By: Adam Robbins, videographer, blogger, and teacher of editing courses
5.0
Votes: 3(Rated: )
Last updated: 19.01.2024
Shaking camera, improper lighting, incorrect focus – there are tons of little things that chip away at the quality of a video. Most of them can be avoided with a reshoot, but sometimes your choice is either to fix the video quality in post or press “delete”. And before you consider the latter, know that modern software can do a lot to improve your footage.
There are plenty of programs capable of making your video look better than it originally was. Some features are powered by AI and do all the work for you. Some are manual and require certain skills to achieve the best results. Here we have gathered a list of the top 10 video enhancement software, for any skill and level, that will help you not let good footage go to waste. And, as a bonus, we will show how to improve the video quality with one of them in the end.
The top spot among Windows software is rightfully taken by Clipify. It is designed for casual users first and foremost, allowing them to create and enhance videos in a couple of clicks. More seasoned editors will also be able to achieve an even higher quality of clips with Clipify’s advanced features, like curve color correction or video stabilization. And on top of that, it is free to download. Learn more from our review below!
Apple iMovie is a part of a package for most Apple devices. And it packs quite a punch for a preinstalled free product. It includes excellent features for organizing media, color grading, and chroma key processing. iMovie also includes template-based tools for streamlined video production. In terms of casual day-to-day editing, iMovie covers enough bases to be among the best. PC users can explore alternatives to iMovie for Windows.
Vegas Pro is yet another option for Windows. It's one of the most feature-rich editors on the market and a popular choice for video enthusiasts, particularly YouTubers. It may take some time for newbies to grasp its UI and learn its various capabilities. However, with some time and effort put into mastering it, an ocean of ways to enhance your footage will open up to you eventually.
There is something for everyone on this list, since well-known names and up-and-comers, all-round editors and specialized tools are included alike. So, let’s get down to our reviews of the top 10 video enhancers.
Accessibility is Clipify’s strongest suit. It is designed for a general audience and optimized for average computers. But it is not shy of some advanced features for more complex editing. Clipify is easy to learn and opens up more as you master it. It allows you to achieve a better quality of videos with manual tools for color grading, brightness and contrast correction, creative filters and more. Alternatively, if you want quick results with little effort, you can use automatic settings to enhance the video quality free of hurdles.
If you are a newbie in video editing and have a Mac, then you need to look no further than iMovie. The minimal features make it simple for beginners looking for basic video editing tools. Improving video quality with iMovie is uncomplicated, you just need to adjust a couple of sliders or let the program do everything automatically by clicking one button.
Value for money: .................................9
Final verdict: ....................................8.6
Vegas Pro is a very well-known name within the industry and the software of choice for many video enthusiasts. Its enhancement tools make it a prominent video quality improver, but Vegas Pro has a learning curve that prevents it from being on top of the list. However, it becomes more and more accessible with each update.
If you need a video enhancer that can layer lots of effects on top of the same clip, Shotcut will do. It is totally free and offers advanced features present mostly in pricey paid software. Its interface is a bit clunky, but you can customize it to fit your editing routine perfectly. However, Shotcut has some optimization issues, which is a part of the course for open-source software. Otherwise, with some prior knowledge, Shotcut will help you achieve great results.
HitFilm Express allows enhancing your video with professional-tier VFX features. If you want to have a taste of Hollywood-like editing software without spending a dime, then try HitFilm. It works with clips of the highest resolution, which makes it a very viable 4k video enhancer. Additionally, it supports GPU acceleration, enabling optimum performance. However, to unlock its full potential, or at least get rid of a watermark, you’ll have to get a subscription.
Pinnacle Studio 2 is a program for hobbyists with pro-level features. It comes equipped with a few useful tools to sharpen up and stabilize your videos and get them look as good as they can. Pinnacle studio also offers audio improving features. However, while being generally clear, it has some basic functions, like trimming, that have an unintuitive design which might get in the way.
