11+ Best Green Screen Software To Make Professional-Looking Videos!

If you’re in the video production business, then you know what green screen video software or chroma key software is.

Green screen editing software or a green screen program helps you replace the background of videos you shoot (for example, your podcast videos, YouTube videos or Twitch streaming videos) with color or different backgrounds of your choice.

Whether you want to create and sell online courses, shoot amazing YouTube videos, or create special effects for your green screen video, here is a list of the best green screen software that will help you do that! You can also use script writing software to help you write your video scripts.

In today’s post, I rounded up the best paid and best free green screen software and free green screen apps based on their features and pricing.

So if you’re looking for video editing software for your green screen videos, check it out!

Disclaimer: If you buy something using the links in this article, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Know that I only promote stuff that I use and trust for the sake of my readers and the reputation of this site.

What is the Best Green Screen Software?

1. Adobe After Effects

Adobe After Effects is an industry-standard motion graphics, visual effects, and the best green screen editing software

that allows you to create visual effects for your green screen videos.

Adobe After Effects lets you change a scene’s setting or add a moving object and choose from hundreds of effects.

Features:

• Post-production editing allows you to add stunning visuals from motion graphics to explosive effects. You can also remove objects from live-action footage.
• The video editor and best photo editor for green screen allows you to replace the green screens in VFX.
• Add more than one camera viewpoint.
• The intuitive interface of this best green screen removal software allows you to easily select and isolate objects in your green screen video.
• The green screen wizard helps you navigate 3D visuals.

Pricing:

Adobe After Effects has a 7-day free trial, after which it costs $20.99 per month.

2. Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Adobe Premiere Pro CC offers state-of-the-art video editing tools, 360 VR, and 4K support.

The video editing software has a powerful green screen editor with advanced features.

Adobe Premiere Pro green screen photo editor has a non-linear editing interface with dedicated toolsets, along with basic editing features.

Features:

• 4K and 360-degree video editing.
• Wide collection of video editing tools including Multicam editing.
• Simple and intuitive user interface.
• The chroma key feature allows you to replace the green background in your video clips.
• The software also offers team collaboration features.

Pricing:

Adobe Premiere Pro offers a 7-day free trial. You can get it as a part of the Adobe Creative Cloud at $39.99 per month. Adobe offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

3. Blender

Blender is free, open-source with green screen features. Although the software is free, it offers features that are comparable to other paid green screen video editors.

Blender free green screen photo software offers you post-production editing tools along with a vast library of nodes that can help you create video effects.

Features:

• Node-based compositor that allows you to create various video and green screen effects.
• Keying node in Blender allows you to remove the blue screen or green screen footage and replace it with the background of your choice.
• A versatile tool that offers basic and advanced green screen video editing features.
• Chroma key software offers animation support with onion skinning.
• You can see a live preview of your edited videos.

Pricing:

Blender is an open-source, free green screen editor that is available for anyone to use.

4. Camtasia 

Camtasia is one of the simplest and best chroma key software that even beginners can use.

The software offers many tools for basic editing and green screening that can make your videos look professional – even if you have no green screening experience.

Features:

• Intuitive, easy-to-use interface
• Built-in editing templates that can make your green screen video look professional.
• Screen recording features allow you to capture live videos.
• More than 900,000 royalty-free stock videos and other customizable assets to use in your green screen videos.
• The green screen video feature allows you to zoom in, zoom out, and pan animation.

Pricing:

You can get Camtasia for a one-time fee of $249.99. Camtasia also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

5. HitFilm Express

HitFilm Express is one of the best video editing software that offers professional green screen video editing tools for free.

HitFilm Express is one of the free green screen programs that offers its users updates and support from developers.

HitFilm Express also has an active community of video creators and tons of video tutorials so that you make the best use of the tool.

Features:

• 3D and 2D compositing features that improve your editing process and the final video quality.
• Largest and most powerful free effects library to create visual effects in your green screen clip.
• Industry-grade chroma key effects and color grading to help you change the green screen background of your video.
• Library of ‘Quick 3D’ effects allows you to add realistic simulations to your productions.
• More than 420 effects and presets
• The intuitive interface with a fast learning curve helps you edit your video clips easily even if you are a beginner.

Pricing:

HitFilm Express is a free video editor that offers features comparable to any premium video editing software.

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6. iMovie 

iMovie is a free chroma key software for Apple device users.

It comes pre-installed on every Mac device and offers premium features that help you change the green screen background of your videos.

iMovie offers you a ton of features such as a green screen feature, color grading, and split-screen effects.

Features:

• The green screen app for iPhone allows you to edit your green screen video on the go.
• The user interface is simple and intuitive.
• iMovie offers you professional-quality movie templates and Hollywood-style special effects that you can use for your green screen videos.
• Supports 4K video and offers basic editing features like cropping and trimming, animations, and built-in sound effects.
• iMovie offers you seamless audio and video transitions.

