Top ten budget video editing programs

I’ve been working on compiling this list of video editing software for quite some time now. At the moment I am downloading many of these programs so that I can test them for you, but for now here is the basic list.

Video editing doesn’t have to be a complicated expensive endeavor. There are some very low cost options for some very powerful software. There are also free options which I will be covering in another article.

I would love to hear feedback and opinions about the softwares, so please leave comments below.

Apple iMovie

If you have a Mac, then you most likely have this video editing software. It is included  free with most new Macs, though it can be purchased separately from Apple as part of the iLife package. IMovie is extremely easy to use and one of the fastest ways to get started with video editing.

Adobe Premiere Elements

In my opinion this is the PC equivalent to iMovie. It’s not free, but you can download a 30 day trial version that will last for 30 days…  Making it the perfect companion to the Three-Minute Picture Show! Adobe Premiere Elements is the little sister to the more robust, and more expensive, Adobe Premiere.

Final Cut Express

This is a more expensive option than anything else in this list, but I feel it’s worth mentioning now for those of you who want to make a little more of an investment. Final Cut Express is the little sister to the very expensive and very robust Final Cut Pro made by Apple. It has many of the same features as its big brother, but most of the professional features have been removed, and for basic filmmaking they are not needed. The big advantage of learning Final Cut Express is that you are laying the groundwork for learning Final Cut Pro, which is an industry-standard software.

Sony Vegas

I’m currently downloading the software right now. Check back shortly and I’ll let you know what I think. In the meantime feel free to download it yourself and give it a try. Let us know the results if you do!

Pinnacle Studio

Again I’m downloading the software. The file is huge! Which might be a disadvantage. However, Pinnacle has been making video editing software for professionals since the beginning. This software’s big brother is the AVID system which was the leader in professional video editing software.

AVS Video Editor

Currently downloading this one too…  stay tuned!

MAGIX Movie Edit Pro

Currently downloading this one too…  stay tuned!

VideoReDo Plus

Currently downloading this one too…  stay tuned!

Full Motion Video

Currently downloading this one too…  stay tuned!

MoviePlus

  • Platform: Windows | Cost: $79 | No Trial Available

This one doesn’t seem to have a trial download available, so I won’t be able to review the software. If there is anyone out there who has used the software please let me know. I am leaving this on the list as an additional option for anyone who wants to give it a try.

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The Following are not full video editing programs:

iFunia

MPEG Video Wizard DVD 5.0

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