Tested & Recommended

The Best Video Gear & Tools.

We've tested thousands of products. These are the ones we actually recommend for your video production workflow.

Editing
Justin Uses

Descript

Game-changing tool for editing your content insanely fast.

Best for: Creators who want to edit video by editing text, plus AI voice cloning and transcription

Business
Our Product

Video Stats

Track YouTube analytics and conversions in one place. See exactly which videos drive traffic, leads, and sales.

Best for: Businesses and creators using YouTube as a growth channel who need to connect video performance to real business results

Business
Justin Uses

Bento

AI-powered email marketing where the AI makes building and automating so much easier.

Best for: Creators who want AI-driven email automation with site tracking and fair pricing that doesn't punish list growth

Music & Footage
Justin Uses

Artlist

Our top pick for royalty-free music. Simple licensing, incredible library.

Best for: YouTubers and filmmakers who need high-quality, copyright-safe music

Cameras
Justin Uses

Blackmagic Camera App

The free camera app that unlocks pro-level controls on your smartphone.

Best for: Solo creators who want manual camera control and remote monitoring on their phone

Design
Justin Uses

Canva

Create amazing thumbnails and graphics quickly, even with zero design skills.

Best for: Creators who need professional-looking thumbnails, banners, and social graphics fast

AI Tools
Justin Uses

ElevenLabs

Insanely realistic AI voices and voice cloning that actually sounds like you.

Best for: Creators who need natural AI voiceovers, voice cloning, or multilingual dubbing

Business

Kajabi

All-in-one platform for online courses, memberships, and digital products.

Best for: Creators who want to build and sell courses, memberships, or coaching without stitching together multiple tools

Streaming
Justin Uses

StreamYard

The easiest way to go live. Browser-based, no software to install.

Best for: Beginners and creators who want simple, reliable multi-platform streaming

YouTube
Justin Uses

VidIQ

Great for video topic ideation and growing a YouTube channel.

Best for: YouTubers who want keyword research, topic analysis, and competitor insights

Design
Justin Uses

Affinity

Now free via Canva. Professional design tools without Adobe's subscription.

Best for: Designers who want Photoshop-level power with a free price tag

Streaming
Justin Uses

Ecamm Live

The most powerful live streaming software for Mac.

Best for: Mac users who want professional overlays, scene building, and guest interviews

Music & Footage

Epidemic Sound

Massive music and SFX library with seamless YouTube integration.

Best for: Content creators who want a huge selection with easy copyright-safe licensing

AI Tools

Opus Clip

AI-powered video repurposing that turns long videos into viral shorts.

Best for: YouTubers who want to automatically create Shorts and Reels from long-form content

YouTube
Justin Uses

TubeBuddy

The go-to tool for A/B testing your YouTube thumbnails and titles to maximize click-through rate.

Best for: YouTubers who want to A/B test thumbnails and titles to improve performance

Editing
Justin Uses

DaVinci Resolve

Professional-grade editing, color correction, VFX and audio in a single free app.

Best for: Creators who want professional editing power without the subscription cost

Streaming
Free

OBS Studio

Free, open-source streaming and recording powerhouse.

Best for: Creators who want maximum control and customization without paying a cent

Design

Snappa

Great Canva alternative with no paywall on key export features.

Best for: Creators who want a simple, fast design tool for thumbnails and channel art

Music & Footage

Suno

Generate custom music tracks from a text prompt. Perfect for adding a personal touch to your content.

Best for: Creators who want unique, AI-generated music tailored to their specific video needs

Music & Footage

Envato Elements

Millions of stock videos, music tracks, templates, and sound effects with one unlimited subscription.

Best for: Creators who want all-in-one access to stock footage, music, templates, and graphics

YouTube

Keywords Everywhere

See search volumes for any keyword right inside Google or YouTube.

Best for: Creators who want easy keyword research data overlaid in their browser

Design

Placeit

Whip up a custom animated intro for your brand in just a few minutes.

