Okay, you’ve got your GoPro action camera. You’ve taken some footage, now what do you do with it? What is the best GoPro video editing software? Here are several choices for GoPro editing software that you can download and use to make videos with the footage from your GoPro camera:
Option 1: GoPro Studio
GoPro itself makes editing software specifically for making videos out of the footage its cameras produce. This free GoPro editing software will let you organize your clips, edit/trim them, add titles & music, use fast and slow motion effects, time lapse and apply fish eye reduction effects to your video. GoPro Studio (part of their Quik Desktop package) also offers a set of pre-made video templates that can help you make professional looking videos out of your GoPro footage very quickly. Also includes special timelapse features.
Pros: It’s available for both Macs and Windows PCs, it’s free, and it’s made specifically for GoPro video editing
Cons: It doesn’t have all the features that fully fledged video editing software offers
Download: GoPro Studio/Quik Desktop (Mac & PC)
Option 2: Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe, the maker of professional-geared programs like Photoshop and the Acrobat PDF reader you’re probably familiar with, makes video editing software called Premiere Pro. As the name suggests, it’s professional grade video editing software so it’s not meant to edit only GoPro footage but instead footage from any type of video camera. Unlike GoPro studio it’s not free, but it does include sophisticated features like advanced video and audio editing, color correction and others. When GoPro themselves edits their promotional videos, we wouldn’t be surprised if they were using Premiere Pro to do it.
Pros: Has powerful, pro-level video & audio editing features & integrates with other applications
Cons: More difficult to use than GoPro Studio, not free
Download: Premiere Pro (Mac & PC)
Option 3: Final Cut Pro X
Apple’s video editing software Final Cut Pro X is somewhere in between GoPro Studio and Premiere Pro in terms of its difficulty level. If you’ve tried the iMovie program that Apple bundles on its computers and you want more powerful features, Final Cut Pro X is worth a look. It includes some easy to use color correction features as well as a large gallery of filters and titling and transition effects, plus loads of downloadable add-ons to the program. Note that it’s only available on Macs and not PCs.
Pros: Easier to use than Premiere Pro,
Cons: Not free, no PC version (but you can start with a free 30 day trial to see if you like the App or not)
Download: Final Cut Pro (Mac Only)
So, what is the best GoPro editing software?
Ultimately, it depends on what you value: ease of use (GoPro Studio or Final Cut Pro) vs powerful features (Premiere Pro vs Final Cut Pro X) vs free (GoPro Studio). If we had to suggest one piece of software as a bottom line, we’d recommend giving GoPro Studio a shot first before you download any application that you have to pay for. Using GoPro video editing software can help you create excellent videos though, and with free software available for download on both Macs and PCs, there’s no excuse not to give it a try.
Related:
What is the best documentary filmmaking software?