Updated Oct 5, 2026
Video Editing Software
Final Cut Pro
Apple's video editor for Mac and iPad, sold once or by subscription
Final Cut Pro at a glance
from our research
Apple's video editor for Mac and iPad, aimed at solo editors and small teams on Apple hardware
Edits on the Magnetic Timeline; Magnetic Mask separates people and objects without a green screen
No Windows version; Creator Studio subscribers need an active plan to open or edit their projects
Final Cut Pro for Mac: $299.99 one-time purchase; Creator Studio: $12.99 a month or $129 a year
Overview
What is Final Cut Pro?
Final Cut Pro is a video editor for Mac and iPad from Apple Inc., founded in 1976 in the United States. Two companion Mac apps work with it: Motion for titles and effects, and Compressor for encoding and delivery. Apple sells the Mac version as a one-time purchase and also includes Final Cut Pro for Mac and iPad in Apple Creator Studio, a subscription that adds Motion, Compressor, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro and MainStage.
Clips are arranged on the Magnetic Timeline. Magnetic Mask separates people and objects from the background without a green screen, automatic captions are generated from the spoken audio, and Transcript Search finds spoken phrases by exact match or related words. Color tools include curves, color wheels, LUTs and a one-click Enhance Light and Color. Multicam clips can be built automatically or by hand and can mix formats and frame rates, proxy files can be made in ProRes 422 Proxy or HEVC, and Logic Pro plug-ins handle compression and EQ.
The Mac app needs 8 GB of memory, 16 GB recommended, and some features need Apple silicon. The iPad app runs on iPads with an M1 chip or later, the iPad (A16) and the iPad mini (A17 Pro), and adds Live Multicam, which records from up to four iPhones or iPads running Final Cut Camera. Apple lists no Windows version. iMovie projects can be imported, iPad projects can be moved to the Mac, and libraries can link to media on shared storage that several people access.
Our verdict on Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro suits editors who work on Apple hardware and would rather own their editor. The one-time Mac purchase covers the full app, Apple says owners continue to receive updates, and Family Sharing lets up to six family members use it. Everyday tools include automatic captions, Magnetic Mask for cutouts without a green screen, multicam that mixes formats and frame rates, proxy workflows and Logic Pro plug-ins for audio. On iPad, Live Multicam records from up to four iPhones or iPads.
The limits come from Apple's platform and its pricing. There's no Windows version, so an office with mixed machines can't standardize on it, and Apple documents collaboration as libraries linked to media on shared storage, while Premiere Pro's Team Projects puts several editors on one timeline in real time. Transcript Search works only on Apple silicon Macs and in U.S. English. The subscription has a catch of its own: Creator Studio subscribers need an active subscription to open or edit their Final Cut Pro projects, and some premium content and the intelligence features are reserved for subscribers, so one-time buyers go without them.
For most Mac editors the one-time purchase is the better buy: $299.99 on the Mac App Store, plus $49.99 each for Motion and Compressor. Apple Creator Studio costs $12.99 a month or $129 a year after a 30-day free trial, and it's worth it if you also want the iPad app, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro or the subscriber-only intelligence features. The purchase price equals a little over two years of the yearly subscription. The iPad app's App Store listing also shows Final Cut Pro for iPad as an in-app purchase at $4.99 a month or $49 a year, though Apple's Final Cut Pro page now points iPad users to Creator Studio.
Choose Final Cut Pro if you edit on a Mac, alone or in a small all-Apple team, and want to pay once. Teams with Windows machines, or editors who build graphics in After Effects, fit Premiere Pro better, at $22.99 a month on Adobe's yearly commitment. Editors who want a dedicated color page and a full audio workstation in one app, on Mac, Windows or Linux, can start with DaVinci Resolve's free version.
Written by Lokesh Kapoor
Pros & cons
Final Cut Pro pros and cons
What it does well
- Mac version is a one-time $299.99 purchase, and Apple says owners keep getting updates
- Magnetic Mask isolates people and objects from the background without a green screen
- Multicam clips can mix formats and frame rates; proxies are made in ProRes 422 Proxy or HEVC
- iPad version records Live Multicam from up to four iPhones or iPads
Where it falls short
- Runs on Mac and iPad, with no Windows version
- Transcript Search is limited to Apple silicon Macs and U.S. English
- Creator Studio projects can't be opened or edited once the subscription lapses
Editor's assessment from vendor documentation and published pricing
Pricing
Final Cut Pro pricing
Final Cut Pro's paid plans start at $4.08/month, below the $12 median across the 5 tools in our Video Editing Software ranking. You can test it on a 30-day free trial.
Final Cut Pro for Mac
one-time purchase
- Final Cut Pro for Mac
- Magnetic Timeline
- Magnetic Mask and automatic captions
- Transcript Search
- Mac only
Usage: One-time purchase on the Mac App Store; Apple says owners continue to receive updates. Family Sharing lets up to six family members use the app, per its App Store listing.
Apple Creator Studio
per month
or $12.99/mo billed monthly
- Final Cut Pro for Mac and iPad
- Motion and Compressor
- Logic Pro, MainStage and Pixelmator Pro
- Premium content in Keynote and Pages
- Intelligence features
Usage: Billed $12.99 a month or $129 a year, and renews until cancelled. Projects made in Final Cut Pro can be opened and edited only while the subscription is active.
