When it comes to video editing software, HitFilm Express is one of the most popular options around. It's powerful and robust, making it an excellent choice for experienced editors.
However, as with all things in life, nothing is perfect. And while HitFilm Express has a lot to offer its users, there are some alternatives out there that might better suit your needs. So, in this article, we'll look at the five best alternatives to HitFilm Express in 2023.
So without any further ado, let's dive into our list and find the best alternative for you.
Making the top of our list and the best overall option is PowerDirector. It's an easy-to-use video editing software with all the features and tools you need to professional-looking videos. With PowerDirector, you can quickly create stunning 4K videos with its advanced editing tools and features. Detailed Review >
If you are an experienced editor looking for a more professional choice than HitFilm, our second option, DaVinci Resolve, is an excellent choice. It is a full post-production suite with fantastic color grading, visual effects, and audio editing features. Detailed Review >
Final Cut Pro is a gold mine of features and tools if you are a Mac user. You can produce Hollywood-level projects with this industry-standard video editor. Detailed Review >
To learn about the top alternatives for Hitfilm Express, it is essential to know what it is. HitFilm Express is a free version of the video editing software HitFilm Pro that allows users to edit and create professional-looking videos and visual effects.
HitFilm Express is a pared-down version of the paid Pro version and therefore lacks a majority of advanced features and only exports in HD.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Overall Rating: 10 / 10
Beginner-friendly: 10 / 10
Key Features
While HitFilm emphasizes VFX, PowerDirector takes a more well-rounded approach. As a result, it is a robust video editing software with all the features and tools you would need to create professional-looking videos. Not to mention, it is far more straightforward to use compared to HitFilm, making it a much better choice for beginners.
Apart from that, PowerDirector features a built-in intro designer with thousands of templates, a screen recorder with streaming capabilities, and a vast collection of drag-and-drop transitions, effects, and titles. There isn't another video editor that comes close to the speed you can create with PowerDirector.
As if that isn't enough, the video editor utilizes the latest AI technology to ensure your videos look and sound their best. With a single click, you can replace a sky, perfectly fit a music track to the length of a project, or enhance speech to be pristine while removing distracting background noise.
Reasons to Recommend
PowerDirector App
The best full-featured video editor
Image from blackmagicdesign.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Overall Rating: 9 / 10
Beginner-friendly: 4 / 10
Key Features
Next up, we have DaVinci Resolve. It is our top pick for the best alternative for HitFilm Express for professionals using Windows because it has all the tools you need to finish a professional TV show or film in post-production.
With DaVinci Resolve, you can edit, add visual effects, color correct, and edit sound. It stands out for its motion graphics and color correction features. It easily surpasses all other products on this list for color and is the best video editor for color grading when working on industry-level projects.
With all this power does come its most significant drawback, the software is not beginner-friendly or as user-friendly as Hitfilm Express. So, if you're new to video editing, this is not the best tool for you.
Image from BolderVideo.
Compatibility: Mac
Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10
Beginner-friendly: 6 / 10
Key Features
For professional Mac users, the best alternative to HitFilm Express is Final Cut Pro. The software is perfectly optimized for Apple machines, and when working with large, 4K+ footage, no other video editor can handle it better. Especially when working with Apple silicon. It also allows you to adjust the depth of field of footage shoot in Cinematic mode on iPhone 13.
While not for everyone, Final Cut Pro’s Magnetic Timeline can allow for quick assembly once you have become familiar with its mechanics. For example, you can use Compound Clips to bundle separate video and audio clips into a single movable package. Or create Auditions to try out separate takes.
Its rich features include machine learning to detect faces and objects so you can have titles and effects seamlessly follow movements. As well as 3D VR content creation and an impressive collection of motion graphics and VFX tools.
Image from DesignBuckle.
Compatibility: Mac
Overall Rating: 7 / 10
Beginner-friendly: 9 / 10
Key Features
If you are an amateur looking for an easy-to-use video editing software for Mac, then a great option for you is iMovie. It is a very user-friendly video editing software with all the features and tools you would need to create simple videos.
You can easily edit, crop, and rotate your video clips with iMovie. You can also add video transitions, change the speed of clips, and stabilize shaky videos. Besides that, the software also allows you to modify and enhance video color settings.
However, one of the drawbacks of this software is that its processing is a bit slow and time-consuming compared to other video editing tools. But, if you're just starting out and looking for simple video editing software, this is a good tool for you.
Image from Shotcut.
Compatibility: Windows
Overall Rating: 7 / 10
Beginner-friendly: 9 / 10
Key Features
Last but not least, we have the Shotcut video editor for Windows. It is another very user-friendly video editing software that comes with all the basic features and tools you will need to create basic videos.
With Shotcut, you can easily cut, assemble, and adjust your video clips. It has excellent format support thanks to FFmpeg. Along with a nice set of audio tools, the software comes with a collection of video filters, including a set for 360 videos.
Shotcut is a good choice for beginners, but it does have some limitations, such as a lack of 4K support and advanced video editing features.
OS
Windows, Mac
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Beginner-friendly
Yes
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Video Effects
Excellent selection including basic to advanced effects
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AI Tools
Yes
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Stock Content
Yes
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Let’s take a look at how easy it is to edit videos with the top HitFilm Express alternative, PowerDirector.
PowerDirector App
The best full-featured video editor
If you are not satisfied with HitFilm Express we would recommend trying out PowerDirector as it is one of the best video editing software available on the market. It has all the features that you need to create professional videos without the learning curve of Hitfilm.
Download it for free to see what you can create.
PowerDirector App
The best full-featured video editorThe short answer is no, in fact, the PowerDirector is a lot better than the HitFilm Express. It has a lot more features and is far more user-friendly.
Apart from that, the PowerDirector is compatible with both Mac and Windows. You can easily edit your projects without any kind of issues and the processing is extremely smooth.
There are a lot of different alternatives available to the HitFilm user. Some are more expensive and some are free. However, according to our research and deep analysis PowerDirector is the only software that outranks HitFilm in every category.
PowerDirector provides an editing interface that is customizable and easy to use. You can also add titles, effects, and transitions with just a few clicks. It also has a wide range of video templates that you can use to create professional-looking intro videos in minutes.
Here are some features that you should look for: