words

It has been discussed in detail that there are many free as well as paid editing software that can be used for Linux. Adobe premiere pro is not available for Linux, so one must go with any of these above-mentioned editing products. Free versions are for beginners as they contain basic editing features but paid versions can fulfill the demands of professional moviemakers too.

You can download and install any software according to your demands very easily as they are available on the app store. In the absence of adobe premiere pro, these products add such effects and transitions to your videos/films that make them amazing and thrilling to watch.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Best 10 Alternatives to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux

1. DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve, a tool being used as an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux, provides features like color correction, editing, motion graphics, and audio post-production.

It is easy to learn and use, yet a handy tool for professionals. Using DaVinci Resolve, you can build your multi-user post-production studio.

DaVinci Resolve interface is divided into different pages, providing you with a dedicated workspace for a specific task. You must buy the paid version to get access to all features.

Main features:

• Multi-user collaboration
• Color correction
• All-in-one software for post-production

Pros

• Multiple resolutions and formats are available.
• Quick processing
• Advanced audio processing

Cons

• Some features are limited only to the paid version
• Confusing interface
• Requires much CPU capacity

Supported OS: Linux , Windows (version 8 and 10+), OSX (11+)

Best for:

DaVinci Resolve is best for professionals as well as for day-to-day use. It has all the basic as well as professional working programs.

Price: 295$ for DaVinci Resolve Studio

Ratings: 4.1/5

According to TrustRadius Ratings , DaVinci Resolve has almost 75% of 9-10 reviews. A total of 18 positive and two negative reviews.

Summary & user review

DaVinci Resolve is the software that can solve most of your editing-related problems. With many editing options, it is the tool for all your projects. Both free and paid versions are available. A TrustRadius Ratings and Reviews review states, “ None like it out there.”

2. OpenShot

OpenShot is an easy-to-use, simple-to-understand, and surprisingly powerful video editing tool designed to make video editing straightforward. OpenShot is an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux, and its features make it a valuable and handy video editing software.

It is available in 70+ languages. It might be lacking some features for professional use, but it contains all the essential video editing tools for daily use.

Main features:

• Unlimited tracks
• 3D Animation
• Trim and Cut
• Title Editing
• Different video effects

Pros

• Completely free
• It can be used as a video editing learning tool
• Easy to use

Cons

• Keeps crashing
• Time-consuming tool
• Can’t create good quality animations

Supported OS: Linux , Windows (version 7,8 and 10+), OSX (10.15+)

Best for:

It is best for most users for day-to-day use, but it is not recommended for professional use. You should use other video editing tools for professional and advanced video editing.

Price: Free

Ratings: 4.5/5

According to G2 Ratings , OpenShot has almost 85% of 9-10 reviews. A total of 27 positive and one negative review.

Summary & user review

OpenShot video editor is a free and easy-to-use tool for beginners and primary users. With many features and editing options, such as removing the background from the video, inverting color, adjusting brightness, slowing down or speeding up, and reversing the video, it can help create a good-quality video. A review regarding OpenShot on G2 Ratings and Reviews states: “Easy to use even for beginners.”

3. Pitivi

Pitivi video editor is an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux. It is a simple and unique video editor, that is free and comes with a lot of video editing and transforming features.

It is software designed for beginners and is suitable for creating simple and basic videos for social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok. Its easy user interface makes it a user-friendly tool.

Main features:

• Automatic backups
• Enhanced audio effects
• Framerate independent timeline
• Background processing of video being edited
• Animations, filters, and different transitions

Pros

• Completely free
• Easy to use
• Audio can be edited precisely
• Changes in the video can be seen in real-time
• Automatic backup
• Background processing of thumbnails

Cons

• Only basic editing can be done
• Not recommended for professional use
• Lagging issues
• Compatible with Linux only

Supported OS: Linux

Best for:

Best for beginners and people with primary use. Day-to-day videos for social media use can easily be edited.

Price: Free

Ratings: 4.3/5

According to Slant Ratings , Pitivi has almost 75% of 04-05 ratings. A total of 13 positive and 03 negative reviews.

Summary & user review

It is a simple, unique, and free video editor for beginners. Casual and basic editing can be done using Pitivi.

A review on Slant Ratings and reviews states ,” Free, open source, and easy to use.” and this sums it all up.

4. Shotcut

Shotcut is a free, regularly updated video editing software, with powerful features and an easy user interface. It can be used as an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux.

It offers a simple, user-friendly UI. Shotcut, in contrast to most free video editors, provides features like chroma key and color correction. It contains all the basic and some advanced video editing options but is not recommended for professional use.

Main features:

• Incredibly easy keyframing
• Editing and transitions
• Exporting
• Sleek, user-friendly interface

Pros

• Easy to use
• Regular updates
• Advanced effects
• High-quality input/output support

Cons

• A bit frustrating because of lag
• No preview for effects and transitions
• No stock music
• Can’t upload external subtitles

Supported OS: Linux , Mac, Windows

Best for:

ShotCut is best for beginners and professionals with basic editing needs. It is your go-to editor for editing Youtube or Facebook videos.

Price: 9.79$ at Microsoft US

Ratings: 4.3/5

According to G2 Ratings , ShotCut has almost 85% of 04-05 ratings. A total of 33 positive and 04 negative reviews. A review on G2 Ratings and Reviews states,” Amazing Lightweight Free Basic Video Editor.”

Summary & user review

Shotcut can be used to produce both basic and advanced-level videos. It can be very helpful and handy for professionals in their editing.

5. Avidemux

Avidemux is a perfect tool for simple edits. With limited editing options, it is a very easy-to-use editor for beginners. You can cut, crop, copy or delete parts of your video. 2 or more video clips can also be merged by using Avidemux.

It can render and export at high speeds. Avidemux contains advanced features like a green screen, audio editing, and change speed.

Main features:

• Audio filters
• Video filters and transitions
• Advanced interlacing
• Open source
• Container format
• Encoder

Pros

• Free
• Easy interface
• Standard editing formats available

Cons

• No updates
• No customer support
• No timeline

Supported OS: Linux

Best for:

Avidemux is best for editing, cutting, resizing, and encoding multiple video formats, including MPEG, AVI, MP4, and DVD.

Price: Free

Ratings: 4.5/5

According to G2 Ratings , Avidemux has almost 90% of 4-5 ratings. A total of 8 positive and one negative review.

Summary & user review

Avidemux is a handy video editing software for day-to-day use and it can edit your videos in no time. It is easy to use even for beginners. A review on G2 Ratings and reviews states, “ Avidemux is best for beginners.”

6. Cinelerra

Cinelerra is a free video editing tool that you can use to edit your video and make it look wonderful with different transitions, effects, and texts. Cinelerra is free and open-source software and is considered one of the most used editing softwares for Linux.

It can edit videos of any quality you want and provides you with a perfect video according to your demands. It is helpful for beginners and also handy for professionals.

Main features:

• Video and audio editing
• Different transitions and effects
• Floating point imaging
• Color correction
• Video stabilization
• Motion tracking
• 400 plus decoders and 150 plus encoders

Pros

• Contains all professional features
• It has 3D editing tools
• Real-time processing of the video
• User friendly

Cons

• Only available for Linux
• Some codecs are not supported
• Four windows might get confusing sometimes

Supported OS: Linux

Best for:

It is the best free editing tool for professional and non-professional use. With a lot of video effects and transitions, it makes your video look like a movie.

Price: Free

Ratings: 4.2/5

According to Slant Ratings , Cinelerra has almost 90% of 04-05 ratings. A total of 19 positive and 02 negative reviews.

Summary & user review

Cinelerra is a user-friendly software that has some advanced features like 3D video editing and is free of cost. A review on VideoHelp ratings and reviews states, “The GG version has many professional features. Easy to install too.”

7. Kdenlive

Kdenlive is a free and open-source video editor that can be used in place of Adobe Premiere Pro on Linux. Its best features include multi-track video editing, audio/video formatting, configurable interface and shortcuts, many effects and transitions, audio and video scopes, proxy editing, automatic backup, timeline preview, keyframeable effects, a simple interface, and much more.

Kdenlive lets you use and mix many audio and video tracks, each of which can be locked or muted as needed.

Main features:

• Multi tracks editing
• It supports almost all audio and video formats
• Many shortcuts available
• Titler
• Multiple effects and transitions
• Automatic backup
• Timeline preview
• Keyframing
• Online resources available

Pros

• Automatic backup
• Dozens of transitions and effects
• User-friendly interface
• Fast and stable performance
• Supports 420 plus formats

Cons

• Basic editing
• Not recommended for professional use
• It crashes if you have a slow computer

Supported OS: Linux , Windows, Mac, FreeBSD , Ubuntu

Best for:

Kdenlive is best for casual video editing for social media platforms. Good videos with multiple effects and transitions can be created using this software.

Price: Free

Ratings: 4.1/5

According to Slant Ratings , Kdenlive has almost 70% of 04-05 ratings. A total of 228 positive and 53 negative reviews.

Summary & user review

Kdenlive is a free and open-source editing software that is free and easy to use.

A review on AlternativeTo Ratings and Reviews states, “This is so much more awesome and I worked on it for over 2 hours, and it didn’t crash or lag even once.”

8. Lightworks

Lightworks is a video editing software that is used to enhance the content of videos by both film industry experts and social media marketers. Its free version can satisfy most of its users but if you want more advanced features, you’ll need to pay for this. It is a video editing tool with multi-track editing capabilities and is also powerful, and customizable.

Main features:

• Drag and drop interface
• Color correction
• Blend modes
• Rendering effects
• Applying chromakeys
• Video routing
• Keyframing
• Export to Youtube directly

Pros

• Multiplatform
• Audio/Video editing
• Tutorials available
• Active user forum
• Good performance

Cons

• Export option limited to only 720p
• Difficult for beginners
• You’ve to pay for advanced features

Supported OS: Linux , Mac, Windows

Best for:

Its paid version is best for professionals to create videos with multiple effects and transitions. The free version can also be used for casual video editing.

Price: Lightworks pro is available at 9.99$/month. Its free version is also available.

Ratings: 4.3/5

According to G2 Ratings , Lightworks has almost 75% of 4-5 ratings. A total of 22 positive and 05 negative reviews.

Summary & user review

It is an easy-to-use, advanced, and paid video editing software for Linux for people with a low budget. A review on G2 Ratings and Reviews states, “Good editing platform for intermediate users.”

9. Flowblade

Flowblade is a very famous, easy-to-use, simple, and fast video editor which can be used as an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux. Flowblade is an open-source editor that offers all basic editing options.

It has constantly amazed its users with the smoothness of its playback. There is an inbuilt render UI, which makes the process of delivering your work pretty innocuous.

Main features:

• Editing tool (Insert, Move, Trim, Roll)
• Audio/Video filters
• Proxy editing
• Audio mixer
• Inbuilt rendering
• Titler (Multiple text layers)

Pros

• Powerful
• Multifunctional
• Open source
• Stable

Cons

• For Linux only
• Lack of advanced editing features
• Requires higher display resolutions

Supported OS: Linux

Best for:

It provides a fast, precise, and robust editing experience. It is best for normal day-to-day use.

Price: 24.99$/month; 174.99$/year

Ratings: 4.5/5

According to Slant Ratings , Flowblade has almost 90% of 04-05 ratings. A total of 61 positive and 05 negative reviews.

Summary & user review

Flowblade is advanced, paid, fast, and precise video editing software for people with a low budget. A review on Slant Ratings and Reviews states, “Power, lightweight and multifunctional.”

10. Open Movie Editor

Open Movie Editor is a free and open-source video editing application for generating basic movies. It aspires to be powerful enough for the inexperienced filmmaker while being simple to use. It can be used as an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux.

It helps to create titles in Inkscape. The Open Movie Editor supports a variety of file formats, frame rates, frame sizes, video codecs, and video containers. The Open Movie Editor provides a range of Tools and Filters for adjusting colors and improving the appearance of your videos.

Main features:

• Color grading
• Filter effects
• Different Audio/Video formats
• 3D video editing
• Text overlay
• HD resolution

Pros

• Simple
• Free
• 70 plus languages
• Export your project in 4K, 60FPS

Cons

• Crashes very often
• Rendering speed is slow
• Hard to control video effects

Supported OS: Linux , OS X, Windows

Best for:

It is best for casual use and video editing with limited features. For professional work, you should opt another video editor.

Price: Free

Ratings: 4.0/5

According to Slant Ratings , Open Movie Editor has almost 60% of 04-05 ratings. A total of 25 positive and 16 negative reviews.

Summary & user review

It is a simple, free, and easy-to-use video editor that can edit and export videos in high resolutions.

A review on Slant Ratings and Reviews states,” An easy to use and powerful video editor.”

How to Choose an Alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro for Linux?

Out of these 10 software discussed above, which software you want to use is still a bit confusing. If you need basic editing software that is free and open source, you should go for Kdenlive

DaVinci Resolve provides advanced editing features such as color correction, and multi-track editing. This can be your choice if you have a good budget.

Lightworks and Flowblade are the best options if you have got a low budget and need advanced editing options. They provide a good value for money experience.

Open Movie Editor, Cinelerra, Avidemux, OpenShot, and Pitivi are free and easy-to-use software that are the best options for beginners.

Besides, if you are going to switch from Linux to Windows or MacOS. Wondershare Filmora can be your good choice to go. It owns built-in stock media and features that are not so complicated as compared to other software.

Final Words

It has been discussed in detail that there are many free as well as paid editing software that can be used for Linux. Adobe premiere pro is not available for Linux, so one must go with any of these above-mentioned editing products. Free versions are for beginners as they contain basic editing features but paid versions can fulfill the demands of professional moviemakers too.

You can download and install any software according to your demands very easily as they are available on the app store. In the absence of adobe premiere pro, these products add such effects and transitions to your videos/films that make them amazing and thrilling to watch.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Video Editor’s Toolkit: 10 Must-Have Software

Top 10 Professional Video Editing Software [Free Download]

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The advent of digital video technology has opened an unprecedented opportunity for novice and professional filmmakers alike. Professional video editing software is an essential tool to create high-quality productions and visuals with accuracy, speed, and flexibility.

Whether you are a filmmaker looking to create content for the big screen or a commercial director trying to make your mark in the industry, a professional video editing program can give you the tools needed to produce highly polished visuals. Today’s advanced editors come with preloaded templates and effects that enable filmmakers to save time without sacrificing quality.

We’ve done some extensive research on what some consider to be the 10 best professional video editing software currently on the market, and we’re here to present what we’ve managed to find.

• Part 1: Top 10 Professional Video Editing Software Free Download
• Part 2: Tips for Choosing Professional Video Editing Software
• Part 3: FAQ about Professional Video Editing Software

Part 1: Top 10 Professional Video Editing Software Free Download

Here is the 10 best professional video editing software for you to free download.

1 - Filmora	2 - EDIUS
3 - Autodesk Smoke	4 - Avid Media Composer
5 - Adobe Premiere Pro CC	6 - Final Cut Pro
7 - HitFilm Pr	8 - Lightworks
9 - Blender	10 - Magix Video Pro X

1. Filmora

Price: $79.99 Customers can add $36.96/month for effects and plugins, $49.99 Customers can add $18.99/month for effects and plugins

Pros: The best value on the list, covers everything a pro video editor should have, Easy-to-use.

The newly released professional video editor app from Wondershare is specially designed for pros looking for a quick way to edit videos in a professional way.

The Filmora video editing software makes professional video editing easy. You can add unlimited video and audio tracks and control the panels at your hand.

You can also use customizable animations to establish your style and use high-quality presets to get a detailed color correction.

2. EDIUS

Price: $499, One-Time Purchase

Pros: Genderless video editing, 4K HDR workflow, flexible user interface, real-time conversion rates, support for a wide variety of video formats, fast AVCHD editing, motion tracking, 3-way color correction.

Cons: Relatively broadcast-oriented.

EDIUS is a free download video editing software that evolved out of what was originally a number of Adobe Premiere Plus plugins.

Ever since its release, EDIUS has gained a loyal following that appreciates both its business model and the operations that the program can perform.

More than a handful of broadcasters worldwide use EDIUS as their program of choice, both due to its flexibility when dealing with various video formats and because it’s quite easy to use when compared to some of its competitors.