Final Cut Pro for iPad
per month
or $4.99/mo billed monthly
- Final Cut Pro for iPad
- Live Multicam and Apple Pencil support
- Send projects to Final Cut Pro for Mac
Usage: Listed as in-app purchases of $4.99 a month or $49 a year in the iPad app's App Store listing; Apple's Final Cut Pro page now points iPad users to Apple Creator Studio.
Motion
one-time purchase
- Titles, transitions and effects in 2D, 3D and 360
- Publishes templates to Final Cut Pro
- Magnetic Mask
- Mac only
Usage: One-time purchase on the Mac App Store; also included in Apple Creator Studio.
Compressor
one-time purchase
- Custom export settings
- HDR, HEVC, MXF and 360 video output
- Batch encoding
- Closed captions and audio descriptions
Usage: One-time purchase on the Mac App Store; also included in Apple Creator Studio.
Checked against Apple Inc.'s pricing page on October 5, 2026 · see the full breakdown
Capabilities
Final Cut Pro features
Checked against the same feature list as every other tool in its category.
Editing & Timeline
- Included:Multicam editingSync several camera angles and cut between them live.
- Included:Proxy workflowEdit lightweight copies of heavy footage, then relink to the originals for export.
- Not included:Transcript-based editingCut the video by deleting words from a transcript.
- Included:Vertical & social presetsBuilt-in aspect ratios, templates and effects for short-form social video.
Post-Production
- Included:Advanced audio mixingA full mixing environment rather than clip volume controls.
- Included:AI editing toolsFiller-word removal, eye contact correction, background removal or generative fill.
- Included:Automatic captionsGenerates and styles subtitles from the audio automatically.Apple silicon Macs, U.S. English only
- Included:Motion graphics & VFXCompositing, keying and animated graphics inside or tightly linked to the editor.
- Included:Professional colour gradingNode or layer-based grading with scopes and HDR support.
Workflow
- Not included:Cloud rendering & storageRender or store projects in the cloud rather than only locally.
- Not included:Free versionA free plan that stays usable, rather than a watermarked trial.
- Included:One-time purchase optionBuy it once rather than subscribing indefinitely.
- Included:Team collaborationShared projects, review links and comments across an editing team.
- Not included:Windows & macOSRuns on both major desktop platforms rather than one.
Ecosystem
Final Cut Pro integrations
- Motion
- Compressor
- Frame.io
- Photos
- Logic Pro
Alternatives
Top Final Cut Pro alternatives
Tools that do the same job, from the same category.
DaVinci Resolve
Best for editors and colorists who grade, mix and edit in one app without a subscription
Adobe Premiere Pro
Best for editing teams on Mac and Windows that share projects and work in After Effects
Fit check
Will Final Cut Pro fit your team?
Support
- Email support
- Phone support
- Knowledge base
Training
- Documentation
- Video tutorials
Deployment
- macOS
Typical users
- Freelancers
- Small businesses
- Mid-size companies
FAQs
Final Cut Pro FAQs
Written by our editorial team.
Is Final Cut Pro a one-time purchase or a subscription?
Both. Final Cut Pro for Mac is a one-time purchase of $299.99 on the Mac App Store, Apple says owners continue to receive updates, and Family Sharing covers up to six family members. Apple Creator Studio, at $12.99 a month or $129 a year, includes Final Cut Pro for Mac and iPad with Motion, Compressor, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro and MainStage, but subscribers need an active subscription to open or edit their projects. See Final Cut Pro pricing.
Is there a free trial of Final Cut Pro?
Yes, as part of Apple Creator Studio, which new subscribers can try free for 30 days; it includes Final Cut Pro for Mac and iPad. After the trial the subscription costs $12.99 a month or $129 a year and renews until cancelled. It's the only trial Apple's Final Cut Pro page mentions. A standard subscription can be shared with up to five family members, while educator and student subscriptions can't be shared.
Does Final Cut Pro run on Windows or iPad?
It runs on iPad but not on Windows: Apple makes it for Mac and iPad. The iPad app needs iPadOS 18.6 or later on an iPad with an M1 chip or later, an iPad (A16) or an iPad mini (A17 Pro), and it comes through a subscription rather than the one-time Mac purchase. It adds Live Multicam with up to four iPhones or iPads running Final Cut Camera, plus Apple Pencil support.
Does Final Cut Pro create captions automatically?
Yes. Final Cut Pro generates captions by analyzing the spoken audio, and Transcript Search finds spoken phrases by exact match or related words, though only on Apple silicon Macs and in U.S. English. Compressor, sold separately for $49.99 or included in Apple Creator Studio, exports closed captions and audio descriptions as well as HDR, HEVC, MXF, 360 and spatial video, with presets for YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Vimeo.
Can you open iMovie and iPad projects in Final Cut Pro for Mac?
Yes. Final Cut Pro imports iMovie projects made on a Mac, iPad or iPhone. A Final Cut Pro for iPad project reaches the Mac by AirDrop or by saving it to Files, on the iPad or in iCloud Drive, and is then brought in with File > Import > Final Cut Pro for iPad Project. Premiere Pro vs Final Cut Pro compares it with Adobe's editor.
Sources & methodology
Product details come from Apple Inc.'s public website and documentation (United States). Every plan and price was checked against the vendor's pricing page on October 5, 2026. We haven't tested this product hands-on; the verdict is a desk assessment. How we research and rank tools
- Founded 1976
- 7 languages supported
- apple.com
Keep researching