- Author: Sophiea Ank
Date: Nov 9, 2025 - Category : Video Editing, Video Production
Video editing is surely one of the challenging tasks and requires certain skill sets to execute the process smoothly.
Some companies hire freelancers to get the editing done, and some prefer professional hands from video editing studios.
A video editor’s cost depends upon the nature of the project. If you are hiring a freelancer, video editors work on an hourly basis, but if you hire a video editing company, you get a fixed price (after evaluating the project requirement).
If you are thinking of editing a video project and are confused about how much it will cost you, then you have landed on the right article.
In this article, we will discuss how much it will cost you to get your video edited by an hourly and fixed fee editor and which option suits your business best.
You will also learn what factors can affect your video editing cost and how you can handle them efficiently.
Let’s Begin!
Once you are done with video production, the next step to completion is video editing, where the editor adds/deletes the clips, merge them, apply the special effects, and gives a final touch-up to your video.
Hiring professional video editing services can help you mold your video according to your imagination and demand and give you the end result that you desire.
But picking a perfect video editor for your project is tricky and requires market research, data analysis, and budget evaluation.
Most of us prefer video editors that are available on online freelance platforms because hiring a freelancer can cost you a lot less than hiring an editing company. Hiring a freelance can be beneficial and damaging at the same time.
Even if you prefer picking a professional video editing studio over a freelancer, it has its advantages and disadvantages.
In every video editing project, there are several factors that can affect the project cost. Here are some components that might vary the video editing cost for you.
Just like the factors that aid in video editing cost variation, there are several things that help in determining the final cost of video editing.
Most video editing companies offer you fixed prices for the projects and provide you with a weekly or monthly process plan.
With a fixed cost, you always know how much you have to pay at the end of the project, but with an hourly fee, you never get to know how much the project will cost you at completion.
As a professional, we suggest our readers not go with an hourly price plan because it will cost you way too much.
Doing video editing by yourself can be good, but hiring a professional with a fixed price plan can be an efficient business practice.
If you are looking for a video editing company with the best services and fixed-price plans, here is the list of top video editing companies that won’t let you down.
Research has stated that the hourly charges of a video editor will be:
The Beginner: A newbie video editor’s cost will be between $25 to $45.
The Advance: The cost will be between $45 to $60.
The Expert: A professional expert video editor’s cost will vary between $60 to $100.
People often search how to post a YouTube video forget to evaluate the major part; YouTube video editing. Video editors play a crucial role in producing high-quality video content for YouTube channels. Their skills go beyond just being proficient with editing software and include understanding how to create a compelling narrative from raw footage.
The cost of video editing can vary greatly and depend on various factors such as the length of the video, the software used, and the editor’s experience. Professional editors can charge anywhere from $30 to $150 or more per hour for their services.
When choosing an editor, it is important to view their portfolio to understand their style and the types of clients they have worked for. If you have a specific brief, it is okay to ask for a sample of their work, but don’t expect a replica.
For specific projects like creating a YouTube TrueView ad, it is recommended to select an editor with experience in cutting short promos, infomercials, or TV ads, rather than someone with a background in independent film.
The amount of time a freelance video editor might need to spend working on a one-minute video could vary greatly due to various factors.
The hourly video editing rate sheet or starting price of a gig listed on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork may give some indication of an editor’s experience, but it is not always a reliable predictor of the final cost of the project.
The requirements of your project may take longer to complete than you initially expect, which could affect the final cost.
Editing a short video from a considerable amount of footage might seem like a daunting task, but it can be a hassle-free experience with the right approach.
Freelance editors on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork are equipped with the skills and experience to deliver your desired result, with minimal rounds of alterations, as long as you provide clear instructions.
Experienced video editors have the ability to navigate and manage large volumes of source material efficiently, making the editing process smoother and quicker. However, having a large quantity of source material also means more editorial decisions to be made, which can often require your input.
If you have a large amount of source footage, like four hours, the editor will need to spend a considerable amount of time just to view, sort, and understand all the footage before even starting to edit.
However, for complex projects, more rounds of feedback and alterations are likely to be needed, which will take more time for both the editor and you.
Professional video editors can also create advanced graphics, but for a video solely made of graphics, it’s best to work with a specialized Motion Graphics Designer.
The time needed to make a minute of motion graphics may be longer than editing a minute of video, especially if custom artwork or stock illustrations need to be created or purchased, which takes extra time.
An expert video editor boasts a keen ear for unearthing the ideal library music and voice artists. Despite the brevity of a one-minute video, allotting time for the editor to scour and select the perfect piece and voice talent is paramount.
Cost, duration, and video style are the elements that are intertwined with each other. Time is the key; that is why most corporate videos are divided into three major durations: 30 seconds, 60 seconds, or 120 seconds.