Why do so many people swear by EDIUS? Well, according to its fanbase, EDIUS tends to be quite fast when processing, importing, editing, and exporting videos - couple that with the fact that EDIUS doesn’t require a subscription, and you’ve got yourself a thoroughly solid video editing software that can go toe to toe with its rivals.

3. Autodesk Smoke

Price: $190, Monthly Subscription, 1505$, Yearly Subscription

Pros: Timeline-based creative workflow, node-based compositing, ability to flawlessly make use of 3D animations and modeling, a high degree of stability (no crashes!).

Cons: Can only be used on a single monitor. Furthermore, Autodesk Smoke is exclusively for Mac users.

Autodesk is a video editing software that is favored by many people to due to its node-based compositing.

To put it as simple as possible, the video editor achieves a higher level of complexity than other popular software.

Smoke’s real strength lies in editorial and finishing functions. While the professional video editing software that is free to download doesn’t necessarily offer anything that its competitors don’t, this video editing software comes out on top when it comes to 3D effects.

4. Avid Media Composer

Price: $199.99 for a Year’s Subscription, or $24.99 Monthly

Pros: Free download, Advanced color-correction, built-in metadata and effect tools, HDR support, Multicam editing, FrameFlex, keyboard mapping, background rendering, real-time editing, a very high degree of stability, and serves as a great starting point for budding video editors.

Cons: Steep learning curve and outdated interface. However, learning how to use Avid Media Composer will enable you to jump right into other video editing software with ease.

Check the detailed tutorial about How to Edit Videos with avidemux

Most people interested in the business have heard of Avid Media Composer because it’s what most professional video editors use for big blockbuster Hollywood movies.

Avid Media Composer is, arguably, the video editing industry’s preferred software you can download freely - and it’s easy to see why, since it pretty much has everything you might ever need, all rolled up into one neat package.

While some complain that it’s hard to use and the interface looks very outdated, many insist that this allows you to build a solid foundation from which your video editing career can skyrocket.

As a matter of fact, its popularity only serves to show that people prefer it for a reason: and that’s because Avid Media Composer is stunningly robust.

Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Filmora - Best Professional Video Editor Ever

• Easily to create and edit videos with plenty of pro effects and filters

• Automatically convert audio to text for adding subtitiles and captions

• Cross-platform supported - (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Try Pro Video Editor Try Pro Video Editor Try Pro Video Editor Learn More >

5. Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Price: $31.49 Monthly Subscription, $239.88 Yearly Subscription

Pros: Highly customizable and streamlined interface, easy to use for people with past experience in Adobe products but no previous video editing experience, a large variety of tools such as color matching and multi-camera rendering, and a fast rendering speed.

Cons: New updates might have a couple of bugs, so you should be a bit patient before you update if you want to keep it on the safe side. Mac users also report that it runs a bit slow on their systems.

You may also like: Best Transition Plugins for Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro CC is one of the best choices an amateur video editor could make when choosing his apparatus.

Both affordable and intuitive, this software has been at the top of the market for more than a couple of years, and now shows no sign of stopping, since it is constantly being supplied with new updates with free downloading.

If you’re looking to achieve a professional level of video editing with little to no previous experience, then look no further, as Adobe Premiere Pro CC might just be the perfect tool for you. With that being said, professional video editors should not shy away from this Adobe video editing software.

6. Final Cut Pro

Price: $299, One-Time Purchase

Pros: Support for 360-degree VR, HDR, multi-camera editing, fast rendering speed, a large variety of interesting tools, expansive library of plugins, and easy-to-use color correction, grading, and adjustment tools. Final Cut Pro has also been designed and optimized for Mac operating systems.

Cons: Only for Mac users. Large project files can also be slow.

You may also like: How to Edit YouTube Videos in FCP

Final Cut Pro is Apple’s response to video editing software. The UI design is sleek and modern, the workflow is intuitive and easy to work with, and the program is impressively fast, even when working with 4K resolutions.

For many Mac users, Final Cut Pro is the definitive answer to their search for a strong video editing software that has been created with macOS in mind (free download).

7. HitFilm Pro

Price: $341.01, One-Time Purchase, $0 for Hitfilm Express (Free)

Pros: Color grading, familiar workflow, a large variety of video effects and presets, automatic audio syncing, impressive 3D graphics.

Cons: Complex for beginners. Effects oriented.

HitFilm Pro is an NLE that puts a heavy focus on the graphical aspect of such free download software. Additions like the automatic audio syncing is highly valued as a convenient quality of life tool. Multiple plugins can be added, though they cost a fee.

The program features several video tutorials that are targeted towards amateur video editors, as well.

Filmora Video Editor

Create AI-Generated Video with Filmora

Filmora video editor offers a ChatGPT plug-in and AI tools to enhance your creative vision. Make your idea into reality. Combine AI with this professional video editing software!

Edit Video with AI Edit Video with AI Edit Video with AI Learn More >

8. Lightworks

Price: $24.99 monthly for Lightworks Pro, $0 (Free)

Pros: Simplified video editing process, extensive format and codec support, a large number of effects and tools, photo slideshows, 4K support, audio mixing, and 60 fps rendering.

Cons: Outdated UI, learning curve.

You may also like: Best Plugins for Lightworks

Lightworks is a flexible video editing software that has gained a good position on the mark due to its consistent design structure.

The workspace is customizable, and while the UI can feel outdated at first, those with experience in video editing should not find it too much of a hassle.

Lightworks is the type of software that is robust all-around - and there’s also a free version out there, so amateurs can get to know what they’re getting into.

9. Blender

Price: $0 (Free)

Pros: Easy to use, with a good variety of tools and the ability to quickly add text and effects to produced animations. Compositing is very impressive.

Cons: No audio editing. Lacks complexity when compared to a couple of its competitors.

While Blender is mostly known for being a software whose main focus is animation, it also features a built-in video editor that is by no means lackluster. Blender has the bonus of being able to work on 3D animations and take care of the video editing process at the same time.

10. Magix Video Pro X

Price: $399, One-Time Purchase

Pros: Supports free download, Wide format support, multi-cam editing, lookup table handling, 3-way color correction, 360 degree video support, many available effects, strong performance.

Cons: Does not work with Mac operating systems. No import tools.

Learn some Magix Movie Edit Pro Video Editing Tips for Beginners

Magix Video Pro X is an NLE that has recently been making a name for itself due to its consistency and welcoming attitude towards amateur video editors. This tool is versatile and can deal with a wide range of situations head-on with no issue whatsoever.

While this isn’t the easiest program to start using, if you don’t quite know what you’re doing, you’ll be happy to know that Magix Video Pro X features a basic mode that has been designed to ease newcomers into the industry.

Try Filmora to Make Professional Videos!

Filmora Video Editor is an expert in creating and editing videos, you can follow the easy-to-use interface to make videos like a pro! It can also capture any area of the PC screen and webcam, and add different effects and filters to upgrade your video to an upper level! Worth to have a try!

Start Video Recording Start Video Recording Start Video Recording Learn More >

Part 2: Tips for Choosing Professional Video Editing Software

1. Check your computer specification and performance before purchasing

Professional video editing software may use lots of resources. It is recommended that you check computer specification and the system requirements of the professional editing software that you want to purchase.

To get the full experience of professional video editing, your computer would be better to equipped higher than meeting the mini requirements.

2. How to master the professional video editing software

If you have limited video editing experience and want to become a professional video editor, it is recommended to spend time in editing and take some training or course to master it.

You can find many tutorials about Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Final Cut Pro X on YouTube. Or, you can attain online courses on Udemy or Lynda. If you want to convince people that you are a professional video editor, it is recommended to take some certifications.

As you may know that Adobe and Apple both provide official certification exams. A certification will be more convincing when people doubt your editing skills.

3. What should I consider before going for a Pro video editor

If you are reading this line, you can ask yourself a question ‘what intrigues me to choose a pro video editor? It is because you see other professional YouTuber using them? Do I have the time to learn these professional video editors?;’ If it is the case, you should consider the price you’re paying and whether those high-end features and functions are the things you’ll need.

With its extremely low-learning-curve and user-friendly interface, Filmora can deal with 95% of your video editing needs with just $49.99 per year. With Filmora, you don’t have to spend time on a boring guide and you can do video editing right away since everything is designed for this purpose.

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Part 3: FAQ about Professional Video Editing Software

What software do professional video editors use?

Many people ask what software professional video editors use. The truth is for professional editors use various tools to improve video editing efficiency. For audio editing, they use Adobe Audition. For color grading, many people choose Final Cut Pro. For video editing workflow, they also use Premiere Pro and Lightworks. For semi-pros, they use Filmora to accelerate the video editing process.

What do most YouTubers use to edit their videos?

Most YouTubers, they like easy to use a video editor to make YouTube videos. They choose Filmora to add more than 300 built-in effects, intros, text, and transitions. A group of YouTubers with advanced video editing skills, tend to use Premiere Pro.

What is the best video editing software for beginners?

For beginners, the most important criteria you need to consider are simplicity and price. They like to use Filmora, Movavi, Powerdirector, and iMovie on their PC. For mobile video editing, they like to use LumaFusion, KineMaster, and Apple Clips.

Is Adobe Premiere Pro free?

No, it is not free. Adobe Premiere Pro includes 3 different price plans. Annual plan, paid monthly at $20.99/month. Annual plan, prepaid $239.98/year. A monthly plan, $31.48/month.

Conclusion

We hope this list will have guided you toward making the right choice when it comes to investing in professional video editing software. While this was by no means an extensive list, we aimed to summarize professional video editing software information to help you make an informed decision when purchasing your tool of the trade.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The advent of digital video technology has opened an unprecedented opportunity for novice and professional filmmakers alike. Professional video editing software is an essential tool to create high-quality productions and visuals with accuracy, speed, and flexibility.

Whether you are a filmmaker looking to create content for the big screen or a commercial director trying to make your mark in the industry, a professional video editing program can give you the tools needed to produce highly polished visuals. Today’s advanced editors come with preloaded templates and effects that enable filmmakers to save time without sacrificing quality.

We’ve done some extensive research on what some consider to be the 10 best professional video editing software currently on the market, and we’re here to present what we’ve managed to find.

• Part 1: Top 10 Professional Video Editing Software Free Download
• Part 2: Tips for Choosing Professional Video Editing Software
• Part 3: FAQ about Professional Video Editing Software

Part 1: Top 10 Professional Video Editing Software Free Download

Here is the 10 best professional video editing software for you to free download.

1 - Filmora	2 - EDIUS
3 - Autodesk Smoke	4 - Avid Media Composer
5 - Adobe Premiere Pro CC	6 - Final Cut Pro
7 - HitFilm Pr	8 - Lightworks
9 - Blender	10 - Magix Video Pro X

1. Filmora

Price: $79.99 Customers can add $36.96/month for effects and plugins, $49.99 Customers can add $18.99/month for effects and plugins

Pros: The best value on the list, covers everything a pro video editor should have, Easy-to-use.

The newly released professional video editor app from Wondershare is specially designed for pros looking for a quick way to edit videos in a professional way.

The Filmora video editing software makes professional video editing easy. You can add unlimited video and audio tracks and control the panels at your hand.

You can also use customizable animations to establish your style and use high-quality presets to get a detailed color correction.

2. EDIUS

Price: $499, One-Time Purchase

Pros: Genderless video editing, 4K HDR workflow, flexible user interface, real-time conversion rates, support for a wide variety of video formats, fast AVCHD editing, motion tracking, 3-way color correction.

Cons: Relatively broadcast-oriented.

EDIUS is a free download video editing software that evolved out of what was originally a number of Adobe Premiere Plus plugins.

Ever since its release, EDIUS has gained a loyal following that appreciates both its business model and the operations that the program can perform.

More than a handful of broadcasters worldwide use EDIUS as their program of choice, both due to its flexibility when dealing with various video formats and because it’s quite easy to use when compared to some of its competitors.

Why do so many people swear by EDIUS? Well, according to its fanbase, EDIUS tends to be quite fast when processing, importing, editing, and exporting videos - couple that with the fact that EDIUS doesn’t require a subscription, and you’ve got yourself a thoroughly solid video editing software that can go toe to toe with its rivals.

3. Autodesk Smoke

Price: $190, Monthly Subscription, 1505$, Yearly Subscription

Pros: Timeline-based creative workflow, node-based compositing, ability to flawlessly make use of 3D animations and modeling, a high degree of stability (no crashes!).

Cons: Can only be used on a single monitor. Furthermore, Autodesk Smoke is exclusively for Mac users.

Autodesk is a video editing software that is favored by many people to due to its node-based compositing.

To put it as simple as possible, the video editor achieves a higher level of complexity than other popular software.

Smoke’s real strength lies in editorial and finishing functions. While the professional video editing software that is free to download doesn’t necessarily offer anything that its competitors don’t, this video editing software comes out on top when it comes to 3D effects.

4. Avid Media Composer

Price: $199.99 for a Year’s Subscription, or $24.99 Monthly

Pros: Free download, Advanced color-correction, built-in metadata and effect tools, HDR support, Multicam editing, FrameFlex, keyboard mapping, background rendering, real-time editing, a very high degree of stability, and serves as a great starting point for budding video editors.

Cons: Steep learning curve and outdated interface. However, learning how to use Avid Media Composer will enable you to jump right into other video editing software with ease.

Check the detailed tutorial about How to Edit Videos with avidemux

Most people interested in the business have heard of Avid Media Composer because it’s what most professional video editors use for big blockbuster Hollywood movies.

Avid Media Composer is, arguably, the video editing industry’s preferred software you can download freely - and it’s easy to see why, since it pretty much has everything you might ever need, all rolled up into one neat package.

While some complain that it’s hard to use and the interface looks very outdated, many insist that this allows you to build a solid foundation from which your video editing career can skyrocket.

As a matter of fact, its popularity only serves to show that people prefer it for a reason: and that’s because Avid Media Composer is stunningly robust.

Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Filmora - Best Professional Video Editor Ever

• Easily to create and edit videos with plenty of pro effects and filters

• Automatically convert audio to text for adding subtitiles and captions

• Cross-platform supported - (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Try Pro Video Editor Try Pro Video Editor Try Pro Video Editor Learn More >

5. Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Price: $31.49 Monthly Subscription, $239.88 Yearly Subscription

Pros: Highly customizable and streamlined interface, easy to use for people with past experience in Adobe products but no previous video editing experience, a large variety of tools such as color matching and multi-camera rendering, and a fast rendering speed.

Cons: New updates might have a couple of bugs, so you should be a bit patient before you update if you want to keep it on the safe side. Mac users also report that it runs a bit slow on their systems.

You may also like: Best Transition Plugins for Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro CC is one of the best choices an amateur video editor could make when choosing his apparatus.

Both affordable and intuitive, this software has been at the top of the market for more than a couple of years, and now shows no sign of stopping, since it is constantly being supplied with new updates with free downloading.

If you’re looking to achieve a professional level of video editing with little to no previous experience, then look no further, as Adobe Premiere Pro CC might just be the perfect tool for you. With that being said, professional video editors should not shy away from this Adobe video editing software.

6. Final Cut Pro

Price: $299, One-Time Purchase

Pros: Support for 360-degree VR, HDR, multi-camera editing, fast rendering speed, a large variety of interesting tools, expansive library of plugins, and easy-to-use color correction, grading, and adjustment tools. Final Cut Pro has also been designed and optimized for Mac operating systems.

Cons: Only for Mac users. Large project files can also be slow.

You may also like: How to Edit YouTube Videos in FCP

Final Cut Pro is Apple’s response to video editing software. The UI design is sleek and modern, the workflow is intuitive and easy to work with, and the program is impressively fast, even when working with 4K resolutions.

For many Mac users, Final Cut Pro is the definitive answer to their search for a strong video editing software that has been created with macOS in mind (free download).

7. HitFilm Pro

Price: $341.01, One-Time Purchase, $0 for Hitfilm Express (Free)

Pros: Color grading, familiar workflow, a large variety of video effects and presets, automatic audio syncing, impressive 3D graphics.

Cons: Complex for beginners. Effects oriented.

