9 Best iMovie Alternatives for Windows and Mac

Best iMovie Alternatives for WindowsBest iMovie Alternatives for Windows

Best iMovie Alternatives for WindowsiMovie is a video editing program designed for Apple devices. Adapted versions of the software are available for installation, and in some cases pre-installed on Mac, iPhone and iPad. The program is easy to use, has advanced functionality and many tools for working with video and sound. 

However, it is not available to users who choose an operating system from Microsoft. Therefore, we present the best analogues of iMovie for Windows , we note the advantages and disadvantages of each program.

Best iMovie Alternatives for Windows

Movavi Video Editor Plus – Intuitive Creative Software

OS: Windows, macOS

Price: Free for a 7-day trial period. The full cost of the program is 1290 rubles for an annual subscription. The free trial version has limitations – a watermark is applied to the video, and when saving a project as an audio file, you can save only half of its length. 

Movavi Video Editor Plus helps you create videos with special effects and animations , and also allows you to use chroma key to change the background. The program has an intuitive interface – all options are at a glance, they are not hidden behind many tabs. 

Therefore, you can start creating without prior training and many hours of researching options. Capture the screen, glue videos, use titles, transitions and stickers to create masterpieces.

Key features:

✅ Video and sound editing;

✅ Changing the background through the use of chroma key;

✅ Saving video and audio files in different formats;

✅ Special effects and frame-by-frame animation.

Pros:

  • Convenient language interface
  • Lots of useful options
  • Effects store with titles, transitions and stickers from professional designers;
  • Ability to edit video without losing quality.

Minuses:

  • Limited free period
  • Unable to process copy-protected video

Who it’s for: Movavi Video Editor Plus is suitable for both novice and advanced users. With it, you can easily create videos for social networks and YouTube, as well as try yourself in professional editing.

Is the program similar to iMovie?  Unlike iMovie, Movavi Video Editor Plus is suitable for both Mac and Windows and saves video and audio files in all popular formats.

Try Movavi Video Editor Plus for a 10% discount for blog readers!

Download Movavi

DaVinci Resolve – Professional Video Post-Processing

OS: Mac, Windows and Linux

Price: Free with a limited set of editing, color editing, visual effects, and audio editing tools. The paid version provides more functionality, in particular for working with 3D video and filters. A separate fee is charged for mounting keyboards, grading panels, audio consoles and other additional options.

DaVinci Resolve is a professional editing and color grading software that can also be used to create graphics, apply visual effects and process sound. It has a user-friendly interface, however, due to the huge number of options, it is difficult to use all the functionality of the program without prior preparation – this is evidenced by the reviews of many experts and users.

Key features:

✅ Video editing, color correction and sound processing;

✅ Creation of graphics and visual effects;

✅ Ability to process video in 3D;

✅ Functionality for joint work on the project;

✅ Animated graphics, tracking tools.

Pros:

  • Wide functionality
  • Convenient interface
  • Lots of professional tools
  • Work with all popular file formats

Minuses:

  • Most of the options are available only in the paid version or by purchasing individual modules.
  • It is difficult for a beginner to master all the functionality of the program without training

Best for : DaVinci Resolve is best suited for professional video post-production due to its advanced features.

Is the program similar to iMovie? Compared to iMovie, DaVinci Resolve has more functionality, but it is much more difficult to use it without preparation.

Download DaVinci Resolve

Filmora – Editor with Advanced Visual Effects Library

OS: Mac, Windows.

Price: Free during trial. During the trial period, all saved videos are watermarked. The total cost of the program is $4.33 per month. 

FilmoraX Video Editor by Wondershare is a video editor with a built-in visual effects library and a versatile set of video editing tools. Has an intuitive interface. With it, you can quickly trim a video or glue several fragments together, apply text, visual and sound effects.

Key features:

✅ Video editing and audio track processing;

✅ Ability to apply subtitles and special effects;

✅ Saving video and audio files in all popular formats;

✅ Sending videos to YouTube, social networks and e-mail;

✅ Zooming, the ability to create panoramas .

Pros:

  • Over 800 visual and sound effects in the library
  • Video stabilization
  • Support for 4K media format

Minuses:

  • Limited period of free use
  • Not as wide functionality as professional editors

Who it’s for: FilmoraX Video Editor is suitable for amateur video and audio editing , helping to create videos for blogs, social networks and YouTube channels.

Is the program similar to iMovie? Unlike iMovie, the FilmoraX Video Editor allows you to use templates and special effects from the library included in the price of the package to create videos, but it has fewer options.

Download Filmora

Shotcut – Free Fast Video Editing Software

OS: Mac, Windows and Linux

Price: Free

Shotcut is a video editing and editing program that allows you to create videos using filters and visual effects. With it, you can also work with sound and images, it interacts equally well with 32- and 64-bit versions of operating systems.

Key features:

✅ Cutting video fragments;

✅ Frame editing;

✅ Choice of codecs;

✅ Pasting fragments with different resolutions;

✅ Create collages and add visual effects.

Pros:

  • Free software without ads
  • Convenient language interface
  • Any number of monitors
  • Ability to work with multiple tracks

Minuses:

  • Limited functionality
  • Possible loss of video quality

Who it’s for: Shotcut has limited functionality and is therefore best suited for creating amateur videos quickly. They can be exported to YouTube and social networks .

Is the program similar to iMovie? Unlike iMovie, the free Shotcut program does not allow you to save the video in the desired format – it must be exported, otherwise the file will remain on the device only as a project.