Best for: Creators who need quick, professional video intros, end cards, and logos

Editing

Adobe Premiere Pro

Industry standard editor with deep integration across the Adobe ecosystem.

Best for: Professional editors and teams already in the Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem

AI Tools
Justin Uses

Raycast

The AI-powered command center that we now can't live without.

Best for: Mac users who want AI integrated directly into their desktop workflows

Streaming

Riverside FM

Local recording for guests means the highest quality podcasts and interviews.

Best for: Podcasters and interviewers who need studio-quality remote recordings

AI Tools
Justin Uses

Claude

Our go-to AI for brainstorming video ideas, planning content structure, and pulling research together.

Best for: Creators who want an AI assistant for content planning, research, and writing

Editing

CapCut

Powerful free editor that keeps getting better. Great for beginners and pros alike.

Best for: Beginners and creators who want a capable free editor on desktop and mobile

Music & Footage
Free

Creator Mix

Free royalty-free music library with straightforward licensing for YouTube, Twitch, and podcasts.

Best for: Creators who want quality background music without paying for a subscription

Streaming
Free

Prism Live Studio

Free live streaming software that works across desktop and mobile with built-in effects and overlays.

Best for: Beginners who want a free, simple streaming platform with multistreaming support

Business
Justin Uses

Circle

Community, courses, events, and discussions all in one beautifully designed platform.

Best for: Creators who want to build a community with built-in courses, events, and member engagement

Editing

Final Cut Pro

Professional video editing built for Mac with a fast, intuitive timeline and powerful features.

Best for: Mac users who want professional editing power with Apple-optimized performance

AI Tools
Justin Uses

Gemini

Google's AI with deep research capabilities, especially useful for detailed product and tool research.

Best for: Creators who need in-depth research and information gathering powered by Google's AI

AI Tools
Justin Uses

VoiceInk

Near-instant AI dictation that our whole team uses daily.

Best for: Mac users who want blazing-fast voice-to-text with local AI processing

Business
Justin Uses

ClickUp

The all-in-one project management tool that runs our entire video production pipeline.

Best for: Creators and teams who want to manage projects, tasks, and workflows in one customizable platform

AI Tools
Justin Uses

Reader by Readwise

The AI-powered read-it-later app taming our content feeds.

Best for: Content researchers who want to save, highlight, and summarize articles with AI

Editing
Justin Uses

VN Video Editor

Surprisingly powerful free mobile editor with no watermarks.

Best for: Mobile-first creators who want a capable editor on their phone

Editing

Clipchamp

Free browser-based editor with no watermark at 1080p. A solid starting point for beginners.

Best for: Beginners who want a simple, free video editor that runs right in the browser

Business
Justin Uses

Missive

Unified team inbox that brings email, chat, and collaboration together in one place.

Best for: Teams who want shared inboxes, inline conversations, and multi-channel messaging without switching apps

Business

Kit

Beginner-friendly email marketing with a generous free plan and clean, simple automations.

Best for: Creators who want a simpler email marketing solution with a free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers

Editing

Tella

Screen and webcam recording with a polished web-based editor and AI-powered editing features.

Best for: Creators and teams who need flexible screen recording with transcript-based editing and easy sharing

DJI Osmo Pocket 3
Cameras

DJI Osmo Pocket 3

Ultra-portable gimbal camera with a 1-inch sensor. Incredible stabilization in a tiny package.

Business
Justin Uses

Wise

Send and receive international payments with real exchange rates and low, transparent fees.

Best for: Creators and businesses who need to send or receive money internationally without hidden bank fees

Insta360 Link 2
Cameras
Justin Uses

Insta360 Link 2

AI-powered 4K webcam with gesture control and auto-tracking. The best webcam upgrade.

Business
Justin Uses

SetApp

One subscription for 240+ Mac and iOS apps, including many popular productivity and creative tools.

