Final Cut Pro
Apple's professional video editor for Mac and iPad, with a magnetic timeline.
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- 5
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About Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro is Apple's professional editor, known for its magnetic timeline, which keeps clips in sync as you move them, and for very fast performance on Apple Silicon Macs. It handles multicam editing, HDR, colour correction, 360-degree and spatial video, captions and background music fitting, and adds Apple's own AI features such as Smart Conform reframing, transcript search and Magnetic Mask. Motion and Compressor are companion apps for graphics and encoding. On the Mac it can still be bought outright from the App Store, with free updates over the years, and it is also included in the Apple Creator Studio subscription alongside Logic Pro and Pixelmator Pro; the iPad version is subscription-based. A free trial is available. It is only for Apple devices, and its timeline model and project library structure take adjustment for editors coming from track-based editors such as Premiere, but Mac-based YouTubers and editors value its speed.
Best for: Mac-based creators and editors who want speed and a one-time purchase.
Pros and cons
What works
- Very fast on Apple Silicon
- One-time Mac App Store purchase with long-term updates
- Magnetic timeline keeps edits in sync
Why people leave
- Apple devices only
- Magnetic timeline takes adjustment for track-based editors
- Fewer third-party integrations than Premiere
Top Final Cut Pro alternatives
See all 5- 1
DaVinci Resolve66.5Free, cross-platform and stronger for colour grading.
- 2
Adobe Premiere62.6Cross-platform industry standard with Adobe app integration.
- 3
iMovie59.6Free and much simpler for family videos on the same Apple devices.
- 4
LumaFusion57.2Touch-first multitrack editor on iPad and iPhone with a one-time price.
- 5
CapCut55.3Free, fast editing for short social videos on Mac and mobile.
Why people left Final Cut Pro
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Final Cut Pro: common questions
Is Final Cut Pro free?
No, Final Cut Pro is a paid product. Mac price: $299.99 one-time (App Store) (checked on Final Cut Pro's own site).
Is Final Cut Pro open source?
No, Final Cut Pro is not open source.
What platforms does Final Cut Pro run on?
Final Cut Pro is available for macOS and iOS.
What are the best alternatives to Final Cut Pro?
The highest-ranked Final Cut Pro alternatives right now are DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere and iMovie. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.