Windows Movie Maker was one of the most loved video editors by many Windows users, due to its integration with the operating system, its ease of use and all its features, so when it was modified for subsequent versions of Windows, there was discontent in many people. For that reason, today I bring you a list with the programs that I consider to be the best Windows Movie Maker alternatives in 2019.
My Top 5 Windows Movie Maker alternatives
Choosing an ideal alternative for the beloved Windows Movie Maker was not easy, but based on my experience with the editing programs, I made a selection with the 5 most attractive and similar options. This list doesn’t follow a particular order since all the programs mentioned here are excellent video editors.
1. Adobe Premiere Rush CC
The portable option
Premiere Rush is one of the most recent Windows movie maker alternatives, created by the renowned company Adobe. This program is designed for all those who are starting in the world of video editing since its options and interface are created to be learned quickly and easily. Adobe is not only looking for an easy-to-use video editor for everyone, but also one that is compatible with the different platforms of the market: for desktop computers as well as for mobile devices.
Premiere Rush works with synchronization between PC and Mobile through the cloud, which allows you to use it from anywhere and you only need to have an internet connection to start working. With Premiere Rush, you have an editor that has the power of Premiere Pro, without the advanced options, within reach of any of your devices, no matter where you are.
Powerful and easy to use
This program is as an alternative to Windows Movie Maker because it is quite simple to use. It is worth mentioning that it is easy to use and powerful, as it has different options that can be found in Premiere Pro CC, as well as in After Effects CC, two of Adobe’s professional video editing programs. In addition to this, you can use the Adobe Stock templates.
The learning curve is one of the advantages of Adobe Rush, as it is very easy to learn how to use the program and in a matter of minutes you will adapt to the workspace. There are certain advanced editing options that are not available, but for the common user that won’t be a problem. If you are Youtuber or use social networks to upload video content, this program will come to you like a ring to the finger, since you can use it to create your projects quickly and efficiently, export it and publish it on different social networks.
One of the disadvantages I noticed is its rendering speed since it can be a little slow compared to other editing programs, but all this is compensated with its portability and its multiplatform function.
Pros
- Multiplatform access: You can use the desktop version or the mobile version, synchronized in the cloud.
- Ideal for beginners: a program very easy to use, divested of complicated options.
- The ideal alternative for Youtubers and social network content creators.
Cons
- It can fall short: if you already know about editing and want something more “advanced”, maybe Adobe Rush is not for you.
- Slow rendering speed compared to other competing programs.
2. Cyberlink PowerDirector
The fastest alternative to Windows Movie Maker
Cyberlink is a name that has been on the market for several years, and doesn’t go unnoticed with its Cyberlink PowerDirector, which is not only one of the Windows Movie Maker alternatives, it is also one of the fastest video editing software on the market: it can render a video in almost half the time than other editing programs. Not only is it fast, but it also offers good editing power, as well as a simple interface so as not to overwhelm beginners.
A friendly interface
One of the first things you will notice when opening PowerDirector is that its interface maintains some elements of other editing programs, but with certain differences in the location of them. If you are new with the editing programs, it is recommended that you see where each option is located, which will help you a lot when creating your projects.
In main the interface you can find the timeline – an element that is maintained in all Windows Movie Maker alternatives and in almost all video editors – as well as the multimedia section and the video preview panel.
A new world to explore
One great thing Cyberlink PowerDirector has is its wide range of options, effects, transitions, and features available that, while for some people this is unnecessary, for others it is a world to explore. Another main feature this software offers is the 360° video editing, so if you have a camera that captures videos in that format, Cyberlink PowerDirector is the choice for you.
Pros
- 360°: Offers the option to edit videos captured with 360° cameras.
- Rendering Speed: One of the fastest on the market, cutting rendering times in half.
- Powerful: Cyberlink offers great editing power in its PowerDirector
Cons
- Too many options: For some, many of the features are unnecessary.
- Location of options: If you’re new you might get a little overwhelmed looking for options and some essential functions, which are not in plain sight.
3. Movavi Video Editor
Overview
Movavi Video Editor is a simple but effective video editor that works perfectly as an alternative to Windows Movie Maker. This type of software helps any user to enter the world of video composition in a simple and enjoyable way, with almost none complication, because the learning is quite fast and in a short time spectacular results are achieved.
If you choose the option “create a montage easily”, you can start your final project through a useful and very comfortable wizard that will guide you through the entire editing process, adding music, different types of transitions and finally seeing the result in a preview before finalizing and exporting it.
Import content and start creating
As soon as you run Movavi Video Editor Plus, you’ll realize that you’ll start working on a comfortable interface, with nice dark color design and the presence of multiple tools and well-classified handy options.
The “create a full-featured project” option offers more professional tools and finishes. To start you will have to import the files from which you will create your movie, either photo, audio or videos, through the “Import” section by clicking on “Add files”. This is not the only option offered by this specialized software, as it allows you to record video from a camera or even film what you are watching on the screen right now, useful for setting up a video tutorial.
