This tutorial explores the top Windows Movie Maker Alternative tools with pricing, features, and comparison to help you select the best competitor:
Nothing changed the way we created and consumed content quite like the onslaught of content and social media platforms that dominate our online space today.
It was hard to imagine the revolutionary impact these tools were going to have on our entertainment, news, and businesses while the Internet was still in its infancy. Albeit none of these would have been possible without the introduction of video editing tools like the very popular Windows Movie Maker.
Windows Movie Maker
Editing software like Windows Movie Maker aka Windows Live Movie Maker or Windows 10 Movie Maker (whichever name you prefer) proved that content creation didn’t have to be exclusive to huge production houses. It downsized the video editing process considerably, thus bringing the entire production experience home and making overnight stars out of many independent creators we see and enjoy today.
Editing software today is designed with convenience as a top priority. As such, we have seen many tools introduced in the market trying to outdo their competition and well-established tools like Windows Movie Maker with regards to a plethora of factors.
The stride technology made in recent years has introduced content creators and professional editors to quite a handful of gems in this field. Although Windows Movie Maker Windows 10 still enjoys huge fanfare, there are several other alternatives that have carved a niche of their own by offering their ingenious and unique version of an editing tool.
So, in this article, we will look at some of the most popular and relevant Windows Movie Maker alternative tools that we believe you should try. In the process, we will also look into the features they offer, the price they offer it at, and ultimately leave you with the decision to whether settle on a particular software or skip ahead in pursuit of a better alternative.
Finally, only opt for a tool that comes within your budget. Most tools come with a free trial. We recommend going for a free trial before paying the full amount to purchase their services.
Moreover, a whopping 54% of large enterprises and 50% of medium enterprises reported that they used internal resources as video editing software and video editing staff to produce a major chunk of their marketing videos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q #1) How long does the video editing process usually take?
Answer: The better you are at editing, the faster you will be at executing your video editing process. A skilled editor with the right editing software can take up to 30 minutes to render a five minute finished video. The time also depends on the level of enhancement you are employing to create your video.
Q #2) What are the features to look out for in video editing software?
Answer: Most video editing software comes with the bare minimum features needed like cutting, cropping, and adding audio/visual effects to make the video editing process simple. However, a tool that also harbors a huge library of royalty-free images, transition effects, and text overlays is a huge plus in our books.
Q #3) What are the most prominent tools used by YouTubers to edit videos?
Answer: iMovie, Final Cut Pro, and Filmora are some of the most popularly used and recommended video editing software used by YouTubers.
List Of Windows Movie Maker Alternative Tools
Here is the list of popular competitors for the Windows 10 Movie Maker –
- AVS Video Editor
- Movavi Video Editor Plus
- Shotcut
- VSDC Free Video Editor
- Ezvid
- Lightworks
- Wondershare Filmora
- VideoPad Video Editor
- VirtualDub
- Hitfilm Express
Comparing Best Alternatives To Windows Movie Maker
| Name | Best For | Operating System | Free Trial | Ratings | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVS Video Editor | Cut, trim and resize high quality videos | Windows | None |  | 1 year license - $39.00, Unlimited Version - $59.00 |
| Movavi Video Editor Plus | Easy to Use Interface for quick video editing | Windows, Mac | 30 Days |  | 1 Year license for 1 PC $39.95, Lifetime License for 1 PC - $59.95 |
| Shotcut | Open Source Video Editing | Windows | Free | | Free |
| VSDC Free Video Editor | Multifunctional Video processing tool. | Windows | None |  | Free |
| Ezvid | Quick Editing of Face-cam captured and screen recorded videos | Windows | None |  | Free |
Let us review each Windows Movie Maker alternative in detail.
#1) AVS Video Editor
Best for cut, trim and resize high-quality videos.
The first thing that is guaranteed to catch your attention in AVS is how beautiful it looks. It arguably has one of the best-looking interfaces in the market today, clean, easy on the eyes, and comprehensive all at the same time.
Complementing its interface is a slew of brilliant features that propel it in the top 5 movie maker alternative tools on our list. It can support the processing of videos in any format you wish, it also supports editing high-resolution videos such 4K and 1080p videos, and helps you open, modify and save videos using popular codecs such as H.264, H.265, MPEG-4
Additional features like color grading, Chroma key effects application, and the necessary cutting, splitting, and merging of videos can easily be performed on this tool, thanks to its intuitive nature.
Features:
- Cut, split, and merge clips
- Chrome Key effects application
- Edit videos in higher resolution and any format
- Immaculate interface
Verdict: AVS Video Editor offers a tool that is not only remarkable to look at but also performs its editing duties with utmost competency. With a reasonable price, this tool is definitely worth checking out.
Price: 1 year license – $39.00, Unlimited Version – $59.00
#2) Movavi Video Editor Plus
Best for an easy-to-use interface for quick video editing.
