Top 8 Best Color Grading and Correction Software in 2022
Color grading and correction are very important for a video, especially for movie video production. The proper expression of color is important to describe the mood, symbolism and atmosphere you want to the viewer. You may be able to control the colors of the costumes and props in the video, but you can't control how the colors appear in the movie, so you need to color grade and correct your video. This may sound complicated, but there are plenty of color grading and correction software that can help you easily adjust the colors in your video. To help you find the right tool, this article lists 8 of the best color grading and correction programs for you. Read on to find one that's right for you.
Best Color Grading and Correction Software (Recommended)
VideoSolo Video Converter Ultimate is a full-featured video editing tool. Whether you are new or professional in video editing, it can help you to carry out various video editing operations, such as adding subtitles to videos, shaking to videos, merging and clipping videos, etc. In addition, it can also do great help to color grading and correction of video. According to your own specific needs, you can use it to adjust the contrast, brightness, saturation and hue and so on to make your own video look more professional, so as to better convey the emotions to the viewer. Furthermore, after grading and correcting the video, you can also go to "Settings" to set more parameters for the video, such as format (MP4, WOV, WAV, AVI, MKV, GIF, etc.), resolution, encode, frame rate, zoom mode etc.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Price: $34.95+free trial version
Who can use: Beginner and Professional
Key features:
Support color grading and correction with ease.
Provide multiple outputs of high quality.
Batch convert video formats at quick speed.
Support video compression, cropping, merging, rotating, etc.
Pros:
Suitable for both beginners and professionals.
Easy to operate for color grading and correction.
User-friendly interface.
Output the format with high quality.
Support other editing needs.
Available for both Windows and Mac.
Cons:
- The free trial is limited.
Tip: If you want to get the full functions of VideoSolo Video Converter Ultimate, you can purchase it to have a try.
Follow the simple step to color grade and correct your video:
Step1. Download VideoSolo Video Converter Ultimate on your computer and launch it.
Step2. Click "Toolbox", then choose "Color Correction".
Step3. Add the video that you want to grade and correct the color with.
Step4. Begin your color grading and correction until you are finally satisfied with it.
Step5. Tap on "Export" to save your video.
Suitable Color Grading and Correction Software for Beginners
If you are the beginner at editing a video, then the following three software may be suitable for color grading and correction for your video.
Movavi Video Editor Plus
Movavi Video Editor Plus is a fast and easy to use social media software for home movies and social media. It can help beginners and amateurs with simple video color grading and correction. It gives users an intuitive user interface with clear labels for each element, so you can quickly find brightness, saturation, contrast, temperature and other sliders to adjust the color of your video. The software also features automatic color correction tools and a wide range of filters to help you get the results you want as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, you can't upload your own LUTs, but you can purchase them from the effects store.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Price: $69.95+free trial
Who can use: Beginner
Key features:
Support basic color grading and correction.
Can direct upload to YouTube and other platforms.
Provide multiple formats.
Pros:
Friendly to beginners.
Easy to use color tools.
Built-in effects and filters.
User-friendly interface.
Cons:
Not suitable for professional.
Lack advanced color tools.
The free trial is 7 days only.
WonderShare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora is a full-featured video editing tool. It provides users with a very friendly interface and a relatively comprehensive color grading and correction tool. Its color grading and correction tools include basic wheels, as well as a wide range of presets and filters. These tools can help beginners easily adjust and correct colors.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Price: $89.99 per year or $149.99 for a lifetime license
Who can use: Beginner and amateurs
Key features:
Basic color and video editing tools.
Lots of resources and tutorials.
Support various output formats.
Pros:
Easy to operate color tools.
User-friendly interface.
Wide range of editing effects and preset.
Constant updates.
Cons:
Log frequently.
Lack of pro-level features.
Lack audio effects.
ColorDirector
ColorDirector is also a color grading tool for beginners. You can use its lighting tool to add light to the video and change the overall mood of the video. You also have the color matching tool to help you copy any reference video color style. And you can balance the image by adjusting the slider for highlights, midtones, and shadows. In general, ColorDirector contains a comprehensive range of color grading and correction tools, and the operation method is relatively simple, you can use it without editing experience.
Compatibility: Windows
Price Starting at $4.33/Mo
Who can use: Beginner
Key features:
The effect of color splash and spark.
Import and export LUTs.
Support selection masks and keyframing.
Pros:
User-friendly interface.
Relatively comprehensive color tools.
The price is relatively cheap.
Cons:
Only support for Windows users.
Lack pro-level color features.
4 Other Color Grading and Correction Software for Professionals
If you have a lot of experience in video editing, which means you are a professional video editor. Then you may need some more comprehensive video editor to help you better color grading and correction. The following four tools are more suitable for you to make your video look professional.
DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve is a video editing tool for professionals, including color correction, visual effects and audio post production tools. Its color correction tool helps you adjust highlights, shadows and midtones. It also has a secondary color grading tool that helps you change the color of an object or person in a scene. If you don't want to change colors manually, you can also use its auto-balance function to balance contrast and color. In the meantime, you can apply preset filters to your clips using DaVinci Resolve's FX plugin. The use of these tools can make your video editing achieve professional results of high quality. However, if you are simply looking for a tool for color correction and grading, its complex user interface can make you a bit overwhelmed.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Price: $299 for the pro version and free for the basic version
Who can use: Professional
Key features:
Support advanced color grading and correction tools.