HitFilm Pro is an NLE that puts a heavy focus on the graphical aspect of such free download software. Additions like the automatic audio syncing is highly valued as a convenient quality of life tool. Multiple plugins can be added, though they cost a fee.

The program features several video tutorials that are targeted towards amateur video editors, as well.

Filmora Video Editor

Create AI-Generated Video with Filmora

Filmora video editor offers a ChatGPT plug-in and AI tools to enhance your creative vision. Make your idea into reality. Combine AI with this professional video editing software!

Edit Video with AI Edit Video with AI Edit Video with AI Learn More >

8. Lightworks

Price: $24.99 monthly for Lightworks Pro, $0 (Free)

Pros: Simplified video editing process, extensive format and codec support, a large number of effects and tools, photo slideshows, 4K support, audio mixing, and 60 fps rendering.

Cons: Outdated UI, learning curve.

You may also like: Best Plugins for Lightworks

Lightworks is a flexible video editing software that has gained a good position on the mark due to its consistent design structure.

The workspace is customizable, and while the UI can feel outdated at first, those with experience in video editing should not find it too much of a hassle.

Lightworks is the type of software that is robust all-around - and there’s also a free version out there, so amateurs can get to know what they’re getting into.

9. Blender

Price: $0 (Free)

Pros: Easy to use, with a good variety of tools and the ability to quickly add text and effects to produced animations. Compositing is very impressive.

Cons: No audio editing. Lacks complexity when compared to a couple of its competitors.

While Blender is mostly known for being a software whose main focus is animation, it also features a built-in video editor that is by no means lackluster. Blender has the bonus of being able to work on 3D animations and take care of the video editing process at the same time.

10. Magix Video Pro X

Price: $399, One-Time Purchase

Pros: Supports free download, Wide format support, multi-cam editing, lookup table handling, 3-way color correction, 360 degree video support, many available effects, strong performance.

Cons: Does not work with Mac operating systems. No import tools.

Learn some Magix Movie Edit Pro Video Editing Tips for Beginners

Magix Video Pro X is an NLE that has recently been making a name for itself due to its consistency and welcoming attitude towards amateur video editors. This tool is versatile and can deal with a wide range of situations head-on with no issue whatsoever.

While this isn’t the easiest program to start using, if you don’t quite know what you’re doing, you’ll be happy to know that Magix Video Pro X features a basic mode that has been designed to ease newcomers into the industry.

Try Filmora to Make Professional Videos!

Filmora Video Editor is an expert in creating and editing videos, you can follow the easy-to-use interface to make videos like a pro! It can also capture any area of the PC screen and webcam, and add different effects and filters to upgrade your video to an upper level! Worth to have a try!

Start Video Recording Start Video Recording Start Video Recording Learn More >

Part 2: Tips for Choosing Professional Video Editing Software

1. Check your computer specification and performance before purchasing

Professional video editing software may use lots of resources. It is recommended that you check computer specification and the system requirements of the professional editing software that you want to purchase.

To get the full experience of professional video editing, your computer would be better to equipped higher than meeting the mini requirements.

2. How to master the professional video editing software

If you have limited video editing experience and want to become a professional video editor, it is recommended to spend time in editing and take some training or course to master it.

You can find many tutorials about Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Final Cut Pro X on YouTube. Or, you can attain online courses on Udemy or Lynda. If you want to convince people that you are a professional video editor, it is recommended to take some certifications.

As you may know that Adobe and Apple both provide official certification exams. A certification will be more convincing when people doubt your editing skills.

3. What should I consider before going for a Pro video editor

If you are reading this line, you can ask yourself a question ‘what intrigues me to choose a pro video editor? It is because you see other professional YouTuber using them? Do I have the time to learn these professional video editors?;’ If it is the case, you should consider the price you’re paying and whether those high-end features and functions are the things you’ll need.

With its extremely low-learning-curve and user-friendly interface, Filmora can deal with 95% of your video editing needs with just $49.99 per year. With Filmora, you don’t have to spend time on a boring guide and you can do video editing right away since everything is designed for this purpose.

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Part 3: FAQ about Professional Video Editing Software

What software do professional video editors use?

Many people ask what software professional video editors use. The truth is for professional editors use various tools to improve video editing efficiency. For audio editing, they use Adobe Audition. For color grading, many people choose Final Cut Pro. For video editing workflow, they also use Premiere Pro and Lightworks. For semi-pros, they use Filmora to accelerate the video editing process.

What do most YouTubers use to edit their videos?

Most YouTubers, they like easy to use a video editor to make YouTube videos. They choose Filmora to add more than 300 built-in effects, intros, text, and transitions. A group of YouTubers with advanced video editing skills, tend to use Premiere Pro.

What is the best video editing software for beginners?

For beginners, the most important criteria you need to consider are simplicity and price. They like to use Filmora, Movavi, Powerdirector, and iMovie on their PC. For mobile video editing, they like to use LumaFusion, KineMaster, and Apple Clips.

Is Adobe Premiere Pro free?

No, it is not free. Adobe Premiere Pro includes 3 different price plans. Annual plan, paid monthly at $20.99/month. Annual plan, prepaid $239.98/year. A monthly plan, $31.48/month.

Conclusion

We hope this list will have guided you toward making the right choice when it comes to investing in professional video editing software. While this was by no means an extensive list, we aimed to summarize professional video editing software information to help you make an informed decision when purchasing your tool of the trade.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The advent of digital video technology has opened an unprecedented opportunity for novice and professional filmmakers alike. Professional video editing software is an essential tool to create high-quality productions and visuals with accuracy, speed, and flexibility.

Whether you are a filmmaker looking to create content for the big screen or a commercial director trying to make your mark in the industry, a professional video editing program can give you the tools needed to produce highly polished visuals. Today’s advanced editors come with preloaded templates and effects that enable filmmakers to save time without sacrificing quality.

We’ve done some extensive research on what some consider to be the 10 best professional video editing software currently on the market, and we’re here to present what we’ve managed to find.

• Part 1: Top 10 Professional Video Editing Software Free Download
• Part 2: Tips for Choosing Professional Video Editing Software
• Part 3: FAQ about Professional Video Editing Software

Part 1: Top 10 Professional Video Editing Software Free Download

Here is the 10 best professional video editing software for you to free download.

1 - Filmora	2 - EDIUS
3 - Autodesk Smoke	4 - Avid Media Composer
5 - Adobe Premiere Pro CC	6 - Final Cut Pro
7 - HitFilm Pr	8 - Lightworks
9 - Blender	10 - Magix Video Pro X

1. Filmora

Price: $79.99 Customers can add $36.96/month for effects and plugins, $49.99 Customers can add $18.99/month for effects and plugins

Pros: The best value on the list, covers everything a pro video editor should have, Easy-to-use.

The newly released professional video editor app from Wondershare is specially designed for pros looking for a quick way to edit videos in a professional way.

The Filmora video editing software makes professional video editing easy. You can add unlimited video and audio tracks and control the panels at your hand.

You can also use customizable animations to establish your style and use high-quality presets to get a detailed color correction.

2. EDIUS

Price: $499, One-Time Purchase

Pros: Genderless video editing, 4K HDR workflow, flexible user interface, real-time conversion rates, support for a wide variety of video formats, fast AVCHD editing, motion tracking, 3-way color correction.

Cons: Relatively broadcast-oriented.

EDIUS is a free download video editing software that evolved out of what was originally a number of Adobe Premiere Plus plugins.

Ever since its release, EDIUS has gained a loyal following that appreciates both its business model and the operations that the program can perform.

More than a handful of broadcasters worldwide use EDIUS as their program of choice, both due to its flexibility when dealing with various video formats and because it’s quite easy to use when compared to some of its competitors.

Why do so many people swear by EDIUS? Well, according to its fanbase, EDIUS tends to be quite fast when processing, importing, editing, and exporting videos - couple that with the fact that EDIUS doesn’t require a subscription, and you’ve got yourself a thoroughly solid video editing software that can go toe to toe with its rivals.

3. Autodesk Smoke

Price: $190, Monthly Subscription, 1505$, Yearly Subscription

Pros: Timeline-based creative workflow, node-based compositing, ability to flawlessly make use of 3D animations and modeling, a high degree of stability (no crashes!).

Cons: Can only be used on a single monitor. Furthermore, Autodesk Smoke is exclusively for Mac users.

Autodesk is a video editing software that is favored by many people to due to its node-based compositing.

To put it as simple as possible, the video editor achieves a higher level of complexity than other popular software.

Smoke’s real strength lies in editorial and finishing functions. While the professional video editing software that is free to download doesn’t necessarily offer anything that its competitors don’t, this video editing software comes out on top when it comes to 3D effects.

4. Avid Media Composer

Price: $199.99 for a Year’s Subscription, or $24.99 Monthly

Pros: Free download, Advanced color-correction, built-in metadata and effect tools, HDR support, Multicam editing, FrameFlex, keyboard mapping, background rendering, real-time editing, a very high degree of stability, and serves as a great starting point for budding video editors.

Cons: Steep learning curve and outdated interface. However, learning how to use Avid Media Composer will enable you to jump right into other video editing software with ease.

Check the detailed tutorial about How to Edit Videos with avidemux

Most people interested in the business have heard of Avid Media Composer because it’s what most professional video editors use for big blockbuster Hollywood movies.

Avid Media Composer is, arguably, the video editing industry’s preferred software you can download freely - and it’s easy to see why, since it pretty much has everything you might ever need, all rolled up into one neat package.

While some complain that it’s hard to use and the interface looks very outdated, many insist that this allows you to build a solid foundation from which your video editing career can skyrocket.

As a matter of fact, its popularity only serves to show that people prefer it for a reason: and that’s because Avid Media Composer is stunningly robust.

Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Filmora - Best Professional Video Editor Ever

• Easily to create and edit videos with plenty of pro effects and filters

• Automatically convert audio to text for adding subtitiles and captions

• Cross-platform supported - (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Try Pro Video Editor Try Pro Video Editor Try Pro Video Editor Learn More >

5. Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Price: $31.49 Monthly Subscription, $239.88 Yearly Subscription

Pros: Highly customizable and streamlined interface, easy to use for people with past experience in Adobe products but no previous video editing experience, a large variety of tools such as color matching and multi-camera rendering, and a fast rendering speed.

Cons: New updates might have a couple of bugs, so you should be a bit patient before you update if you want to keep it on the safe side. Mac users also report that it runs a bit slow on their systems.

You may also like: Best Transition Plugins for Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro CC is one of the best choices an amateur video editor could make when choosing his apparatus.

Both affordable and intuitive, this software has been at the top of the market for more than a couple of years, and now shows no sign of stopping, since it is constantly being supplied with new updates with free downloading.

If you’re looking to achieve a professional level of video editing with little to no previous experience, then look no further, as Adobe Premiere Pro CC might just be the perfect tool for you. With that being said, professional video editors should not shy away from this Adobe video editing software.

6. Final Cut Pro

Price: $299, One-Time Purchase

Pros: Support for 360-degree VR, HDR, multi-camera editing, fast rendering speed, a large variety of interesting tools, expansive library of plugins, and easy-to-use color correction, grading, and adjustment tools. Final Cut Pro has also been designed and optimized for Mac operating systems.

Cons: Only for Mac users. Large project files can also be slow.

You may also like: How to Edit YouTube Videos in FCP

Final Cut Pro is Apple’s response to video editing software. The UI design is sleek and modern, the workflow is intuitive and easy to work with, and the program is impressively fast, even when working with 4K resolutions.

For many Mac users, Final Cut Pro is the definitive answer to their search for a strong video editing software that has been created with macOS in mind (free download).

7. HitFilm Pro

Price: $341.01, One-Time Purchase, $0 for Hitfilm Express (Free)

Pros: Color grading, familiar workflow, a large variety of video effects and presets, automatic audio syncing, impressive 3D graphics.

Cons: Complex for beginners. Effects oriented.

HitFilm Pro is an NLE that puts a heavy focus on the graphical aspect of such free download software. Additions like the automatic audio syncing is highly valued as a convenient quality of life tool. Multiple plugins can be added, though they cost a fee.

The program features several video tutorials that are targeted towards amateur video editors, as well.

Filmora Video Editor

Create AI-Generated Video with Filmora

Filmora video editor offers a ChatGPT plug-in and AI tools to enhance your creative vision. Make your idea into reality. Combine AI with this professional video editing software!

Edit Video with AI Edit Video with AI Edit Video with AI Learn More >

8. Lightworks

Price: $24.99 monthly for Lightworks Pro, $0 (Free)

Pros: Simplified video editing process, extensive format and codec support, a large number of effects and tools, photo slideshows, 4K support, audio mixing, and 60 fps rendering.

Cons: Outdated UI, learning curve.

You may also like: Best Plugins for Lightworks

Lightworks is a flexible video editing software that has gained a good position on the mark due to its consistent design structure.

The workspace is customizable, and while the UI can feel outdated at first, those with experience in video editing should not find it too much of a hassle.

Lightworks is the type of software that is robust all-around - and there’s also a free version out there, so amateurs can get to know what they’re getting into.

9. Blender

Price: $0 (Free)

Pros: Easy to use, with a good variety of tools and the ability to quickly add text and effects to produced animations. Compositing is very impressive.

Cons: No audio editing. Lacks complexity when compared to a couple of its competitors.

While Blender is mostly known for being a software whose main focus is animation, it also features a built-in video editor that is by no means lackluster. Blender has the bonus of being able to work on 3D animations and take care of the video editing process at the same time.

10. Magix Video Pro X

Price: $399, One-Time Purchase

Pros: Supports free download, Wide format support, multi-cam editing, lookup table handling, 3-way color correction, 360 degree video support, many available effects, strong performance.

Cons: Does not work with Mac operating systems. No import tools.

Learn some Magix Movie Edit Pro Video Editing Tips for Beginners

Magix Video Pro X is an NLE that has recently been making a name for itself due to its consistency and welcoming attitude towards amateur video editors. This tool is versatile and can deal with a wide range of situations head-on with no issue whatsoever.

While this isn’t the easiest program to start using, if you don’t quite know what you’re doing, you’ll be happy to know that Magix Video Pro X features a basic mode that has been designed to ease newcomers into the industry.

Try Filmora to Make Professional Videos!

Filmora Video Editor is an expert in creating and editing videos, you can follow the easy-to-use interface to make videos like a pro! It can also capture any area of the PC screen and webcam, and add different effects and filters to upgrade your video to an upper level! Worth to have a try!

Start Video Recording Start Video Recording Start Video Recording Learn More >

Part 2: Tips for Choosing Professional Video Editing Software

1. Check your computer specification and performance before purchasing

Professional video editing software may use lots of resources. It is recommended that you check computer specification and the system requirements of the professional editing software that you want to purchase.

To get the full experience of professional video editing, your computer would be better to equipped higher than meeting the mini requirements.

2. How to master the professional video editing software

If you have limited video editing experience and want to become a professional video editor, it is recommended to spend time in editing and take some training or course to master it.

You can find many tutorials about Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Final Cut Pro X on YouTube. Or, you can attain online courses on Udemy or Lynda. If you want to convince people that you are a professional video editor, it is recommended to take some certifications.

As you may know that Adobe and Apple both provide official certification exams. A certification will be more convincing when people doubt your editing skills.

3. What should I consider before going for a Pro video editor

If you are reading this line, you can ask yourself a question ‘what intrigues me to choose a pro video editor? It is because you see other professional YouTuber using them? Do I have the time to learn these professional video editors?;’ If it is the case, you should consider the price you’re paying and whether those high-end features and functions are the things you’ll need.

With its extremely low-learning-curve and user-friendly interface, Filmora can deal with 95% of your video editing needs with just $49.99 per year. With Filmora, you don’t have to spend time on a boring guide and you can do video editing right away since everything is designed for this purpose.

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Part 3: FAQ about Professional Video Editing Software

What software do professional video editors use?

Many people ask what software professional video editors use. The truth is for professional editors use various tools to improve video editing efficiency. For audio editing, they use Adobe Audition. For color grading, many people choose Final Cut Pro. For video editing workflow, they also use Premiere Pro and Lightworks. For semi-pros, they use Filmora to accelerate the video editing process.

What do most YouTubers use to edit their videos?

