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Editing

How to Decide Between Adobe Premiere Pro vs Premiere Rush

Jourdan Aldredge

Jun 20, 2022

When first starting out in film and video, there can be a lot of decisions thrown at you. What types of projects do you want to take on? What camera should you use? What types of shots should you shoot? And, most importantly, what video editing software should you use to edit videos?

While there's a lot to say about other video editing software options like Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve, the first choice for many creatives might be to go with an Adobe product. And while there are higher end programs like Adobe After Effects to check out for VFX and compositing tools, your best bet will usually be to choose between Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Premiere Rush.

 

But what are these two video editing softwares? And what tools and features actually stand out between these two? Let's take a look at each option to help you decide which Adobe Premiere offering is right for you.

A guide to Adobe Premiere Pro

Let's start by introducing you to Adobe Premiere Pro. 

First launched in 2003, Adobe Premiere Pro is a successor of Adobe Premiere which dates back to the early 90s. Known as one of the best video editing software options among professional video editors, Premiere Pro has pretty much all the video editing tools that most professional video editors will ever need.

 

 

While not quite as robust as After Effects, you can still perform keyframing, compositing, and even basic motion graphics. There’s also a whole host of color correcting and grading functions, and complete sound and audio design.

Premiere Pro is truly one the best NLE programs on the market and should give you plenty of video editing tools for turning your video files and video clips into whatever your heart desires. 

(Plus, we’d be remiss if we didn’t shout out our very own Adobe Premiere Pro extension where you can browse, select, and add Soundstripe tracks and stems to your project without ever leaving the app.)

Premiere Pro is capable of working with multiple file formats and is syncable with other Adobe apps like Photoshop, After Effects, or even working with Premiere Rush files. As a timeline based editor, Premiere Pro will also provide the full range of editing tools to cut your videos into something to use on social media platforms or into an indie film.

A guide to Adobe Premiere Rush

 

 

A more recent addition to the Adobe Creative Cloud family, Premiere Rush has been seen as the kid-sibling to Premiere Pro. It’s an easier-to-use (yet still quite powerful) app that’s more ideal for run-and-gun or even smartphone video editing.

However, don’t be fooled by Premiere Rush’s functionality. Premiere Rush has quietly grown both in terms of popularity and video editing capability since its original release. And in many ways Premiere Rush has become superior to Premiere Pro in terms of ability to quickly (and tightly) edit video clips for social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and even YouTube.

Also, it’s absolutely worth mentioning that Adobe Premiere Rush is a free mobile and desktop video editing app where you can truly shoot, edit, and share high quality videos from whatever device you prefer. You can use Premiere Rush on any macOS, Windows, iOS, or Android device. 

Premiere Pro vs Rush: A breakdown

 

 

Now let’s try our best to directly compare Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Premiere Rush in terms of what each offers.

Adobe Premiere Pro:

  • Timeline-based video editing software
  • Full color grading and correction controls
  • Full sound and audio controls
  • Basic motion graphics and VFX
  • Subscription based (individual plan or part of the Adobe Creative Cloud)

Adobe Premiere Rush:

  • Template-based video editing software
  • Available for Smartphones or other devices
  • Ability to shoot, edit, and upload in-app
  • Limited color, sound, and motion controls
  • Free to use (subscription needed to sync with other Adobe apps)

Those are just some basic facts and features to help you in your personal decision between Premiere Pro vs Premiere Rush. Though the real decision will come down to just how many of the functions that you as a video editor might need from either Premiere Pro and Premiere Rush. 

Still, with that being said, a professional video editor might say they could work with any of the Adobe Premiere elements and be successful — but in the age of social media videos and cloud storage, these specific features are indeed worth considering.

Picking the right video editing software for you

So, what are your video needs? Do you need to shoot, edit, and upload video content directly from your smartphone for your budding YouTube vlog series? Or are you working on shooting, editing, and audio mixing an indie feature film that you’re hoping to get into SXSW next year?

For many creators the choice should be pretty cut and dry as to which app is better for you and your needs for editing video. If you need any level of advanced editing tools like color, audio, or motion, then Premiere Pro will obviously be your choice. If you don’t need much more besides simplicity to streamline your creativity, then Premiere Rush will be right for you.

The gray area will be for creators who need a little bit of both. Even if you’re an indie filmmaker, there are no rules saying you can’t shoot your film on your smartphone and stick to minimal editing effects.

And by the same token, if you’re an aspiring mobile device content creator it doesn’t mean you can’t highly refine your colors, work with a full slate of audio tools, sync with the media encoder and use Premiere Pro's interface for a streamlined version of editing visual effects with all the tools.

Further reading (and more video editing tips and tricks)

For many the best bet might be to simply try out each app to see which one feels right for you. While Premiere Pro does require a subscription, Adobe does offer a free trial (as well as some pretty great discounts for students). 

You can also always start with the free version of Premiere Rush to learn the basics, then choose to step up to Premiere Pro once you’re ready for some more advanced features.

In the meantime, it never hurts to study up and try to learn as much editing and film theory as possible, as well as start to explore the different types of cuts and techniques every video editor should know. You can learn these secrets and more by checking out these articles from the Soundstripe blog: