Adobe After Effects vs Premiere Pro

A lot of people are confused about exactly what After Effects does, and what makes it different to a video editing application such as Premiere Pro. At first glance After Effects seems to offer the same sort of functionality as Premiere, and indeed they do share many features, filters, effects, etc.

The difference is this: While After Effects can edit video footage in much the same way as Premiere, it is designed specifically to work with video layering, compositing, effects and animation. Of course Premiere can also do these things but After Effects has a slightly different workflow that makes them easier. After Effects also tends to have better quality effects, etc.

In a nutshell:

• After Effects is better at working with shorter timelines and high-demand effects.
• Premiere Pro is better at working with general editing projects, especially long or complex edits.