The Filmora Subscription Trap: Why Buying Isn’t Enough and Every Feature Costs Extra

Filmora Review – Pricing Plans 

Filmora has gained popularity as a budget-friendly video editing tool, offering an intuitive interface and a solid set of features. However, while its pricing appears competitive at first glance, many users discover hidden costs along the way. 

Let’s break down Filmora’s pricing plans and features to see if it’s truly worth it.

Filmora Subscription Pricing Plans

Filmora offers different pricing tiers depending on user needs—individuals, businesses, and students.

1. Individual Plans

Filmora’s personal plans are marketed as affordable, but they come with limitations:

🚨 Hidden Catch: Users often find that essential tools, such as certain effects and AI-powered features, require an additional subscription to the Filmora Effects & Plug-ins Store, which costs up to $20 per month.

2. Team & Business Plan

For teams and professional users, Filmora’s Business Plan starts at $155.88 per year per user. It includes:

• Multi-user access
• Commercial licensing
• Premium effects and add-ons

However, despite the professional label, Filmora lacks advanced editing capabilities that serious video editors require, making it a questionable investment for businesses.

3. Educational Plan

Filmora may actually be beneficial for students and educators. It offers discounted plans.

But we’d like you to be well aware of the key limitations before you sign up for any of Filmora subscription plans:

• Monthly Plan – $19.99/month (normally $29.99), but still requires extra purchases for premium features.
• Annual Plan – $40.99/year (discounted from $69.99), yet lacks access to Creative Assets and AI Credits.
• Perpetual Plan – $49.99 one-time payment (originally $109.99), but does not include future updates or additional perks.

🚨 Hidden Catch: None of these plans include Creative Assets access or AI Credits, meaning students must pay extra for many advanced tools.

Key Features of Filmora: A Closer Look

Despite its pricing concerns, Filmora remains a popular choice for video editing, offering a variety of features that cater to both beginners and more experienced users. 

Here’s a breakdown of its key features:

1. User-Friendly Interface

Filmora’s drag-and-drop interface makes video editing accessible even to complete beginners. 

The layout is intuitive, allowing users to easily import media, arrange clips, and apply effects without a steep learning curve. It’s ideal for those who want to create quality content quickly without getting bogged down by complex tools.

But it’s worth noting that at the end of the day you’ll be editing the videos by yourself — investing your own time…

💡 Suggested read: 15 Best Video Editing Services to Outsource

2. AI-Powered Tools

Filmora leverages artificial intelligence to streamline the editing process with several helpful tools, including:

• AI Background Removal: This tool helps users quickly remove or replace backgrounds in videos without a green screen.
• Speech-to-Text: Automatically converts audio to subtitles, making it easier to add captions to videos.
• Motion Tracking: Tracks moving objects within a video to apply effects or adjust settings accordingly.

However, while these AI-powered tools are impressive, many require additional purchases, which can add up over time.

3. Pre-Made Effects & Templates

Filmora comes with an extensive library of pre-made effects, transitions, and templates. This includes:

• Transitions: Smooth scene changes with various transition styles, making edits look professional.
• Effects & Filters: Enhance videos with special effects, color correction, and artistic filters.
• Animations: Add dynamic animations to text or objects within your videos for engaging content.

These ready-to-use elements allow creators to level up their videos with minimal effort.

4. Basic & Advanced Editing

Filmora offers both simple and advanced editing features:

• Basic Editing: Split-screen, trimming, and merging clips.
• Advanced Editing: Keyframing allows you to customize motion and effects, while speed control gives users the ability to create slow-motion or time-lapse effects.

For users who want more control over their videos without the complexity of professional-grade software, these features offer a balanced solution.

While Filmora’s features are powerful, it’s important to note that some advanced tools are locked behind additional subscriptions, which may make it less budget-friendly for users seeking the full suite of capabilities.

