Every score is worked out from the vendor's own pages · How we score →Disclosure

Design, video and audio

Colour grading

Adjusting the colour and tone of video footage to set a look or mood, after basic correction.

8 of 10 tools we checked have colour grading tools See them ↓

01In plain English

Colour correction fixes footage so it looks natural and matches from shot to shot. Colour grading goes further and gives the whole piece a style, such as warm, cold or filmic. Grading tools use wheels, curves and masks to change parts of the picture.

02Why it matters when you are choosing

Grading is a big part of what makes video look professional. Editors range from a few preset filters to full grading suites used on films.

03What to check

Ask the vendor

Check whether the editor has proper grading tools such as colour wheels and scopes, and whether it can load LUTs.

04The tools

8of 10 checked

8 of the 10 tools we checked have colour grading tools. Each one is checked against the vendor's own pages. A tool missing from this list may not have been checked yet, which is not the same as a no.

Adobe Premiere

Editors already working in Adobe's applications who want generative editing and shared projects inside the timeline

Rank #3 of 10 professional video editors

Several editors on one project

From $22.99No free plan

100% from published facts · checked 22 Sep

Avid Media Composer

Film and TV editors who work on shared projects and need an industry-standard editorial toolset

Rank #3 of 10 professional video editors

Privacy and support10

AI in the editor4.4

Several editors on one project

From $39.99Free plan

90% from published facts · checked 26 Sep

DaVinci Resolve

Editors and colourists who want grading with scopes, compositing and audio post in one app, and would rather buy the upgrade once than rent it

Rank #1 of 10 professional video editors

AI in the editor6.2

Several editors on one project

100% from published facts · checked 22 Sep

Filmora

Creators who want an easy desktop editor with pro colour tools and AI features, on a yearly plan or bought once

Rank #2 of 10 professional video editors

AI in the editor10

Workflow and teams4.2

Several editors on one project

From $49.99 per yearFree plan

100% from published facts · checked 28 Sep

Final Cut Pro

Editors on Apple hardware who want multicam, curve-based grading and ProRes RAW, and the option to own the Mac app outright

Rank #6 of 10 professional video editors

Workflow and teams3.2

Several editors on one project

From $12.99No free plan

100% from published facts · checked 22 Sep

Kdenlive

Editors who want a free, open-source multicam editor with local AI object masking

Rank #9 of 10 professional video editors

AI in the editor1.8

Several editors on one project

100% from published facts · checked 26 Sep

Shotcut

Editors who want a free, open-source editor with scopes, HDR support and proxy editing

Rank #8 of 10 professional video editors

AI in the editor1.2

Several editors on one project

100% from published facts · checked 26 Sep

Vegas Pro

Windows editors who want a full pro editor they can buy outright instead of renting

Rank #5 of 10 professional video editors

Workflow and teams4

Several editors on one project

From $99.95 per yearNo free plan

100% from published facts · checked 26 Sep

← Back to the glossary