There are many polarizing debates in the world of technology and video editing, and software is no exception. Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro are some of the most popular tools for the job and therefore both have their diehard fans. But if you want to make an objective decision about which to use yourself, what are some factors you should consider?

Purchase Apple Final Cut Pro X

Apple Final Cut Pro 7

Render time is often something that people will bring up when it comes to video editing features – after all, it’s often the biggest time sink when it comes to making online video. However, while optimizations make Final Cut Pro X the likely choice for those who want the least amount of downtime, it’s not the only feature worth considering. Final Cut Pro X Adobe Premiere Pro is a much more open piece of software. It runs on a variety of hardware and is available for those running Windows and Mac machines. Because of that, collaboration is far easier, as you can send files to others to edit without checking if they’re running Apple hardware first. It also has Team Project files, which make the entire process of co-developing a video far simpler.

While Final Cut Pro X doesn’t have quite such a team-focus to its editing suite, its user interface is arguably easier to use, reducing multiple-click commands to fewer or even single clicks. It’s cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing to the eye and, thanks to its optimizations for Apple hardware, it’s a little kinder on battery life, too. In terms of its usability, you’re going to find people who like it, and those who really don’t. Final Cut Pro X uses a magnetic, single-track timeline. When combined with some of the software’s additional features, like auditions, it’s pretty neat, but a lot of people prefer the classic, multi-track timeline.

That’s something Adobe Premiere Pro has, and it makes it feel more familiar to anyone who’s used other video editing tools, and arguably gives it deeper functionality through a more ove.