Most YouTubers, they like easy to use a video editor to make YouTube videos. They choose Filmora to add more than 300 built-in effects, intros, text, and transitions. A group of YouTubers with advanced video editing skills, tend to use Premiere Pro.

What is the best video editing software for beginners?

For beginners, the most important criteria you need to consider are simplicity and price. They like to use Filmora, Movavi, Powerdirector, and iMovie on their PC. For mobile video editing, they like to use LumaFusion, KineMaster, and Apple Clips.

Is Adobe Premiere Pro free?

No, it is not free. Adobe Premiere Pro includes 3 different price plans. Annual plan, paid monthly at $20.99/month. Annual plan, prepaid $239.98/year. A monthly plan, $31.48/month.

Conclusion

We hope this list will have guided you toward making the right choice when it comes to investing in professional video editing software. While this was by no means an extensive list, we aimed to summarize professional video editing software information to help you make an informed decision when purchasing your tool of the trade.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The advent of digital video technology has opened an unprecedented opportunity for novice and professional filmmakers alike. Professional video editing software is an essential tool to create high-quality productions and visuals with accuracy, speed, and flexibility.

Whether you are a filmmaker looking to create content for the big screen or a commercial director trying to make your mark in the industry, a professional video editing program can give you the tools needed to produce highly polished visuals. Today’s advanced editors come with preloaded templates and effects that enable filmmakers to save time without sacrificing quality.

We’ve done some extensive research on what some consider to be the 10 best professional video editing software currently on the market, and we’re here to present what we’ve managed to find.

• Part 1: Top 10 Professional Video Editing Software Free Download
• Part 2: Tips for Choosing Professional Video Editing Software
• Part 3: FAQ about Professional Video Editing Software

Part 1: Top 10 Professional Video Editing Software Free Download

Here is the 10 best professional video editing software for you to free download.

1 - Filmora	2 - EDIUS
3 - Autodesk Smoke	4 - Avid Media Composer
5 - Adobe Premiere Pro CC	6 - Final Cut Pro
7 - HitFilm Pr	8 - Lightworks
9 - Blender	10 - Magix Video Pro X

1. Filmora

Price: $79.99 Customers can add $36.96/month for effects and plugins, $49.99 Customers can add $18.99/month for effects and plugins

Pros: The best value on the list, covers everything a pro video editor should have, Easy-to-use.

The newly released professional video editor app from Wondershare is specially designed for pros looking for a quick way to edit videos in a professional way.

The Filmora video editing software makes professional video editing easy. You can add unlimited video and audio tracks and control the panels at your hand.

You can also use customizable animations to establish your style and use high-quality presets to get a detailed color correction.

2. EDIUS

Price: $499, One-Time Purchase

Pros: Genderless video editing, 4K HDR workflow, flexible user interface, real-time conversion rates, support for a wide variety of video formats, fast AVCHD editing, motion tracking, 3-way color correction.

Cons: Relatively broadcast-oriented.

EDIUS is a free download video editing software that evolved out of what was originally a number of Adobe Premiere Plus plugins.

Ever since its release, EDIUS has gained a loyal following that appreciates both its business model and the operations that the program can perform.

More than a handful of broadcasters worldwide use EDIUS as their program of choice, both due to its flexibility when dealing with various video formats and because it’s quite easy to use when compared to some of its competitors.

Why do so many people swear by EDIUS? Well, according to its fanbase, EDIUS tends to be quite fast when processing, importing, editing, and exporting videos - couple that with the fact that EDIUS doesn’t require a subscription, and you’ve got yourself a thoroughly solid video editing software that can go toe to toe with its rivals.

3. Autodesk Smoke

Price: $190, Monthly Subscription, 1505$, Yearly Subscription

Pros: Timeline-based creative workflow, node-based compositing, ability to flawlessly make use of 3D animations and modeling, a high degree of stability (no crashes!).

Cons: Can only be used on a single monitor. Furthermore, Autodesk Smoke is exclusively for Mac users.

Autodesk is a video editing software that is favored by many people to due to its node-based compositing.

To put it as simple as possible, the video editor achieves a higher level of complexity than other popular software.

Smoke’s real strength lies in editorial and finishing functions. While the professional video editing software that is free to download doesn’t necessarily offer anything that its competitors don’t, this video editing software comes out on top when it comes to 3D effects.

4. Avid Media Composer

Price: $199.99 for a Year’s Subscription, or $24.99 Monthly

Pros: Free download, Advanced color-correction, built-in metadata and effect tools, HDR support, Multicam editing, FrameFlex, keyboard mapping, background rendering, real-time editing, a very high degree of stability, and serves as a great starting point for budding video editors.

Cons: Steep learning curve and outdated interface. However, learning how to use Avid Media Composer will enable you to jump right into other video editing software with ease.

Check the detailed tutorial about How to Edit Videos with avidemux

Most people interested in the business have heard of Avid Media Composer because it’s what most professional video editors use for big blockbuster Hollywood movies.

Avid Media Composer is, arguably, the video editing industry’s preferred software you can download freely - and it’s easy to see why, since it pretty much has everything you might ever need, all rolled up into one neat package.

While some complain that it’s hard to use and the interface looks very outdated, many insist that this allows you to build a solid foundation from which your video editing career can skyrocket.

As a matter of fact, its popularity only serves to show that people prefer it for a reason: and that’s because Avid Media Composer is stunningly robust.

Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Filmora - Best Professional Video Editor Ever

• Easily to create and edit videos with plenty of pro effects and filters

• Automatically convert audio to text for adding subtitiles and captions

• Cross-platform supported - (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Try Pro Video Editor Try Pro Video Editor Try Pro Video Editor Learn More >

5. Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Price: $31.49 Monthly Subscription, $239.88 Yearly Subscription

Pros: Highly customizable and streamlined interface, easy to use for people with past experience in Adobe products but no previous video editing experience, a large variety of tools such as color matching and multi-camera rendering, and a fast rendering speed.

Cons: New updates might have a couple of bugs, so you should be a bit patient before you update if you want to keep it on the safe side. Mac users also report that it runs a bit slow on their systems.

You may also like: Best Transition Plugins for Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro CC is one of the best choices an amateur video editor could make when choosing his apparatus.

Both affordable and intuitive, this software has been at the top of the market for more than a couple of years, and now shows no sign of stopping, since it is constantly being supplied with new updates with free downloading.

If you’re looking to achieve a professional level of video editing with little to no previous experience, then look no further, as Adobe Premiere Pro CC might just be the perfect tool for you. With that being said, professional video editors should not shy away from this Adobe video editing software.

6. Final Cut Pro

Price: $299, One-Time Purchase

Pros: Support for 360-degree VR, HDR, multi-camera editing, fast rendering speed, a large variety of interesting tools, expansive library of plugins, and easy-to-use color correction, grading, and adjustment tools. Final Cut Pro has also been designed and optimized for Mac operating systems.

Cons: Only for Mac users. Large project files can also be slow.

You may also like: How to Edit YouTube Videos in FCP

Final Cut Pro is Apple’s response to video editing software. The UI design is sleek and modern, the workflow is intuitive and easy to work with, and the program is impressively fast, even when working with 4K resolutions.

For many Mac users, Final Cut Pro is the definitive answer to their search for a strong video editing software that has been created with macOS in mind (free download).

7. HitFilm Pro

Price: $341.01, One-Time Purchase, $0 for Hitfilm Express (Free)

Pros: Color grading, familiar workflow, a large variety of video effects and presets, automatic audio syncing, impressive 3D graphics.

Cons: Complex for beginners. Effects oriented.

HitFilm Pro is an NLE that puts a heavy focus on the graphical aspect of such free download software. Additions like the automatic audio syncing is highly valued as a convenient quality of life tool. Multiple plugins can be added, though they cost a fee.

The program features several video tutorials that are targeted towards amateur video editors, as well.

Filmora Video Editor

Create AI-Generated Video with Filmora

Filmora video editor offers a ChatGPT plug-in and AI tools to enhance your creative vision. Make your idea into reality. Combine AI with this professional video editing software!

Edit Video with AI Edit Video with AI Edit Video with AI Learn More >

8. Lightworks

Price: $24.99 monthly for Lightworks Pro, $0 (Free)

Pros: Simplified video editing process, extensive format and codec support, a large number of effects and tools, photo slideshows, 4K support, audio mixing, and 60 fps rendering.

Cons: Outdated UI, learning curve.

You may also like: Best Plugins for Lightworks

Lightworks is a flexible video editing software that has gained a good position on the mark due to its consistent design structure.

The workspace is customizable, and while the UI can feel outdated at first, those with experience in video editing should not find it too much of a hassle.

Lightworks is the type of software that is robust all-around - and there’s also a free version out there, so amateurs can get to know what they’re getting into.

9. Blender

Price: $0 (Free)

Pros: Easy to use, with a good variety of tools and the ability to quickly add text and effects to produced animations. Compositing is very impressive.

Cons: No audio editing. Lacks complexity when compared to a couple of its competitors.

While Blender is mostly known for being a software whose main focus is animation, it also features a built-in video editor that is by no means lackluster. Blender has the bonus of being able to work on 3D animations and take care of the video editing process at the same time.

10. Magix Video Pro X

Price: $399, One-Time Purchase

Pros: Supports free download, Wide format support, multi-cam editing, lookup table handling, 3-way color correction, 360 degree video support, many available effects, strong performance.

Cons: Does not work with Mac operating systems. No import tools.

Learn some Magix Movie Edit Pro Video Editing Tips for Beginners

Magix Video Pro X is an NLE that has recently been making a name for itself due to its consistency and welcoming attitude towards amateur video editors. This tool is versatile and can deal with a wide range of situations head-on with no issue whatsoever.

While this isn’t the easiest program to start using, if you don’t quite know what you’re doing, you’ll be happy to know that Magix Video Pro X features a basic mode that has been designed to ease newcomers into the industry.

Try Filmora to Make Professional Videos!

Filmora Video Editor is an expert in creating and editing videos, you can follow the easy-to-use interface to make videos like a pro! It can also capture any area of the PC screen and webcam, and add different effects and filters to upgrade your video to an upper level! Worth to have a try!

Start Video Recording Start Video Recording Start Video Recording Learn More >

Part 2: Tips for Choosing Professional Video Editing Software

1. Check your computer specification and performance before purchasing

Professional video editing software may use lots of resources. It is recommended that you check computer specification and the system requirements of the professional editing software that you want to purchase.

To get the full experience of professional video editing, your computer would be better to equipped higher than meeting the mini requirements.

2. How to master the professional video editing software

If you have limited video editing experience and want to become a professional video editor, it is recommended to spend time in editing and take some training or course to master it.

You can find many tutorials about Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Final Cut Pro X on YouTube. Or, you can attain online courses on Udemy or Lynda. If you want to convince people that you are a professional video editor, it is recommended to take some certifications.

As you may know that Adobe and Apple both provide official certification exams. A certification will be more convincing when people doubt your editing skills.

3. What should I consider before going for a Pro video editor

If you are reading this line, you can ask yourself a question ‘what intrigues me to choose a pro video editor? It is because you see other professional YouTuber using them? Do I have the time to learn these professional video editors?;’ If it is the case, you should consider the price you’re paying and whether those high-end features and functions are the things you’ll need.

With its extremely low-learning-curve and user-friendly interface, Filmora can deal with 95% of your video editing needs with just $49.99 per year. With Filmora, you don’t have to spend time on a boring guide and you can do video editing right away since everything is designed for this purpose.

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Part 3: FAQ about Professional Video Editing Software

What software do professional video editors use?

Many people ask what software professional video editors use. The truth is for professional editors use various tools to improve video editing efficiency. For audio editing, they use Adobe Audition. For color grading, many people choose Final Cut Pro. For video editing workflow, they also use Premiere Pro and Lightworks. For semi-pros, they use Filmora to accelerate the video editing process.

What do most YouTubers use to edit their videos?

Most YouTubers, they like easy to use a video editor to make YouTube videos. They choose Filmora to add more than 300 built-in effects, intros, text, and transitions. A group of YouTubers with advanced video editing skills, tend to use Premiere Pro.

What is the best video editing software for beginners?

For beginners, the most important criteria you need to consider are simplicity and price. They like to use Filmora, Movavi, Powerdirector, and iMovie on their PC. For mobile video editing, they like to use LumaFusion, KineMaster, and Apple Clips.

Is Adobe Premiere Pro free?

No, it is not free. Adobe Premiere Pro includes 3 different price plans. Annual plan, paid monthly at $20.99/month. Annual plan, prepaid $239.98/year. A monthly plan, $31.48/month.

Conclusion

We hope this list will have guided you toward making the right choice when it comes to investing in professional video editing software. While this was by no means an extensive list, we aimed to summarize professional video editing software information to help you make an informed decision when purchasing your tool of the trade.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Windows Movie Maker Tutorial: Editing Videos Like a Pro

How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Microsoft has released Windows Live Movie Maker on August 19, 2009 as part of a refresh to their Windows Live Essentials download. Windows Live Movie Maker is the first application designed for Windows 7 and is built to make beautiful movies from your photos and videos. And the latest version is Windows Live Movie Maker 2011.

Update in 2017: Microsoft has stopped the Windows Essentials Suite support on January 10, 2017. It is claimed that it is no longer available for download. If you are looking for an alternative to windows essentials movie maker, or windows movie maker, try Filmora video editor, which is available on both Windows7, Windows8 and Windows 10.

---

Part 1: Best Alternative to Windows Movie Maker: Filmora [Windows7/8/10 & Mac]

Windows Live Movie Maker is a little bit limiting for video editing. In most cases, you need to run Windows 7. Fortunately, you do have other options. There is plenty of software which will do the same thing but better than Windows Live Movie Maker for you to edit your videos and burn videos to DVD. Among many of them, we recommend one Wondershare Filmora. You may wonder what’s so special with this Video Editor. First of all, it supports almost all kinds of video formats, such as AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, 3GP, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MOV, MKV and HD video formats: MTS, M2TS(AVCHD ), TS(MPEG-2), HD MKV(, MPEG-2 HD), HD WMV(VC-1), and HD MOV(, MPEG-4). Secondly, it provides powerful video editing function, such as crop, trim, adjust video effect, add watermark, etc. Also, there are various title and text templates, filter/transition and effects presets for you to choose from. Thirdly, Windows Live Movie Maker can only generate WMV files directly, but this video editor supports burn video to DVD disc, DVD Folder and ISO file or save the video to most of the popular formats.

---

Part 2: How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker [Step by Step]

1.Add Videos and Photos

While you are adding videos to Windows Live Movie Maker, you may encounter a problem like 3GP files can’t be added to Windows Live Movie Maker. Or it can’t be played in Window Live Movie Maker. And many other video files as well, such as RM, RMVB, DAT and HD video formats: MTS, TS, HD MKV, HD WMV, and HD MOV, etc. It’s quite necessary to get familiar with what all those files that could be imported to Windows Live Movie Maker.

Notes

• Video and music files that are protected with digital rights management (DRM) can’t be used in Windows Live Movie Maker.
• Support for using MPEG-2 and Microsoft Recorded TV Show video files in your movie is available only if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows Vista or Windows 7: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• AVCHD video files that contain Dolby Digital audio can be used in Windows Live Movie Maker if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• MPEG-4 video files that contain audio can be used if you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows 7.
• Some MPEG-4 video files can be used when you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows Vista if the necessary audio and video codecs are installed.

After adding your photos or videos, you can also add audio or background music to your video clips by clicking the Add music option.

Learn details about How to Add and Edit Music in Windows Movie Maker

2. Video Editing

As we said before, Windows Live Movie Maker (later named Windows Movie Maker) is a simple and easy video editing software for Windows, it can complete some basic video editing and become a good choice for novices. Here, I will share with you about the basic video editing tutorial in the Movie Maker.

Cut & Trim & Split video in Windows Movie Maker

After adding videos and photos to the storyboard, you can now keep the useful sections and remove unwanted parts. To trim video, just place the playhead to the target position and right click the clip to select the Trim Set Start Point and move the playhead again to then end point and right click to select Set End Point. You can also go to the Edit tab and click the Split menu to split the video into parts. You can then delete and cut out unwanted sections or move it to the proper position.

