Final Cut Pro for Windows: 14 Alternatives to Try

Premiere^® Pro is like the fully-stocked kitchen of video editing: everything you need is in there, but good luck finding the spatula on your first try. Once you get the hang of it, it’s incredibly powerful. I loved the multi-cam editing and the way it integrates with After Effects^®: bouncing graphics back and forth without exporting is a dream.

AI features like auto transcription and text-based editing genuinely impressed me. But it’s expensive, subscription-only, and my PC sounded like it was struggling. It’s for serious editors who live in Adobe’s ecosystem. Or at least tolerate it.

Adobe has also been pushing frequent updates; over the last year they’ve added impressive AI features like text-based video editing and Generative Fill/Extend that can automatically expand scenes. Yes, it has a steep learning curve and a subscription cost, but if you need top-of-the-line editing capabilities on Windows, Premiere^® Pro is often the answer.

• PCMag Rating: 4.5/5 – “A top choice for pro video editors.”
• TechRadar Verdict: 5/5 – “It really does deliver professional video editing with AI turbo boosting.”
• G2 User Rating: On G2, Premiere Pro scores around 4.5/5, with users loving its comprehensive feature set.

Best for professional videographers, filmmakers, and editors who need a complete editing solution and are willing to pay (a lot) for it.

VEGAS Pro feels like an editor made by someone who cared about audio first and video second. Its audio tools are fantastic: it took me less than 5 minutes to clean up messy dialogue, add some background music, and balance everything. The drag-and-drop timeline editing is fast and intuitive, and I appreciated how quickly I could move from rough cut to a somewhat finished video.

On the downside, VEGAS still has some quirks. The interface looks a bit dated in places, and it crashed on me when I pushed a heavy 4K project. But it’s still a strong choice for indie creators, YouTubers, or anyone who wants good sound editing without extra plugins.

VEGAS Pro is still actively updated; recent versions have integrated significant new features like AI-driven tools (text-to-speech, style transfer, motion tracking) and a modernized UI. What’s also worth mentioning, the learning curve is flatter than Premiere’s for many tasks.

• PCMag Rating: 3/5 – “Powerful video editing, few consumer conveniences”
• G2 User Rating: 4.3/5 (100+ reviews) – Users highlight VEGAS’s accessible workflow and strong audio/video editing features, though note it can be “complex to use at first” and sometimes lags on heavy projects.
• SoftwareAdvice User Rating: 4.6/5 – On SoftwareAdvice and similar platforms, VEGAS Pro scores in the high 4’s, indicating generally very positive feedback from creators.

Best for independent creators and small studios on Windows who want pro-level editing capabilities without a subscription commitment.

VideoStudio is a comfort pick. It’s packed with templates, effects, and even goofy AR stickers. I tested it by making a vacation highlight reel, and honestly, it looked good with almost no effort. It’s ideal for family projects, school videos, or YouTube beginners.

It’s not built for massive pro-level projects, but that’s fine; not everyone needs an editing PhD. My only gripe is that it can hiccup occasionally with performance, but it always recovers quickly. In short, it’s a well-rounded alternative for those who might find Premiere or VEGAS too complex.

Numbers:

• Tom’s Guide Ranking: 4/5 – Listed as the “Best video editing software for novices on Windows.”
• G2 User Rating: 4.2/5 – Users appreciate the wide range of effects and the intuitive workflow.
• Capterra Rating: 4.2/5 – Users are praising it as “a good balance between basic and advanced” and ideal for creating tutorials or marketing videos.

Best for entry-level video editors in need of a tool that helps them create content fast (via templates and a smooth interface).

Pinnacle is like VideoStudio after a couple of masterclasses. It has serious features: multi-cam editing, precise masking, motion tracking, even 360° video. When I used Pinnacle Studio 26, I noticed rendering was lightning fast compared to some rivals.

But it isn’t super beginner-friendly. You’ll need patience (and possibly the Ultimate version) to unlock its full potential. Still, if you want pro-level features without Adobe’s subscription fees, Pinnacle is a worthy upgrade.

The latest version, Pinnacle Studio 26, focused heavily on stability, speed, and core improvements. The developers literally rebuilt parts of the engine: a new proxy codec for smoother preview, better memory management for large projects, and over 200 bug fixes for scenarios reported by users.

• SoftwareAdvice Ranking: 4.6/5 – Praised for ease of use and functionality.
• G2 User Rating: 4/5 – Users appreciate its interface and functionality, but mention frequent crashes.