Pricing:

iMovie is available for free, preinstalled on every Mac device.

7. Lightworks

Lightworks is one of the best free green screen editing software that offers Hollywood-strength editing tools to help you apply green-screen effects in your videos.

Lightworks also offers users advanced tools and features for an additional price.

Features:

• Free video editing tool that allows you to change the background image of your green screen video.
• Lightworks offers users an uncomplicated, narrative-based timeline with a simple drag-and-drop interface.
• Lightworks supports all popular video formats.
• Sharing and collaboration feature to help you share media, bins, and edits in real-time.
• Lightworks Pro offers advanced editing features for professionals.

Pricing:

Lightworks offers users a free version as well as Pro versions.

Lightworks Pro costs $23.99 per user per month, $239.99 per user per year, and Lightworks Pro Outright costs $389.99 per user for life.

8. MAGIX VEGAS Pro 

Vegas Pro offers you a complete video editor toolset no matter how much experience you have.

The software offers basic video editing, motion graphics, image composition, green screen technology, live streaming, and sound design.

It is the best green screen software for streaming.

Features:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) based editing tools
• Precision audio and motion graphics features
• Visual effects, advanced HDR color correction, chroma-keying, and image compositing
• Edit up to 8K with GPU acceleration
• Cinematic filters, effects, transitions, and animated titles
• Royalty-free content and cloud services

Pricing:

VEGAS Pro 365 costs $19.99 per month, billed annually.

9. OBS Studio

OBS Studio is a free and open-source video editor and live streaming software.

Although the primary features of this live stream green screen software are video recording and streaming, the software also offers you professional video editing and chroma keying features as well.

Features:

• Customizable and easy-to-use software with green screen effects
• Simple video recording and streaming features
• The software offers users regular updates and support from an active community
• Allows you to export videos and high-quality footage to apply chroma key effects to them
• Offers multiple scenes and various configuration options
• Switch seamlessly between video transactions

Pricing:

OBS Studio is free open-source software that is available for anyone to download and use.

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10. OpenShot 

OpenShot is another free open-source video editor on this list that offers green screen video editing tools.

With OpenShot, you can create a green-screen effect, transitions, and even slow-motion effects to your green screen video.

Features:

• Offers chroma key effects for videos shot with a green color background.
• Intuitive and simple user interface without a steep learning curve.
• Cross-platform software that supports various image, audio, and video formats.
• Drag-and-drop interface that gives you unlimited layers and tracks to work with.
• The software offers more than 400 video transitions with real-time previews.
• OpenShot also offers you basic video editing features like video clip trimming, cropping, and rotation.

Pricing:

OpenShot is free, open-source software that anyone can download and use.

11. VSDC Free Video Editor

VSDC Video Editor is free software with green screen video editing tools that allow you to edit videos and replace a green background with the background of your choice.

This free video editing software has a non-linear editing style that enables you to create split-screen effects, picture-in-picture, and create lighting and color correction effects in your video timeline.

However, it does have a steep learning curve which makes it unsuitable for beginners.

Features:

• Although it is one of the free software tools on this list, VSDC offers advanced green screen editing capabilities for its users.
• VSDC supports all popular video formats.
• Supports mask creation for PiP videos, and embedded social sharing templates.
• The software gives you audio and video conversion tools along with a library of video effects.
• VSDC has a simple and intuitive user interface.

Pricing:

VSDC is a free tool for editing videos and other media files.

12. Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is the best green screen and video editing software for beginners in the field.

Filmora Video Editor is a simple and intuitive editor that helps you edit videos, add video effects, and change your green or blue screens to different backgrounds.

Features:

• Filmora Video Editor offers video editing tools like animated titles, layers, Multicam effect, and other special effects for your video track.
• The software offers tons of video and audio effects for your green screen videos.
• The editor has a simple timeline interface with a drag-and-drop tool that is easy to use.
• Filmora allows you to import video and audio clips of your choice from any device to include in your videos.

Pricing:

Wondershare Filmora offers various monthly and annual plans depending on your needs.

The simplest plan is the monthly plan, billed at $19.99 per month. You could choose the Perpetual plan that offers Filmora video editor for a one-time fee of $89.99.

Filmora also offers customized plans based on your needs.

How To Use A Green Screen

In today’s society, it is important to be able to create your own videos for a variety of reasons.

In order to produce high-quality video content, many people choose to purchase a green screen for their home studio.

With a green screen, you can produce an unlimited number of special effects and movie-like scenes that would otherwise be difficult or time-consuming to shoot.