Add Audio to Video: Record and add voiceover or Music

Windows Movie Maker also allows you to add narrations and background music to video footage. Just click the Add Music option and you can add music from online music libraries such as AudioMicro, Free Music Archive, and Vimeo or add music from the computer.

Add auto movie themes to Video

There is a built-in AutoMovie themes library in Movie Maker. You can use some popular themes such as Contemporary, Cinematic, Fade, Pan and Zoom, Black and White and Sepia.

Add texts &titles to Video

You can add titles, captions, and credits to video with windows movie maker, but it seems hard to add subtitles and customize its position. For more details about the text and title editing, check

Learn more details about How to Add Text to Video with Windows Movie Maker

Apply transitions & animations to video

The Movie Maker features lots of transitions under Animations tab. You can choose from wipes, cinematics, shatters, sweeps and curls, patterns and shapes, reveals, diagonals and dissolves.

Note: if you use the default themes, you won’t see all these transitions. Check the detailed steps about How to Add Transitions in Windows Movie Maker

Apply visual effects to video

We’ve introduced some of the best visual effects software before, but in Windows Movie Maker, you can also add effects such as 3D Ripple, Black and White, Blur, pixelate, mirrors, motions and fade effects.

Change video speed of video

The Movie Maker Edit tab allows you to adjust video volume, add fade in and fade out effects to video, or change video speed.

Learn more details about How to Speed Up Video in Windows Movie Maker

3. Save Video

After finish editing, you can upload your video clips to Facebook, YouTube, and other social media, or burn your videos to DVD with Windows DVD maker. You can also save your video clips on your computer.

You may also like: Windows Movie Maker VS Windows Live Movie Maker: What’s the Difference

While, if you find the windows movie maker editing features are limited based on your editing skills, you can try Wondershare Filmora. Below is a video tutorial about how to edit videos with Filmora.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Microsoft has released Windows Live Movie Maker on August 19, 2009 as part of a refresh to their Windows Live Essentials download. Windows Live Movie Maker is the first application designed for Windows 7 and is built to make beautiful movies from your photos and videos. And the latest version is Windows Live Movie Maker 2011.

Update in 2017: Microsoft has stopped the Windows Essentials Suite support on January 10, 2017. It is claimed that it is no longer available for download. If you are looking for an alternative to windows essentials movie maker, or windows movie maker, try Filmora video editor, which is available on both Windows7, Windows8 and Windows 10.

---

Part 1: Best Alternative to Windows Movie Maker: Filmora [Windows7/8/10 & Mac]

Windows Live Movie Maker is a little bit limiting for video editing. In most cases, you need to run Windows 7. Fortunately, you do have other options. There is plenty of software which will do the same thing but better than Windows Live Movie Maker for you to edit your videos and burn videos to DVD. Among many of them, we recommend one Wondershare Filmora. You may wonder what’s so special with this Video Editor. First of all, it supports almost all kinds of video formats, such as AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, 3GP, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MOV, MKV and HD video formats: MTS, M2TS(AVCHD ), TS(MPEG-2), HD MKV(, MPEG-2 HD), HD WMV(VC-1), and HD MOV(, MPEG-4). Secondly, it provides powerful video editing function, such as crop, trim, adjust video effect, add watermark, etc. Also, there are various title and text templates, filter/transition and effects presets for you to choose from. Thirdly, Windows Live Movie Maker can only generate WMV files directly, but this video editor supports burn video to DVD disc, DVD Folder and ISO file or save the video to most of the popular formats.

---

Part 2: How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker [Step by Step]

1.Add Videos and Photos

While you are adding videos to Windows Live Movie Maker, you may encounter a problem like 3GP files can’t be added to Windows Live Movie Maker. Or it can’t be played in Window Live Movie Maker. And many other video files as well, such as RM, RMVB, DAT and HD video formats: MTS, TS, HD MKV, HD WMV, and HD MOV, etc. It’s quite necessary to get familiar with what all those files that could be imported to Windows Live Movie Maker.

Notes

• Video and music files that are protected with digital rights management (DRM) can’t be used in Windows Live Movie Maker.
• Support for using MPEG-2 and Microsoft Recorded TV Show video files in your movie is available only if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows Vista or Windows 7: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• AVCHD video files that contain Dolby Digital audio can be used in Windows Live Movie Maker if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• MPEG-4 video files that contain audio can be used if you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows 7.
• Some MPEG-4 video files can be used when you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows Vista if the necessary audio and video codecs are installed.

After adding your photos or videos, you can also add audio or background music to your video clips by clicking the Add music option.

Learn details about How to Add and Edit Music in Windows Movie Maker

2. Video Editing

As we said before, Windows Live Movie Maker (later named Windows Movie Maker) is a simple and easy video editing software for Windows, it can complete some basic video editing and become a good choice for novices. Here, I will share with you about the basic video editing tutorial in the Movie Maker.

Cut & Trim & Split video in Windows Movie Maker

After adding videos and photos to the storyboard, you can now keep the useful sections and remove unwanted parts. To trim video, just place the playhead to the target position and right click the clip to select the Trim Set Start Point and move the playhead again to then end point and right click to select Set End Point. You can also go to the Edit tab and click the Split menu to split the video into parts. You can then delete and cut out unwanted sections or move it to the proper position.

Add Audio to Video: Record and add voiceover or Music

Windows Movie Maker also allows you to add narrations and background music to video footage. Just click the Add Music option and you can add music from online music libraries such as AudioMicro, Free Music Archive, and Vimeo or add music from the computer.

Add auto movie themes to Video

There is a built-in AutoMovie themes library in Movie Maker. You can use some popular themes such as Contemporary, Cinematic, Fade, Pan and Zoom, Black and White and Sepia.

Add texts &titles to Video

You can add titles, captions, and credits to video with windows movie maker, but it seems hard to add subtitles and customize its position. For more details about the text and title editing, check

Learn more details about How to Add Text to Video with Windows Movie Maker

Apply transitions & animations to video

The Movie Maker features lots of transitions under Animations tab. You can choose from wipes, cinematics, shatters, sweeps and curls, patterns and shapes, reveals, diagonals and dissolves.

Note: if you use the default themes, you won’t see all these transitions. Check the detailed steps about How to Add Transitions in Windows Movie Maker

Apply visual effects to video

We’ve introduced some of the best visual effects software before, but in Windows Movie Maker, you can also add effects such as 3D Ripple, Black and White, Blur, pixelate, mirrors, motions and fade effects.

Change video speed of video

The Movie Maker Edit tab allows you to adjust video volume, add fade in and fade out effects to video, or change video speed.

Learn more details about How to Speed Up Video in Windows Movie Maker

3. Save Video

After finish editing, you can upload your video clips to Facebook, YouTube, and other social media, or burn your videos to DVD with Windows DVD maker. You can also save your video clips on your computer.

You may also like: Windows Movie Maker VS Windows Live Movie Maker: What’s the Difference

While, if you find the windows movie maker editing features are limited based on your editing skills, you can try Wondershare Filmora. Below is a video tutorial about how to edit videos with Filmora.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Microsoft has released Windows Live Movie Maker on August 19, 2009 as part of a refresh to their Windows Live Essentials download. Windows Live Movie Maker is the first application designed for Windows 7 and is built to make beautiful movies from your photos and videos. And the latest version is Windows Live Movie Maker 2011.

Update in 2017: Microsoft has stopped the Windows Essentials Suite support on January 10, 2017. It is claimed that it is no longer available for download. If you are looking for an alternative to windows essentials movie maker, or windows movie maker, try Filmora video editor, which is available on both Windows7, Windows8 and Windows 10.

---

Part 1: Best Alternative to Windows Movie Maker: Filmora [Windows7/8/10 & Mac]

Windows Live Movie Maker is a little bit limiting for video editing. In most cases, you need to run Windows 7. Fortunately, you do have other options. There is plenty of software which will do the same thing but better than Windows Live Movie Maker for you to edit your videos and burn videos to DVD. Among many of them, we recommend one Wondershare Filmora. You may wonder what’s so special with this Video Editor. First of all, it supports almost all kinds of video formats, such as AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, 3GP, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MOV, MKV and HD video formats: MTS, M2TS(AVCHD ), TS(MPEG-2), HD MKV(, MPEG-2 HD), HD WMV(VC-1), and HD MOV(, MPEG-4). Secondly, it provides powerful video editing function, such as crop, trim, adjust video effect, add watermark, etc. Also, there are various title and text templates, filter/transition and effects presets for you to choose from. Thirdly, Windows Live Movie Maker can only generate WMV files directly, but this video editor supports burn video to DVD disc, DVD Folder and ISO file or save the video to most of the popular formats.

---

Part 2: How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker [Step by Step]

1.Add Videos and Photos

While you are adding videos to Windows Live Movie Maker, you may encounter a problem like 3GP files can’t be added to Windows Live Movie Maker. Or it can’t be played in Window Live Movie Maker. And many other video files as well, such as RM, RMVB, DAT and HD video formats: MTS, TS, HD MKV, HD WMV, and HD MOV, etc. It’s quite necessary to get familiar with what all those files that could be imported to Windows Live Movie Maker.

Notes

• Video and music files that are protected with digital rights management (DRM) can’t be used in Windows Live Movie Maker.
• Support for using MPEG-2 and Microsoft Recorded TV Show video files in your movie is available only if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows Vista or Windows 7: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• AVCHD video files that contain Dolby Digital audio can be used in Windows Live Movie Maker if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• MPEG-4 video files that contain audio can be used if you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows 7.
• Some MPEG-4 video files can be used when you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows Vista if the necessary audio and video codecs are installed.

After adding your photos or videos, you can also add audio or background music to your video clips by clicking the Add music option.

Learn details about How to Add and Edit Music in Windows Movie Maker

2. Video Editing

As we said before, Windows Live Movie Maker (later named Windows Movie Maker) is a simple and easy video editing software for Windows, it can complete some basic video editing and become a good choice for novices. Here, I will share with you about the basic video editing tutorial in the Movie Maker.

Cut & Trim & Split video in Windows Movie Maker

After adding videos and photos to the storyboard, you can now keep the useful sections and remove unwanted parts. To trim video, just place the playhead to the target position and right click the clip to select the Trim Set Start Point and move the playhead again to then end point and right click to select Set End Point. You can also go to the Edit tab and click the Split menu to split the video into parts. You can then delete and cut out unwanted sections or move it to the proper position.

Add Audio to Video: Record and add voiceover or Music

Windows Movie Maker also allows you to add narrations and background music to video footage. Just click the Add Music option and you can add music from online music libraries such as AudioMicro, Free Music Archive, and Vimeo or add music from the computer.

Add auto movie themes to Video

There is a built-in AutoMovie themes library in Movie Maker. You can use some popular themes such as Contemporary, Cinematic, Fade, Pan and Zoom, Black and White and Sepia.

Add texts &titles to Video

You can add titles, captions, and credits to video with windows movie maker, but it seems hard to add subtitles and customize its position. For more details about the text and title editing, check

Learn more details about How to Add Text to Video with Windows Movie Maker

Apply transitions & animations to video

The Movie Maker features lots of transitions under Animations tab. You can choose from wipes, cinematics, shatters, sweeps and curls, patterns and shapes, reveals, diagonals and dissolves.

Note: if you use the default themes, you won’t see all these transitions. Check the detailed steps about How to Add Transitions in Windows Movie Maker

Apply visual effects to video

We’ve introduced some of the best visual effects software before, but in Windows Movie Maker, you can also add effects such as 3D Ripple, Black and White, Blur, pixelate, mirrors, motions and fade effects.

Change video speed of video

The Movie Maker Edit tab allows you to adjust video volume, add fade in and fade out effects to video, or change video speed.

Learn more details about How to Speed Up Video in Windows Movie Maker

3. Save Video

After finish editing, you can upload your video clips to Facebook, YouTube, and other social media, or burn your videos to DVD with Windows DVD maker. You can also save your video clips on your computer.

You may also like: Windows Movie Maker VS Windows Live Movie Maker: What’s the Difference

While, if you find the windows movie maker editing features are limited based on your editing skills, you can try Wondershare Filmora. Below is a video tutorial about how to edit videos with Filmora.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Microsoft has released Windows Live Movie Maker on August 19, 2009 as part of a refresh to their Windows Live Essentials download. Windows Live Movie Maker is the first application designed for Windows 7 and is built to make beautiful movies from your photos and videos. And the latest version is Windows Live Movie Maker 2011.

Update in 2017: Microsoft has stopped the Windows Essentials Suite support on January 10, 2017. It is claimed that it is no longer available for download. If you are looking for an alternative to windows essentials movie maker, or windows movie maker, try Filmora video editor, which is available on both Windows7, Windows8 and Windows 10.

---

Part 1: Best Alternative to Windows Movie Maker: Filmora [Windows7/8/10 & Mac]

Windows Live Movie Maker is a little bit limiting for video editing. In most cases, you need to run Windows 7. Fortunately, you do have other options. There is plenty of software which will do the same thing but better than Windows Live Movie Maker for you to edit your videos and burn videos to DVD. Among many of them, we recommend one Wondershare Filmora. You may wonder what’s so special with this Video Editor. First of all, it supports almost all kinds of video formats, such as AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, 3GP, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MOV, MKV and HD video formats: MTS, M2TS(AVCHD ), TS(MPEG-2), HD MKV(, MPEG-2 HD), HD WMV(VC-1), and HD MOV(, MPEG-4). Secondly, it provides powerful video editing function, such as crop, trim, adjust video effect, add watermark, etc. Also, there are various title and text templates, filter/transition and effects presets for you to choose from. Thirdly, Windows Live Movie Maker can only generate WMV files directly, but this video editor supports burn video to DVD disc, DVD Folder and ISO file or save the video to most of the popular formats.

---

Part 2: How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker [Step by Step]

1.Add Videos and Photos

While you are adding videos to Windows Live Movie Maker, you may encounter a problem like 3GP files can’t be added to Windows Live Movie Maker. Or it can’t be played in Window Live Movie Maker. And many other video files as well, such as RM, RMVB, DAT and HD video formats: MTS, TS, HD MKV, HD WMV, and HD MOV, etc. It’s quite necessary to get familiar with what all those files that could be imported to Windows Live Movie Maker.

Notes

• Video and music files that are protected with digital rights management (DRM) can’t be used in Windows Live Movie Maker.
• Support for using MPEG-2 and Microsoft Recorded TV Show video files in your movie is available only if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows Vista or Windows 7: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• AVCHD video files that contain Dolby Digital audio can be used in Windows Live Movie Maker if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
• MPEG-4 video files that contain audio can be used if you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows 7.
• Some MPEG-4 video files can be used when you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows Vista if the necessary audio and video codecs are installed.

After adding your photos or videos, you can also add audio or background music to your video clips by clicking the Add music option.

Learn details about How to Add and Edit Music in Windows Movie Maker

2. Video Editing

As we said before, Windows Live Movie Maker (later named Windows Movie Maker) is a simple and easy video editing software for Windows, it can complete some basic video editing and become a good choice for novices. Here, I will share with you about the basic video editing tutorial in the Movie Maker.

Cut & Trim & Split video in Windows Movie Maker

After adding videos and photos to the storyboard, you can now keep the useful sections and remove unwanted parts. To trim video, just place the playhead to the target position and right click the clip to select the Trim Set Start Point and move the playhead again to then end point and right click to select Set End Point. You can also go to the Edit tab and click the Split menu to split the video into parts. You can then delete and cut out unwanted sections or move it to the proper position.

Add Audio to Video: Record and add voiceover or Music

Windows Movie Maker also allows you to add narrations and background music to video footage. Just click the Add Music option and you can add music from online music libraries such as AudioMicro, Free Music Archive, and Vimeo or add music from the computer.

Add auto movie themes to Video

There is a built-in AutoMovie themes library in Movie Maker. You can use some popular themes such as Contemporary, Cinematic, Fade, Pan and Zoom, Black and White and Sepia.

Add texts &titles to Video

You can add titles, captions, and credits to video with windows movie maker, but it seems hard to add subtitles and customize its position. For more details about the text and title editing, check

Learn more details about How to Add Text to Video with Windows Movie Maker

Apply transitions & animations to video

The Movie Maker features lots of transitions under Animations tab. You can choose from wipes, cinematics, shatters, sweeps and curls, patterns and shapes, reveals, diagonals and dissolves.

