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1. Best overall: BenQ SW321C
2. Best budget: Dell S2722QC
3. Best premium: Eizo CG319X
4. Best value: Asus PA348CGV
5. Best 8K: Dell UP3218K
6. Best Apple: Apple Pro Display
7. Best 27-inch: Acer ConceptD
8. Best HDR: Asus PA32UCG-K
9. Best ultrawide: LG 38WN95C
10. More Apple: Studio Display
FAQs
The best monitors for video editing can make a big difference to the comfort of your workflow and to the final results. While you can cut, re-sequence and colour-grade the commercial, film or Instagram reel using any display, a good video editing monitor eliminates the guesswork and ensures an accurate view of brightness and colours, avoiding surprises when you export.
Monitors come at very different price points, so our expert reviewers have tested a wide range of screens for video editing to choose the best options for different needs. To make our choices, we've compared our own hands-on reviews with feedback from contributors, and we've evaluated screen resolution, colour gamut and accuracy, contrast ratio and brightness and HDR support. We've also compared screen size, mount articulation for viewing comfort and price.
In our pick of the best monitors for video editing below, we've included the best budget monitor for video editing as well as more professional options from among the best 4K monitors and higher. We also have a dedicated guide to the best USB-C displays, which you might also want to check, and if you're also looking to upgrade your software, see our guide to the best video editing software.
Quick list
While it's expensive, this screen offers top-notch performance and impressive features, as well as a 32-inch panel, sharp 4K resolution, a wide colour gamut, and Delta E ≤ 2 colour accuracy. Uniquely, it also has an SD reader, plus a whole host of ports.
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This affordable monitor is reliable, bright, and accurate with 4K resolution and integrated speakers, making it a great budget option for novices. However, its colour coverage isn't fantastic, and the contrast ratio is similarly unimpressive at 270:1 - but this is boosted in HDR mode.
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If money is no object, the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X offers stunning performance and a rare self-calibration feature. Its range presets, color gamut coverage and accuracy make it an excellent choice for most professional video editors. The wider DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) resolution works a treat, too.
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With a good feature set, factory-calibrated colour accuracy and wide colour gamut coverage, this monitor might not be affordable, but it offers great value for money. It's held back by having only 1440p resolution and relatively-low pixel density. Still, it's impressive and made with visual storytellers in mind.
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This monitor is great for futureproofing, offering more contemporary 8K resolution and a way to view your 8K or 6K footage at full 1:1-pixel quality. It delivers a broad colour coverage and a large beautiful screen, but puzzlingly no HDMI 2.1 or USB-C ports.
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Apple's sleek Pro Display XDR offers resolution of 6016 x 3384, which is enough for many 6K formats, an incredible HDR peak brightness of up to 1,600 nits, and there are 576 individual dimming zones for backlight control, so the contrast is colossal. However, it'll cost you.
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The best monitor for video editing overall
The BenQ SW321C PhotoVue might be a little on the pricey side, but it's very easy to justify that due to its top-notch performance and impressive features. It boasts a nice 32-inch panel and a sharp 4K resolution, as well as 99% AdobeRGB, 95% P3, and 100% sRGB colour gamut, and Delta E ≤ 2 colour accuracy that lets you see your work the way it’s supposed to be seen.
In tests, we found it to be incredibly uniform across the whole screen. It also has just about all the ports you could need, allowing you to connect multiple sources, as well as an SD card reader, something we don’t often see on many monitors. Its multiple input ports are made better by the fact that it comes with picture-by-picture and picture-in-picture modes, allowing you to create a screen setup for a seamless workflow.
Of course, it’s not perfect, as we’ve pointed out in our BenQ SW321C PhotoVue review – the built-in ODS controls aren't very intuitive. However, the monitor somewhat makes up for that with the inclusion of a hotkey puck. A USB hub and an affordable price tag (for a professional-grade monitor) round out what is an almost perfect monitor for video editing.
The best budget monitor for video editing
If you're on a tight budget, the best cheap monitor for video editing that we can recommend is this offering from the ever-reliable Dell. It doesn't offer fantastic colour coverage, but it is bright and accurate and offers 4K resolution for under $400. The contrast ratio is unimpressive at 270:1 but is boosted in HDR mode.
The HDR mode itself has its limitations as we'd expect from a monitor at this price: there's no dynamic backlight dimming so performance isn't great in scenes with stark contrasts like starlit skies. But with integrated speakers and plenty of connection options, we think this is a fantastic value screen for novice video editors.
the best premium monitor for video editing
The BenQ monitor at number 1 in our list is pricey, but it's relatively affordable compared to this pro screen. However, the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X might just be the ultimate monitor for video editing with its stunning performance and a rare self-calibration feature. Its range of broadcast and cinema presets – with Rec. 2020 and DCI-P3 with 98% colour coverage – make it an excellent choice for most professional video editors.
