Final Cut Pro vs. Lightworks

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Final Cut Pro
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Apple offers Final Cut Pro, a video editing platform featuring optimized for a high performance machines and supporting a wide range of quality effects.
$299.99
per license
Lightworks
Score 9.9 out of 10
N/A
Lightworks is a video editing tool from LWKS, including dynamic video and audio editing, vibrant colour, visual effects, and sharing features.
$9.99
per month per user
Pricing
Final Cut ProLightworks
Editions & Modules
Final Cut Pro X
$299.99
per license
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Final Cut ProLightworks
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details——
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Final Cut ProLightworks
Best Alternatives
Final Cut ProLightworks
Small Businesses
iMovie
iMovie
Score 9.8 out of 10
iMovie
iMovie
Score 9.8 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
iMovie
iMovie
Score 9.8 out of 10
iMovie
iMovie
Score 9.8 out of 10
Enterprises
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro
Score 9.0 out of 10
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro
Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Final Cut ProLightworks
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(34 ratings)
9.8
(2 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.8
(6 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.8
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Final Cut ProLightworks
Likelihood to Recommend
Apple
It's an excellent tool, but maybe too complicated for novice video makers...so not 10. Apart from this, the one thing that could be improved ( and maybe I am a novice and cannot find how to do this!!) is creating videos with much smaller file sizes. Most of the videos in 720 are over 1 GB, and I have to use third-party software to reduce the size ( e.g., Handbrake). This is the one thing I would improve. The rest of the software is very well designed. I would love to know more easily how to use some of the tools, but my usage is very limited anyway. I do not have to buy an annual license, which is fantastic. It is expensive to start using, but there are no annual fees afterward. Perfect for my business.
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LWKS
Lightworks is a great tool for a non-designer to use because it provides a number of tools and capabilities that can be quickly learned. For someone who is an advanced video editor, it may not provide every tool they will need. Given how much can be accomplished through the free version, I think it's a great tool for making simple videos for social media, YouTube and other basic applications.
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Pros
Apple
  • Adheres to the conceptually easy timeline model, thus making simple onboarding.
  • Feature-rich toolset which allows for incredible product manipulation from the get-go
  • Expandability via a vibrant plugin ecosystem. Final Cut plugins are broadly developed.
  • Rich integration with studio products: Motion, Compressor
  • Version updates exhibit a product team in touch with what the market needs
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LWKS
  • Drag and drop all videos easily.
  • Easy to split videos and strip.
  • You can work with multiple sequences.
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Cons
Apple
  • Motion is a seperate application that ties in with FCPX but it's difficult to learn and use.
  • The first frame dictates the resolution and frame rate for the rest of the video so use the highest res video you have to get started.
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LWKS
  • I have had it crash on me while using; thought content is saved
  • The user interface could be updated/modernized
  • Hot-keys commands are not always intuitive
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Usability
Apple
Final Cut Pro is a great software package for editing, and obviously, good things require training to understand and comprehend what your are editing. I do not give a 10/10 because it would be easier to have a comprehensive manual inside the software, rather that researching or getting yourself trained.
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LWKS
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Apple
Most of the support I need, I find online. While Apple has a Q/A section on their site, it's not always beneficial in answering the questions that I have. With that said, they regularly update the software, and when updates lead to crashes, they usually have another update not far behind.
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LWKS
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Apple
Implementing Final Cut Pro into the organization was a smooth transition from what we didn't had. We felt we went from zero to hero with this software, due to all the great features that we learned. We took some time in training staff on how to use the software but at the end, this was very useful and important.
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LWKS
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Apple
Premiere and Final Cut are very similar is usage. Final Cut has less crashing and lag, but does not work well with Adobe products. You'd basically have to use all different softwares to use it best. Davinci is a different beast with a color grading portion that is unmatched by any other product. Although DaVinci is non-linear editing, so you essentially have to unlearn everything you know from Final Cut and Premiere.
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LWKS
Adobe is a great tool that is very competitive and I still use it depending on what PC I have on hand and how fast the job needs to get done but I selected Lightwork because I think that it is less complicated to browse and was able to learn the shortcuts fast, making my time more productive.
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Return on Investment
Apple
  • We are regularly lauded for our high-quality videos by donors and prospects, which greatly improves our standing in their eyes.
  • Our Final Cut Pro X-created videos have contributed to our receiving large grant awards.
  • Our videos have been shared and promoted by similar organizations, which has improved our standing in our field and adjacent fields.
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LWKS
  • It has helped us create more video content that we had not been able to do in the past
  • Given that we can use the free version in almost every situation, there has been no direct cost to use
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ScreenShots