Note: if you use the default themes, you won’t see all these transitions. Check the detailed steps about How to Add Transitions in Windows Movie Maker

Apply visual effects to video

We’ve introduced some of the best visual effects software before, but in Windows Movie Maker, you can also add effects such as 3D Ripple, Black and White, Blur, pixelate, mirrors, motions and fade effects.

Change video speed of video

The Movie Maker Edit tab allows you to adjust video volume, add fade in and fade out effects to video, or change video speed.

Learn more details about How to Speed Up Video in Windows Movie Maker

3. Save Video

After finish editing, you can upload your video clips to Facebook, YouTube, and other social media, or burn your videos to DVD with Windows DVD maker. You can also save your video clips on your computer.

You may also like: Windows Movie Maker VS Windows Live Movie Maker: What’s the Difference

While, if you find the windows movie maker editing features are limited based on your editing skills, you can try Wondershare Filmora. Below is a video tutorial about how to edit videos with Filmora.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

‘S Top Animation Software: 10 Best 2D Tools for Beginners and Pros

10 Best 2D Animation Software in 2024 [Free/Paid]

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

When you are trying to make funny cartoons within seven steps , explainer videos, or informative shorts to post online, 2D animation software can come in handy. With access to a 2D animation maker, you can create intricate and interesting stories that will help you connect with your audience.

Whether you are turning photos into cartoons , teaching a group of kids , showing employees how to do their job, introducing a new product, or trying to elicit an emotional reaction from your audience, 2D cartoon animation can be very useful.

If you are new to the world of 2D animation as a beginner and want to be a professional animation maker, you will be interested in our review of the top 10 free download 2D animation software options that may prove useful to you.

• Part 1: Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners
• Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software
• Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation
• Part 4: FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

Recommend free download animation maker Filmora

If you want to create a 2D animation video, we recommend using 2D animation software-Filmora.

It is a powerful and straightforward video maker for all levels from middle to advanced. With keyframing, you can make smooth 2D animation quickly. Auto color correction can save you a lot of time to make high-quality animation.

Now free download it on Windows and Mac to make 2D animated videos, and connect with other video creators in the Wondershare Video Community to get more creative ideas.

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Have a Quick Look at The Best 10 Free/Paid 2D Animation Software to Download

No.	Product Name	Supported OS	Price	Best for
1	Synfig	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
2	Opentoonz	Windows and OSX	Free	Beginners
3	Maefloresta	iPhone and Android	Free	Beginners
4	Pencil 2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
5	Toon Boom Harmony	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$109 per month	Professionals
6	CelAction2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$1300 for one single license	Professionals
7	Moho (Anime Studio) Pro	Windows and OSX	$399.99 for the full package	Professionals
8	Stop Motion Studio	Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS	$59.99 for the full package	Professionals
9	FlipBook	Windows and OSX	$19.99/$49.99/$149.99/$199.99	Professionals
10	Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator	Windows and OSX	$199 for the pipeline, $99 for pro	Professionals

Part 1 Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners

01 Synfig - Open Source 2D Animation Software for Beginners

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers more than 50 layers to make simple or advanced animation, so you don’t need to worry about its limitation though it is free to use.

Con: Few tutorials are available in the market to start making an animation for beginners.

Synfig Studio is an open-source, free 2D animation software that is the perfect place for beginners to learn about 2D animation. There are two versions available for free download - stable and testing.

The testing version has some experimental features if users want to try those ahead of their introduction into the stable release.

Features:

• Supports multiple layers of content
• The bone system allows for the creation of cutout animations from bitmap images
• Has sound support to allow for the addition and syncing of narration and/or music to the video

02 Opentoonz - Free-to-Use Effects for 2D Animation

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can use a plug-in to make beautiful animation effects automatically without further editing.

Con: The UI design is outdated compared with other animation software, but it won’t affect user experience.

Based on the Toonz software, Opentoonz is the best free alternative that will help you create 2D animated content. Anyone can use the software, free of charge, and download it.

And users can modify the source code to add specific features to this simple animation software.

Features:

• GTS scanning tool
• Ability to change picture styles
• Add distortion and light effects
• Compatible with black and white and colored scans

03 Maefloresta - Easy-to-Use 2D Animation Software on Phone

Price: Free

Compatibility: iPhone and Android

Pro: It is free to use with easy to start introduction, even for kids.

Con: You need to email its staff to get the installer online, which is inconvenient sometimes.

The beauty of the Maefloresta app is that you can use your Android or iOS tablet and smartphone to create free 2D animated videos.

There is no need to pay for expensive software if you just want to create some fun videos to show your friends. It also offers school solutions for teachers and students.

Features:

• The free downloadable app that works on smartphones and tablets
• Easy animation software with tutorials
• Intuitive interface that beginners can use with ease

04 Pencil 2D - Cross-Platform Software with Intuitive Interface

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers English, Spanish, and Portuguese language tutorials to use.

Con: It doesn’t support the shapes tool. If you like to make shapes and draw something, you’d be disappointed.

Want an open-source and free 2D animation design software to help you create videos? Pencil2D animation is the type of program that can help beginners.

You can get to grips with how 2D animation works, and you can create some very fun and interesting videos along the way.

Features:

• Minimalist design to let you make animation easily
• Raster and vector workflow switching
• Cross-platform compatibility to free download

Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software

05 Toon Boom Harmony - Leading Animation Software for Professional

Price: The first 21 days of using the product are free. After the 21 days are up, you will need to pay $109 per month.

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: You can make 2D and 3D animation, both with models.

Con: It may take some time to learn how to make 2D animation for beginners.

Whether you are trying to create an art piece, showcase a story through 2D images, or craft a unique message for your audience, Toon Boom Harmony will help you immensely.

This professional 2D animation software may take time to learn, but it is worth using. It has bitmap and vector tools for creating art, 3D imported models for hybrid productions, and the option to create multiplane scenes with Z-depth.

You can also check the Toon Boom Harmony Advanced Review from the TopTenReview website for more information.

Features:

• Revolutionary vector and bitmap drawing technology - Brush Engine
• Advanced color palettes and paint options
• 2D and 3D integration to make professional animation
• Cut-out animation tools
• Traditional paperless animation.

06 CelAction2D - Low System Requirement for Professional 2D Animation

Price: If you go with the Studio Edition, it costs $1,300 to obtain a single license to use the product for a lifetime. Studio Edition is $1300 for one single license

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It is fast to use with low system requirements.

Con: You can draw animation in itself, so you need to import all words from third-party software.

Want to create unique and complex 2D animations for your upcoming projects? CelAction2D is the type of product that is going to help you create wonderful and professional animations.

While getting a full license is a financial commitment, you are getting a product that has all the features that you could need.

You can create a palette using up to 16 million colors, and you will have a very easy time getting to grips with the way the software works.

It is designed for beginners and intermediate users, but still has all the advanced features that a pro would want.

Features:

• Easy and fast to use for professional users
• Features ergonomic controls
• Easily handles complex projects with thousands of layers
• Works with all modern Windows machines - 32 and 64-bit Also work with Macs through Boot Camp
• The multiplane camera features let you have more controls

07 Moho (Anime Studio) Pro - All-In-One Professional 2D Animation Software

Price: $399.99 for the full package.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: Its update is regular with advanced and newest features to use.

Con: It is not user-friendly for beginners as the functions are too advanced a little bit.

Anime Studio Pro is a fantastic option for anyone who is looking to get into professional 2D animation creation. It is affordable and designed for Flash-style animations.

While you cannot create frame-by-frame animations using this program, you will be able to create some fantastic videos nonetheless.

There is an Anime Studio Debut - simple animation software, which is targeted towards the beginner user and free download. But if you want all the features of a high-end 2D animation software, you will want to go with the Pro version.

Features:

• Enhanced freehand drawing tools
• Beizer handles to make it easier for you to design your videos the way that you want
• Smart warp feature helps create custom meshes to bend and twist your animations
• Realistic motion blur
• Animation for multiple layers at the same time

08 Stop Motion Studio - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $59.99 to download the software onto your PC.

Compatibility: Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS

Pro: You can use a built-in sound to make your animation unique. You can also record voice and use it in the video.

Con: You can only use it to make 2D stop motion animation.

Want to create fun, 2D animated videos? Hoping to impress your bosses with a 2D animated presentation to highlight a product’s features?

Using Stop Motion Studio will help you achieve all that you want in the world of 2D animation.

You can capture content with ease, whether you change up the focus, exposure, or white balance. There is DSLR support, so you can use your high-end camera in conjunction with this professional software.

And with a unique, frame-by-frame editor, you will be able to get the result that you want for your 2D stop animation movie.

Features:

• Onionskin allows you to view previous frames through a transparent overlay, which helps you create your next frame
• Comes with Chroma key and audio recording to better narrate and add voice effects to your videos
• Easy one-click uploading to YouTube and Facebook
• DSLR camera support for creating perfect 1080p recordings

09 FlipBook - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $19.99 for FlipBook Lite, $49.99 for FlipBook Studio, $149.99 for FlipBook Pro, $199.99 for FlipBook ProHD

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: From drawing, scanning to sound, this 2D animation software can make you powerful video.

Con: You can’t use it to make subtle changes as bone rigging is not available.

FlipBook is easy to use for beginners and pros who want to improve the editing experience. It is a powerful video editor that you can make 2D animation with various functions like syncing sound with animation, scanning cells, and more.

If you like to make a cartoon video like a pro, this 2D animation maker is best for you. It is free to download.

Features:

• Changes will be made while you change the animation, so FlipBook is fast to use
• You can use the shift key to make speed painting once you select one color
• Ten layers in animation for adding extra touches
• You can use a scanner to import images

10 Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator - Professional 2D Animation/Cartoon Software for Designers

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can always find the feature you like for beginners and professionals. You can control characters even in expression levels.

Con: It integrates with PhotoShop to import and export video.

CrazyTalk is a 2D animation maker for professional users, so you can use this one if you don’t know which one to use. It supports controlling characters with your expression and lip-syncing. It is popular among YouTubers, educators and marketers.

Features:

• Capture real-time facial expression with precise changing
• Black magic to turn the image into a moving cartoon
• For advanced users, you can make 2D visual effects

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

You may also like: Best Free Animated Logo Makers >>

Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation

Step 1 Put forward an idea

A story ides is priceless. It is always important to build an essential story frame. Sometimes it is in a blink to have come up with an idea.

It will help if you decide the gist of your 2D animation because the whole process of making animation is evolving. You may need to add or cut some scenes, but the overall concept and story ideas are always the same.

Step 2 Make a storyboard

After all the ideas are fixed, you need to make a storyboard for animation . You don’t need to produce every scene, but it is suggested to make a storyboard in some crucial scenes. Storyboarding is probably the best way to show 2D animation to other people and get feedback.

Thus, it is a step that you should not neglect during the preliminary.

Step 3 Produce materials

At this stage, you need to prepare all the 2D animation materials, including characters, background, and props. One thing you need to know is all the preparations in steps 2 and 3 should be ready before proceeding to step 3.

Step 4 Animation

After all, materials are ready, and you need to make animation alive. In this step, you need to make sure all the movements are natural. Stiff moves are not liked by the audience, so you need to think about how to design gestures, movements, and facial expressions.

Step 5 Animation editing

In this step, the software is the key to relive the 2D animation. Background audio is essential and needs to be added to the video. Color correction and grading are also necessary. Besides, scene transition, voiceover, and even text credit need to be added.

Above are the five 2D animation steps. If you think there are extra steps, you are free to add them according to your needs.

Bonus tip: Create an Animation Video with Anireel

Anireel provides a faster and smoother animated video creation experience with customizable elements to bring anyone’s imagination to life. All you have to do is choose your script, input the content, and Anireel will instantly match your script to rich animation explainer scenes, convert the text into voice-over, and generate a vivid, complete animation video.

Part 3 FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

01 What is the best 2D animation software?

It is hard to directly give you an answer and tell you which is the best 2D animation software. However, we can give you some recommendations based on your needs. If you are a beginner, Pencil 2D is a great start. You can use it to make minimalist animation to give you a quick-to-start 2D animation experience. If you are in the middle level, Stop Motion Studio is what we recommend. The interface is intuitive with powerful features like voiceover and Chroma key.

02 What is the best 2D animation software for beginners?

For 2D animation software for beginners, Pencil 2D would come to mind for many people. It is an excellent animation software for beginners. If you also want to try other tools, Synfig and FlipBook are also great choices. It is your call for the final decision.

03 Is there any free animation software?

For beginners, free animation software includes Synfig, Opentoonz, Maefloresta, and Pencil 2D. For advanced users, you can use Blender and Maya.

Conclusion

Creating a 2D animation video is a lot easier when you have the right software available to you. You already have a script and storyboard in mind, but now you can realize your vision in intricate and unique ways.

If you want to make 3D animation, there are also various 3D animation software options for you. If anyone of the products above will serve you well, you could use Filmora.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

When you are trying to make funny cartoons within seven steps , explainer videos, or informative shorts to post online, 2D animation software can come in handy. With access to a 2D animation maker, you can create intricate and interesting stories that will help you connect with your audience.

Whether you are turning photos into cartoons , teaching a group of kids , showing employees how to do their job, introducing a new product, or trying to elicit an emotional reaction from your audience, 2D cartoon animation can be very useful.

If you are new to the world of 2D animation as a beginner and want to be a professional animation maker, you will be interested in our review of the top 10 free download 2D animation software options that may prove useful to you.

• Part 1: Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners
• Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software
• Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation
• Part 4: FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

Recommend free download animation maker Filmora

If you want to create a 2D animation video, we recommend using 2D animation software-Filmora.

It is a powerful and straightforward video maker for all levels from middle to advanced. With keyframing, you can make smooth 2D animation quickly. Auto color correction can save you a lot of time to make high-quality animation.

Now free download it on Windows and Mac to make 2D animated videos, and connect with other video creators in the Wondershare Video Community to get more creative ideas.

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Have a Quick Look at The Best 10 Free/Paid 2D Animation Software to Download

No.	Product Name	Supported OS	Price	Best for
1	Synfig	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
2	Opentoonz	Windows and OSX	Free	Beginners
3	Maefloresta	iPhone and Android	Free	Beginners
4	Pencil 2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
5	Toon Boom Harmony	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$109 per month	Professionals
6	CelAction2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$1300 for one single license	Professionals
7	Moho (Anime Studio) Pro	Windows and OSX	$399.99 for the full package	Professionals
8	Stop Motion Studio	Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS	$59.99 for the full package	Professionals
9	FlipBook	Windows and OSX	$19.99/$49.99/$149.99/$199.99	Professionals
10	Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator	Windows and OSX	$199 for the pipeline, $99 for pro	Professionals

Part 1 Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners

01 Synfig - Open Source 2D Animation Software for Beginners

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers more than 50 layers to make simple or advanced animation, so you don’t need to worry about its limitation though it is free to use.

Con: Few tutorials are available in the market to start making an animation for beginners.

Synfig Studio is an open-source, free 2D animation software that is the perfect place for beginners to learn about 2D animation. There are two versions available for free download - stable and testing.

The testing version has some experimental features if users want to try those ahead of their introduction into the stable release.

Features:

• Supports multiple layers of content
• The bone system allows for the creation of cutout animations from bitmap images
• Has sound support to allow for the addition and syncing of narration and/or music to the video

02 Opentoonz - Free-to-Use Effects for 2D Animation

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can use a plug-in to make beautiful animation effects automatically without further editing.

Con: The UI design is outdated compared with other animation software, but it won’t affect user experience.

Based on the Toonz software, Opentoonz is the best free alternative that will help you create 2D animated content. Anyone can use the software, free of charge, and download it.

And users can modify the source code to add specific features to this simple animation software.

Features:

• GTS scanning tool
• Ability to change picture styles
• Add distortion and light effects
• Compatible with black and white and colored scans

03 Maefloresta - Easy-to-Use 2D Animation Software on Phone

Price: Free

Compatibility: iPhone and Android

Pro: It is free to use with easy to start introduction, even for kids.

Con: You need to email its staff to get the installer online, which is inconvenient sometimes.

The beauty of the Maefloresta app is that you can use your Android or iOS tablet and smartphone to create free 2D animated videos.

