FX Console for Premiere Pro?
Video Copilot's FX Console is free, but it only runs in After Effects. Here is what works in Premiere Pro, what each option costs, and where each one is the better choice.
There is no FX Console for Premiere Pro
Video Copilot lists FX Console for After Effects only (After Effects CC and newer, on Windows and macOS). To search and apply effects from the keyboard in Premiere Pro, you need a separate extension:
- OTCU Console: free, works in both After Effects and Premiere Pro, Windows only.
- Dagger (Knights of the Editing Table): free, Premiere Pro only, video and audio effects, Windows and macOS.
- Premiere Companion: free and open source, Premiere Pro only, Windows only; it runs as a desktop app next to Premiere.
- Excalibur (Knights of the Editing Table): $120, Premiere Pro only, Windows and macOS.
- BetterFX: $39.99 ($29.99 on sale), Premiere Pro only, Windows and macOS.
We make OTCU Console, so weigh this page with that in mind. Every fact about the others comes from their makers' own pages, listed at the bottom with the date we checked them.
OTCU Console, FX Console and OVN Console
| OTCU Console | FX Console | OVN Console | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free |
| Runs on | Windows | Windows and macOS | Windows and macOS |
| Effects and animation presets | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Scripts, menu commands, new layers, shape and text tools | Yes | Not listed | Not listed |
| Your own shortcuts | A shortcut for any item | Effect shortcuts | Six pinned quick-access slots |
| Snapshots | Gallery, side by side, wipe, difference | Gallery, PNG export | Full-resolution snapshots |
| Also in Premiere Pro | Yes | No | No |
On a Mac, FX Console and OVN Console are the free choices in After Effects, and FX Console is still kept up to date (version 1.0.7 added language support for After Effects 2026). On Windows all three are free; ours adds scripts, menu commands and quick actions such as a new adjustment layer, and the same bar in Premiere Pro.
OTCU Console and the Premiere Pro search bars
| OTCU Console | Dagger | Premiere Companion | Excalibur | BetterFX | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free, open source | $120 | $39.99 |
| Runs on | Windows | Windows, macOS | Windows | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Premiere Pro versions | 2026 (tested) | 2020 and newer | 25.6.1, or a beta with UXP plug-ins | 2020 and newer | 2021 to 2026 |
| Effects | Yes | Video and audio | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Transitions | Yes | Not listed | Yes | Yes | Not listed |
| Presets | Yes, put on by Premiere itself | Not listed | Yes, by a simulated mouse drag | Yes | Yes, keyframes in beta |
| Menu commands | Yes | Not listed | Macros | Yes, plus commands you build | Not listed |
| Also in After Effects | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Excalibur is the most complete command tool for Premiere Pro: you can build your own commands from several steps, and it adds tools such as Export Selected Clips. If you need that, or a Mac, it is worth its price. Dagger, from the same makers, is the simple free choice on a Mac if you only apply effects. Premiere Companion is free and open source with macros, but it runs as a desktop app beside Premiere and applies presets by simulating a mouse drag. If you want effects, transitions, presets and menu commands for free on Windows, in both apps, ours does that.
Premiere Pro presets with their keyframes
A preset rebuilt by a script can arrive with plain, straight-line keyframes instead of the eased curves you saved. Our search bar lets Premiere Pro put the preset on itself, through Premiere's own Paste Attributes, so keyframes keep their curves and ease handles, and masks and settings arrive as saved.
We compared 29 presets applied this way with the same presets dragged from Premiere's Effects panel: 0 differences.
Questions
Is there an FX Console for Premiere Pro?
No. Video Copilot lists FX Console for After Effects only. In Premiere Pro you need a search bar extension: free ones are OTCU Console (Windows, also in After Effects), Dagger (Windows and macOS) and Premiere Companion (Windows); Excalibur and BetterFX are paid (Windows and macOS).
Which free search bar works in both After Effects and Premiere Pro?
As far as we found on October 18, 2026, only OTCU Console: FX Console and OVN Console are for After Effects, Dagger and Premiere Companion for Premiere Pro.
Is there a free alternative to Excalibur?
Yes. OTCU Console searches Premiere Pro's effects, transitions, presets, Lumetri looks and menu commands (Windows). Dagger, from Excalibur's makers, searches and applies video and audio effects (Windows and macOS). Premiere Companion is open source, with macros (Windows). Excalibur goes further with commands you build yourself.
Can I use FX Console and OTCU Console together?
FX Console is often set to Ctrl + Space, the same keys OTCU Console uses, so give one of them other keys (in ours: the gear, then Shortcuts). We haven't tested the two side by side.
Does OTCU Console work on a Mac?
Not yet. It is for Windows 10 and 11.
Is OTCU Console really free?
Yes. No license, no account, no trial and no subscription, for personal and commercial work.
Where these facts come from
Checked on October 18, 2026. Prices and features change: check the makers' pages before you buy.
- FX Console: Video Copilot's FX Console page (free; After Effects CC and above; Windows and Mac downloads; 1.0.7 adds language support for After Effects 2026; snapshots exported as PNG).
- OVN Console: oblivixn.de/plugins (free; After Effects; Windows and macOS; six quick-access slots, full-resolution snapshots).
- Dagger: knightsoftheeditingtable.com/dagger (free; Premiere Pro 2020 and newer; Windows or macOS 10.14.5 and newer; video and audio effects, favorites, hiding, shortcuts).
- Premiere Companion: github.com/BlessEphraem/Premiere-Companion (free, GPL-3.0; Windows; Premiere Pro 25.6.1 or a beta with UXP plug-ins; presets by simulated drag-and-drop).
- Excalibur: knightsoftheeditingtable.com/excalibur ($120, Premiere Pro 2020 and newer, Windows or macOS 10.14.5 and newer, two machines per user).
- BetterFX: adobebasics.com/products/betterfx ($39.99, $29.99 on sale; Premiere Pro 2021 to 2026; presets with keyframes marked as beta).
- Ours: the product page and its changelog. The presets figure is our own test in Premiere Pro 26.5.1.