Looking Beyond FCPX: Top 10 Video Editing Software Options

Top Best Final Cut Pro X Alternatives on Windows & Mac & Linux [Free & Paid]

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Back in 1999, Apple launched Final Cut Pro, and the software didn’t take so long to become the first choice for video editors and post-production agencies.

The main feature it has that makes it stands out from any other video-editing software out there is that it is made exclusively to operate on Mac only, and that allowed Apple to make it fully enhanced for speed and efficiency enabling it to edit 4K UHD footage with no rendering issues.

This video editing software will cost you $300 to buy, and as mentioned above it will require you to have a Mac OS, so if you don’t have both or if you are a beginner in video editing we are suggesting a few alternatives for you that you might choose one from to start your video editing journey.

Best Free & Paid Final Cut Pro X Alternatives on Windows/ Mac/ Linux

1. Wondershare Filmora

Filmora made professional video editing easy with its easy professional tools. Besides basic video editing tools, you can now group timeline clips, range markers, or add audio and video to unlimited video tracks. You can perfect your audio with the automatic audio sync, audio compressor, or audio noise reduction, and perform detailed color correction with plentiful presets auto-correction, and color wheels. It also supports animation and motion tracking. It is easy to use and has low system requirements. Download it now to have a try

2. Avidemux

Avidemux is a free open-source and cross-platform (Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X) video editor designed for quick video joining, trimming, and filtering tasks. It supports different video formats such as MP44, MPG, AVI, OGM, MKV, FLV, and more. Here is also a getting-started tutorial for Avidemux you can refer to.

Pros as an alternative to FCPX for Windows:

• Open-source video editing software and free
• A simple interface and easy to use

Cons:

May have problems dealing with some types of formats.

3. VirtualDub

VirtualDub is a strong video editing tool on Windows with many useful features that can help you make different kinds of changes to the video but keeping the video’s quality the same as before. It also has batch-processing capabilities for processing large numbers of files and can be extended with third-party video filters.

Pros:

• Has video capturing option;
• Can be extended with third-party video filters;
• Has batch-processing capabilities for processing large numbers of files.

Cons:

Outdated UI design.

4. Video Toolbox

Video Toolbox is a free online video editing tool that has a rich set of video functions. But like many online apps, it imposes a size restriction of 300 MB for your video files. To use it, you have to register first and upload the target files either from the hard disk or online video sites. Then fish the merging task use the command from a drop-down.

Pros:

• Supports many video formats;
• Different video editing options.

Cons:

Has the size limitation of video (600 MB).

5. Format Factory

Format Factory is a full-featured video and audio converter. It can convert video, audio, picture, and rip CDs, DVDs to other file formats, as well as create ISO image files. On top of that, it provides a subset of tools that handle file splitting and merging. You can also change the format and size of the output file.

Pros:

• Supports many video formats;
• Basic video editing options.

Cons:

Can’t convert audio files.

6. Movica

This software is, in essence, a user interface for other open-source tools that are somewhat user-unfriendly, enabling an understandable user interface for the best free tools out there. As a software package though, there is nothing wrong with this approach, and the tools available for joining and merging are first-rate, and the software works very fast, whilst offering a wide range of compatible video formats.

The interface is a little clunky, but it does the job and the software has additional tools for other editing work such as cutting and trimming as well, the added functionality in combination with a more basic interface can make some operations a touch confusing though.

Ultimately a little more complicated to use, but very good.

7. Cyberlink PowerDirector 365

PowerDirector 365 is a professional video editor in the Cyberlink family. It is a great Final Cut Pro alternative on Windows . Users can use multiple cameras to make various green-screen effects and make split-screen effects. What’s more, you can control frame-by-frame with its motion tracking. It also supports using plug-ins ranging from animated titles to travel packs. The official recommendation of the operating system is Windows 10/8/7. It works best on 64 bit.

Pros:

• 10 UI languages are supported including French, Dutch, and Korean.
• It supports cloud storage for co-working.

Cons:

It only offers a limited learning course.

8. VEGAS PRO 17

Vegas Pro is a long-standing professional video editing software on Windows. Now, it just released Pro 17 to give it more features, so it is also an excellent Final Cut Pro alternative. At this time, VEGAS PRO 17 features a high-speed video editing experience with GPU acceleration and intuitive design. Those features were not specifically mentioned before. With the new color grading features, VEGAS PRO 17 can compete with Final Cut Pro.

Very fast video editing with the newly released version.

9. Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro needs to be mentioned whether you like this software or not. We can’t deny it is a great video editor on Windows. In fact, it has the largest number of users on Windows. With Premiere Rush, Adobe Premiere Pro has had a big update recently. It is the leading product for editing 8K videos. You can also use Rush to edit video on your phone and import it to your PC to have further advanced editing if needed.

After checking so many video editing software, I’ve summarized the main features of each video editor listed above. Hope that will help you pick up the best Final Cut Pro for Windows alternatives.

Final Thoughts

After listing the above alternatives to Final Cut Pro X, and factors to help you make your decision, you can come up with the best common features and benefits you need the most for your video editing projects.

If you are a beginner and looking to use free video editing software, we highly recommend using ShotCut. This tool is very easy to use, and at the same time has been used widely by professionals, you can definitely start with this software.

If you already have experience in video editing and looking for free or low-budget software to finish your projects, then you can get Lightworks or the Pro version. This software is amazing and was used widely in the professional video editing market that is considered one of the most important alternatives to Final Cut Pro X.

Maybe you are a beginner and don’t mind paying a reasonable price to buy video editing software, in this case, Filmora just fits your needs. It won’t cost you much as a beginner and its friendly user interface will let you edit your videos smoothly with no complicated features like those found in other video editing software. Click the links below to have a try

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

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