video editor · CyberLink Corp.

CyberLink PowerDirector

Consumer video editor for Windows and Mac, sold as a $139.99 one-time licence or a yearly subscription, with a free Essential edition.

66/100

#5 of 12 video editors
Facts checked 8 Oct 2026

In short

PowerDirector 2027 is a one-time licence at $139.99, with no regular updates².
PowerDirector 365 costs $59.99 a year on an offer ending October 11, listed at $79.99 otherwise; it renews automatically².
A free Essential edition has no time limit; some export options and advanced tools are restricted^1,5.
Covers Windows 11 and 10 (64-bit), macOS, iOS and Android^1,4,6.
Exports 4K and HDR (Rec. 2100 HLG or PQ, HEVC in MP4)⁴.

PowerDirector suits home editors who want a one-time licence with multicam, motion tracking, chroma key and HDR export^2,3,4. The free Essential edition has no time limit, but its export limits are not itemised⁵. The one-time licence gets no regular updates, and the vendor's pages do not list proxy editing, colour scopes or plug-in support^2,3,4.

Best for: Home editors who want multicam, tracking and HDR export without a subscription.

Where the points come from

Systems6 of 10

Price and licence24 of 30

Output13 of 16

Editing tools23 of 44

Systems 6 of 10 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Other systems	macOS, iOS, AndroidThe overview lists a macOS version and links to App Store and Google Play editing apps^1,6.	6 / 10

Price and licence 24 of 30 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free version	YesEssential is free with no time limit; the pages do not mention a watermark^1,5.	8 / 8
One-time licence	YesPowerDirector 2027 is a one-time purchase with no renewal².	6 / 6
Cheapest paid plan	$3.89/moPowerDirector 2027, $139.99 one-time, spread over 36 months. The 365 plan lists at $79.99 a year².	10 / 12
Open-source apps	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's overview or specs pages^1,4.	0 / 4

Output 13 of 16 points

Rule	What is published	Points
4K export	YesSpecs list 2K/4K export in H.264, H.265 and other codecs⁴.	4 / 4
8K export	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's specs page⁴.	0 / 3
10-bit and HDR	YesSpecs list HDR export in Rec. 2100 HLG and PQ for HEVC in MP4⁴.	4 / 4
GPU-accelerated export	YesFeatures page says the editor is accelerated by Intel and NVIDIA hardware³.	5 / 5

Editing tools 23 of 44 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Multi-camera editing	YesFeatures page lists multi-cam editing to switch between camera angles³.	6 / 6
Colour grading with scopes	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's features or specs pages; only automatic colour tools are listed^3,4.	0 / 6
Automatic captions	YesFeatures page lists AI speech-to-text transcription that generates captions; the plan allowance is not stated³.	5 / 5
Motion tracking	YesFeatures page lists AI motion tracking for text and graphics³.	4 / 4
Multitrack audio and noise reduction	Not publishedAI audio denoise is listed, but no page states a count of audio tracks^3,4.	0 / 4
Proxy editing	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's features or specs pages^3,4.	0 / 4
Third-party plug-ins	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's features or specs pages^3,4.	0 / 4
Shared projects	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's features page or pricing page^2,3.	0 / 3
Green-screen keying	YesFeatures page lists chroma key with multi-key colour sampling³.	4 / 4
Video stabilisation	YesFeatures page lists a video stabiliser for shaky footage³.	4 / 4

The rule behind each line: how we score video editors.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
PowerDirector 365 Essential1 person	Free^2,5	$0	Limited features; no time limit
PowerDirector 3651 person	$59.99/year (offer; $79.99 listed)²	$6.67	Adds AI features, monthly updates, stock library and 50 GB cloud storage
PowerDirector 20271 person	$139.99 one-time²	–	4K preview and export; 500 AI credits valid one year

The 365 price is a limited offer ending October 11; the list price is $79.99 a year, or $6.67 a month. Renewal price is not stated².

Strengths

One-time licence at $139.99 avoids a subscription².
Multicam, motion tracking, chroma key, stabilisation and speech-to-text captions are listed³.
HDR export in Rec. 2100 HLG and PQ with HEVC⁴.
Free Essential edition has no time limit⁵.
Hardware acceleration by Intel and NVIDIA is listed³.

Limits

The one-time licence has no monthly updates, which are in the subscription².
The subscription renews automatically at the end of each billing cycle².
Essential's export limits are not itemised; the vendor says some export options are restricted⁵.
Windows support covers only Windows 11 and 10, 64-bit⁴.