LumaFusion is by far the deeper iPad editor - six video tracks plus six audio, unlimited keyframes, scopes and multicam - at $29.99 once, with add-ons at $19.99 each (checked 2026). Zella does the other half: it records your screen and camera, captions on-device, drops backgrounds with no green screen, and reframes to vertical in one tap. Cut multicam on iPad and buy LumaFusion; make captioned screen and talking-head content and Zella covers it free, or $89 once.
If you edit on an iPad and you are past the beginner stage, LumaFusion is the app people tell you to buy. It has been the serious mobile NLE for years, it is a one-time purchase rather than a subscription, and its App Store listing now covers iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision (checked 2026). LumaTouch also sells it on Google Play, the Chrome Web Store and the Samsung Galaxy Store, so unlike Zella it is not Apple-only.
Zella is a different job. It is an on-device screen recorder and AI video editor for Mac, iPhone and iPad, with a genuinely free tier. The two overlap less than you would expect, and the sensible way to decide is to work out which half of "shoot it, then cut it" your videos actually live in.
LumaFusion or Zella: the quick verdict
- Choose LumaFusion if you cut real multi-track footage on iPad: several cameras, layered audio, keyframed effects, colour with scopes, or a round trip to Final Cut Pro.
- Choose Zella if your video starts as a screen recording or a talking head, and the hard parts are captions, filler removal, background removal and a vertical cut rather than track count.
What LumaFusion is genuinely better at
On pure editing depth, LumaFusion wins.
Multi-track editing. Its App Store description lists "Six video/audio or graphic tracks" plus "Six Additional audio tracks". That is a real NLE layout on a tablet, and Zella does not match it.
Keyframing and colour. LumaFusion advertises "Unlimited keyframes: Animate effects with precision" alongside "Powerful color correction" and "Video Waveform, vector and histogram scopes". If you grade to scopes, that is your app. Zella has keyframes with bezier curves and live luma scopes too, but they sit in the Pro depth toolset rather than being the centre of the product.
Multicam. "Multicam Studio: Synchronize 6 cameras or audio and tap to switch angles" is a paid add-on, and Zella has no equivalent at all.
Editing off external storage. "Edit from Photos, Frame.io, and directly from USB-C drives" means you can work from a drive instead of filling the iPad. For anyone coming back from a shoot with a card full of footage, that is the deciding feature.
FCPXML round trip. A $19.99 add-on lets you hand a LumaFusion timeline to Final Cut Pro. Zella has nothing like it.
Not Apple-only. LumaFusion runs on Android and ChromeOS as well. Zella does not.
Where Zella does a different job
It records. LumaFusion edits footage you already have. Zella captures the screen, the camera, system audio and the microphone with no time limit, then drops it on the timeline in the same app - see recording modes. For demos, tutorials, course lessons and app walkthroughs, that removes the entire first half of the workflow.
Captions transcribe themselves. Zella transcribes your speech on device and styles it with 9 caption presets on iOS and 10 on Mac, and on iOS 18 and later it translates them into 19 languages without sending audio anywhere. LumaFusion's App Store feature list is built around tracks, keyframes and colour rather than automatic captioning.
Cleanup you do not do by hand. On iPhone and iPad, a verbatim WhisperKit pass finds filler words so they can be cut, and silences come out automatically. On a six-track timeline you would be doing that manually.
Background removal with no green screen. LumaFusion has chroma key, which needs a green screen. Zella's background removal works on a normal room.
One-tap vertical. Make Vertical reframes a wide edit to 9:16 with subject tracking - see reframe. In a track-based editor that is a manual framing job on every clip.
An assistant that does the steps. Zella's AI Assistant exposes 51 actions on iOS and 80 on Mac, in the free tier, with no credits.
LumaFusion pricing vs Zella pricing
- LumaFusion is $29.99 as a one-time App Store purchase (checked 2026). Its listed in-app purchases are Multicam Studio $19.99, Speed Ramping and Keyframing $19.99, FCPXML Export $19.99 and CoreMelt PaintX $19.99, or a Creator Pass at $9.99 monthly or $69.99 yearly that bundles the advanced add-ons. There is no free tier: you pay before you edit anything.
- Zella Free is $0 with no account and no watermark: the complete editor, all the AI, unlimited recording, exports up to 2 minutes at up to 1080p, and 1080p is free forever.