Pros of Filmora

✔️ Easy to use – Great for beginners and casual editors.
✔️ Affordable upfront cost – Compared to professional software like Adobe Premiere Pro.
✔️ Decent effects & transitions – Built-in templates and AI tools improve editing speed.

Cons of Filmora

❌ Hidden fees & upsells – Many features require separate purchases.
❌ Limited professional capabilities – Not ideal for advanced video editing.
❌ No perpetual updates – One-time purchase users don’t get future features.
❌ Watermarks on the free version – Forces users to upgrade

The False Promise of “Buying” Filmora

Buying filmora is more like agreeing to pay a series of bills
only that you do not know at the time of initial payment…

Here’s why Filmora subscription plans are false promises to a great extent:

1. AI Features Cost Extra

Filmora markets its plans as a one-time or annual subscription, but the truth is, even basic features are often locked behind additional paywalls. Filmora’s AI-powered tools, such as:

• Background removal
• Motion tracking
• Speech-to-text

All of this sounds enticing but comes with hidden costs

These features rely on AI credits, which are consumed every time you use them. While some users may initially think the credits will last, they often vanish quickly, especially with regular use of these advanced tools. 

Once your credits run out, you’re forced to buy more just to access even the most basic AI-powered tools.

What was supposed to be a simple editing experience quickly becomes a cycle of paying for more credits to continue using AI features.

Instead of providing all the tools you might expect in a professional editor, Filmora’s AI tools are essentially locked behind yet another subscription. Ultimately, requiring users to continuously purchase credits to keep using them.

1. Every Upgrade is Another Paywall

With Filmora, the pricing structure doesn’t stop after your initial purchase. Users are constantly surprised by additional charges for upgrades, whether it’s for advanced effects, creative assets, or higher-quality export options. 

For example, exporting videos in 4K, removing watermarks, or accessing premium effects all require extra purchases or subscriptions. The free version or base plan may seem affordable, but each new feature or necessary update becomes yet another paywall to deal with.

This constant addition of surprise charges—whether for new tools, upgraded versions, or export options—means that Filmora isn’t just a “one-time purchase” but a service you’ll continue to pay for over time.

The question arises: if this video editing tool operates like a service with recurring bills and upsells, why should you still be doing the editing yourself? Why not sit back and enjoy the benefits of having an expert video editor handle the job for you?

Nickel-and-Diming Users

Filmora’s pricing strategy feels like classic nickel-and-diming. You start with the promise of affordable video editing and, after a few months of use, find yourself paying for a number of things you didn’t expect.

For example:

• AI Credits – While the software may offer AI-powered features, you’ll need to pay for extra credits to actually use them.

   

• Creative Assets – Transitions, animations, and effects are often part of the upsell, available only through Filmora’s subscription service.

   

• Export Options – Want to remove watermarks, export in 4K, or access premium export formats? Each of these options comes at an extra cost.

Let’s say you initially paid $49.99 for Filmora’s basic plan. That was affordable, right? But soon, you realize that exporting in high-quality formats or using certain essential effects requires another $10–$20 per month in subscriptions. 

Then, you try out the AI background remover, only to see that you need more AI credits to keep using it. It feels like every time you need something new, Filmora finds a way to ask for more money.

At some point, you might find yourself wondering, “What’s next? A subscription just for trimming video clips?” It’s this ongoing cycle of paying for basic tools that many users find frustrating.

Get Better Value for Your Dollars

Tired of hidden fees and constant upsells with Filmora? You’re not alone. If you’re ready to move beyond the pay-per-feature trap and want to explore smarter, more cost-effective video editing options, it’s time to take action.

Hop onto our list of top video editing services that give you all the tools you need—without the surprise charges.

Or simply switch to editvideo.io and experience hassle-free video editing with no surprise charges. Whether you need 4 videos a month or 22, you’ll get unlimited revisions, dedicated video editors, premium stock footage, and fast turnaround times—all without breaking the bank.