Here’s how you can use a green screen to shoot professional-quality videos:

Step 1: The first step in shooting with a green screen is finding an appropriate location for the shooting stage.

Step 2: Once the production area has been selected, purchase a heavy-duty stand to support the background.

Step 3: If you have an automatic lighting system on your camera, turn off all lights except those used as key lights or fill lights as they may affect your results.

Step 4: If using multiple cameras, place each camera in its own location during the shooting stage.

Step 5: Shoot your images or videos on a solid, flat surface with your green screen.

Step 6: After completing your shoot, you can use the best green screen software to add custom images, graphics, and texts in place of the green screen in order to enhance your final video.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Green Screen Software?

Green screen software is a specialized video editing software that helps you change the background of a green screen video.

Using the best green screen software is as easy as changing the color of the background of your videos and then replacing the background layer with a color or background of your choice.

Green screen editing is also called chroma-keying and usually uses a green color background.

The best video editors (paid or free green screen software video editors) also provide users with basic editing tools like cropping and video trimming.

2. How Does Green Screen Software Work?

Green screen software works on the principle of chroma keying, which is why it is sometimes referred to as chroma key software.

Here’s how green screen software works:

• Video production teams first shoot the video with green screens as the background.
• The second step is called chroma-keying. It involves isolating a single color (usually bright green) from multiple frames in the video and replacing it with a different color, visual effect, or background. Green screen software helps you do this easily.

3. Why is Green the Preferred Color in Chroma-Keying?

Green (bright green) is usually preferred while using a green screen editor because this color is not usually present in nature, and is different from skin color or the color of people’s clothing.

While video editing, the green screen video editor easily isolates and removes this color without affecting the other parts of the frame. Sometimes, a blue screen is also used with a free green screen editor.

4. What Equipment Do You Need to Record Green Screen Scenes?

Although green screening might seem like a complicated technique, a green screen software or green screen app can make this process fairly easy.

You can use green screen video editors without very advanced features to use chroma key for your video clips.

All you need is basic equipment like a digital camera, a desktop or a laptop to use the green screen software, a data cable to transfer your videos to your computer, a green or blue colored background, and green screen software.

5. How Do You Shoot a Green Screen Video?

Here are the basic steps you need to follow to shoot a green screen video:

Step 1: Choose a green or blue backdrop made of paper, cardboard, or fabric. The green screen color should never match the subjects you are shooting.

Step 2: Use a camera that can shoot videos at 720p or 1080p and higher.

You can even use your phone for this. Make sure that the media files are saved in a supported format.

Step 3: Make sure the lighting is good so that there are no shadows on the green screen background. This would affect the green screening process.

Step 4: Select the best video editing software for green screening.

Any of the green screen software tools mentioned in this post will help you make changes to the background of your video clip and export videos in the right format.

6. What Precautions Should You Follow When Creating Green Screen Videos?

• For the perfect green-screen effect, make sure that the subject is standing at least 6 feet away from the green screen background.
• Make sure the color of your green or blue screen does not match the surroundings or the subjects in the video.
• Review the post-production video after shooting for your green screen video production, and once you have used the green screen video editor to include the video effects.

7. Where do I get images or videos to replace the green background?

If you are planning to shoot a green screen video, then you must be wondering where you can find background images or videos to replace your green screen with the green screen software.

You could either shoot your own images or videos or you could check out stock images or stock videos from websites that offer them.

8. Why Green Screen is used for VFX?

A green screen is most commonly used for VFX (video effects) because the bright green color of the green screens does not match any part of the actors’ skin or hair.

This ensures that the green screen software gives you the best chroma key results without cutting out parts of the video you want.

If the actors happen to wear green clothing in the shot, then a blue screen could be used.

9. Which is the Best Green Screen Software?

The best green screen software are:

• Adobe Premiere Pro CC
• Camtasia
• Adobe After Effects
• Filmora
• Lightworks
• VEGAS Pro

10. Which is the Best Free Green Screen Software?

The best free green screen software are:

• iMovie (for Apple device users)
• VSDC
• HitFilm Express
• OBS Studio
• OpenShot
• Blender

11. Can you Green Screen without a Green Screen?

Yes. As long as the color of the screen does not match any part of the frame that you do not want to remove using the green screen video editing software, you can use any color.

12. Do I need a special camera for the Green Screen?

No, you do not need a special camera for your green screen video. You can use any digital camera of your choice as long as you are able to shoot high-quality videos with it.

Conclusion

Shooting a green screen video is not as complex as most people think it is.

With the right camera, lighting, green screen background (or any other color background, as long as it does not match your subject), and the best green screen software, you can shoot, edit, and create amazing green screen videos with the video effects you desire.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. If you found it helpful, do remember to share it with your friends and fellow video creators! 🙂