Support advanced movie editing tools.
Support HDR grading in the paid version.
Have split-screen and thumbnail view to compare shots.
Pros:
Professional color grading tools and results.
Full color management system.
Support for Hollywood movies.
Support video editing apart from color correction.
Cons:
Not suitable for beginners.
The interface is complex.
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional video editing program with tools for editing audio, video, text and color. Adobe Premiere Pro offers some advanced color grading capabilities. For example, you can use the program's Lumetri Color panel to adjust white balance, skin tone and so on. And it allows you to make one-click corrections, simplifying your video editing process. You can also use Premiere Pro's Color Preset feature to apply cohesive color effects to all video clips. As a more comprehensive color grading and correction tool, it also has a color matching tool, you can use the color wheel to adjust the shadows, midtones and highlights in your shot, and then use the color matching option to edit similar shots.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Price: $20.99 per month or $239.88 per year
Who can use: Professional
Key features:
Professional-level color grading and correction tools.
Support 360º and VR videos.
Track to use filters on particular parts of your footage automatically.
Provide built-in stock library.
Pros:
Professional color adjustment tools.
Flexible interface.
Have option to save presets.
Have a built-in free music library.
Cons:
The price is a bit expensive.
Not suitable for beginners.
Be slow on older hardware.
Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro is professional video editing software from Apple. It contains a variety of color correction and grading editing tools. When you import a video, you can apply color correction effects to balance the tone of the video. Also, you can use the color palette, color curve, and saturation curve to adjust the color situation in the lens. What’s more, you can edit videos in standard color space or HLG color space. Compared to DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro has fewer advanced color grading features.
Compatibility: Mac
Price: $299.99 for the full version
Who can use: Professional
Key features:
Provide advanced color grading and correction tools.
Provide HDR, 360º and multi-cam editing.
Provide ultrafine level adjustments with multiple control points.
Support object tracker.
Pros:
Professional-level color editing tools.
Provides a variety of built-in effects.
User-friendly interface.
Provide high quality.
Cons:
Only support for Mac users.
Lack some advanced color tools.
A little complex for beginners.
Lightworks Pro
Lightworks Pro is a post-production video editor used in many Hollywood movie productions. Although it is primarily for professional use, it has a range of color tools and social media templates from basic to advanced. Lightworks features easily adjustable HSL color wheels, shadow, midtone and highlight color wheels, RGB graphics, and sliders for contrast, gamma, brightness and gain. Also, with the new quick LUTs feature, you can quickly and easily apply pre-made LUTs to video clips.
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Price: $24.99 per month or $174.99 per year
Who can use: Professional
Key features:
Multiple color grading and correction tools.
Support HD, 4k and 8k.
Provide multi-cam editing and HDR color grading.
Pros:
Pro-level color tools.
Provide instant autosave and background processing.
Provides various color effects.
Cons:
High learning curve for newers.
Lack of user-friendly interface.
Demand resources.
Comparison Chart of Best Color Grading and Correction Software
| Product | Color adjusting tool | Supported platforms | User-friendly interface | Price | Who can use | Score |
| VideoSolo | √ | Windows, Mac | √ | $34.95+free trial version | Beginner & Professional | 9/10 |
| DaVinci Resolve | √ | Windows, Mac | √ | $299 + free trial version | Professional | 8/10 |
| Adobe Premiere Pro | √ | Windows, Mac | √ | $20.99 per month or $239.88 per year | Professional | 8/10 |
| Movavi | √ | Windows, Mac | √ | $69.95+free trial version | Beginner | 8/10 |
| WonderShare | √ | Windows, Mac | √ | $89.99 per year or $149.99 for a lifetime license | Beginner | 8/10 | Final Cut Pro | √ | Mac | √ | $299.99 | Professional | 7/10 |
| ColorDirector | √ | Windows | √ | $4.33/Mo | Beginner | 7/10 |
| Lightworks Pro | √ | Windows, Mac | × | $24.99 per month or $174.99 per year | Professional | 6/10 |
FAQs about Color Grading and Correction Software
What’s the difference between color grading and color correction?
In simple terms, color grading is adjusting the colors in the video to create a specific mood or hue to make the shot more visually appealing. And color correction is the process of making your shot look like a real picture, making it look natural and unprocessed.
What are LUTs?
LUTs, important color grading and correction templates, are short for Lookup Tables. These tools support you applying a predetermined color template to your footage, so as to streamline your editing process.
Conclusion
For beginners and professionals, this article introduces eight tools for color grading and correction. According to the text introduction and table comparison of each product in the article, we can know that VideoSolo Video Converter Ultimate is a relatively outstanding product among these eight products. It is a video editing tool for beginners and professionals alike. In terms of functions, in addition to meeting your color grading and correction need, it can also provide you with other editing purposes, for example: converting video formats, changing video speed, removing video watermarks and so on. In terms of price, it offers users a free trial version and a cheaper paid version. So, if you're still on the fence, don't hesitate to download it and have a try.
