Video editor stack
The chain to ingest, edit, subtitle, grade, clean audio, approve, and deliver smoothly.
- Selection
- 15 8 optional
- Target budget
- $137 per month
- Profile
- Optimization business stage
Which tool does what?
Montage principal
DaVinci Resolve
Editing, grading, audio and exports in one solid suite.
Montage AdobeIf neededAdobe Premiere Pro
Keep it if clients, templates or the team are on Adobe.Montage MacIf needed
Final Cut Pro
Fast and effective if your workflow is entirely Apple.Validation
Frame.io
Timecoded comments and client sign-off.Subtitles and rushesIf needed
descript
Transcription, text-based editing and short formats.Social courtIf needed
CapCut
Fast formats and social networks.Post-audioIf needed
Adobe Audition
Voice cleanup, mixing and audio correction.Musique
Artlist
Licensed music and assets.SFX / musiqueIf needed
Epidemic Sound
A solid option for recurring content.StockageIf needed
Dropbox
Sharing large files and versions.
Drive clientGoogle Drive
Simple, accessible delivery.
AI videoIf neededRunway
Tests, generated shots or video retouching.Video upscalingIf needed
topaz-video
Keep it for shots worth rescuing or premium deliverables.Voix IAIf needed
ElevenLabs
Voiceover, scratch voice or variants.
IA structureChatGPT
Scripts, edit plan, summaries and client emails.
Why these tools together?
DaVinci Resolve can be enough for many editors: editing, grading, and audio in one tool. Premiere makes sense when the client or team lives in Adobe. Frame.io structures feedback. Descript and CapCut help short formats. Topaz Video should stay reserved for shots that deserve it.
A good fit if…
Interviews, social content, corporate, ads, short or long formats.
Look elsewhere if…
You mostly do advanced motion design or capture without post-production.
Stable editing
One main tool should carry 80% of the workflow.
Clear sign-off
Feedback has to be timecoded and actionable.
Clean delivery
Subtitles, exports, sound and formats have to be under control.
What should you budget?
- ChatGPT$20
- Google Drive$2
- Adobe Premiere Prooptional$23
- Runwayoptional$12
The target budget is the recommended starting envelope. The list price adds up each core tool's first paid plan. Optional tools are not included.
What to watch out for
Paying for several editors, audio libraries, and AI tools when one stable workflow often does the job.
Two paid editing suites
Running Premiere and DaVinci side by side only works with distinct roles.
AI everywhere
AI should speed up subtitles, cleanup or upscaling, not replace the edit.
Neglected audio
A good edit with weak sound still reads as amateur.
Recurring volume
The stack pays for itself once you ship several projects or variants a month.
A more demanding client
The more deliverables a client signs off, the more feedback and documentation tools matter.
Questions to ask yourself
Can the client understand the project without another meeting?
If not, the presentation or the feedback loop is not structured enough.
Are source files, exports and decisions all in one place?
If not, Notion, Drive or Eagle should go back to being the source of truth.
Does every subscription map to something you actually invoice?
If not, the tool should drop to occasional testing, or be cut.
