You have spent hours or probably days capturing clips for a project you are working on. Since you shot these clips at different locations, the light and color differ from one scene to another. Plus, there are many footages that look dull or raw. Whatever the case might be, to further add the “right color” and life to your video, you can use color grading and correction software.
Here we have enlisted and discussed some of the best color grading and color correction software. Most of these are used by industry-level professionals, so you can ascertain how credible these software are.
| SL. No. | Name | Platform | Free Trial (If Available) | Price | Download link |
| 1 | Movavi Video Editor | Windows and Mac | 7 days | $54.95/ year | Get Here |
| 2 | DaVinci Resolve 18 | Windows, Mac, and Linux | Free trial available | One-time price of $295 | Get Here |
| 3 | ColorDirector 365 | Windows | Free trial available | $4.33/ month | Get Here |
| 4 | Adobe Premiere | Windows and Mac | Full version 7-day free trial | $20.99/ month | Get Here |
| 5 | Wondershare Filmora Pro | Windows and Mac | Free trial available with a watermark on output files | $49.99 /Year/PC | Get Here |
| 6 | Final Cut Pro | Mac | 90-day free trial | $299.99 | Get Here |
| 7 | Magic Bullet Suite | Windows, Mac and Linux | 14-day free trial | $16.58/ month | Get Here |
| 8 | Lightworks | Windows and Mac | Free trial available | $9.99/ user/ month | Get Here |
| 9 | VEGAS Pro | Windows and Mac | Free trial available | $249 | |
| 10 | MAGIX Video Pro X14 | Windows and Mac | Free trial available | $129 | Get Here |
Top 10 Color Grading and Color Correction Software
1. Movavi Video Editor
Apart from being a great video editor, it also doubles as an effective color-grading software for video. There are several built-in transitions, filters, and tools using which you can perform color correction with ease. Furthermore, there are sliders using which you can control saturation, brightness, temperature, and other aspects for the various scenes of your video.
Features
- Basic level correction.
- Several templates and effects in the library.
- Color splash
- Various semi-professional editing tools to edit videos.
Pros
- Support for all formats.
- Ready-made templates.
- Upload directly to social media platforms.
Cons
- Lacks advanced features in the trial version.
Price – 7 days trial then, $54.95/ year
2. DaVinci Resolve 18
If there is one color grading tool that can provide you with professional-level color grading and color correction, it has to be DaVinci Resolve. It has already been used in many Hollywood movies the likes of LalaLand, Deadpool 2, Ad Astra, and many others. Its color page lets you manipulate colors both in artistic and creative ways.
Features
- Advanced tools for color grading.
- Easily adjust color, and contrast with curves.
- Advanced video editing tools.
- Match tone, color, and other aspects of all clips.
Pros
- Split screen view to compare shots.
- Dolby color capabilities.
- HDR grading is available (in the paid version).
Cons
- Beginners may find the tool a little overwhelming.
Price – Free trial available. DaVinci Resolve Studio is available at a one-time price of $295
3. ColorDirector 365
As a color grading software, ColorDirector is a force to reckon with since it offers precision color grading. Whether it is making hues in your film realistic or changing the overall lighting of your footage, ColorDirector does every job with utmost perfection. It also comes with color-matching tools with the help of which you can replicate the color style of any reference video.
Features
- Illuminate footage with lens flares, lights, and sparkles.
- Simulate signal loss.
- Split tone.
- Color splash.
Pros
- Facility to import and export LUTs
- Change lighting easily.
- Full spectrum color wheel.
Cons
- Only available for Windows.
Price – Free trial then, $4.33/ month
4. Adobe Premiere
If you are into video editing, chances are you already use Adobe Premiere. And, if you wish to foray into color correction and color grading, the colorist’s stuff, you needn’t go anywhere else. The updated version of Adobe Premiere gives you improved color curves, color wheels, and sliders. The best part is that you can perform color correction and edit side by side.
Features
- Lumetri color panel.
- Various color matching tools.
- Automated tracking masks.
- Intuitive sliders and controls.
Pros
- Customizable workspaces.
- Advanced grading features.
- Several color presets.
Cons
- Resource hogging as compared to many competitors.