Lightworks is a top-tier video editor with enough capabilities to enhance video quality. It has tools for advanced color correction and export in high resolution. To enhance the sound quality, it offers Quick FX audio templates which you can easily try and apply. However, Lightworks is not for newbies and has a learning curve. Also, the most effective enhancing tools are locked behind a paywall.
Adobe Premiere Pro needs no introduction. When it comes to media processing, be it photo or video, Adobe has a tool for the job. Premiere Pro will let you manipulate video in any conceivable way, and will also teach you with detailed tutorials. However, like most Adobe products, Premiere Pro suffers from a somewhat overburdened interface. But once you get a hand on it, a plethora of enhancements and features will be available to you.
Avidemux can perform basic editing and supports various video formats like DVD, AVI, MP4, and beyond. For video improvement, Avidemux offers color profiling, deinterlacing, filtering, and resizing tools. It also has automation features to streamline the editing of short videos, which is handy for regularly posting stories. Avidemux is open-source, so you can use it as a video quality enhancer for free.
First and foremost, HandBrake is a video converter at its core. However, it includes some features that turn it into an efficient video quality enhancer. So, if you just want to increase the fidelity of your footage and transcode it into a different format, that’s where HandBrake can help. It is also an open-source software and a perfect option if you need a free video quality enhancer.
Pros:
Old and lo-fi video restoration
Interlacing artifacts removal
Advanced sound adjustment
Audio and video conversion
Completely free
Cons:
No tools for a proper montage
How to Enhance Video Quality
After all this talk about video-enhancing software, let’s get down to demonstration. Note that the process may vary from program to program, but the basics are more or less similar. Nevertheless, we’ll show you how to increase the quality of a video using one of the best software on our list – Clipify. Here’s what you need to do:
Step 1. Install the Program
Click the button below to download the Clipify installation file. Run this file and follow the instructions. Once installation is done, launch Clipify from the desktop icon.
Create a blank project and click Add Videos and Photos to open your clip via the file browser. Alternatively, you can drag and drop your video from anywhere directly to the timeline.
Upload a video that needs an upgrade
Step 3. Enhance the Clip
Select your clip on the timeline and click the Edit button. Then go to the Enhancement tab and pick the option you need – enhancement, levels, or stabilization. You can also manually adjust color grading with curves.
Adjust the settings by hand or let the program handle it
Step 4. Save the Result
When everything looks good, click the Create Video button and choose the export option you need. Depending on your pick, you’ll be able to set the output resolution, bitrate, target device, or platform.
Export the quality content for further publishing
Now you know how to enhance video quality with Clipify! On top of that, you can spice up the video with some artistic effects from its vast built-in library, add captions or clipart, and more.
Click the button below and download Clipify for fast and easy video enhancement and editing!
Thanks to the programs described above, you can clean up the video and correct common errors like camera shake. If, despite our scores, you are still wondering which is the best option for you, consider what we can’t – your goals, preferences, available platforms, and how it all adds up. We still stand by Clipify. It is a simple and effective tool for quick editing and processing. If you want to go deeper into the intricacies of editing, you can try Vegas. If you have a Mac, however, then you’ll have to look for something else, like iMovie.
Research Process
Time spent: Research and writing took us 10 hours.
Tools researched: 27
Tools shortlisted: 10
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best video enhancer?
That depends on what you want to achieve. See which aspects of a video – sharpness, shakiness, color, framing, and more – the program can improve, what it requires to run, and what skill level it is designed for. You can learn more about our top picks right here.
How can I increase video resolution?
The best thing you can do is to check the setting of your phone or camera before shooting. But once the footage is captured, you can try some resolution increaser. Here’s one way to do it.
Can I use AI to upscale a video?
Yes, using a fine-tuned AI to make a low-quality video look better becomes more and more widespread. The number of tools that implement AI is also growing. Here’s a short list of AI-powered video upscaling software:
AVCLabs Topaz Labs DVDFab GDFLab pikaVue iSize
Want to enhance a video in a few clicks? Do it with this all-in-one video editor!
