Editing videos through GoPro footage is a common task for many video editors in our team. but as a novice or first-time GoPro owner, it can be difficult to determine what software will work best, and there are often other factors that make it more challenging than you might expect.
Purchasing a GoPro Subscription and using GoPro Quik will be the best video editing solution for 90% of GoPro owners. This allows unlimited cloud storage, works on Android, IOS & Desktop, and it works seamlessly with GoPro footage.
In this blog post, we will explore why I believe GoPro Quik is a great GoPro editing software, and some of the other popular GoPro editing software and give our thoughts on which one is the best option based on your needs.
What All Options will Include:
All of the below options allow GoPro users to:
- Import your GoPro Footage and most other action camera footage from other video formats.
- Perform re-ordering
- Simple editing cuts
- Basic Editing Tools and Effects such as Transitions, change brightness, contrast, fad audio etc
- Change footage speed
- Have extensive support through video tutorials on YouTube
Best Overall: GoPro Quik
GoPro Quik was released in 2016 and has seen significant improvement over the last few years.
This is because it is the only GoPro editing software that is designed to edit videos specifically from GoPro cameras.
It is a cloud-based editing solution that works seamlessly with GoPro footage.
This means that when you import, upload and start editing your files on your desktop you can then move to your mobile and continue the edit. Pretty snazzy.
With the GoPro Hero 10, you can even turn on wifi and auto upload to enable the camera to automatically upload and import your footage into GoPro Quik, ready for editing.
Another advantage to using GoPro Quik is that it handles your time-lapses, slow-motion, and video effects really easily. They really have created a nice ecosystem for GoPro customers.
GoPro Quik also has the absolute best software-based video stabilization for GoPro footage. This is because the editing tools are calibrated specifically to GoPro video.
When it comes to GoPro editing software options, GoPro Quik is the only one with specific GoPro editing tools.
Best for Beginners: iMovie
If you are a first-time GoPro user and you’re looking for a simple, already installed piece of software that is super easy to use, iMovie might be for you.
iMovie is a free video editing platform that couldn’t be easier to get started since iMovie comes pre-installed on all Apple products. This means that if you have an iPhone or Macbook then all your files will be easily accessible and ready to edit videos straight from your device without needing any additional software.
The downside of using iMovie is also its strength, and that is its simplicity. As it’s so easy to use, iMovie doesn’t have the variety of features you’ll find on some other editing software.
However, if you are a beginner and your priority is the ease of use and saving time then this might be worth considering.
I would recommend trying out both Quik & iMovie before making a decision as both are relatively easy for beginners.
Also, it’s important to note that if you’re a Windows user you won’t be able to use iMovie since it is exclusive to Mac users.
Easiest to Learn: Adobe Premiere Rush
Adobe Premiere is one of the most popular professional editing software that has been around for a long time and it definitely deserves its spot as an option. But Adobe Premiere Rush was created as the little brother of Adobe Premiere.
Rush, in particular, was created with smartphone footage in mind. Rush also utilizes the Adobe Cloud Storage solution so that you can upload your footage on one device and continue editing on your phone or tablet.
Rush does cost $9.99 p/m which I think is reasonable, considering that it is a very easy piece of software, however, does not compromise on powerful effects and settings.
Best Free Video Editing Software: DaVinci Resolve
If you are looking for a free video editor, DaVinci Resolve can be the best choice. Initially, the Hollywood standard for colour-grading, DaVinci Resolve has incorporated video editing into its suite. DaVinci Resolve is incredibly powerful and professional editing software that is surprisingly free.
It doesn’t have the cloud-based ecosystem of GoPro Quik or Adobe Rush but it does make up for it in powerful video effects, supports advanced sound mixing and unparalleled colour-grading features. It also has a motion tracking feature which is quite recommendable for beginners.
The downside of DaVinci Resolve is that it is not easy to use. If you are looking at doing a lot of video editing and don’t mind really diving headfirst into learning a video editing software completely then Resolve might be for you.
Best Professional Option: Adobe Premiere Pro
Create the best GoPro video with Adobe Premiere Pro as it is a professional video editing program that allows you to create some pretty advanced-level videos.
Premiere Pro is hands down the best video editing software money can buy.
But, this one requires quite a bit of knowledge and understanding if you are going to be using it but there’s no doubt that the power behind Adobe Premiere makes it worth learning just for this reason alone.
If you want to take your GoPro videos up a notch and become the next Spielberg, consider learning Adobe Premiere Pro.
One of the unparalleled advantages of Premiere Pro is that it is fully integrated with the entire Adobe Creative Cloud Suite. For example, within Premiere Pro you can right-click on an audio clip and ‘Open in Audition’. Audition is their high-end Audio Software. You can right-click on your video clips and ‘Open in After Effects. After Effects is Adobe’s professional effects software.
Side-note. Motion Tracking in After Effects is easier now than ever!
This is a HUGE advantage over other professional video editing software such as Vegas movie studio, Final Cut Pro, and Avid Media Composer.
Adobe Premiere Pro isn’t cheap, and the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite is even more expensive, but if you want to make your GoPro footage look like it’s been edited by a professional video editor then I suggest you stop looking here.
Best for IOS Users: LumaFusion
Editing GoPro videos for iOS users can be made easier with LumaFusion as it is a relatively new and surprisingly powerful video editing software that has only been available since 2016. It’s primarily designed for iPhone users as it works with the iMovie app to make your footage directly compatible with Apple devices.
What makes LumaFusion unique is how well-built its interface is, specifically created for smartphones that are not always known to have the best touch interfaces. If you’ve never tried to edit footage with a touch screen it is a very different video editing experience.
LumaFusion is a paid app at $19.99 but it does include some pretty powerful features such as multi-cam editing, chroma-keying, video speed ramping, and motion tracking – all for your smartphone!
I was actually really presently surprised by LumaFusion’s ability to accept multiple video formats and specifically deal with high frame-rate GoPro Camera footage to create slow motion.
The downside of LumaFusion is that you need an Apple device in order to use it. If you are an Apple person, this is definitely the best choice for GoPro video editing software on iOS devices. It is important to note that GoPro editing software has a lot of pros and cons and these should be prioritised based on your objective.
Best for Android Users: FilmoraGo
FilmoraGo is another great choice for Android users that want to edit their GoPro videos. It does not have the professional features of LumaFusion but it has many other advantages, such as being completely free!
It also uses some very easy-to-use and intuitive touch gestures that allow you to quickly cut your video using simple touch-based commands. It is one of the best GoPro editing software known for Android users.
There are also professional video editing features such as unlimited video tracks, chroma-keying, luma key, motion tracking, and time remapping effects that make this app a very powerful choice for Android users.
Many video editing programs and apps can do most of these advanced editing features these days though…
I do find that LumaFusion does have a better editing interface than FilmoraGo but, if you’ve only got an Android device, this isn’t an option for you.
Best Video Editing Service for GoPro Footage
If you’re tired of editing GoPro footage and just wish someone else could swoop in and help edit your GoPro video for you, you should check out Shak Studios editing packages, we are a cost-effective solution to your video editing workflow.
With Shak Studios, you simply upload your footage to us and relax while we handle the video editing process from shot selection, editing, sound mixing, colour-grading, and graphics effects & we can even upload your videos straight to YouTube, Vimeo, or other platforms.
So, if you’re after the best GoPro video editing software to help produce your next GoPro video then you should definitely check out Shak Studios Video Editing Plans.
