It’s difficult to remember a time before Adobe Premiere Pro. As a video editing tool, Premiere has been behind some of the best films, commercials, and social media posts of the last twenty years. But projects have only become more complex since its introduction, and clients are demanding more than ever before. No matter how great an editor is, having a few tricks (or tools) up their sleeve can bring out the best of the platform and enhance their capabilities.
Plugins dramatically open up Premiere Pro’s functionality, allowing you to tackle pain points like time-draining edits, inefficient feedback loops, and less-than-stellar effects.
We’ve put together the nine essential Adobe Premiere Pro plugins that can help your creative team take their editing process above and beyond what the standard program can do, starting with Ziflow.
1. Ziflow
Ziflow transforms the way video teams collaborate and manage feedback, streamlining the approval process directly within Adobe Premiere Pro. As your creative team’s ultimate partner for online proofing and review, Ziflow enables editors to connect their editing workflows with collaborative feedback and approval processes.
By embedding collaborative proofing and versioning capabilities within Premiere Pro, Ziflow eliminates time-consuming tasks like exporting and emailing drafts for review. With this plugin, editors and stakeholders can communicate seamlessly in one place, allowing teams to focus on producing high-quality work faster.
Key features and pricing
- Real-time feedback synchronization: Stakeholder comments and annotations appear directly in Premiere Pro timelines.
- Centralized proofing and approvals: Keep review status and approval history in one location.
- Automated version control: Easily manage and track all video versions without manual effort.
- Compliance and audit trails: Maintain detailed records of revisions and approvals for legal or brand requirements.
- Cross-platform integration: Sync Ziflow with project management tools like Airtable or Trello.
- Stakeholder-friendly engagement: Non-editors can provide feedback without needing editing expertise.
- Customizable workflows: Tailor proofing processes to meet your team’s specific needs.
Pricing for Ziflow’s Adobe Premiere Pro plugin is included with the broader Ziflow platform, which offers scalable plans for all team sizes.
2. Red Giant
Red Giant is a powerful suite of plugins designed to elevate video editing, motion graphics, and visual effects workflows within Adobe Premiere Pro. With tools like Trapcode, Magic Bullet, and VFX, Red Giant provides creatives with everything they need to create stunning visuals, from precise color grading to realistic compositing.
For instance, the Magic Bullet suite allows editors to achieve cinematic color correction, enhance skin tones, and apply film emulations to their footage, while Trapcode makes it easy to create dynamic particle effects and 3D animations. It’s a staple for teams looking to add professional polish to their videos without spending hours in post-production.
Key features and pricing
- Magic Bullet color grading: Achieve cinematic looks with tools for color correction, skin tone balancing, and film grain effects.
- Visual effects suite: Create realistic lens flares, lighting effects, and chroma keying for green screens.
- Universe motion graphics: Access a library of customizable text and graphic effects for branding or social media content.
- Audio tools: Clean up audio with Denoiser and synchronize visuals with Sound Keys.
Pricing starts at $17.83/month for individual licenses.
3. Boris FX Mocha
Boris FX Mocha Pro is a leading plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro, celebrated for its award-winning planar tracking and masking technology. It empowers video editors and VFX artists with advanced tools such as 3D camera solving, object removal, and image stabilization, streamlining complex tasks like screen replacements and wire removal.
Mocha Pro's standout feature, PowerMesh warp tracking, enables dynamic and organic object tracking, making it ideal for projects requiring precise visual effects. For video teams looking to enhance their capabilities in compositing, stabilization, and motion tracking, Mocha Pro is an indispensable tool that delivers Hollywood-grade results.
Key features and pricing
- Planar tracking: Precisely track objects even if they move out of frame or change shape.
- Masking tools: Simplify rotoscoping with intuitive spline tools.
- Object removal: Erase unwanted elements from a scene effortlessly.
- Seamless integration: Work directly within Premiere Pro’s timeline.
Subscriptions begin at $24.58/mo.