Best for prosumers and professionals who are working on a range of projects that require a variety of features.

PowerDirector is the editor that keeps trying to impress you. Every update brings new AI toys: motion interpolation, sky replacement, even wind noise removal. I actually used the AI slow-motion tool on a skateboarding clip, and the results were smoother than I expected.

It’s fast, the rendering is impressive, and it has tools for almost every situation. The downside? The interface can feel overwhelming, like walking into a store where every aisle screams “try me!” But once you get comfortable, it’s a powerhouse.

The latest version (2024) introduced an AI “Motion Magic” tool that can interpolate intermediate frames to create smooth slow-motion (similar to Twixtor or Adobe’s Optical Flow, but AI-enhanced). It also introduced AI Audio Denoise and AI Wind Removal for cleaner sound on windy/outdoor footage.

• PCMag Editors’ Choice: 5/5 – “The best enthusiast-level video editor money can buy.”
• Tom’s Guide Review: 4/5 – “The best paid cross-platform video editing software.”
• G2 User Rating: 4.4/5 – Users frequently mention PowerDirector’s rich feature set and reliability.

Best for enthusiast editors and content creators who want a lot of tools and speed at their disposal, without going to a full professional suite.

Clideo is what I reach for when someone says, “Can you just trim this video real quick?” No downloads, no setup. You pick a tool (cutting, compressing, meme-making), upload your clip, and it’s done.

It’s obviously not meant for pro-level editing, and uploads can be sluggish if your internet isn’t great. But for quick tasks like making a TikTok-ready clip, it’s hard to beat the convenience.

Clideo, being a web service, updates continuously rather than in big versions. The new editor allows combining videos, adding text overlays, filters, music, and making multi-scene edits all in one place. The team has been refining the interface and adding templates for things like Instagram Stories and TikTok (common use cases for their user base).

• TechRadar Verdict: 3/5 – They liked its ease but noted using tools one-by-one felt disjointed.
• Trustpilot User Rating: 4.8/5 (out of 8,000+ reviews) – Clideo gets excellent marks, with users often mentioning the user-friendly design and how it’s great for quick tasks.

Best for regular producers of social media content, and people who prefer using a high-end video editing browser app than downloading a specific tool.

Shotcut feels like that reliable old car: not flashy, but never lets you down. It supports tons of formats, handles 4K and even 8K, and runs well on older PCs. I liked that it’s open-source and free with no strings attached.

The interface takes some getting used to, and it’s not packed with ready-made templates or effects. But once you figure it out, it’s a solid option for budget-conscious editors.

The latest stable version in late 2024 added some improvements: for example, enhanced keyframe controls; Shotcut now allows more parameters of filters to be keyframed (earlier versions had keyframes for only some effects). They also introduced Unicode text support in text filters, so it handles non-Latin characters and emojis better.

• G2 User Rating: 4.2/5 – Users highlight Shotcut’s ease on system resources and solid set of features for a free tool.
• TechRadar Free Software Ranking: 4/5 – “It serves up all the core features most users will need from an editing app.”
• SourceForge Rating: 4.9/5 – Users often comment that it’s “amazingly valuable for a free app” and praise its low system requirements and broad format support.

Best for people who need a video editor that doesn’t require a ton of power and RAM to use.

Blender is known for 3D, but its video editor is surprisingly decent. I tried combining some 3D text with live footage directly in Blender, and it was smooth. If you’re dabbling in animation or VFX, the built-in editor makes sense; no need to hop between programs.

But if you just want to trim clips, Blender feels like overkill. It’s like renting a Ferrari to pick up groceries. Still, it’s rock-solid and never crashed on me, which is more than I can say for some editors here.

Blender has seen massive development overall; its major updates in the past year have been focused on rendering (Cycles), Geometry Nodes, animation systems, etc. So it’s not just great, but keeps getting better all the time.

• Capterra Ratings: 4.7/5 – While learning Blender is challenging, the value for money is unbeatable.
• TrustRadius: 9.4/10 – Specific to editing, some reviewers mention using Blender for video sequence editing to complement their animation workflow, saving them from using Adobe^® Premiere^®.

Best for video editing enthusiasts most interested in 3D media.

Avidemux is gloriously simple. It loads instantly, lets you set in/out points, and cuts or converts videos in minutes. I used it to chop ads out of a recording, and it worked flawlessly. Don’t expect effects or fancy transitions: it’s a utility knife, not a Swiss army knife. But for trimming and encoding, it’s lightning quick.