Add sounds, music, filters, transitions and more
Do you want to add to the project any sound clip or music, video or backgrounds from among the pre-existing options? Simply choose what you want to add and drag it to the bottom timeline to place it before, during, or after a photo or video. They are not the only tools you can use, you can add your own files from the pc and also have at your disposal a lot of pre-set filters and transitions, just choose the one you need for your movie, check if it’s the one you’re looking for through its preview and drag it to the bottom: The list is quite extensive.
Pros
- Easy to use. Intuitive and easy to use interface.
- Attractive gallery of effects and transitions, just a click away.
- Advanced options you can only find in professional and expensive software.
- You can test the power and features of the program with the Movavi trial version for 7 days.
- If you choose the Premium version, you will notice the price is pretty fair, bearing in mind that this is a one-time payment for the Movavi Video Editor for life.
Cons
- Designed for the common user: Quite limited advanced options.
- No search engine: whenever you want to use a transition or effect, you must search the list manually.
4. Wondershare Filmora
Best for beginners
Generally speaking, Filmora is very easy to use the software, even in its full mode. As soon as we open the software, we have the possibility of starting the program in up to 4 modes, but the most used by the public are the full function mode and the easy mode, the latter being quite simple to use to do quick jobs, while the first shows all the options Filmora offers.
Entering the full version of the Filmora you’ll find a very clean and minimalist interface, but that doesn’t leave you short of functions. In fact, with Filmora you can do almost anything you would need when editing a pro video. However, even though it’s very complete, there’s not much to do if you want to work with advanced features.
A versatile program
With Filmora you can edit a video completely, cut and join videos, add music to videos and photos, add text and credits, add transitions and filters, add layers and resources (drawings, shapes and figures), work with split screens to see several clips at once, and of course export the videos.
When it comes to music, it comes with an interesting library of songs and sound effects, but it may be shortly after a while. Luckily, you can add your own songs and sounds to the library. Also, you can download more sounds from the effects store.
The transitions are many and very good, and I think they are the most attractive I have seen in the video editing software I have used. As for the Filters, Layers, and Resources, you also have a wide variety of tools, and undoubtedly all of them are nicely designed and very useful. With the Resources, we will be able to add even animated emojis to make your video a little more eye-catching and fun.
Performance
Moving deeper into the use of Filmora, as I have already pointed out it is a software that makes everything very, very easy. And although it’s true that it doesn’t have as advanced functions as other software (which cost a lot more), it does have some interesting advanced functions.
Split-screen editing is undoubtedly one of the star features offered by this Windows Movie Maker alternative. With this function, you can work with up to six clips at a time, ideal for working comparatives where you need to display several clips simultaneously.
Pros
- Simple and practical: a very easy to use editor and the “easy mode” is ideal for beginners.
- Pleasant and intuitive interface: designed to not overwhelm users with hundreds of function in the main window.
- Transitions and effects: The variety of transitions and effects you can add to your videos is quite wide.
Cons
- Designed for the common user: Pretty limited advanced options.
- No search engine: whenever you want to use a transition or effect, you must search the list manually.
5. Shotcut
Free editing power
Shotcut offers, free of charge, everything a video editor should have. The first thing that we must emphasize is that it is compatible with practically any format, as much of image and sound as of video, thanks to the codec FFmpeg. In addition, it also supports 4K video and is capable of capturing multimedia from all types of sources, whether a webcam or microphone or through the network in streaming.
As for audio editing, this Windows Movie Maker alternative has a series of functions and very practical tools that allow you to retouch the audio of your videos, both at the volume level and through a series of filters and effects that we can test and configure from the timeline.
When editing your videos, this tool also has a variety of transitions and filters that you can use in your compositions to shape your videos, as well as a series of tools thanks to which you will be able to customize even the smallest aspect of the image of your videos.
Overview
As for the editing functions, you can find the best known, such as:
- A timeline to arrange the image and sound channels.
- Possibility of copying, deleting or cutting pieces of video.
- Controls to hide and silence pieces of video.
- Possibility of enabling several timelines.
However, not everything is perfect, and is that the most demanding users may encounter some drawbacks: on the one hand, although there are a variety of tutorials and Youtube videos made by the community, the software lacks official documentation, and on the other hand, despite the weight YouTube has today, Shotcut doesn’t have a special option to save videos in YouTube format like other programs of the competition.
Pros
- Practical and detailed interface: fully organized to provide the best user experience.
- Personal touch: Fully customizable filters.
- For all tastes: Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Cons
- Export: Does not include export presets for different devices.
- Nothing official: there is no user manual or official tutorials, all existing info resources have been created by the community.
Final words
Each of the Windows Movie Maker alternatives that I mentioned in this article has its own strengths and weaknesses, and they place video editing within everyone’s reach, so I’m sure one of them will meet your expectations. Don’t waste any more time, try some of them and become the movie creator you wish to be.
If you would like to learn more about video editing software check your article about Top 10 best video editing software.