- Zella Pro is $89 one time, a Universal Purchase covering Mac, iPhone and iPad together. It adds unlimited export length, 4K (8K on Mac), transparent-background export, 60 fps, custom bitrate, Clip Series, the multi-aspect export queue, saved templates and the depth toolset including keyframes with bezier curves, live luma scopes, Colour Match, feathered masks and speed ramps. Founder is $299. See pricing.
- Pro Week gives every new install the whole Pro set free for seven days, no card, nothing to cancel.
A fair reading: LumaFusion fully loaded with its add-ons lands near $90 to $110 depending on what you buy, which is the same neighbourhood as Zella Pro. Neither is a subscription trap. They just buy different capabilities.
LumaFusion vs Zella, feature by feature
| LumaFusion | Zella | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision, Android, ChromeOS | Mac, iPhone, iPad only |
| Where the work happens | On device | On device |
| Account required | No | No |
| Watermark on free exports | No free tier to watermark | Never |
| Free export resolution | No free tier | 1080p, free forever |
| Free export length | No free tier | Up to 2 minutes |
| Screen recording built in | No | Yes, unlimited |
| Automatic captions | Not in its App Store feature list | Yes, on device |
| Background removal, no green screen | Chroma key, green screen needed | Yes |
| One-tap vertical reframe | Manual framing per clip | Yes (Make Vertical) |
| Price model | One-time app plus paid add-ons | Free, or one-time unlock |
| Paid price (checked 2026) | $29.99 app; add-ons $19.99 each; Creator Pass $9.99/mo or $69.99/yr | $89 once (Pro), $299 (Founder) |
Which one fits your iPad?
The multicam shooter. Two or three cameras and a separate audio recorder from a live event or an interview. LumaFusion, without hesitation. Zella cannot sync six angles.
The course creator. You record your iPad screen, talk over it, and need captions and chapters. Zella records it, captions it on device, removes the dead air and exports. LumaFusion would need you to record with the system recorder first and caption by hand.
The short-form creator. One camera, one voice, needs captions, a hook, music on the beat and a 9:16 crop. Zella, with Beat Sync and Make Vertical doing most of it. LumaFusion can absolutely get there, but you will be doing the work yourself.
The colourist. If you grade to a vectorscope on a tablet, LumaFusion is built for you and has been for years.
Zella's honest limits
- Apple only. No Android, no ChromeOS, no Windows. LumaFusion covers more ground.
- Not a six-track NLE. Zella is deliberately shallower than LumaFusion on tracks, multicam and external-drive workflows.
- It edits what you record. Zella does not generate scenes from a prompt. Auto b-roll makes generated cutaway cards with no API key, which is narrower.
- The iPhone and iPad app is not on the App Store yet. It is built and native, and the listing is on its way - see the iOS page. The Mac app ships today at download.
Using LumaFusion and Zella together
Running both is a genuinely reasonable answer. Record and caption in Zella, export a clean file, and take it into LumaFusion when a project needs six tracks and a multicam sync. Both keep everything on device, both import and export ordinary MP4 and MOV, and neither asks you to sign in.
FAQ
How much is LumaFusion? $29.99 as a one-time App Store purchase, with add-ons at $19.99 each and a Creator Pass at $9.99 monthly or $69.99 yearly (checked 2026 on its App Store listing).
Does LumaFusion have a free trial? Its App Store listing shows a paid app with in-app purchases, not a free download. Zella has a permanently free tier plus a seven-day Pro Week on new installs.
Can LumaFusion record my iPad screen? No, it is an editor. Zella records screen, camera, system audio and microphone with no time limit and edits in the same app.
Which one has better colour tools? LumaFusion, for grading with scopes as a daily practice. Zella has 25 colour looks on iOS and 28 on Mac, plus live luma scopes and Colour Match in the Pro depth toolset.
Is Zella free on iPad? Yes. The free tier is the complete editor and all the AI with no account and no watermark, capped at 2 minutes and 1080p per export.
Does Zella work on Apple Vision? No. Zella is Mac, iPhone and iPad. LumaFusion lists visionOS support.
The bottom line
LumaFusion is the better editor. Zella is the better start-to-finish tool for content that begins as a recording and ends as a captioned clip. If your iPad is a cutting room, buy LumaFusion. If your iPad is where you make the video from scratch, Zella does more of it for you and costs nothing to try.
The Mac app is at download; the iPhone and iPad app is coming to the App Store.
Make your next video with Zella.
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