Best for: Mac users who want access to a curated library of premium apps for one monthly fee

Sony ZV-1
Cameras

Sony ZV-1

Compact vlogging camera built for content creators. Great autofocus and built-in mic.

Business

Surfshark VPN

Fast, affordable VPN with unlimited device connections to keep your browsing private and secure.

Best for: Creators who want to protect their privacy, access geo-restricted content, or secure public Wi-Fi

Sony ZV-E10
Cameras

Sony ZV-E10

Interchangeable lens vlogging camera. APS-C sensor with excellent video quality at a great price.

Sony A7 IV
Cameras

Sony A7 IV

Full-frame hybrid camera for creators who want top-tier photo and video in one body.

Insta360 Go Ultra
Cameras

Insta360 Go Ultra

Tiny magnetic action cam that goes anywhere. Perfect for hands-free POV content.

Insta360 Ace Pro 2
Cameras

Insta360 Ace Pro 2

Premium action camera with a large sensor, AI features, and a flip screen for vlogging.

Insta360 X5
Cameras

Insta360 X5

Top-tier 360 camera with 8K resolution. Shoot now, frame later for creative flexibility.

RODE VideoMic NTG
Audio
Justin Uses

RODE VideoMic NTG

Versatile shotgun mic that works with cameras, phones, and computers. Our go-to on-camera mic.

RODE VideoMic Me
Audio

RODE VideoMic Me

Tiny directional mic that plugs straight into your phone. Big audio upgrade, zero hassle.

BOYA BY-M1
Audio

BOYA BY-M1

Budget-friendly lavalier mic that delivers surprisingly good audio for the price.

DJI Mic 3
Audio

DJI Mic 3

Wireless mic system with noise cancellation and internal recording. Works with cameras and phones.

DJI Mic Mini
Audio
Justin Uses

DJI Mic Mini

Ultra-compact wireless mic. Clip it on and forget about it. Great value entry point.

Rode NT-USB Mini
Audio

Rode NT-USB Mini

Compact USB condenser mic with studio-quality sound. Plug-and-play with any computer.

Logitech Blue Yeti
Audio

Logitech Blue Yeti

Classic USB mic with multiple pickup patterns. Still a solid all-rounder for desk setups.

Shure MV7
Audio

Shure MV7

Hybrid USB/XLR dynamic mic. Rich, broadcast-quality sound with USB convenience.

iOgrapher Flexible Mini Tripod
Accessories
Justin Uses

iOgrapher Flexible Mini Tripod

Flexible mini tripod that wraps around anything. Perfect for smartphone and small camera setups.

Velbon EX-Mini
Accessories
Justin Uses

Velbon EX-Mini

Compact tabletop tripod that punches above its weight. Sturdy, affordable, and travel-friendly.

SLIK Sprint PRO III
Accessories

SLIK Sprint PRO III

Lightweight full-size tripod with smooth pan and tilt. Great value for video creators.

Insta360 Flow 2
Accessories

Insta360 Flow 2

AI-powered smartphone gimbal with built-in selfie stick and tripod. Smooth footage, no effort.

Elgato Cam Link 4K
Accessories
Justin Uses

Elgato Cam Link 4K

Turn any camera into a webcam. Plug in via HDMI and use your camera for live streams and calls.

Elgato Stream Deck
Accessories
Justin Uses

Elgato Stream Deck

Customizable shortcut buttons for streaming, editing, and productivity. A game-changer for workflows.

RALENO S192 LED
Accessories

RALENO S192 LED

Portable LED panel with adjustable color temperature. Great starter light for any setup.

Vitopal Falcon Eyes RX-18TD
Accessories
Justin Uses

Vitopal Falcon Eyes RX-18TD

Flexible rollable LED light panel. Soft, even lighting that you can shape to any setup.

Editing
Justin Uses

Remotion

Open-source React framework for creating videos programmatically. Pairs with AI for fast motion graphics.

Best for: Creators who want AI-generated animated titles and motion graphics without After Effects

68 tools recommended