We found the colour accuracy to be top-notch during our testing, as noted in our full Eizo ColorEdge CG319X review. The wider DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) resolution works a treat for filmmakers shooting in this format, letting them see the original footage at 1:1 pixels no matter what format you might switch to during editing.
Best of all, the display has a self-calibration system built-in, with a sensor automatically checking its accuracy periodically and correcting any issues. This means that you can spend less time fine-tuning the screen and more time polishing your footage. The only downside is the price. It's be far the most expensive monitor for video editing in our list, which is the only reason it isn’t at the top. But if you can afford it, this is the best monitor for video editing overall.
The best value monitor for video editing
The Asus ProArt PA348CGV is certainly no budget video editing monitor, but it is more affordable than numbers 1 and 3 on our list, and it offers a good feature set for the price, making it great value. It's held back by having only 1440p resolution and relatively-low pixel density, so it's not an option for those that need a 4K screen, but it has excellent factory-calibrated colour accuracy DeltaE < 2 as well as its 100% sRGB and 98% DCI-P3 colour gamuts.
Meanwhile, game designers will appreciate its 120Hz refresh rate and FreeSync Premium Pro support. On top of those, you're also getting USB-C connectivity with 90W power delivery. If you need excellent colour coverage and don't require the detail and sharpness of 4K resolution, this is an impressive monitor made with photographers and graphic designers as well as video editors in mind.
The best 8K monitor for video editing
Most of our picks in our list of the best monitors for video editing offer 4K resolution, but 4K is now almost a minimum for video editing, with many professional videographers and even some novices shooting in up to 8K now that more accessible cameras can shoot at this resolution. If you're working with 8K or 6K footage and need a way to view it at full 1:1-pixel quality, this is our pick as the best 8K video editing monitor.
To be honest, we're not exactly swimming in options at this resolution, but Dell's UltraSharp UP3218K delivers in many ways, providing 100% AdobeRGB, 100% sRGB, 100% Rec. 709, and 98% DCI-P3 colour coverage. At 32 inches, it's a workable size despite the ridiculous number of pixels, although the screen is let down by a lack of HDMI 2.1 or USB-C – the only connections for 8K support are the dual DisplayPort connectors.
The best Apple monitor for video editing
Apple's sleek Pro Display XDR offers resolution of 6016 x 3384, which is enough for many 6K formats (though not quite the 6K full-frame recording of a RED camera). Added to that is an incredible HDR peak brightness of up to 1,600 nits, with a typical brightness of 1,000 nits, and there are 576 individual dimming zones for backlight control, so the contrast is colossal.
In terms of colours, there are specific reference modes for DCI P3, sRGB, NTSC, BT.709, and many more. That includes a reference mode for 'Apple display', which will make it match a MacBook Pro for brightness, so you get a consistent look if you have them side by side. There's the option of a nanotexture effect on the screen to reduce reflectivity as low as it goes for monitors like this, too.
It comes with one Thunderbolt 3 port (meaning it can go at the end of a Thunderbolt chain, but can't be a Thunderbolt hub), plus three USB-C ports for connecting accessories. It's the perfect video editing monitor for Apple fans but... it's priced at almost $5,000 and the official stand costs a further $999 / £949 / AU$1,699 (although you can also get a VESA mount adapter, if you prefer). If you're keen on getting an Apple monitor but you're on a tighter budget, see our Apple Studio Display review.
The best 27-inch monitor for video editing
The Acer ConceptD CP3271K’s over-$1,000/£1,000 price tag may be a hard pill to swallow, even for consumers who aren’t looking for cheap options. However, as we noted in our Acer ConceptD CP3271K review, this superb piece of kit boasts a few premium features that make it worth the price for creative professionals.
That sweet 4K resolution on a 27-inch panel spot means it’s the perfect combination of screen real estate, smaller footprint, and perfectly-sized visuals. Meanwhile, the 400 nits of brightness, 99% sRGB and 90% DCI-P3 colour gamuts, and Delta-E accuracy of less than 1 make it an excellent tool for content creators. In addition, we found its colour space coverage claims to be spot-on and its colour and brightness uniformity good, if not exactly exceptional. And, naturally, we appreciate the inclusion of the shading hood. When it’s time to unwind, the 144Hz refresh rate ensures clean, sharp, and butter-smooth gaming.
