Both Premiere Pro and Premiere Elements are rated as top video editing programs currently available on the market. However, these software are aimed at different user categories.
The Pro version is a go-to tool for professional videographers, while their amateurish colleagues frequently resort to Premiere Element to fulfill personal tasks.
What Is Adobe Premiere Elements?
Adobe Premiere Elements is a video editor designed specifically for those, who don’t want to spend a lot of money on professional packages to work with video and photos, or deal with the intricacies of their functioning. In fact, this program is designed to help beginners make their first projects using a combination of still images and video clips.Adobe Premiere Elements combines simple video capture and DVD burning with advanced video editing features. Since many functions are automated, a user can fully concentrate on creating visual special effects, adding transitions, while leaving less creative operations to the program.
Adobe Premiere Elements: Strengths and Weaknesses
Guided editing. Adobe Elements pleases users with the possibility to create professional videos moving from one stage to another. In other words, users can follow a step-by-step guide, which makes the whole process stress-free. The guide is comprehensible and very helpful.
Photo capture. The software also boasts a photo capture feature. It means you can extract a still picture from a clip. Select the necessary frame and use it as a photo. Actually, this feature largely broadens your creative potential in this program. Your imagination is the only limit.
Work with audio. Premiere Elements offers a standard set of features for work with audio: overlaying the background music, different volume levels, audio signal controls (designed as a wave), the possibility to control multiple audio tracks, etc. All these functions help create a rich sound range.
Intelligent editing. If you are thinking about merging 2 videos to indicate similar frames, you can confidently use Adobe Premiere Elements, as it comes with such a function. Thanks to the Intelligent Editing approach, the program keeps the best scenes in both videos, allowing you to produce amazing clips that won’t leave both you and your clients indifferent.
Media organization. Thanks to the well-designed sorting tools, users can fully concentrate on video editing instead of scattering attention, searching for media. The program offers different categories to sort images, footage and audio. If needed, make use of the tagging feature, to mark your favorite files to always have them at hand.
Basic settings and templates. Here you can find a suitable template for almost any event: from a child’s birth or a wedding to sports competitions and graduation parties. There is a separate section devoted to fonts, designed for creating footnotes for movies. You can go even further and apply effects to the generated footnotes.
Automatic selection. If you feel inspired to create an instant video to post on Facebook, Instagram, etc. or the memorable one to watch with your nearest and dearest, Premiere Elements is an ideal program for the task. It automatically finds the best bits of videos or photos, which you can use to make a clip. In such a way, you get a ready-made material, which only requires a bit of tweaking and “decorating” before showing it to the viewers.
Lacks 360 VR or 3D editing. The software appears to be useless if you are interested in creating 360-degree Virtual Reality clips. The same goes for 3D editing, which is the shared problem of both Premiere Elements and its bigger brother.
Not as powerful as Premiere Pro. Comparing Premiere Elements vs Pro, it becomes obvious that the former is less feature-packed. There is a smaller number of functions, effects and transitions. That’s why Premiere Elements is frequently called a consumer-level program.
- Find out which software is better – Final Cut vs Adobe Premiere.
What Is Adobe Premiere Pro?
Adobe Premiere Pro is typically referred to as a powerful program for all video editing and color grading tasks. This is a representative of a non-linear video editor family, meaning clips are editing together in a row. What makes Premiere Pro such demanded software among videographers and directors? A huge set of tools for effortless and fast video editing!Precise color grading instruments, support for audio editing (removing the background noise, enhancing specific sounds, etc.) and VR capabilities. This software belongs to Adobe’s Creative Cloud, which means it is tightly integrated with other top-shelf software. This allows switching from one program to another in a quick way, which positively affects the whole pace of your workflow.
Adobe Premiere Pro: Strengths and Weaknesses
Simultaneous editing. If you are constantly distracted by switching between several projects you are curating, you absolutely need to try Premiere Pro, since the program supports simultaneous editing of 2+ videos. Of course, this is a great way to spend your time more effectively.
Understandable UI design. Developers made the program’s interface very understandable, so finding the necessary tool won’t take long. You can enable the timeline when you actually need it, and you have absolute freedom while spacing out the clips.
Color grading. The software comes with first-class tools for color grading. Here you can find top-quality LUTs, accurate color correction controls, tools for highlighting details and more.
Supports immersive VR. Virtual Reality has gained immense popularity and this largely shapes the demands of people looking for a video editing program. No one is interested in getting the software with a basic set of features and the one boasting VR support will definitely attract the attention of most users.
Works with different file formats. Adobe Premiere Pro has been upgraded and now it supports native video formats, removing the necessity to use conversion programs. In other words, people can upload footage directly from their devices into the app.
Lots of rendering settings. Comparing Adobe Elements vs Pro, I found out that the latter one is crammed with all sorts of handy options, e.g. support for MP4. You can use the integrated codecs to edit different file formats without the need to browse the net for third-party plug-ins.
The presence of hotkeys. Every user can customize the layout individually. Besides, Adobe Premiere Pro settings are synchronized through the Creative Cloud service. Thus, you can set hotkeys on one device and later use them on any other computer.
Few tools for 3D editing. In terms of 3D editing, an absolute winner is Premiere Elements. Of course, those picking the Pro version receive an advanced set of tools but there isn’t any separate section devoted to 3D editing.
Bulky platform. The thing is that the platform is so huge that most users feel truly confused when they first see it. Besides, you also need additional space for Media Encoder and all the files, which makes the size even bigger.
- Check my Complete Adobe Premiere Pro Review.
Premiere Elements vs Pro: Price
Talking about Premiere Elements vs Pro in terms of price, there is a serious difference between them that can affect your choice. The Pro version is more expensive, but mind that it is a professional video editor.
- Premiere Pro Single-app plan - $20.99/month.
- Premiere Elements - $99.99 per full license.
- Find out how to buy Adobe Premiere at the most affordable way.
Premiere Elements vs Pro – Who Wins?
Adobe Premiere Elements is an entry-level program, which is perfect for users looking for the tool to create videos in a quick way. Premiere Pro is oriented on professional directors and videographers in search of advanced video editing instruments and features.
Premiere Pro has been on the market for a while and worked up a reputation of top-level software that meets all modern standards. If you are doing any kind of a commercial project, you should choose Adobe Premiere Pro.
However, it will take you some time to understand how the program works. Another thing to keep in mind is the high system requirement. You need a powerful device to use this software to the fullest.
Some people call Premiere Elements a toy for amateurish video editors, but I believe that its latest version is powerful enough to generate nice-looking videos. Besides, it is cheaper than the Pro edition.
Freebies
If you want to bring a special appeal to your videos, but can’t afford to buy expensive video editing plug-ins, I recommend starting with those presented below. They are available for free, but can greatly change the way your footage looks.
Color Grading Moment
If you happened to record a video in poor lighting conditions, and now colors look unattractive and dull, you can fix the problem with the help of this LUT.
- Read more about what is better After Effects vs Premiere.
Warm Light
This effect is helpful if you need to mimic a cinematic effect with different color gradients. You can use it for all sorts of videos.
- Save time, send your raw footage to our video editing service.
Ground Control
This is a sample of classic LUTs that can work well with virtually any clip. It will improve white balance and color saturation.
- Address Fixthephoto if you need high-quality but inexpensive video post production services.