Price – Full version 7-day free trial then, $20.99/ month
5. Wondershare Filmora Pro
Another video editing tool that lets you fix the colors of your footage and edit videos side by side is Wondershare Filmora Pro. From providing several templates to choose from to manually making tweaks on aspects such as hue and saturation, Filmora Pro lets you do it all. And, if you are a beginner and want to learn the ropes of color correction, you can refer to the learning resources.
Features
- Match colors across multiple video clips.
- Extract and apply the colors you want across all scenes.
- 40+ color presets.
- You can apply industry-standard 3D LUTs colors to your projects.
Pros
- Preview results before applying.
- Several preset templates.
- Large knowledge base to learn color correction and color grading.
Cons
- Certain advanced tools are absent.
Price – Free trial available with a watermark on output files. The annual plan is priced at $49.99 /Year/PC
6. Final Cut Pro
For all levels of Mac users, Final Cut Pro has always been a go-to tool for video editing, but for professional colorists too, it is one of the best color grading and correction software. It comes packed with a dedicated color inspector with color wheels, hue/ saturation curves, and color curves. You can also use keyframes to make corrections over time.
Features
- LUT support
- Easy to use color curves, color board, and hue and saturation curves.
- Advanced tools for color corrections such as masks and keying.
- Cinematic mode.
Pros
- Great color wheels for controlling brightness, tint, and saturation.
- High-quality color grading and color correction.
- Quick rendering and low output file size.
Cons
- Only available for macOS
Price – 90-day free trial then, $299.9
7. Magic Bullet Suite
While not exactly a color correction or grading software, Magic Bullet is a complete set of plugins that you can use for color correction and eventually give your clips a “Film” like tone. The tool gains an edge over other color correction tools as it provides accurate simulations of film stocks and lens filters.
Features
- Colorista panel can complement any workflow and workspace.
- GPU acceleration.
- 3-way color correction that efficiently handles shadows, highlights, and mid tones.
- Keyer function lets you create color keys, thanks to the direct sampling interface.
Pros
- Ease of use
- Works with Windows and macOS-based video editing tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro.
- Comes with noise reduction.
Cons
- Costlier than many of its competitors.
Price – 14-day free trial then, $16.58/ month
8. Lightworks
As opposed to many tools that use HSL sliders for color grading and color correction, Lightworks uses color wheels which provide the most basic color correction tools. Here you get a physical control surface that you can use to adjust colors across all your footage in a 2D space.
Features
- HDR color grading.
- Easy to use color wheels and controls to tweak gamma, saturation, contrast, brightness, and gain.
- Multi-cam editing.
- 4K support.
Pros
- The tool has been used as a post-production tool in many movies.
- Various custom filters and LUT templates; Quick LUTs feature.
- Sliders for gamma and contrast.
Cons
- Use interface could have been better.
Price – Free trial available, then, $9.99/ user/ month
9. VEGAS Pro
Another video editing tool that comes with advanced HDR color correction is VEGAS Pro.
Features
- Easily log color grading and color correction.
- RGB color curves.
- Professional grade HDR video scope.
- Ability to import and export LUTs.
Pros
- Range limited color wheel.
- White and black point correction.
- Comprehensive post-production tool.
Cons
- A little expensive
Price – Free trial available, then, $249
10. MAGIX Video Pro X14
Last but not least, if you are looking for a software with the help of which you can optimize your videos with color correction, give MAGIX Video Pro a try. It has a “Color Picker” that contains a wide spectrum of colors. You can find the exact shade you need quickly. To further ensure that your color correction is precise it supports all stands such as BT.2020 (HD/UHD) and BT.601 (SD).
Features
- Color value correction tool, LAB color space coloring, and broadcast coloring.
- 16-bit deep color processing.
- Simulate gamma, color temperature, and, brightness contrast with LUTs.
Pros
- You can make every detail shine with the help of color extraction.
- True color space handling for true processing of material from preview to export.
- 3-way color correction for more precision.
Cons
- Not available for Macs.
Price – Free trial available, then, $129
Wrapping Up
Which of the above color correction software did you like? Do share your experience with us in the comments section below. For more such content, keep reading WeTheGeek. You can also follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Flipboard, Instagram, and Twitter.