Final Cut Pro vs. Adobe Premiere Pro - Which App is Better for you?
I’ve worked in Adobe Premiere Pro for 7 years. I switched on Final Cut Pro 3 years ago. That’s my main video editing app.
Based on this experience, let’s make a comparison between these two apps.
If you don’t know which app to use (or you’re thinking about switching), you’re in the perfect place.
It’s time for Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro comparison! 🔥
1. MacOS vs Windows
You know, that is easy question – if you don’t have Mac, you won’t think about buying Final Cut Pro.
Adobe is much more popular. More tutorials, bigger community, more plugins and apps in Adobe ecosystem.
Final Cut Pro loses because of platform limitation.
Point to Adobe.
FCP 0 : 1 APP
2. Timeline differences
Final Cut Pro has a magnetic timeline, where all footage is connected. And it’s really easy to use, when you’re only entering this whole editing world.
Timeline with 80-minute online course edited in Final Cut Pro:
Pretty clear, yeah?
I had to destroy my old “Premiere Pro” habits, because it works differently. All clips are individual and don’t connect with other layers. It brings much more freedom to build your sequence.
But at the same time Final Cut Pro is more enjoyable. You spend much less time working with clips on the timeline.
Both timelines has pros and cons depends on complexity of the projects.
Example of 15-minutes video for Adobe Premiere Pro (back from 2015):
Final Cut Pro is for huge, but simple projects.
Adobe Premiere Pro is for complex sequences where you need to have 10 video and audio tracks at the same time.
Timelines are different, so points to both apps.
1 : 2
3. Easy to learn and use
Premiere Pro window looks like a spaceship console when Final Cut looks like a little upgraded version of iMovie.
Final Cut has very good UI – simple, visualised with graphical buttons, not with text.
Some routine operations inside Premiere Pro drive me crazy. You can’t use stabilisation on clip with modified speed (why? No one knows). You need to make a nest clip to be able to use stabilisation (why? because it’s Premiere Pro, shut up!).
In Final Cut Pro you just click on 2 buttons, that’s all.
You need to understand Premiere’s logic how this particular feature works and comply with other effects. This adds extra level of complexity.
My point to Final Cut Pro.
2 : 2
4. Purpose of use
2 years ago I thought that Final Cut Pro is more for personal use, for simple projects only.
But I’ve edited a lot of content in FCP for me and my clients in different genres and levels of projects’ complexity.
But here’s a catch. Final Cut Pro is designed for solo editors. Adobe Premiere Pro has features to work in team.
You can use Adobe apps in a big production company using shared projects in “Production” and different features of Adobe Creative Cloud.
At the same time when you’re working solo, productivity is much higher using Final Cut Pro.
Point to both apps.
3 : 3
5. Stability of work
That’s the favourite (and the hottest🔥) topic of all times.
I hate Premiere Pro because I’ve lost a lot of hours of my work. Premiere like to crash without any understandable reason.
You bring new Atomic Habit into your life – saving a project after every second, after every action.
At the same time Final Cut Pro crashed rarely. Usually it’s because you’re using outdated third-party plugins. You just re-open an app and work from the same place, where app crashed. Freaking Apple’s Magic.
Final Cut Pro wins.
4 : 3
6. Different Export settings
Premiere Pro has an advantage – you can export for every screen in any format accurately tweaking export settings.
In Final Cut Pro you have… well, nothing. This is not okay, because I want to export files with good quality and small sizes at the same time.
You can use Apple Compressor and create different export settings, but why it’s not built-in FCP? Apple Compressor is a must-have.
If you want to learn Apple Compressor, I’ve a tutorial with everything you need to know:
At the same time Adobe Media Encoder is not necessary to use. Only if you need to export a lot of videos.
Point to Adobe.
4 : 4
7. Synchronisation between apps
Well, everyone accepts big advantage of the Adobe ecosystem:
- Create a lot of graphic in Adobe After Effects;
- Correct your audio seamlessly in Adobe Audition;
- Fast and bulk video exporting in Adobe Media Encoder;
- Import Photoshop files in your timeline;
- Use brand-new AI-technologies.
In Final Cut Pro you can use material from GarageBand, Logic Pro, export project from iMovie. Plus bunch of creative Pro apps like Apple Motion, Apple Compressor.
Still, a lot but not enough to beat Adobe.
Point to Premiere Pro.
4 : 5
8. Plugins
If you use any editing program, you will probably use and buy different plugins like LUTs, audio presets, graphic and titles.
Both apps have enormous libraries of everything you need.
5 : 6
I’ve created two articles collecting best free plugins for each app:
Get plugins for Adobe Premiere Pro to boost your video editing workflow.
Download plugins for Final Cut Pro to boost your video editing workflow.
9. Price
Final Cut Pro is cheaper – you pay $300 only once. That’s all.
If you want to use Premiere Pro, you need to pay for subscription – $240/year.
But at the same time you want to get more from Adobe ecosystem: After Effects, Audition, Media Encoder, Photoshop, Lightroom and not only.
Payment for “Creative Clouds All Apps” will costs you $600/year.
Just compare one-time $300 payment and $240/$600 each year.
Picking an editing app is a long-term decision. If you will use Premiere Pro for next 5 year, prepare $1200 minimum instead of $300 on one purchase.
So point to Final Cut Pro.
6 : 6
By the way, if you want to buy Final Cut Pro (and other Apple devices too) with discount, I have separate video about it 👇
Final results - we have no winner 🏆
I spent a 7 years (that’s A LOT) working in Adobe Premiere Pro, but I prefer Final Cut Pro. It’s my personal winner in this competition. Right now I have zero reasons to switch back.
If you decide which app to use, you’re in a perfect place to learn more about these two apps. Recently I created beginner-friendly online courses about Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro.
These courses collected 9 years of my content creation experience and it’s a great start for beginners.
Each course contains:
- Main Part – step-by-step process from organising footage to exporting the final video. Test footage is also provided.
- Bonus Lessons – detailed look of different features that will boost your editing workflow. Bonus videos are independent so you can watch them in any order.
- Bonus Assets – stock footage, sound effects, music, etc. that I’ve created and found on the web during my content creation journey. You can download everything and use in your future projects.
Get instant access and become pro video editor in:
Learn how to edit great videos for social media in Final Cut Pro in one day.
Learn how to edit great videos for social media in Adobe Premiere Pro in one day.