There is no need to pay for expensive software if you just want to create some fun videos to show your friends. It also offers school solutions for teachers and students.

Features:

• The free downloadable app that works on smartphones and tablets
• Easy animation software with tutorials
• Intuitive interface that beginners can use with ease

04 Pencil 2D - Cross-Platform Software with Intuitive Interface

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers English, Spanish, and Portuguese language tutorials to use.

Con: It doesn’t support the shapes tool. If you like to make shapes and draw something, you’d be disappointed.

Want an open-source and free 2D animation design software to help you create videos? Pencil2D animation is the type of program that can help beginners.

You can get to grips with how 2D animation works, and you can create some very fun and interesting videos along the way.

Features:

• Minimalist design to let you make animation easily
• Raster and vector workflow switching
• Cross-platform compatibility to free download

Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software

05 Toon Boom Harmony - Leading Animation Software for Professional

Price: The first 21 days of using the product are free. After the 21 days are up, you will need to pay $109 per month.

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: You can make 2D and 3D animation, both with models.

Con: It may take some time to learn how to make 2D animation for beginners.

Whether you are trying to create an art piece, showcase a story through 2D images, or craft a unique message for your audience, Toon Boom Harmony will help you immensely.

This professional 2D animation software may take time to learn, but it is worth using. It has bitmap and vector tools for creating art, 3D imported models for hybrid productions, and the option to create multiplane scenes with Z-depth.

You can also check the Toon Boom Harmony Advanced Review from the TopTenReview website for more information.

Features:

• Revolutionary vector and bitmap drawing technology - Brush Engine
• Advanced color palettes and paint options
• 2D and 3D integration to make professional animation
• Cut-out animation tools
• Traditional paperless animation.

06 CelAction2D - Low System Requirement for Professional 2D Animation

Price: If you go with the Studio Edition, it costs $1,300 to obtain a single license to use the product for a lifetime. Studio Edition is $1300 for one single license

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It is fast to use with low system requirements.

Con: You can draw animation in itself, so you need to import all words from third-party software.

Want to create unique and complex 2D animations for your upcoming projects? CelAction2D is the type of product that is going to help you create wonderful and professional animations.

While getting a full license is a financial commitment, you are getting a product that has all the features that you could need.

You can create a palette using up to 16 million colors, and you will have a very easy time getting to grips with the way the software works.

It is designed for beginners and intermediate users, but still has all the advanced features that a pro would want.

Features:

• Easy and fast to use for professional users
• Features ergonomic controls
• Easily handles complex projects with thousands of layers
• Works with all modern Windows machines - 32 and 64-bit Also work with Macs through Boot Camp
• The multiplane camera features let you have more controls

07 Moho (Anime Studio) Pro - All-In-One Professional 2D Animation Software

Price: $399.99 for the full package.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: Its update is regular with advanced and newest features to use.

Con: It is not user-friendly for beginners as the functions are too advanced a little bit.

Anime Studio Pro is a fantastic option for anyone who is looking to get into professional 2D animation creation. It is affordable and designed for Flash-style animations.

While you cannot create frame-by-frame animations using this program, you will be able to create some fantastic videos nonetheless.

There is an Anime Studio Debut - simple animation software, which is targeted towards the beginner user and free download. But if you want all the features of a high-end 2D animation software, you will want to go with the Pro version.

Features:

• Enhanced freehand drawing tools
• Beizer handles to make it easier for you to design your videos the way that you want
• Smart warp feature helps create custom meshes to bend and twist your animations
• Realistic motion blur
• Animation for multiple layers at the same time

08 Stop Motion Studio - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $59.99 to download the software onto your PC.

Compatibility: Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS

Pro: You can use a built-in sound to make your animation unique. You can also record voice and use it in the video.

Con: You can only use it to make 2D stop motion animation.

Want to create fun, 2D animated videos? Hoping to impress your bosses with a 2D animated presentation to highlight a product’s features?

Using Stop Motion Studio will help you achieve all that you want in the world of 2D animation.

You can capture content with ease, whether you change up the focus, exposure, or white balance. There is DSLR support, so you can use your high-end camera in conjunction with this professional software.

And with a unique, frame-by-frame editor, you will be able to get the result that you want for your 2D stop animation movie.

Features:

• Onionskin allows you to view previous frames through a transparent overlay, which helps you create your next frame
• Comes with Chroma key and audio recording to better narrate and add voice effects to your videos
• Easy one-click uploading to YouTube and Facebook
• DSLR camera support for creating perfect 1080p recordings

09 FlipBook - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $19.99 for FlipBook Lite, $49.99 for FlipBook Studio, $149.99 for FlipBook Pro, $199.99 for FlipBook ProHD

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: From drawing, scanning to sound, this 2D animation software can make you powerful video.

Con: You can’t use it to make subtle changes as bone rigging is not available.

FlipBook is easy to use for beginners and pros who want to improve the editing experience. It is a powerful video editor that you can make 2D animation with various functions like syncing sound with animation, scanning cells, and more.

If you like to make a cartoon video like a pro, this 2D animation maker is best for you. It is free to download.

Features:

• Changes will be made while you change the animation, so FlipBook is fast to use
• You can use the shift key to make speed painting once you select one color
• Ten layers in animation for adding extra touches
• You can use a scanner to import images

10 Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator - Professional 2D Animation/Cartoon Software for Designers

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can always find the feature you like for beginners and professionals. You can control characters even in expression levels.

Con: It integrates with PhotoShop to import and export video.

CrazyTalk is a 2D animation maker for professional users, so you can use this one if you don’t know which one to use. It supports controlling characters with your expression and lip-syncing. It is popular among YouTubers, educators and marketers.

Features:

• Capture real-time facial expression with precise changing
• Black magic to turn the image into a moving cartoon
• For advanced users, you can make 2D visual effects

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

You may also like: Best Free Animated Logo Makers >>

Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation

Step 1 Put forward an idea

A story ides is priceless. It is always important to build an essential story frame. Sometimes it is in a blink to have come up with an idea.

It will help if you decide the gist of your 2D animation because the whole process of making animation is evolving. You may need to add or cut some scenes, but the overall concept and story ideas are always the same.

Step 2 Make a storyboard

After all the ideas are fixed, you need to make a storyboard for animation . You don’t need to produce every scene, but it is suggested to make a storyboard in some crucial scenes. Storyboarding is probably the best way to show 2D animation to other people and get feedback.

Thus, it is a step that you should not neglect during the preliminary.

Step 3 Produce materials

At this stage, you need to prepare all the 2D animation materials, including characters, background, and props. One thing you need to know is all the preparations in steps 2 and 3 should be ready before proceeding to step 3.

Step 4 Animation

After all, materials are ready, and you need to make animation alive. In this step, you need to make sure all the movements are natural. Stiff moves are not liked by the audience, so you need to think about how to design gestures, movements, and facial expressions.

Step 5 Animation editing

In this step, the software is the key to relive the 2D animation. Background audio is essential and needs to be added to the video. Color correction and grading are also necessary. Besides, scene transition, voiceover, and even text credit need to be added.

Above are the five 2D animation steps. If you think there are extra steps, you are free to add them according to your needs.

Bonus tip: Create an Animation Video with Anireel

Anireel provides a faster and smoother animated video creation experience with customizable elements to bring anyone’s imagination to life. All you have to do is choose your script, input the content, and Anireel will instantly match your script to rich animation explainer scenes, convert the text into voice-over, and generate a vivid, complete animation video.

Part 3 FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

01 What is the best 2D animation software?

It is hard to directly give you an answer and tell you which is the best 2D animation software. However, we can give you some recommendations based on your needs. If you are a beginner, Pencil 2D is a great start. You can use it to make minimalist animation to give you a quick-to-start 2D animation experience. If you are in the middle level, Stop Motion Studio is what we recommend. The interface is intuitive with powerful features like voiceover and Chroma key.

02 What is the best 2D animation software for beginners?

For 2D animation software for beginners, Pencil 2D would come to mind for many people. It is an excellent animation software for beginners. If you also want to try other tools, Synfig and FlipBook are also great choices. It is your call for the final decision.

03 Is there any free animation software?

For beginners, free animation software includes Synfig, Opentoonz, Maefloresta, and Pencil 2D. For advanced users, you can use Blender and Maya.

Conclusion

Creating a 2D animation video is a lot easier when you have the right software available to you. You already have a script and storyboard in mind, but now you can realize your vision in intricate and unique ways.

If you want to make 3D animation, there are also various 3D animation software options for you. If anyone of the products above will serve you well, you could use Filmora.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

When you are trying to make funny cartoons within seven steps , explainer videos, or informative shorts to post online, 2D animation software can come in handy. With access to a 2D animation maker, you can create intricate and interesting stories that will help you connect with your audience.

Whether you are turning photos into cartoons , teaching a group of kids , showing employees how to do their job, introducing a new product, or trying to elicit an emotional reaction from your audience, 2D cartoon animation can be very useful.

If you are new to the world of 2D animation as a beginner and want to be a professional animation maker, you will be interested in our review of the top 10 free download 2D animation software options that may prove useful to you.

• Part 1: Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners
• Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software
• Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation
• Part 4: FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

Recommend free download animation maker Filmora

If you want to create a 2D animation video, we recommend using 2D animation software-Filmora.

It is a powerful and straightforward video maker for all levels from middle to advanced. With keyframing, you can make smooth 2D animation quickly. Auto color correction can save you a lot of time to make high-quality animation.

Now free download it on Windows and Mac to make 2D animated videos, and connect with other video creators in the Wondershare Video Community to get more creative ideas.

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Have a Quick Look at The Best 10 Free/Paid 2D Animation Software to Download

No.	Product Name	Supported OS	Price	Best for
1	Synfig	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
2	Opentoonz	Windows and OSX	Free	Beginners
3	Maefloresta	iPhone and Android	Free	Beginners
4	Pencil 2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
5	Toon Boom Harmony	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$109 per month	Professionals
6	CelAction2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$1300 for one single license	Professionals
7	Moho (Anime Studio) Pro	Windows and OSX	$399.99 for the full package	Professionals
8	Stop Motion Studio	Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS	$59.99 for the full package	Professionals
9	FlipBook	Windows and OSX	$19.99/$49.99/$149.99/$199.99	Professionals
10	Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator	Windows and OSX	$199 for the pipeline, $99 for pro	Professionals

Part 1 Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners

01 Synfig - Open Source 2D Animation Software for Beginners

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers more than 50 layers to make simple or advanced animation, so you don’t need to worry about its limitation though it is free to use.

Con: Few tutorials are available in the market to start making an animation for beginners.

Synfig Studio is an open-source, free 2D animation software that is the perfect place for beginners to learn about 2D animation. There are two versions available for free download - stable and testing.

The testing version has some experimental features if users want to try those ahead of their introduction into the stable release.

Features:

• Supports multiple layers of content
• The bone system allows for the creation of cutout animations from bitmap images
• Has sound support to allow for the addition and syncing of narration and/or music to the video

02 Opentoonz - Free-to-Use Effects for 2D Animation

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can use a plug-in to make beautiful animation effects automatically without further editing.

Con: The UI design is outdated compared with other animation software, but it won’t affect user experience.

Based on the Toonz software, Opentoonz is the best free alternative that will help you create 2D animated content. Anyone can use the software, free of charge, and download it.

And users can modify the source code to add specific features to this simple animation software.

Features:

• GTS scanning tool
• Ability to change picture styles
• Add distortion and light effects
• Compatible with black and white and colored scans

03 Maefloresta - Easy-to-Use 2D Animation Software on Phone

Price: Free

Compatibility: iPhone and Android

Pro: It is free to use with easy to start introduction, even for kids.

Con: You need to email its staff to get the installer online, which is inconvenient sometimes.

The beauty of the Maefloresta app is that you can use your Android or iOS tablet and smartphone to create free 2D animated videos.

There is no need to pay for expensive software if you just want to create some fun videos to show your friends. It also offers school solutions for teachers and students.

Features:

• The free downloadable app that works on smartphones and tablets
• Easy animation software with tutorials
• Intuitive interface that beginners can use with ease

04 Pencil 2D - Cross-Platform Software with Intuitive Interface

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers English, Spanish, and Portuguese language tutorials to use.

Con: It doesn’t support the shapes tool. If you like to make shapes and draw something, you’d be disappointed.

Want an open-source and free 2D animation design software to help you create videos? Pencil2D animation is the type of program that can help beginners.

You can get to grips with how 2D animation works, and you can create some very fun and interesting videos along the way.

Features:

• Minimalist design to let you make animation easily
• Raster and vector workflow switching
• Cross-platform compatibility to free download

Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software

05 Toon Boom Harmony - Leading Animation Software for Professional

Price: The first 21 days of using the product are free. After the 21 days are up, you will need to pay $109 per month.

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: You can make 2D and 3D animation, both with models.

Con: It may take some time to learn how to make 2D animation for beginners.

Whether you are trying to create an art piece, showcase a story through 2D images, or craft a unique message for your audience, Toon Boom Harmony will help you immensely.

This professional 2D animation software may take time to learn, but it is worth using. It has bitmap and vector tools for creating art, 3D imported models for hybrid productions, and the option to create multiplane scenes with Z-depth.

You can also check the Toon Boom Harmony Advanced Review from the TopTenReview website for more information.

Features:

• Revolutionary vector and bitmap drawing technology - Brush Engine
• Advanced color palettes and paint options
• 2D and 3D integration to make professional animation
• Cut-out animation tools
• Traditional paperless animation.

06 CelAction2D - Low System Requirement for Professional 2D Animation

Price: If you go with the Studio Edition, it costs $1,300 to obtain a single license to use the product for a lifetime. Studio Edition is $1300 for one single license

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It is fast to use with low system requirements.

Con: You can draw animation in itself, so you need to import all words from third-party software.

Want to create unique and complex 2D animations for your upcoming projects? CelAction2D is the type of product that is going to help you create wonderful and professional animations.

While getting a full license is a financial commitment, you are getting a product that has all the features that you could need.

You can create a palette using up to 16 million colors, and you will have a very easy time getting to grips with the way the software works.

It is designed for beginners and intermediate users, but still has all the advanced features that a pro would want.

Features:

• Easy and fast to use for professional users
• Features ergonomic controls
• Easily handles complex projects with thousands of layers
• Works with all modern Windows machines - 32 and 64-bit Also work with Macs through Boot Camp
• The multiplane camera features let you have more controls

07 Moho (Anime Studio) Pro - All-In-One Professional 2D Animation Software

Price: $399.99 for the full package.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: Its update is regular with advanced and newest features to use.

Con: It is not user-friendly for beginners as the functions are too advanced a little bit.

Anime Studio Pro is a fantastic option for anyone who is looking to get into professional 2D animation creation. It is affordable and designed for Flash-style animations.

While you cannot create frame-by-frame animations using this program, you will be able to create some fantastic videos nonetheless.

There is an Anime Studio Debut - simple animation software, which is targeted towards the beginner user and free download. But if you want all the features of a high-end 2D animation software, you will want to go with the Pro version.

Features:

• Enhanced freehand drawing tools
• Beizer handles to make it easier for you to design your videos the way that you want
• Smart warp feature helps create custom meshes to bend and twist your animations
• Realistic motion blur
• Animation for multiple layers at the same time

08 Stop Motion Studio - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $59.99 to download the software onto your PC.

Compatibility: Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS

Pro: You can use a built-in sound to make your animation unique. You can also record voice and use it in the video.

Con: You can only use it to make 2D stop motion animation.

Want to create fun, 2D animated videos? Hoping to impress your bosses with a 2D animated presentation to highlight a product’s features?

Using Stop Motion Studio will help you achieve all that you want in the world of 2D animation.

You can capture content with ease, whether you change up the focus, exposure, or white balance. There is DSLR support, so you can use your high-end camera in conjunction with this professional software.

And with a unique, frame-by-frame editor, you will be able to get the result that you want for your 2D stop animation movie.

Features:

• Onionskin allows you to view previous frames through a transparent overlay, which helps you create your next frame
• Comes with Chroma key and audio recording to better narrate and add voice effects to your videos
• Easy one-click uploading to YouTube and Facebook
• DSLR camera support for creating perfect 1080p recordings

09 FlipBook - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $19.99 for FlipBook Lite, $49.99 for FlipBook Studio, $149.99 for FlipBook Pro, $199.99 for FlipBook ProHD

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: From drawing, scanning to sound, this 2D animation software can make you powerful video.