Movavi pulls off quite a challenging task of combining a simple user interface with complex features to help even the most novice editors achieve professional results. Armed with an intuitive interface, Movavi provides a host of key features like keyframe animation, deployment of special effects, and easy application of chroma key effects to make editing fun and rewarding.
Suggested reading =>> Movavi Screen Recorder Review
The tool is also extremely fast and can help skilled editors finish a particular project in around 20 minutes. Apart from the above, you get a boatload of transition effects, readymade title templates, filters, etc. to enhance the appeal of your finished video.
Features:
- Clean and user-friendly interface
- A vast library of transition effects, filters, and title card templates
- Ultra-fast processing
- Key-frame animation
Verdict: Movavi Video Editor is a beautiful tool to look at, and a rewarding one to use. It can help even the most amateur editors achieve professional results thanks to its intuitive features and comprehensive editing system.
Price: 30-day free trial, 1 Year license for 1 PC -$39.95, Lifetime License for 1 PC -$59.95.
#3) Shotcut
Best for open source video editing.
Shotcut is open-source software designed for those who can’t afford to buy one. It mimics the interfaces one expects from video editors today. It has a library section that harbors your raw footage, or any additional effects you would want to use to enhance your video, a timeline section – wherein you’re actual editing takes place, and the preview window to see your progress.
The tool supports resolutions that go up to 4K in quality. Adding to the tool’s charm is its sleek and intuitive interface that harbors both dockable and undockable panels, detailed media properties, a detailed list of search results, playlists, and more.
Features:
- Open source and free to use
- Sleek and intuitive interface
- Supports 4K resolution
- Blackmagic design SDI and HDMI for input and preview monitoring
Verdict: Shotcut is for those who can’t afford the high price tags often associated with editing tools. It is a software you can turn to for a quick ‘once in a while editing solution’. It is great to look at and will do your editing work justice.
Price: Free
Website: Shotcut
#4) VSDC Free Video Editor
Best for multifunctional video processing tool.
VSDC is an open-source and free video processing tool that can do a lot more than edit your videos. The video editor is as simple as it gets, with all the features you need just a click away from you.
You can cut, merge and split your videos using the tool’s three-tier editing interface. You also get access to a number of visual and sound effects to enhance your videos. Additional features like Motion tracking, Masking, and Social media blending all add to the aptness of this tool.
Apart from this, the software allows you to easily share your processed work across social media platforms directly from the tool itself. To assist you with editing, there are other features like conversion, audio grabbing, etc. that you can try too.
Features:
- Open source and free to use
- Motion tracking
- Instagram blending
- Masking to blur certain elements in your video.
Verdict: VSDC free video editor is a great tool for fans of simple and free tools. It surprises you with a slew of advanced features like motion tracking and masking, which are rare in open source editors. It does come with a cluttered interface though; something that can be ignored once you get a hang of it after a few initial tries.
Price: Free
Website: VSDC Free Video Editor
#5) Ezvid
Best for quick editing of face-cam captured and screen recorded videos.
Ezvid is a powerful and fast tool that makes video editing considerably more fun and easy, thanks to all the effects it provides to the editors to play with. The tool comes with a voice synthesizer and screen recorder that only makes the tool more tempting.
The tool employs a plethora of cutting-edge features like speed control and screen drawing to make the editing process more fun and rewarding. Ezvid can also easily capture anything going on your computer screen in order for you to process it later.
Apart from this, the tool also allows you to instantly create dynamic slideshows, re-arrange and add text among so much more in order to deeply personalize your edited end result.
Features:
- Speed control
- Face-cam capture
- Screen recorder
- Voice synthesizer
Verdict: Ezvid is especially great for gamers and streamers who like to share their tutorials or gameplay with their large audience. Ezvid’s screen capturing feature assists them in doing just that. It is also super fast and easy to use, which makes it a great tool to own on your device.
Price: Free
Website: Ezvid
#6) Lightworks
Best for high-end cinematic style editing.
Lightworks has been around for over 25 years now, and in that duration, it has helped many big Hollywood releases grace the silver screen. This alone should excite you with the prospect of owning this reputable tool. It is a spectacular video editor that is easy, super-fast, and highly advanced in its offering.
You can of course perform traditional editing tasks such as cutting, trimming, and splitting of clips along with more intuitive features that allow you to implement visual and audio effects in real-time.
The tool supports wide file format editing and is compatible enough to process videos that possess high resolution, i.e. up to 4K in quality. The software also allows you to grade your sequences professionally, thanks to its 32bit GPU precision and histogram tool.
Features:
- Simple and easy-to-use interface
- 32bit GPU precision
- Real-time ready to audio and visual FX
- Supports 4K resolution video editing
Verdict: Lightworks has a lot of goodwill backing it up, and rightfully so. It is highly advanced software that does require a learning curve to master but does possess the potential to deliver an end result that is praise-worthy.
