Stream Deck alternatives for video editing
For editing, the main alternatives to a Stream Deck are the DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor (Resolve only), the Logitech MX Creative Console (keys plus a dial, with official editor plugins), a printed shortcut keyboard such as Editors Keys, or an iPad app such as Stream Deck Mobile or KeyCut. Loupedeck, once the obvious pick, stopped selling its hardware in March 2025.
A note on fairness: this page is written by the person who makes KeyCut, which is one of the options below. It tries to be straight about where each option is better, including where KeyCut isn't the right choice. Prices are from each manufacturer's own UK and US pages, checked October 2026.
The short answer
- You edit only in DaVinci Resolve: the Speed Editor. Nothing else is as tightly built for one editor.
- You want physical keys and a dial across several apps: the Logitech MX Creative Console, or a Stream Deck if you also stream or run other software from it.
- You want every shortcut visible while you learn: a printed shortcut keyboard, or an iPad app showing the full layout.
- You don't want more hardware on the desk: an iPad or iPhone app.
| Option | What you get | Editors | Switches editors automatically | Price (UK / US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elgato Stream Deck 15-key model | 15 LCD keys you set up yourself. Also Mini (6), Neo (8), + (8 keys, 4 dials), XL (32) and + XL (36 keys, 6 dials). | Any, through hotkeys and third-party profiles | Yes, with Smart Profiles you set up per app | £139.99 / $149.99. Range from £59.99 / $59.99 (Mini) to £329.99 / $349.99 (+ XL) |
| DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor | Editing keyboard with a large search dial. Bluetooth or USB. | DaVinci Resolve only | Not applicable | £305 / $435 |
| Logitech MX Creative Console | 9-key LCD keypad plus a wireless dialpad with a dial, roller and 4 buttons. | Official plugins for Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve | Yes, on by default ("Adapt to App") | $199.99 US RRP. £199.99 at UK launch |
| Editors Keys keyboards and covers | A keyboard or silicone cover with shortcuts printed in colour groups. | One editor per keyboard or cover | No | Covers from £19.99. Backlit FCP keyboards £139.99 to £159.99. US: about $30 to $200 via resellers |
| Stream Deck Mobile iPhone and iPad app | Stream Deck keys on your phone or tablet. Needs the Stream Deck app on the Mac. | Any, through hotkeys and profiles | Yes, with Smart Profiles | Free for 6 keys. Pro (up to 64 keys) $2.99 a month or $49.99 lifetime in the US |
| KeyCut iPad and iPhone app | The full keyboard for each editor, colour-coded and labelled, with a description of every key. Needs the free Mac Helper for live control. | Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve | Yes, with no setup: it follows whichever editor is in front | Free as a reference. Live control £4.99 one-off or £0.99 a month |
| Contour ShuttlePRO v2 | Jog wheel, shuttle ring and programmable buttons. | Most editors, by key mapping | Per-app settings | $109 US. Often out of stock |
Elgato Stream Deck
The Stream Deck is a pad of small LCD keys, each showing an icon you choose. It's excellent for anything you can trigger with a button, which is why streamers love it, and its Smart Profiles switch layouts automatically when you change app. For editing, it works by sending keyboard shortcuts. Elgato doesn't make official Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve plugins; editors use the built-in hotkey action plus community profiles and icon packs from the Elgato Marketplace. Expect to spend an evening setting it up.
Best for: people who also stream, record or automate other things, and want tactile keys for their twenty most-used commands. Less good for: seeing the whole shortcut set, and anything that needs a dial (unless you choose a + model).
DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor
Blackmagic's Speed Editor is a compact keyboard with a large, weighted search dial, designed around Resolve's Cut and Edit pages. The dial makes scrubbing and trimming feel physical in a way no touchscreen can. It only works with DaVinci Resolve. Blackmagic's own pages no longer mention a free Resolve Studio licence with it, so check the retailer if that matters to you. It's noticeably more expensive in the US ($435) than in the UK (£305).