4. Twixtor
Twixtor by RE:Vision Effects is a powerful plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro that allows video editors to retime footage with exceptional precision and visually stunning results. Leveraging advanced motion estimation technology, Twixtor analyzes and tracks pixel-by-pixel motion, enabling seamless slow-motion or speed-up effects without the usual artifacts like tearing or stretching.
Whether you’re slowing footage down to 160x slower than real-time or adding a dramatic time-lapse, Twixtor ensures smooth, professional-quality results. Ideal for filmmakers, video editors, and VFX artists, Twixtor elevates your ability to craft dynamic and compelling visuals directly within Premiere Pro.
Key features and pricing
- Frame interpolation: Generate new frames for ultra-smooth slow motion.
- Speed control: Adjust playback speeds with frame-level precision.
- Scene analysis: Automatically detect and account for motion changes in footage.
- High-quality output: Maintain clarity even with extreme slow-motion effects.
Pricing starts at $330 for a one-time purchase.
5. Motion Array
Motion Array is both a plugin and an online platform offering a massive library of templates, presets, and stock footage. It’s perfect for creative teams looking to save time on repetitive tasks.
Key features and pricing
- Premade templates and presets: Access drag-and-drop transitions, titles, and effects.
- Extensive stock library: Download high-quality video, audio, and image assets.
- Customizable designs: Adjust templates to match your project’s branding and style.
- Cloud integration: Organize and store assets for seamless team collaboration.
Subscriptions start at $24.99/month.
6. SubMachine
SubMachine is an efficient plugin for generating subtitles, saving editors countless hours on manual transcription.
Key features and pricing
- Auto-captioning: Automatically generate accurate subtitles from your video’s audio.
- Styling options: Customize font, size, and positioning to suit branding requirements.
- Multi-language support: Create subtitles in multiple languages for global audiences.
- Export flexibility: Save subtitle files in common formats like SRT and VTT.
SubMachine is priced at $8/mo.
7. Watchtower
Watchtower is a highly efficient plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects that automates the synchronization of project bins with system folders, revolutionizing how video editors manage their files. By creating "watch folders," Watchtower eliminates the need for manually importing files into Premiere Pro, streamlining the workflow and saving valuable time.
This plugin automatically detects and syncs newly added files, image sequences, or subfolders, ensuring that your project bins are always up-to-date without tedious manual effort.
Key features and pricing
- Automatic syncing: Detect changes in project files and update timelines instantly.
- Media management: Keep track of all assets in a single, organized interface.
- Streamlined updates: Eliminate the need for manual re-importing when assets change.
- Cloud storage support: Integrates with services like Dropbox and Google Drive.
Pricing starts at $40/year.
8. FireCut
FireCut helps editors craft visually stunning transitions that stand out, especially for dynamic social media or promotional videos.
Key features and pricing
- Seamless drag-and-drop transitions: Quickly add polished effects between clips.
- Customization Options: Tailor transition effects to match your creative vision.
- Smooth playback: Ensure flawless renders with optimized performance.
FireCut is available for $24/mo.
9. Colorista
Colorista is a color correction tool designed for editors who need professional-grade control over their footage.
Key features and pricing
- Advanced color wheels: Precisely balance highlights, mid-tones, and shadows.
- Skin tone tools: Correct and enhance skin tones for natural, professional results.
- Real-time grading: View changes instantly while editing your timeline.
- Color presets: Apply pre-designed looks for consistent visual style.
Colorista is included in the Red Giant suite, which starts at $53.25/month.
Supercharge your collaborative review and approval with Ziflow
If you want your creative team to get the best out of Adobe Premiere Pro’s functionality, you need the right plugins, and Ziflow stands out as one of the essentials to elevate the platform. By embedding collaborative proofing directly into your video editing workflow, Ziflow ensures seamless feedback management and faster approvals. Combine Ziflow with Premiere Pro to give your creative process a shot in the arm and deliver polished video projects on-time, every time.
