Best 4K Video Editors on Windows and Mac

Why I picked it: it’s lightweight and ideal when I need to make short, simple 4K clips without a learning curve.

I struggle with some Windows tools as I am a Mac guy, but MiniTool MovieMaker is a very good simple 4K video editor for beginners. It has a straightforward and intuitive user interface where I could quickly navigate to the target editing tab. For example, you can quickly find the Media, Transitions, Effect, Text, Motion, and Elements buttons on the left side.

MiniTool MovieMaker supports importing videos in the most popular file types and provides many editing tools for you. I tested the option to trim and split videos precisely with a Zoom out/Zoom in slider, crop videos, change the video’s playback speed, reverse videos, and a whole lot of other features.

The software offers a wide range of transitions and motion effects to help make smooth and pro videos. I tested adding title cards/captions/end credits and animated stickers to improve some of my videos.

MiniTool MovieMaker is a good 4K video editing app for a PC that exports your first few videos with watermarks and supports multiple video formats for output. You do need to pay for the software eventually to continue downloading high-quality videos.

Download MiniTool MovieMaker

Why I picked it: it gave me full control over keyframes, effects, and motion tracking without needing a subscription.

I tested version 26 Ultimate, and it felt stable even with multi-cam 4K footage. The Color Grading panel has matured and now behaves closer to DaVinci Resolve Lite. 2025’s update also improved title animations and hardware encoding with NVIDIA GPUs.

I found that it was professional-feeling software. And though the interface is clean and easy-to-use, it will take some time to learn and realize the full functionality of the program.

The software allows users to work with features like multicam editing, stop-motion video, motion tracking, tracked masking, and animated GIF creation. It even lets you edit 360-degree VR video content. Pinnacle states the program has over 2,000 effects. I only explored a fraction of those.

A key feature of Pinnacle Studio for professional video editors is the keyframe editing. I enjoy full control over any frame. It also allows you to fully manipulate any effect or adjustment within it.

Download Pinnacle Studio Ultimate

Why I picked it: it’s a good Windows editor for when I want speed and polished results fast.

I used PowerDirector 2025 on a midrange laptop. It is not a powerhouse, but I was impressed by how fluid 4K playback felt. The AI Sky Replacement tool worked better than I expected, and the stock music integration is useful for quick cuts. CyberLink now offers AI Noise Reduction for dialogue and cloud syncing for cross-device edits. The software has leaned heavily towards some AI features.

Cyberlink PowerDirector differs from some other 4K video makers out there because it’s a subscription-based service. You can choose to pay annual or monthly. I don’t love subscriptions but I understand it. This is a decent way to do it. You can also download updates that often contain new effects and plugins.

I think this program is the medium between professional and beginner. So while you may not have full control of your frames, you do have professional editing abilities like motion tracking and some keyframing available.

Most importantly, it supports professional video formats to help editors who want a professional end-result.

Download Cyberlink PowerDirector

Why I picked it: on a Mac, iMovie is what I grab for quick edits when I don’t need Final Cut’s full power.

I’ve explained that I’m an Apple fan. iMovie is the free HD video editing software for Mac computers offered by Apple. It’s a free download in the App Store.

With iMovie, it is easy to do some basic edits (especially using templates). There is also a wide range of features and effects. You can make simple home movies that look sleek, clean and borderline professional. Though a lot of videos edited on the software do end up feeling similar.

I wouldn’t recommend it for too many pro uses. Remember that this is a video editing program for beginners or entry-level editors. If you want to take things to a more professional level with multicam and motion tracking functions and more layers of video, you’ll need to move up to Final Cut Pro. I found iMovie to be a great starter kit before making the transition – it meant I didn’t have to relearn all of the shortcuts and controls.

Download iMovie

Why I picked it: it’s my go-to on Mac when I need professional performance without the subscription model.

I used Final Cut Pro before I had tried any others (including iMovie). Final Cut Pro is Apple’s answer for users who want or need more features than those offered by iMovie and for professional editors working on professional video.

The software itself is seamless and comes packed with loads of transitions, effects, and features that will keep editors busy for years trying to learn all of the ins and outs of the program. Recent editions have been optimized for silicon chips and it runs incredibly quickly.