As of now, Avidemux is still actively maintained (with the latest version 2.8.x in late 2024), so it supports modern codecs and runs well on current OSes.

• SourceForge Rating: 4.3/5 – Many user reviews call it “fast, simple, effective” for cutting and encoding.
• VideoHelp User Rating: 7.5/10 (from 250+ votes) – Users praise functionality, though ease-of-use might be rated slightly lower due to its utilitarian UI.

Best for anyone who wants to edit a video quickly and efficiently, without all the bells and whistles of a premium video editor.

Clipchamp is now part of Windows 11, and it’s built for casual editing. I used it to make a quick Instagram Story, and the templates plus auto-captions made it painless.

It’s not going to handle complex timelines or huge projects: my 4K test project made it struggle. But for TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube Shorts, it’s a handy built-in option.

It offers a range of pre-made templates, a decent stock library, and fun features like a text-to-speech generator and basic filters. In 2024, Microsoft added auto-captioning (speech-to-text) to Clipchamp, so users can automatically generate subtitles now.

• Microsoft Store Rating: 4.3/5 – Many rate it 5 for ease, some 1 or 2 if they encountered bugs or missing features they wanted.
• G2 Reviews: 4.2/5 – Users often highlight its ease-of-use (UI and templates) and criticize export speed or occasional hang-ups.

Best for casual and novice video creators and quick social media content production.

DaVinci Resolve is the editor I’d recommend to anyone obsessed with getting their colors just right. I fixed a badly lit video in Resolve, and it looked like I shot it in a professional studio (almost). The free version is already packed with tools, and the paid Studio edition goes even further.

The downside is the steep learning curve and heavy system requirements. My PC’s fans didn’t like it when I was trying to work on a big project. But if you want pro-grade editing for free, nothing beats it.

Recent updates made DaVinci Resolve even better: features like AI-based tools (IntelliScript to create a text script, animated subtitles, audio assist, and more) were introduced. The Magic Mask tool (added in 17 and improved since) now can recognize and isolate objects or people with one click for quick secondary grading.

• G2 Reviews: 4.7/5 – Users particularly rate its color grading a perfect 10 and say it “ranks as one of the best video editing software you can get”
• TechRadar Rating: 4.5/5 – Named best free video editing software overall.

Best for professionals looking to up their audio, color, and video editing game, and ready to put in the time to master a powerful piece of editing software that comes with many features.

Filmora is the editor that makes video editing feel fun. It’s drag-and-drop simple, and the effects library is packed with trendy, modern templates. I made a short video in under an hour, and it looked like something made by a YouTuber with a million subs.

Advanced users may feel boxed in, but beginners and intermediates will love it. It’s quick, affordable, and doesn’t feel intimidating.

The current version, Filmora 14, was released in late 2024 and introduced several notable new features: an upgraded AI Audio Stretch (to intelligently loop or extend background music to fit your video length) and AI Smart Cut (an improved auto-cut tool that can remove silences or bad takes by analyzing the video).

• TechRadar Rating: 3/5 – Filmora earned praise for being feature-rich yet beginner-friendly.
• Capterra User Reviews: 4.5/5 (700+ reviews) – Users highlight Filmora’s professional quality results given its simplicity, and love the effects.
• G2 Crowd Rating: 4.5/5 – Filmora scores roughly 90% positive ratings.

Best for YouTubers, content creators, and beginner-to-intermediate editors who want to create videos without investing a lot of time in learning complex software.

VideoPad reminded me of Windows Movie Maker. In a good way, I mean. It’s light, runs on almost anything, and is dirt cheap. I used it on a basic laptop, and it didn’t even break a sweat.

It’s definitely limited; don’t expect pro effects or heavy-duty editing. But for home videos, slideshows, or school projects, it gets the job done with minimal fuss.

It offers fundamental editing tools: timeline or storyboard editing, transitions, titles, and a few effects. And recent updates have focused on adding a few modern touches: for instance, they added motion tracking and more export presets for social media.

• TechRadar Rating: 3.5/5 – “A great step up for anyone who's outgrown free software but doesn't need something as powerful as Adobe Premiere Pro.”
• G2 User Rating: 4.1/5 – Users love the intuitive interface, fast processing speed, and affordable price.

Best for anyone actively creating online content who doesn’t have the budget for a paid version of quality video editing software.