Do I need a fast computer to edit long-form video?

For a single 1080p stream most laptops from the last few years cope. Multicam, 4K and heavy colour work are what ask for more, and the usual answer is proxies: the editor makes small copies to cut with and swaps the originals back in at export.

What does a paid editor give me over a free one?

Mostly the finishing rather than the cutting. Free editors handle trims, titles and a basic grade. Paid tiers tend to add proper colour tools, audio repair, wider codec support and the right to use the output commercially, which is the clause worth reading before you publish.

Should I learn one editor or several?

One, deeply. The concepts move between editors easily and the keyboard shortcuts do not, so the time goes into muscle memory rather than knowledge. Switching later costs about a week, which is cheaper than never getting fast in the first place.

Best Video Editing Software for Creators 2026

Cut, colour and finish long-form video without a studio behind you.

36 tools in this category.

Long-form editing is where the hours go, and the software decides how many of them are spent waiting rather than cutting. What separates one editor from the next is rarely the timeline itself: it is how many streams play back before playback stutters, whether colour and audio finish here or in a second application, and how much computer the whole thing expects you to own.

DaVinci Resolve

Video

Edit, colour and audio post in one app

Free, then $295Free tierVisit

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