19 rules in 4 groups, worth 100 points in all. They were set before any product was scored and apply the same way to all 12.
Version 1, published 8 Oct 2026
In short
Each rule is a yes-or-no fact, a list (such as the systems with an app) or a number with published thresholds, read from the vendor's own pages.
A fact the vendor does not publish earns nothing. A feature in beta or preview does not count.
The list follows the points. A tie goes to the lower price on "cheapest paid plan", then to the name.
Desktop video editors that run on Windows, for individuals and small studios. Browser-only and phone-only editors, screen recorders and AI clip generators are left out. "On at least one plan" counts plans sold online to individuals and small teams; quote-only enterprise plans do not. Price lines count one person; a one-time licence is spread over 36 months.
Systems 10 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Other systems
An official editor for each system besides Windows (iOS includes iPadOS), or a web editor on the vendor's site. A companion app that edits video counts; a viewer-only app does not. Each earns 2 points.
10
Price and licence 30 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Free version
A free version of the desktop editor with no time limit (a trial does not count) that you can edit and export with. It records false if a vendor page says free exports carry a watermark or logo; a page that is silent about watermarks does not make it false.
8
One-time licence
The vendor sells a licence you pay for once and keep using that version without a subscription. Free software does not count here; it is covered by the free-version line.
6
Cheapest paid plan
The cheapest paid plan that exports without a watermark, for one person, in US dollars a month at its regular price: yearly plans divided by 12, monthly plans as listed, one-time licences divided by 36. A product that is entirely free counts as $0; a free version with a paid upgrade is priced at the upgrade. $0 earns 12 points, $6 or less 10, $10 or less 7, $15 or less 4, $24 or less 2.
12
Open-source apps
The source code of the apps is public under an open-source licence.
4
Output 16 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
4K export
The vendor states the editor exports video at 3840 x 2160 or higher on at least one plan, free or paid.
4
8K export
The vendor states the editor exports video at 7680 x 4320 or higher on at least one plan.
3
10-bit and HDR
The vendor documents 10-bit editing or HDR export (HDR10, HLG or Dolby Vision) on at least one plan.
4
GPU-accelerated export
The vendor documents hardware-accelerated encoding or decoding on NVIDIA, AMD or Intel graphics on Windows.
5
Editing tools 44 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Multi-camera editing
A built-in tool syncs and switches between clips from several cameras on one timeline.
6
Colour grading with scopes
Built-in colour correction with at least a waveform or vectorscope display.
6
Automatic captions
Generally available speech-to-text that creates subtitles from the audio, included in the price of at least one plan (a monthly allowance counts; a separately sold add-on or a beta does not).
5
Motion tracking
A built-in tool that tracks an object in the video so text, graphics or effects follow it.
4
Multitrack audio and noise reduction
More than two audio tracks on the timeline, and a built-in effect that removes noise from audio (video denoising does not count).
4
Proxy editing
The editor can create lower-resolution copies of heavy clips for smooth editing and switch back for export.
4
Third-party plug-ins
The vendor documents support for a third-party plug-in standard (OFX, VST, AU, LADSPA, frei0r) or for installing effects made by other developers. The vendor's own effect store does not count.
4
Shared projects
Several people can work on one project at the same time, through shared projects or a cloud project feature, on at least one plan.
3
Green-screen keying
A built-in chroma-key or green-screen effect that removes a background colour from video.