Filmora vs Lightworks Comparison 2026
Both cover video editing. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
A full desktop editor without a studio price
A film editor with a free tier and no time limit
At a glance
- Lightworks starts cheaper, at $13.99.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
Filmora | Lightworks | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $49.99 | From $13.99 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Not stated | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated |
Shaded rows are where the two answers disagree and both listings have answered. A row where one side has not stated a fact is left plain, because silence is not a difference.
Filmora
A full desktop editor without a studio price
Filmora is Wondershare's video editor and the one a lot of creators land on after outgrowing a phone app and balking at a professional subscription. The timeline, keyframes, masking and motion tracking are all there, with an asset library and AI tools layered over the top. It runs on Mac and Windows and a free version exports with a watermark, so the editor can be judged properly before paying. Assets and AI credits are sold as separate add-ons.
Our note
Check what is in the plan and what is an add-on before comparing the yearly price with anything else, because the assets and AI credits are billed on their own. DaVinci Resolve is free and more capable if you are willing to spend the time learning it.
Only on this side
- Covers motion graphics & animation
Lightworks
A film editor with a free tier and no time limit
Lightworks has been cutting feature films since long before the web, and the free tier is the whole editor at a capped export resolution with no trial clock on it. Paying raises the export ceiling and opens the formats a delivery spec actually asks for. Three ways to pay sit on the same page, including a single payment for anybody who does not want another monthly line. The interface comes from broadcast rather than from the web, so the first afternoon is spent learning it.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.