8 Best Green Screen Video Editors to Remove or Change Background

Removing or changing backgrounds in videos can transform dull footage into something exciting and dynamic. With the right green screen video editor, anyone can create professional-looking videos with custom backgrounds.

In this guide, we‘ll explore the top 8 best green screen video editors in 2022 for every skill level and budget. Whether you‘re a beginner looking for easy chroma key software or a professional seeking advanced compositing tools, there‘s an option here for you.

What is a Green Screen and How Does it Work?

Before diving into the top video editors, let‘s briefly explain what a green screen is and how it works.

A green screen is a solid colored backdrop, usually green or blue, that allows the background to be removed in post-production. The process is also called chroma keying.

Here‘s how it works:

• The subject is filmed in front of the green screen. This provides a blank canvas to work with.

• In video editing software, the green/blue color is removed, leaving just the subject isolated.

• A new background image or video is added below the isolated subject. This gives the illusion that the subject was filmed in that environment.

• Additional touches like shadows and reflections can be added to blend the subject into the new background.

Green screening is commonly used in films, TV shows, commercials, YouTube videos, and more. It provides an inexpensive way to transport subjects into virtual environments without complex on-location shooting.

Now let‘s look at the top green screen video editors available in 2022.

1. Adobe After Effects

Best For: Professionals, maximum control

Price: $20.99/month

Adobe After Effects is the industry-standard tool for advanced video compositing and motion graphics. It offers unparalleled control over keying and compositing workflows.

After Effects provides exceptional chroma keying thanks to its Ultra Key tool. It allows for fine-tuning of settings like color sampling, edge smoothing, color correction, and light spill suppression. The more control you have over compositing, the more realistic the final results will look.

Other key features include:

• Rotoscoping to isolate and adjust specific parts of a video clip.

• Advanced color grading tools.

• Ability to add realistic shadows, reflections, and movement to static layers.

• Hundreds of visual effects to take projects to the next level.

• 3D compositing for integrating CGI elements.

After Effects also seamlessly integrates with the rest of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite. This includes Premiere Pro for cutting the raw footage and Photoshop for creating background images or matte paintings.

The sky‘s the limit with After Effects. The tools are incredibly deep despite the steep learning curve. For professional film, TV, and marketing work, it‘s hard to beat this green screen video editor.

2. Adobe Premiere Pro

Best For: Professionals, easy integration with After Effects

Price: $20.99/month

Adobe Premiere Pro is an industry-leading nonlinear video editing program used by professionals in film, TV, and online media creation. It offers robust chroma keying capabilities through the Ultra Key tool that is also found in After Effects.

Some standout features of Premiere Pro include:

• Responsive editing tools like trimming, splicing, and overlays.

• Multi-camera editing for syncing footage from several cameras.

• Advanced audio editing with effects and multi-channel support.

• Color correction using Lumetri Scopes for color balancing.

• Support for VR content, 8K video, HDR, and a wide range of formats.

• Tight integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps.

The integration between Premiere Pro and After Effects is a big advantage of the Adobe ecosystem. You can easily send clips from Premiere to After Effects for advanced VFX work like green screening. After renders, the adjusted clips can be automatically added back into your Premiere timeline.

Premiere Pro isn‘t as deep for compositing as After Effects, but it still provides excellent keying results. Pairing it with After Effects gives you the best of both worlds for green screen work.

3. DaVinci Resolve

Best For: Professionals on a budget, outstanding color grading

Price: Free or $295 one-time fee

DaVinci Resolve is quickly becoming an industry favorite for video post-production and color grading. The free version offers professional-level tools rivaling software costing thousands. The paid Studio version adds even more features for only $295.

For green screening, DaVinci provides exceptional chroma keying thanks to the following tools:

• High-quality keying algorithms like luma key, ultra key, and 3D keyer.

• Color adjustment and correction for the foreground and background.

• Advanced spill suppression to remove green/blue reflections.

• On-screen scope monitors to fine-tune your chroma key.

• Ability to use Power Windows to isolate and correct specific parts of the frame.

• Camera tracker and planar tracker for adding inserts and graphics.

DaVinci is widely used for color critical work like feature films and TV commercials. Its advanced color correction toolset can make your keyed subjects look seamless by matching color and lighting with the new background plate.

With robust VFX capabilities, multi-user collaboration, and Fairlight audio tools, DaVinci Resolve offers an incredible value that can‘t be beaten. The free version is excellent for beginners, and the paid Studio upgrade takes it to the next level.

4. Wondershare Filmora

Best For: Beginners/amateurs looking for an affordable and easy-to-use option.

Price: $39.99 one-time fee

Filmora from Wondershare is a great option for beginner video creators looking for an easy-to-use green screen editor. It provides chroma keying essentials in a drag-and-drop interface perfect for novices.

Key features of Filmora include:

• Intuitive design with pre-built templates for quickly styling videos.

• 300+ visual effects like fire, explosions, transitions, etc.

• Basic chroma keyer with options for fine-tuning edge smoothing, opacity, and spill reduction.

• Speed ramping for dramatic slow-motion effects.

• Audio ducking to lower background music during voiceovers.

• Support for 4K video for ultra-HD exports.

• Affordable one-time purchase pricing.