Usually, a five-minute video edit (if you hire a professional video editor) requires approximately 5 hours to complete and costs you around $230 to $550, but if you hire a video editing company, your video editing project will cost you around $250-$260.
The video styles matter the most, and many video editing companies charge their client accordingly:
The animated explainer video includes 2D animation, whiteboard animation, and motion graphics video projects. Almost every company offers 1-2 revisions, and if you go beyond the revision limit, you have to pay extra.
In an honest opinion, hiring a video editing agency can save you costs of video editing tools, templates, licenses, stock videos, and plug-ins. In short, employing a video editing company cuts you the third-party licensing and video editing assets cost.
P.S: Even if you have a video to produce, you can contact BuzzFlick for its video production and animation services as it helps you to identify how much to charge for 30 second video edit..
After understanding the cost by duration and style, it’s time to learn the cost by video types. Video production companies create a variety of videos like family videos, promotional videos, corporate videos, awareness videos, and so on and so forth.
Most of them are likely to have the same cost and require almost the same duration for video editing, but sometimes it varies from company to company, requirement to requirement, and project to project.
These videos include birthdays, weddings, funerals, vacations, convocations, celebrations, and other occasional videos, and all of them are real-action and live-action videos.
Personal videos are probably the easiest and least expensive to edit. However, the cost will depend on the number of source footage the client has provided and the time that will require to complete the editing.
Personal videos require less SFX and get completed within 2 to 3 days with a cost between $50-$100 for a 30-seconds video. For 60-seconds, the cost lies between $100-$150, and 2 to 3 days are needed. $150-$200 will be charged for 120-second videos and take up to 5 to 7 days for editing.
Promotional videos are the marketing videos that companies require to market their business, products, services, and brand.
Usually, manufacturing companies and eCommerce businesses prefer animated promotional videos. A 30-second video will cost $800-$1000 and take 2 to 3 days minimum.
The 60-seconds video will charge $1200-$1500 and require almost 1 week. In the end, a 120-second video will cost you between $2600 – $3000 and need 1 week for completion.
Humanity organizations, medical institutes, and welfare societies use awareness videos to educate and raise well-being awareness in society.
If you opt for animated awareness videos, the 30-seconds video will cost $900-$1100 and take 2 to 4 days minimum. The 60-seconds video will charge $1500-$1800 and require almost 1 week. In the end, a 120-second video will cost you between $2000-$2800 and need 1 week for completion.
The real-action awareness video gets completed within 2 to 3 days with a cost between $50-$70 for a 30-seconds video. For 60-seconds, the cost lies between $100-$130, and 2 to 4 days are needed. $150-$200 will be charged for 120-second videos and take up to 7 days for editing.
Corporate videos mostly have training and onboarding videos. These videos can have both styles, real-action and animated, and the cost may vary accordingly.
The corporate video of 30-seconds will cost $900-$1100 and take 2 to 4 days minimum, the 60-second will charge $1500-$1800 and require almost 1 week, and a 120-seconds video will cost you between $2000-$2800 and need 1 week for completion.
The real-action corporate video needs 2 to 3 days duration for video editing with a cost between $50-$70 for a 30-seconds video. In the 60-second real-action, the cost lies between $100-$130, and 2 to 4 days are needed. $150-$200 will be charged for 120-second videos, and it will take up to 7 days for the project completion.
Navigating video editing costs and choosing the right professional can be overwhelming. That’s where BuzzFlick comes in. With a team of experienced editors, motion graphics specialists, and video production experts, we handle everything from basic cuts and color grading to advanced animation and motion graphics — all while keeping your project on schedule and within budget.
We offer fixed-price video editing packages, so you know the total cost upfront without any hidden surprises. Whether it’s personal videos, corporate training, promotional content, or YouTube videos, BuzzFlick ensures each project is polished, professional, and visually compelling.
As per professional editors, it takes approximately 1 to 1.5 hours to edit a one-minute video.
A basic jump-cut edit typically costs around $50, while full editing packages for short videos range from $200. This price range is also typical for YouTube video editing services.
The amount of time required for editing is influenced by the quality and duration of the source material and the intricacy of the desired edits. As a general guideline, it takes about 30 minutes to an hour of editing for each minute of the final video.
The price of a video is dependent on various elements including animation, voiceover, sound effects, graphics, and additional features. The scope of the project and time constraints also play a role in determining the cost. As a result, the average cost for a 30-second promotional video is around $1,500 to $2,500.
The time needed for editing a simple 3-minute video can be as short as 6 hours, while a more elaborate 3-minute video may require over 30 hours of editing. With additional tasks such as logging, tagging, color correction, audio mixing, and compression, the process can take anywhere from a few days to several months.
Although you may have a precise vision for your video, it can be challenging to bring it to life without the necessary skills. Hiring a proficient video editor guarantees that your content possesses the desired quality, accurately conveys your intended story, and effectively communicates your message.
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