Download Shotcut

VirtualDub – Lightweight Video Capture and Processing Utility

Price: Free

VirtualDub is a free utility that allows you to process video in 32 and 64-bit Windows operating systems. It works quickly and, according to users, has sufficient functionality for editing videos. With the help of the program, you can quickly trim and merge videos, convert streams and convert.

Key features :

✅ Edit video and audio tracks;

✅ Transform streams;

✅ Instant video capture up to 2 GB;

✅ Convert to popular media formats;

✅ Add filters.

Pros:

  • Lightweight installation file
  • Free software not overloaded with ads
  • Built-in codecs

Minuses:

  • Possible incompatibility with certain assemblies of operating systems
  • Lack of quality support and regular updates

Best for : VirtualDub is great for easily editing video files and adding audio tracks. Many professional tools are not available in it, so the utility is most often used to create simple videos in terms of editing.

Is the program similar to iMovie? Unlike iMovie, VirtualDub can be downloaded for Windows and absolutely free, but it has fewer options for editing video and sound, a limited set of filters and effects.

Download VirtualDub

Read Also:  Best video editing software for students

Best Video Editing Apps For PC & Laptop

Pinnacle Studio – Powerful video editor from Corel

OS: Windows

Price: Free for the first 30 days. During the trial period, watermarks may be applied to the video. Also, a number of options that are active in the paid version may not be available.

Pinnacle Studio is a video editing and color grading software developed by Corel. It has advanced functionality and can even be used for professional post-processing of video materials. In particular, the user can combine clips in 2D and 3D, customizable color settings, transitions and image stabilization.

Key features:

✅ Editing images, audio and video;

✅ Color correction;

✅ Create subtitles;

✅ Stabilization – elimination of the effect of “trembling hands”;

✅ Overlay visual effects.

Pros:

  • Video editing in 2D and 3D
  • High processing speed
  • Export video to different formats
  • Upload to YouTube in 1 click

Minuses:

  • Mostly unofficial crackers with incorrect translation
  • Sophisticated options, rigorous user interface

Who it’s for: Pinnacle Studio is suitable for both amateur and professional video post-production. The program can be used to create videos of any length, with subtitles or special effects, with filters and non-standard transitions.

Is the program similar to iMovie? Compared to iMovie, the Pinnacle Studio video editor has a more complex interface and lower-quality, unofficial crackers.

Download Pinnacle Studio

HitFilm Express – professional video post-processing and over 410 effects

OS: Mac, Windows

Price: The version with limited functionality is free. Additional tools can be purchased separately.

HitFilm Express is mainly used for professional video editing and allows you to create high-quality movies in high quality. With its help, you can not only glue or cut videos, but also change the proportions, carry out color correction and add special effects.

Key features:

✅ Video, sound and image processing;

✅ Use of masks;

✅ Several options for transition between frames;

✅ Work with 2D and 3D video;

✅ Creation of animation, work with footage.

Pros:

  • Wide functionality
  • Over 410 special effects and presets
  • Export video in high quality

Minuses:

  • Lack of official Russifiers
  • Difficult user interface for beginners

Suitable for : HitFilm Express is more aimed at users who know how to professionally edit video, want to create full-fledged films. For beginners, the interface of the program may be too complicated.

Is the program similar to iMovie? Unlike iMovie, HitFilm Express is difficult to use without prior preparation.

Download HitFilm Express

Jahshaka – powerful non-linear video editing software

OS: macOS, Windows and Linux

Price: Free, but you can purchase scenes, effects, and materials to work with.

Jahshaka is a non-linear video editing software that is still used today for video editing and effects. And this despite the fact that back in 2008, the developers announced the end of the development of the project.

Key features:

✅ Video and sound editing;

✅ Overlay special effects;

✅ Work in the mode of creating effects, animation and three-dimensional scenes;

✅ Network module for simultaneous work on the project;

✅ Customizable interface.

Pros:

  • Wide functionality
  • Ability to edit and create special effects
  • Interactive work in real time

Minuses:

  • No updates since 2007
  • Unofficial Russifiers

Best for : Jahshaka is mainly used for amateur video editing and special effects.

Is the program similar to iMovie? Unlike iMovie, Jahshaka has limited functionality and works without regular updates.

Download Jahshaka 

VideoPad Video Editor is a program for quick editing with simple functionality

OS: Mac, Windows

Price: Free during the trial period. During this time, watermarks are applied to the video. Also, in the free version, you can only save videos of limited duration. The total cost of the product is $34.99. 

VideoPad Video Editor is a fast video editing program with simple functionality. It needs to be sorted out, as the user interface is not as simple as iMovie and some other progressive counterparts. However, after the first acquaintance, there should be no serious problems using all the options.

Key features:

✅ Video and sound editing;

✅ Sending video to contacts;

✅ Video editing in 2D and 3D formats;

✅ Templates with visual effects;

✅ Color correction, adding subtitles.

Pros:

  • Wide library of special effects
  • File optimization
  • Export video in high resolution

Minuses:

  • Limited functionality

Who it’s for: VideoPad Video Editor is for bloggers, social media users, and amateur video editing users.

Is the program similar to iMovie? Compared to iMovie, VideoPad Video Editor has less functionality, but it has a large library of visual and sound effects.

The iMovie counterparts have individual advantages and disadvantages. Some have a simple user interface, others are more sophisticated, professional video editing tools. All analogues can be installed on devices with Windows OS.

Download VideoPad Video Editor

Lokesh Sharma: