The 4 Best Video Editing Software for Mac in 2025 (Free and Paid Options for Beginners to Pros)
If you’re a Mac user looking for the best video editing software—whether you’re a complete beginner or a more advanced editor—we’ve compiled the top paid and free video editors to help you edit like a pro.
We update our recommendations every year, and in 2025, there are major changes! With some formerly free video editors now introducing subscription models and the rise of incredible new AI editing tools, our list has expanded from two to four top contenders. Stick around to hear all the options so you can find the absolute best video editor for you.
Here are our top picks for 2025:
1. VN Video Editor: The Best Free Video Editor for Beginners
VN Video Editor is one of our long-time recommendations, and for good reason. It’s an incredibly easy-to-use and robust tool that is accessible to everyone.
Key Features and Why We Love It:
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: Not only is it available on Mac, but also iOS and Android, making it easy to work across different devices.
- Beginner-Friendly Interface: The overall interface and usability are very straightforward. If you’ve never edited before, you’ll get up to speed quickly.
- Advanced Controls (Without the Complexity): It’s not limited to just basic edits. You get access to a bunch of presets, templates, and effects, plus a decent amount of control over features like key framing, animation, and detailed export settings.
- Amazing Free Version: The best part? The free version is simply insane and outpaces many paid alternatives. There are no watermarks and virtually no limits on export.
Pricing:
The free version is more than enough for most users. A paid Pro version of VN Video Editor is available to unlock extra effects, materials, fonts, and more advanced settings for project transfer and backup.
2. CapCut: The AI-Powered Editor That’s Next Level (Beginner to Intermediate)
CapCut is another phenomenal video editing tool that has taken the industry by storm. Like VN, it was designed with a mobile-first approach, making it exceptionally streamlined and easy to begin with.
The AI Advantage:
The biggest difference between VN Video Editor and CapCut is CapCut’s mind-blowing arsenal of AI tools. This software is constantly growing and rolling out new features.
- AI Editing from Text: Features like AI transcribing let you edit your video from text, just like a document.
- AI Magic: Includes AI background removal, AI voices (you can even train your own!), AI avatars, AI color grade, AI to increase video quality (for low-quality footage), and AI to remove background noise and enhance speech.
- Pro-Level Features: It’s moving beyond the basics, now including sophisticated tools for color correction and color grading that rival programs like DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere.
Compatibility and Pricing:
CapCut offers Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android versions, along with a cloud backup service for seamless project transfers.
The major change in 2025 is that CapCut is transitioning from a completely free video editor into a more paid category. Pricing can be complicated and region-specific, but generally, the CapCut Pro version is estimated to start at around $7.90 per month (ballpark). For the wealth of AI features and power you get, this is still a ridiculously cheap deal for beginner to intermediate editors.
3. Descript: The Total Rethink on Video Editing Software (Text-Based Editing)
Descript is a game-changer and an integral part of modern content creation workflows. It’s a “total rethink” on what editing software is, as your editing is primarily happening from text.
Why Descript is a Workflow Revolution:
- Edit Your Video Like a Word Document: As soon as you record or import a video, Descript uses AI to transcribe it. You then edit your video by simply deleting or moving text in the transcript. This is a massive barrier-remover for people new to video editing fundamentals.
- AI Underlord for Time Savings: The AI Underlord feature automates the base edit by removing mistakes, bad takes, “ums,” “ahs,” and other filler words.
- Next-Gen AI Tools: Beyond transcription, it features excellent AI tools to clean up your audio, remove background noise, and even a mind-blowing feature that moves your eyes to look at the camera (Eye Contact).
- Cloud-Based Collaboration: It’s available on Mac and Windows, but the cloud version is excellent for remote teams, allowing them to access and share projects easily without transferring massive files.
Pricing:
Descript is one of the more transparent options for pricing.
- Hobbyist Plan: Starts at $12 per month (billed annually) for watermark-free 1080p exports and core AI functionality.
- Creator Plan: $24 per month (billed annually) for 4K exports and more advanced AI features like Eye Contact and translation.
Descript is a perfect fit for beginners who want a simplified workflow and intermediate users who need a powerful AI and video creation tool to handle the heavy lifting of a first edit. It can also be used as a bridging software before finishing a project in a pro-grade software like DaVinci Resolve.
4. DaVinci Resolve: Pro-Grade Power for Free (Intermediate to Advanced)
For those seeking a traditional video editing software used by literal professionals, you cannot go past DaVinci Resolve. It is an incredible pro-grade software that has an astounding free option.
Professional-Level Suite for Free:
The fact that Blackmagic Design provides a fully-featured free version of DaVinci Resolve is crazy. The software is organized into different “pages” representing the steps of a video creation workflow:
- Cut Page (Quick Cuts)
- Edit Page (Traditional Editing)
- Fusion Page (Visual Effects/VFX)
- Color Page (Industry-leading Color Grading)
- Fairlight Page (Audio Post-Production)
- Delivery Page (Export)
The Color Page alone is so powerful that many professionals who use other editing tools will bring their projects to Resolve just for the color grading.
Who is DaVinci Resolve For?
This is pro-grade software and is not for everyone. It requires a powerful computer and has a significant learning curve.
- Recommended for: Intermediate through to Advanced editors, or those who want to use pro-grade software and are committed to the learning process.
- Compatibility: Available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. It also features powerful cloud integration for collaborative workflows with remote teams.
Pricing:
- Free Version: Does everything most creators will ever need, offering a huge amount of functionality.
- DaVinci Resolve Studio (Paid Version): A one-time $299 purchase (no ongoing monthly subscription). This unlocks extra AI functionality, higher resolution exports, and performance gains. Considering it’s a lifetime license with free updates, it’s an incredible value for professional video editing software.
Summary: Your Best Mac Video Editor for Every Skill Level
| Skill Level | Best Recommendation | Key Differentiating Feature | Pricing Model |
| Beginner | VN Video Editor | Easiest-to-use interface with no watermark free exports. | Mostly Free |
| Beginner to Intermediate | CapCut | Explosive growth in AI features and powerful drag-and-drop effects. | Paid (Subscription) |
| Beginner to Intermediate | Descript | Revolutionary text-based editing and incredible AI tools for first drafts. | Paid (Subscription) |
| Intermediate to Advanced | DaVinci Resolve | Pro-grade software with color grading and audio post-production suite. | Free or One-Time Paid |
By considering your skill level, budget (free vs. paid), and the importance of next-gen features like AI editing, you can choose the right video editing software for Mac and start editing your videos like a pro in 2025!
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