I found it notable that Final Cut Prostrays from the traditional timeline editing styles of many other video editing programs.

One of the innovative features is a magnetic and trackless timeline. This means that when you move clips into a timeline, the program moves any interfering clips out of the way. It helps editors to never overwrite nearby clips and allows them to move connected clips at the same time.

Some professionals hate this style of timeline, and others live by it. I find it great for certain editing features.

Final Cut Pro has very fast rendering times and support for multicam editing. I tested it for 360-degree video content, HDR, and of course, 4K. It also has one of the best organizational tools out there for your media libraries with the ability to rate and tag files. If I’m working on a long editing project like a movie, I find this essential.

Download Final Cut Pro

Why I picked it: not many editing options are cross-platform. Adobe integration is also a big selling point for many.

I have a lot of respect for Adobe’s suite of products. For many, Adobe^® Premiere^® Pro is the classic professional video editing software on the market. The program offers powerful editing tools in a nonlinear editing timeline with the ability to add unlimited video tracks in a wide range of formats.

I’m impressed that Adobe^® Premiere^® Pro works on both Mac and PC and is part of a subscription service through Adobe, where you can bundle it with a variety of other tools to help create professional videos and productions.

I imported heavy 4K ProRes clips into Premiere^® Pro 2025 and found playback much smoother thanks to the new GPU decoding pipeline. I also like the new text-based editing. You can find and trim dialogue quickly.

That being said, all of the tools, functions, and features in the software can be daunting for entry-level editors and beginners.

Download Adobe^® Premiere^® Pro

Why I picked it: it’s my long-time favorite for fast editing on Windows. I love the timeline flexibility.

I was surprised to learn VEGAS Pro has been used by some professional TV shows and movies including “Paranormal Activity” to utilize specific capabilities within the software. Perhaps this is harsh, though. It is a very powerful video editing program that can clearly do the job.

It offers many of the standard tools and features you’d expect from any professional video editing software but incorporates things into a different style of interface. It doesn’t have as many buttons as some of its competitors and instead offers a dashboard panel where you can gain access to effects and audio. Some prefer this.

I always like when a team of developers continues to work on the software, and ​​VEGAS Pro 22 added AI noise reduction and real-time denoising. I used it to cut a multi-camera 4K podcast, and it kept up smoothly.

I consider VEGAS Pro good for experienced consumers or professionals. If you’re a beginner or entry-level, there will be a learning curve. The interface can be a little bit dated and not always intuitive.

Download VEGAS Pro

Why I picked it: professional results but an easier learning curve than Adobe or VEGAS.

For consumer-level video editing software, Corel VideoStudio Ultimate packs a punch with everything it offers. You can utilize a lot of professional-level editing tools like motion tracking, multicam, and stop motion and even do tricks like audio ducking and video masking to make your videos perfect.

I like the interface on the program and the way it lets you work with a lot of icon buttons as opposed to hard-to-find thumbnails. You can also easily switch between modes on the interface to keep your workflow clean.

Corel VideoStudio also makes Pinnacle Studio Ultimate, which is their pro-level editor. So simply put, this is the consumer version that offers many of the features of Pinnacle, but not necessarily all of the functionality controls. I like that it is easier to use and offers a trimmed version of the software.

Version 2025 improved stabilization and background music syncing. I especially liked the automatic highlight reel generator. Many of the buttons are quick-edit tools, which are cool to have at the consumer level – it might not be best suited for editors looking to go pro.

Download Corel VideoStudio Ultimate

Why I picked it: I added Lightworks because it’s one of the most balanced editors for creators who want a free tier with real professional tools.

I tested the 2025 build. It runs well on Mac, Windows, and Linux. The free plan lets you export up to 720p, while the paid Creator and Pro plans unlock full 4K exports and advanced effects. The new proxy workflow made editing smoother on my midrange laptop.

This software has three tiers of membership. They seem logical to me, with a creator plan sitting between the free and pro. The free version only has limited effects and exports but it is a good way to get used to the layout and start editing.