The best monitor for HDR video editing
Good HDR displays are always going to be pricey, and the Asus ProArt PA32UCG-K’s steep price tag proves this. However, if you do have deep pockets, its DisplayHDR 1400 and 1,600 nits of peak brightness will blow you away. Making it all the more worth your money is its Delta E < 1 colour difference and extensive colour space – apart from its 100%sRGB and 99.5% Adobe RGB, it also boasts 98% DCI-P3 and 85% Rec.2020 gamuts.
The panel itself utilises smaller LEDs that offer 1152 local dimming zones for higher contrast and deep blacks. There are plenty of input ports on hand as well, allowing you to spread out and really immerse yourself in your creative process. And, naturally, that 4K resolution takes care of displaying impeccable details. This isn’t for novice and budget video editors, but professional designers and content creators would be wise to invest.
The best ultrawide monitor for video editing
If you're looking for an excellent ultrawide display, the LG 38WN95C is worth considering. A stunning 3840 x 1600 display, it delivers that screen real estate you need to spread out when video editing and have all your tools handy so you can immerse in your creative process.
While it isn't a 4K display, it comes with its strengths. Content creators will find its 99% sRGB and 98% DCI-P3 colour gamuts most useful. Meanwhile, those that work with HDR content will appreciate VESA DisplayHDR 600 certification. Plus, its pixel-per-inch ratio of 110.93 is just the ticket for making those visuals sharp and those texts comfortably readable.
The LG 38WN95C is also more than just a display for content creation. A great all-rounder, it also boasts LG's ambient light sensor and an articulating stand for coders and office professionals. There's also its fast refresh rate of 144Hz and response time of 1ms, as well as AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync – all of which are the good stuff esports and non-pro gamers covet.
More Apple
We were a little disappointed when we did our initial Apple Studio Display review. However, we think it's a solid choice for Apple users who need to edit video, and, perhaps surprisingly for Apple, it actually provides very competitive value, offering 5K resolution at a price that's by no means the most expensive in our list.
With only a 60hz refresh rate, no HDR, and with no stand (you have to buy that separately!), the truth is, this is a bit of a hard sell for professional video editors. The built-in webcam is also mediocre (although it's nice to have it). But this monitor pairs well with a Mac mini or MacBook Pro and the 5K screen offers great clarity, while colour and brightness are consistent, which are the main priorities when it comes to video editing.
FAQs
How we chose the best monitors for video editing
We've made our picks of the best monitors for video editing based on our own tests and on those of our sister sites Techradar and Tom's Guide. Our contributors are working creatives and test each screen for video editing and other creative work over several weeks. We've also taken into account recommendations and feedback from other creatives and customer reviews.
For a good video editing monitor, we generally look for a resolution of at least 4K since 4K video footage is becoming the norm. We also want a colour accuracy of Delta E < 2 or better, a colour gamut of at least 95% DCI-P3 and a high contrast ratio and brightness level. Other factors we've considered are HDR support for working with HDR footage and screen size, base or mount articulation.
Larger screens are more comfortable for using editing programmes but space and portability requirements will mean many prefer a smaller screen, so we've included a range of sizes. We've also made sure we also include some cheaper screens for those starting out who aren't ready to make a massive investment in the display they use for video editing.
Is a 4K monitor good for video editing?
Resolution isn’t everything when it comes to choosing the right monitor for video editing. But, if you’re hoping to produce content in UHD, you’ll need to be able to see your work in its native resolution. So, having a monitor capable of 4K resolution isn’t just good. For most video editors, it’s necessary. Just keep in mind that you’ll need a computer powerful enough to be able to deliver that high resolution content to a 4K monitor.
Are curved monitors good for video editing?
It’s not necessary to have a curved monitor to do great work on your video editing projects. But, curved monitors do offer a few advantages. Since they make the whole screen equidistant from your eyes, they’re easy to work with since you won’t have to strain as much to see the corners of your screen. And, many curved monitors come in a wider 21:9 aspect ratio, meaning you’ll have more screen real estate and can work on projects in their native resolution while still having instant access to your editing tools. However, you do have more limited viewing angles compared to flat displays. If you need to show your work to colleagues, they might not see an accurate representation of your project.
Is Hz important for video editing?
While refresh rate is crucial for video editing, just about every contemporary monitor comes with at least a 60Hz refresh rate. And, considering that most video is shot at 30 or 60 fps, having a faster refresh rate won’t make much of a difference. Of course, if you’re also doing animation or are hoping to game on that same display, having a speedier refresh rate becomes a bit more of a priority.