Best for: anyone who edits only in Resolve. Less good for: anyone who also uses Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro.
Logitech MX Creative Console
Two pieces: a keypad with 9 LCD keys and a separate wireless dialpad. Logitech added official Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve plugins in April 2025, alongside Premiere Pro, and it switches profiles automatically when you change app. It's effectively the successor to Loupedeck, which Logitech owns: Loupedeck stopped selling its own devices in March 2025, though existing units are still supported.
Best for: people who want a dial and keys across several editors and creative apps. Less good for: learning shortcuts, since nine keys is a small window onto a big keyboard.
Shortcut keyboards: Editors Keys
The simplest option: a keyboard (or a silicone cover for your existing one) with each key printed with its editing command, colour-coded by type. No software, no setup, and you're still pressing a real keyboard. The catch is that each one is printed for a single editor, and you'll need to look down to read it.
Best for: learning one editor's shortcuts on a dedicated machine. Less good for: anyone who switches editors, or uses a laptop away from the desk.
iPad and iPhone apps
If you already own an iPad, it's the largest labelled control surface on your desk. Stream Deck Mobile is Elgato's own app: free for six keys, with a subscription or lifetime unlock for up to 64, and the same Smart Profiles and setup as the hardware. KeyCut takes a different approach: instead of a grid you fill yourself, it shows each editor's real keyboard layout, colour-coded by category, with a description of every key, and switches between Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve automatically without any profiles to set up. General tools such as Touch Portal, and TouchOSC with the free CommandPost Mac app for Final Cut Pro, suit people who like to build their own layouts.
Best for: people who want the whole keyboard visible and labelled, without spending on hardware. Less good for: eyes-free work. Glass gives no tactile feedback, so you'll look down more than with real keys.
Grading panels are a different thing
If what you want is trackballs for colour, you're shopping for a grading panel, not a Stream Deck alternative: the DaVinci Resolve Micro Color Panel (£395 / $559) or Tangent's Ripple and Wave2. They do little for cutting.
How to choose
- Count your editors. One editor opens up dedicated hardware like the Speed Editor. Two or more points to something that switches automatically.
- Decide between tactile and visible. Physical keys win for speed once you know them. A full labelled layout wins while you're learning.
- Look at your desk. A device you already own costs nothing in space or money to try.
Whatever you pick, the keys themselves are the same: see the shortcut equivalents across editors, or the full lists for Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Stream Deck alternative for video editing?+
It depends on your editors. For DaVinci Resolve alone, the Resolve Speed Editor. For several editors with physical controls, the Logitech MX Creative Console, which has official Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve plugins. For a full labelled keyboard on a device you already own, an iPad app such as KeyCut or Stream Deck Mobile.
Is Loupedeck discontinued?+
Yes. Loupedeck announced on 28 March 2025 that it would no longer sell the Loupedeck product line. Existing devices are still supported, and Logitech, which owns Loupedeck, now sells the MX Creative Console instead.
Can I use my iPad as a Stream Deck for editing?+
Yes. Elgato's Stream Deck Mobile app turns an iPhone or iPad into Stream Deck keys, free for six keys. KeyCut turns an iPad into a full, colour-coded Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve keyboard and switches between them automatically. Both need a companion app running on the Mac.
Does Stream Deck have official Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro plugins?+
Not from Elgato. Editors use Stream Deck's built-in hotkey action with community-made profiles, icon packs and plugins from the Elgato Marketplace.
Does the DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor work with Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro?+
No. The Speed Editor is designed for DaVinci Resolve and Blackmagic doesn't support it in other editors.
Written by Philip Brumpton, a product designer who builds KeyCut. Last checked October 2026.
Learn the keys by pressing them.
Try the iPad option before spending anything: KeyCut's shortcut reference is free, and live control is a one-off £4.99 if you want it.