Price: 7-day free trial, $24/month, $174/year
Website: Lightworks
Best for easy video editing for casual users.
Filmora, over the years, has earned quite a reputation for itself by being one of the easiest editors available for wide use out there. In fact, Filmora is usually the first thing many popular YouTubers recommend to their users.
It comes with a user-friendly UI and a comprehensive tutorial that guides you to all of its features. The interface is designed in such a way that everything is just a click away from being implemented. You can perform several editing functions like adding transition effects, applying chroma key effects, cutting, splitting and merging, etc. to give your videos a more universal appeal.
Filmora X, the latest version, has also incorporated new features like motion tracking and color matching to make the editing process more refined and enticing for its base of loyal users.
Features:
- Easy and clean UI
- Motion tracking
- Keyframing
- Color matching
Verdict: Filmora, because of how easy it is to use, makes for a phenomenal Windows Movie Maker alternative. The tool has the ability to turn even the most amateur editors into decent ones themselves with a couple of goes at the tool.
Price: Free version, $7.99 per month, $39.99 per year.
Website: Wondershare Filmora
#8) VideoPad Video Editor
Best for 3D and 360-degree video editing.
VideoPad Video Editor is an incredibly fast and smooth video editor and contains one of the fastest video stream processors today. The tool harbors over 50 different visual and transition effects to transform your video.
The video editor is compatible with almost all mediums of videos and can help you edit and process videos captured from a variety of sources such as cam-recorder, VHS, webcam, and Go Pro.
The software also acts as a great audio enhancer as well, allowing you to effectively edit and apply audio effects to your clips.
Features:
- Intuitive user interface
- Over 50 video and audio transitions
- Supports 3D and 360 video editing
- Export files to edit.
Verdict: VideoPad is good for you if you want to edit a 3D or 360-degree video. It does, however, possess a cluttered UI which although intuitive can be confusing for some users when in use.
Price: Home edition – $29, Master’s edition – $49.
Website: VideoPad Video Editor
#9) VirtualDub
Best for video capture and processing.
When VirtualDub was first released, it was full of bugs that proved detrimental to the user’s experiences. With constant patches, the tool has improved drastically and has come under our radar as one of the most formidable video processors in recent memory.
There are still some clunky bits about the software. It is still considered slow, and the editing can lag on less powerful PCs. However, it is still free and can be used to clean up your video and trim them for further processing.
Features:
- Free to use
- Clean up video
- Video cutting and trimming
Verdict: We can’t recommend VirtualDub to everyone. There is still some room for enough improvement that can transform the way the tool will be used in the future. It is still great for a brief editing touch-up every once in a while to clean or trim your videos.
Price: Free
Website: VirtualDub
#10) Hitfilm Express
Best for video editing for beginners.
Hitfilm goes above and beyond to provide users with a tool that changes the meaning of easy editing altogether. As such, what you get is a phenomenally simple editor that is perfect for amateurs to create their videos online.
The tool is a blast to use, with a one-page editing interface that provides you with an immaculately designed library, timeline section, and preview window to play with while editing. You can easily trim, cut, split, and merge videos with all the readily available features at your fingertips.
What really fascinates us is the care taken to provide users with a number of exciting and visually arresting effects that can turn your videos into professional masterpieces. With a huge gallery of transition effects, audio and visual effects, text overlays, and stickers, you can transform bland videos into artistic pieces.
Features:
- Sleek and modern UI
- Built-in voice recorder
- 2D and 3D modeling
- More than 400 effects and presets
Verdict: Hitfilm provides masterful editing software that provides a slew of advanced features packed in an intuitive interface to make editing fun, easy, and ultimately rewarding. Plus, at a reasonable price, the tool is a must-have for editors who are just starting out in the field of video editing.
Price: Free version, starting $19
Website: Hitfilm Express
Conclusion
There was a time when Windows Movie Maker free was a prime video editor for Windows users. We’ve come a long way since then. There are way too many options, offering features that are simply too good to pass on. Video editing today is easier than it has ever been, long after we have witnessed so many Windows Movie Maker download on Windows OS.
All the above-mentioned tools have something or the other to offer, which makes them unique and spectacular in their own right. By combining our verdict with your good intuition, we believe you will find a movie maker alternative that will suit you the best.
As for our recommendation, if you are looking for full-featured video editing software, then Movavi Video Editor Plus will satisfy you well. If you are concerned about spending money, then you can opt for an open-source tool like Shotcut to fulfill your editing needs.
Research Process:
- We spent 12 hours researching and writing this article so you can have summarized and insightful information on what video editor will best suit you.
- Total video editors Researched – 25
- Total video editors Shortlisted – 10