Filmora isn‘t as advanced as the other video editors on this list. The interface prioritizes ease-of-use over customization. But for the price point, it‘s a great option for beginners looking for an entry-level green screen editor.

5. VSDC Video Editor

Best For: PC users seeking a free editor with chroma key.

Price: Free

For Windows users wanting free green screen software, VSDC Video Editor is a solid pick. It provides surprisingly full-featured video editing and effects in a free, non-watermarked package.

Features include:

• Multi-track timeline for overlaying audio, video, images, and graphics.

• 70+ video and audio effects like color correction, blur, distortion, audio filter presets.

• Chroma key filter with spill suppression for basic green screen removal.

• Mask tool to apply effects or filters to specific portions of clips.

• Support for 4K footage, image stabilization, slow motion, subtitles and more.

• Safe and well-tested software with no ads or malware.

• Available on Windows 7 through Windows 11.

The chroma key filter works well for basic background removal and replacement in VSDC. You have control over the threshold, color spill reduction, feathering, and more for fine results.

Keep in mind that the free version lacks some features of paid editors like motion tracking and 3D compositing. But for the price, VSDC is quite full-featured. It‘s great for beginners before committing to paid software.

6. Blender

Best For: 3D animation and compositing.

Price: Free open source

Blender is a hugely popular open-source 3D creation suite. It can create 3D models and animations, but also excels at compositing and visual effects. The VFX capabilities make it a great free choice for green screening.

Blender provides powerful chroma keying through its node-based compositor. By connecting different nodes, you can fine-tune results for seamless keying. Nodes control everything from the keyer settings to color correction, rotoscoping, and masking.

Other relevant features include:

• Camera and object motion tracking for matching CGI and real footage.

• Video editing workspace for splicing video and audio data.

• Support for a wide range of formats like 8K video, EXR images, etc.

• Python API for automating repetitive tasks and pipeline tools.

The learning curve is quite steep with Blender. But if you‘re willing to invest the time, you can create professional-grade composites and 3D elements for zero cost. It‘s an extremely versatile package.

7. Kapwing

Best For: Quick online editing, social media creators

Price: Free or $20/month pro

Kapwing is an online creative editor focused on making video creation quick and easy. It provides an intuitive interface and quick exporting, making it great for social media content creators.

Despite being web-based, Kapwing provides excellent tools for basic chroma keying:

• Quick cutout filter using image segmentation algorithms to remove and replace backgrounds.

• Matte enhancement to refine edges, such as hair, that are difficult to cut out.

• Spill suppression to remove colored bleed from the green screen.

• Blend mode options like multiply and linear burn to seamlessly mix layers.

• Ability to import images, videos, logos, and icons to create custom scenes.

• Library of stock videos and images to use in your backgrounds.

The tools aren‘t as advanced as desktop software like After Effects. But for quick social posts using green screen clips, Kapwing gets the job done. The free version works for shorter exports while the Pro subscription lifts limits.

8. Clipchamp

Best For: Beginners looking for free, browser-based editor.

Price: Free or $9.99/month essentials plan

Clipchamp is another free online video editor with solid chroma and luma keying built-in. The intuitive drag and drop interface is great for beginners.

Standout features include:

• Chroma Key filter supporting green, blue, or custom backdrop colors.

• Luma Key for isolating bright or dark areas of frame.

• Picture-in-picture overlay for adding graphics and logos.

• Stock media library with videos, audio tracks, and images.

• Export in resolutions up to 4K UHD.

• Create videos for social media like Instagram stories, YouTube, TikTok.

• Ability to remove Clipchamp watermark through one-time purchase or subscription.

Clipchamp works right in your web browser so there‘s no software to install. The free version is great for testing the waters and creating shorter videos. Their Essentials plan offers more effects, stock media, and longer exports.

Which Green Screen Video Editor is Right For You?

With so many options for keying software, it can be tough deciding which tool to use. Here are a few key factors to consider:

• Skill level – Beginners should start with options like Filmora or Clipchamp that prioritize easy editing. Professionals will want advanced tools like After Effects or Resolve. Look for the learning curve.

• Budget – Luckily quality chroma key tools are available at every price point from free to monthly subscriptions. Factor in ongoing costs vs one-time fees.

• Platform – Make sure the software works on your operating system and meets your hardware requirements. Most support Windows, Mac, and Linux.

• Type of videos – Certain tools are better suited for different video types like movies, VFX, animation, social posts, etc.

• Integration – Look for tools like Adobe CC that allow seamless flow between editing, compositing, and color grading.

Take stock of your current skill level, budget, and the types of projects you‘ll work on. This will help narrow down the best green screen video editor options for your needs.

Wrapping Up

Editing green screen video used to require expensive software and advanced technical skills. But as you‘ve seen in this guide, there are now fantastic chroma key tools available at every price point and experience level.

Whether you‘re a social media influencer, marketer, filmmaker, or motion designer, you can find a green screen editor tailored for you here. The right software can save hours of work removing and replacing backgrounds in your videos.

We hope this overview of the top 8 best green screen video editors for 2022 has helped you find the perfect chroma key solution. Just add a green screen backdrop, fire up your chosen video editor, and start transporting your scenes to exciting virtual environments. Let us know in the comments if you have any favorite green screen software we should check out!