Con: You can’t use it to make subtle changes as bone rigging is not available.

FlipBook is easy to use for beginners and pros who want to improve the editing experience. It is a powerful video editor that you can make 2D animation with various functions like syncing sound with animation, scanning cells, and more.

If you like to make a cartoon video like a pro, this 2D animation maker is best for you. It is free to download.

Features:

• Changes will be made while you change the animation, so FlipBook is fast to use
• You can use the shift key to make speed painting once you select one color
• Ten layers in animation for adding extra touches
• You can use a scanner to import images

10 Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator - Professional 2D Animation/Cartoon Software for Designers

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can always find the feature you like for beginners and professionals. You can control characters even in expression levels.

Con: It integrates with PhotoShop to import and export video.

CrazyTalk is a 2D animation maker for professional users, so you can use this one if you don’t know which one to use. It supports controlling characters with your expression and lip-syncing. It is popular among YouTubers, educators and marketers.

Features:

• Capture real-time facial expression with precise changing
• Black magic to turn the image into a moving cartoon
• For advanced users, you can make 2D visual effects

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

You may also like: Best Free Animated Logo Makers >>

Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation

Step 1 Put forward an idea

A story ides is priceless. It is always important to build an essential story frame. Sometimes it is in a blink to have come up with an idea.

It will help if you decide the gist of your 2D animation because the whole process of making animation is evolving. You may need to add or cut some scenes, but the overall concept and story ideas are always the same.

Step 2 Make a storyboard

After all the ideas are fixed, you need to make a storyboard for animation . You don’t need to produce every scene, but it is suggested to make a storyboard in some crucial scenes. Storyboarding is probably the best way to show 2D animation to other people and get feedback.

Thus, it is a step that you should not neglect during the preliminary.

Step 3 Produce materials

At this stage, you need to prepare all the 2D animation materials, including characters, background, and props. One thing you need to know is all the preparations in steps 2 and 3 should be ready before proceeding to step 3.

Step 4 Animation

After all, materials are ready, and you need to make animation alive. In this step, you need to make sure all the movements are natural. Stiff moves are not liked by the audience, so you need to think about how to design gestures, movements, and facial expressions.

Step 5 Animation editing

In this step, the software is the key to relive the 2D animation. Background audio is essential and needs to be added to the video. Color correction and grading are also necessary. Besides, scene transition, voiceover, and even text credit need to be added.

Above are the five 2D animation steps. If you think there are extra steps, you are free to add them according to your needs.

Bonus tip: Create an Animation Video with Anireel

Anireel provides a faster and smoother animated video creation experience with customizable elements to bring anyone’s imagination to life. All you have to do is choose your script, input the content, and Anireel will instantly match your script to rich animation explainer scenes, convert the text into voice-over, and generate a vivid, complete animation video.

Part 3 FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

01 What is the best 2D animation software?

It is hard to directly give you an answer and tell you which is the best 2D animation software. However, we can give you some recommendations based on your needs. If you are a beginner, Pencil 2D is a great start. You can use it to make minimalist animation to give you a quick-to-start 2D animation experience. If you are in the middle level, Stop Motion Studio is what we recommend. The interface is intuitive with powerful features like voiceover and Chroma key.

02 What is the best 2D animation software for beginners?

For 2D animation software for beginners, Pencil 2D would come to mind for many people. It is an excellent animation software for beginners. If you also want to try other tools, Synfig and FlipBook are also great choices. It is your call for the final decision.

03 Is there any free animation software?

For beginners, free animation software includes Synfig, Opentoonz, Maefloresta, and Pencil 2D. For advanced users, you can use Blender and Maya.

Conclusion

Creating a 2D animation video is a lot easier when you have the right software available to you. You already have a script and storyboard in mind, but now you can realize your vision in intricate and unique ways.

If you want to make 3D animation, there are also various 3D animation software options for you. If anyone of the products above will serve you well, you could use Filmora.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

When you are trying to make funny cartoons within seven steps , explainer videos, or informative shorts to post online, 2D animation software can come in handy. With access to a 2D animation maker, you can create intricate and interesting stories that will help you connect with your audience.

Whether you are turning photos into cartoons , teaching a group of kids , showing employees how to do their job, introducing a new product, or trying to elicit an emotional reaction from your audience, 2D cartoon animation can be very useful.

If you are new to the world of 2D animation as a beginner and want to be a professional animation maker, you will be interested in our review of the top 10 free download 2D animation software options that may prove useful to you.

• Part 1: Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners
• Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software
• Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation
• Part 4: FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

Recommend free download animation maker Filmora

If you want to create a 2D animation video, we recommend using 2D animation software-Filmora.

It is a powerful and straightforward video maker for all levels from middle to advanced. With keyframing, you can make smooth 2D animation quickly. Auto color correction can save you a lot of time to make high-quality animation.

Now free download it on Windows and Mac to make 2D animated videos, and connect with other video creators in the Wondershare Video Community to get more creative ideas.

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Have a Quick Look at The Best 10 Free/Paid 2D Animation Software to Download

No.	Product Name	Supported OS	Price	Best for
1	Synfig	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
2	Opentoonz	Windows and OSX	Free	Beginners
3	Maefloresta	iPhone and Android	Free	Beginners
4	Pencil 2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	Free	Beginners
5	Toon Boom Harmony	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$109 per month	Professionals
6	CelAction2D	Windows, Linux, and OSX	$1300 for one single license	Professionals
7	Moho (Anime Studio) Pro	Windows and OSX	$399.99 for the full package	Professionals
8	Stop Motion Studio	Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS	$59.99 for the full package	Professionals
9	FlipBook	Windows and OSX	$19.99/$49.99/$149.99/$199.99	Professionals
10	Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator	Windows and OSX	$199 for the pipeline, $99 for pro	Professionals

Part 1 Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners

01 Synfig - Open Source 2D Animation Software for Beginners

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers more than 50 layers to make simple or advanced animation, so you don’t need to worry about its limitation though it is free to use.

Con: Few tutorials are available in the market to start making an animation for beginners.

Synfig Studio is an open-source, free 2D animation software that is the perfect place for beginners to learn about 2D animation. There are two versions available for free download - stable and testing.

The testing version has some experimental features if users want to try those ahead of their introduction into the stable release.

Features:

• Supports multiple layers of content
• The bone system allows for the creation of cutout animations from bitmap images
• Has sound support to allow for the addition and syncing of narration and/or music to the video

02 Opentoonz - Free-to-Use Effects for 2D Animation

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can use a plug-in to make beautiful animation effects automatically without further editing.

Con: The UI design is outdated compared with other animation software, but it won’t affect user experience.

Based on the Toonz software, Opentoonz is the best free alternative that will help you create 2D animated content. Anyone can use the software, free of charge, and download it.

And users can modify the source code to add specific features to this simple animation software.

Features:

• GTS scanning tool
• Ability to change picture styles
• Add distortion and light effects
• Compatible with black and white and colored scans

03 Maefloresta - Easy-to-Use 2D Animation Software on Phone

Price: Free

Compatibility: iPhone and Android

Pro: It is free to use with easy to start introduction, even for kids.

Con: You need to email its staff to get the installer online, which is inconvenient sometimes.

The beauty of the Maefloresta app is that you can use your Android or iOS tablet and smartphone to create free 2D animated videos.

There is no need to pay for expensive software if you just want to create some fun videos to show your friends. It also offers school solutions for teachers and students.

Features:

• The free downloadable app that works on smartphones and tablets
• Easy animation software with tutorials
• Intuitive interface that beginners can use with ease

04 Pencil 2D - Cross-Platform Software with Intuitive Interface

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It offers English, Spanish, and Portuguese language tutorials to use.

Con: It doesn’t support the shapes tool. If you like to make shapes and draw something, you’d be disappointed.

Want an open-source and free 2D animation design software to help you create videos? Pencil2D animation is the type of program that can help beginners.

You can get to grips with how 2D animation works, and you can create some very fun and interesting videos along the way.

Features:

• Minimalist design to let you make animation easily
• Raster and vector workflow switching
• Cross-platform compatibility to free download

Part 2: Best Professional 2D Animation Software

05 Toon Boom Harmony - Leading Animation Software for Professional

Price: The first 21 days of using the product are free. After the 21 days are up, you will need to pay $109 per month.

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: You can make 2D and 3D animation, both with models.

Con: It may take some time to learn how to make 2D animation for beginners.

Whether you are trying to create an art piece, showcase a story through 2D images, or craft a unique message for your audience, Toon Boom Harmony will help you immensely.

This professional 2D animation software may take time to learn, but it is worth using. It has bitmap and vector tools for creating art, 3D imported models for hybrid productions, and the option to create multiplane scenes with Z-depth.

You can also check the Toon Boom Harmony Advanced Review from the TopTenReview website for more information.

Features:

• Revolutionary vector and bitmap drawing technology - Brush Engine
• Advanced color palettes and paint options
• 2D and 3D integration to make professional animation
• Cut-out animation tools
• Traditional paperless animation.

06 CelAction2D - Low System Requirement for Professional 2D Animation

Price: If you go with the Studio Edition, it costs $1,300 to obtain a single license to use the product for a lifetime. Studio Edition is $1300 for one single license

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, and OSX

Pro: It is fast to use with low system requirements.

Con: You can draw animation in itself, so you need to import all words from third-party software.

Want to create unique and complex 2D animations for your upcoming projects? CelAction2D is the type of product that is going to help you create wonderful and professional animations.

While getting a full license is a financial commitment, you are getting a product that has all the features that you could need.

You can create a palette using up to 16 million colors, and you will have a very easy time getting to grips with the way the software works.

It is designed for beginners and intermediate users, but still has all the advanced features that a pro would want.

Features:

• Easy and fast to use for professional users
• Features ergonomic controls
• Easily handles complex projects with thousands of layers
• Works with all modern Windows machines - 32 and 64-bit Also work with Macs through Boot Camp
• The multiplane camera features let you have more controls

07 Moho (Anime Studio) Pro - All-In-One Professional 2D Animation Software

Price: $399.99 for the full package.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: Its update is regular with advanced and newest features to use.

Con: It is not user-friendly for beginners as the functions are too advanced a little bit.

Anime Studio Pro is a fantastic option for anyone who is looking to get into professional 2D animation creation. It is affordable and designed for Flash-style animations.

While you cannot create frame-by-frame animations using this program, you will be able to create some fantastic videos nonetheless.

There is an Anime Studio Debut - simple animation software, which is targeted towards the beginner user and free download. But if you want all the features of a high-end 2D animation software, you will want to go with the Pro version.

Features:

• Enhanced freehand drawing tools
• Beizer handles to make it easier for you to design your videos the way that you want
• Smart warp feature helps create custom meshes to bend and twist your animations
• Realistic motion blur
• Animation for multiple layers at the same time

08 Stop Motion Studio - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $59.99 to download the software onto your PC.

Compatibility: Windows, OSX, Android, and iOS

Pro: You can use a built-in sound to make your animation unique. You can also record voice and use it in the video.

Con: You can only use it to make 2D stop motion animation.

Want to create fun, 2D animated videos? Hoping to impress your bosses with a 2D animated presentation to highlight a product’s features?

Using Stop Motion Studio will help you achieve all that you want in the world of 2D animation.

You can capture content with ease, whether you change up the focus, exposure, or white balance. There is DSLR support, so you can use your high-end camera in conjunction with this professional software.

And with a unique, frame-by-frame editor, you will be able to get the result that you want for your 2D stop animation movie.

Features:

• Onionskin allows you to view previous frames through a transparent overlay, which helps you create your next frame
• Comes with Chroma key and audio recording to better narrate and add voice effects to your videos
• Easy one-click uploading to YouTube and Facebook
• DSLR camera support for creating perfect 1080p recordings

09 FlipBook - Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software

Price: $19.99 for FlipBook Lite, $49.99 for FlipBook Studio, $149.99 for FlipBook Pro, $199.99 for FlipBook ProHD

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: From drawing, scanning to sound, this 2D animation software can make you powerful video.

Con: You can’t use it to make subtle changes as bone rigging is not available.

FlipBook is easy to use for beginners and pros who want to improve the editing experience. It is a powerful video editor that you can make 2D animation with various functions like syncing sound with animation, scanning cells, and more.

If you like to make a cartoon video like a pro, this 2D animation maker is best for you. It is free to download.

Features:

• Changes will be made while you change the animation, so FlipBook is fast to use
• You can use the shift key to make speed painting once you select one color
• Ten layers in animation for adding extra touches
• You can use a scanner to import images

10 Reallusion CrazyTalk Animator - Professional 2D Animation/Cartoon Software for Designers

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

Compatibility: Windows and OSX

Pro: You can always find the feature you like for beginners and professionals. You can control characters even in expression levels.

Con: It integrates with PhotoShop to import and export video.

CrazyTalk is a 2D animation maker for professional users, so you can use this one if you don’t know which one to use. It supports controlling characters with your expression and lip-syncing. It is popular among YouTubers, educators and marketers.

Features:

• Capture real-time facial expression with precise changing
• Black magic to turn the image into a moving cartoon
• For advanced users, you can make 2D visual effects

Price: USD199 for the pipeline, USD99 for pro.

You may also like: Best Free Animated Logo Makers >>

Part 3: How to Make 2D Animation

Step 1 Put forward an idea

A story ides is priceless. It is always important to build an essential story frame. Sometimes it is in a blink to have come up with an idea.

It will help if you decide the gist of your 2D animation because the whole process of making animation is evolving. You may need to add or cut some scenes, but the overall concept and story ideas are always the same.

Step 2 Make a storyboard

After all the ideas are fixed, you need to make a storyboard for animation . You don’t need to produce every scene, but it is suggested to make a storyboard in some crucial scenes. Storyboarding is probably the best way to show 2D animation to other people and get feedback.

Thus, it is a step that you should not neglect during the preliminary.

Step 3 Produce materials

At this stage, you need to prepare all the 2D animation materials, including characters, background, and props. One thing you need to know is all the preparations in steps 2 and 3 should be ready before proceeding to step 3.

Step 4 Animation

After all, materials are ready, and you need to make animation alive. In this step, you need to make sure all the movements are natural. Stiff moves are not liked by the audience, so you need to think about how to design gestures, movements, and facial expressions.

Step 5 Animation editing

In this step, the software is the key to relive the 2D animation. Background audio is essential and needs to be added to the video. Color correction and grading are also necessary. Besides, scene transition, voiceover, and even text credit need to be added.

Above are the five 2D animation steps. If you think there are extra steps, you are free to add them according to your needs.

Bonus tip: Create an Animation Video with Anireel

Anireel provides a faster and smoother animated video creation experience with customizable elements to bring anyone’s imagination to life. All you have to do is choose your script, input the content, and Anireel will instantly match your script to rich animation explainer scenes, convert the text into voice-over, and generate a vivid, complete animation video.

Part 3 FAQ about Professional 2D Animation Software

01 What is the best 2D animation software?

It is hard to directly give you an answer and tell you which is the best 2D animation software. However, we can give you some recommendations based on your needs. If you are a beginner, Pencil 2D is a great start. You can use it to make minimalist animation to give you a quick-to-start 2D animation experience. If you are in the middle level, Stop Motion Studio is what we recommend. The interface is intuitive with powerful features like voiceover and Chroma key.

02 What is the best 2D animation software for beginners?

For 2D animation software for beginners, Pencil 2D would come to mind for many people. It is an excellent animation software for beginners. If you also want to try other tools, Synfig and FlipBook are also great choices. It is your call for the final decision.

03 Is there any free animation software?

For beginners, free animation software includes Synfig, Opentoonz, Maefloresta, and Pencil 2D. For advanced users, you can use Blender and Maya.

Conclusion

Creating a 2D animation video is a lot easier when you have the right software available to you. You already have a script and storyboard in mind, but now you can realize your vision in intricate and unique ways.

If you want to make 3D animation, there are also various 3D animation software options for you. If anyone of the products above will serve you well, you could use Filmora.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Also read: