Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

iMovie VS Kdenlive

Compare iMovie VS Kdenlive and see what are their differences

iMovie logo iMovie

Turn your videos into movie magic.

Kdenlive logo Kdenlive

Free and open-source, full-featured video editor.
  • iMovie Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-10
  • Kdenlive Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-15

iMovie features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    iMovie offers a clean and straightforward interface that makes it easy for beginners to learn video editing quickly.
  • Integration with Apple Ecosystem
    iMovie works seamlessly with other Apple products and services, like iCloud, making it easy to share and edit videos across devices.
  • Free to Use
    iMovie is available for free on all Mac and iOS devices, offering a cost-effective solution for video editing.
  • High-Quality Output
    iMovie supports 4K video resolution, allowing users to create high-quality videos suitable for professional use.
  • Pre-built Templates and Effects
    iMovie includes various templates, transitions, and effects that can enhance the visual appeal of your videos without requiring advanced editing skills.

Possible disadvantages of iMovie

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While iMovie is great for basic edits, it lacks advanced features found in professional software like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro.
  • Mac-Only
    iMovie is exclusive to Apple devices, which limits its availability to users on Windows or other operating systems.
  • Resource Intensive
    iMovie can be demanding on your Mac's hardware, potentially slowing down performance during complex editing tasks.
  • Limited Customization
    The application offers limited options for customization, making it less suitable for users who need highly tailored editing tools.
  • File Compatibility Issues
    iMovie can have issues with importing and exporting certain file types, which may require additional conversion software.

Kdenlive features and specs

  • Free and Open-Source
    Kdenlive is completely free to use and its source code is open, allowing developers to modify and customize it according to their needs.
  • Cross-Platform
    Kdenlive runs on multiple operating systems including Linux, Windows, and macOS, making it versatile for users on different platforms.
  • Wide Format Support
    Kdenlive supports a wide range of video and audio formats due to its reliance on the FFmpeg libraries, enabling users to work with almost any type of media file.
  • Powerful Editing Features
    It offers advanced video editing features like multi-track editing, keyframes, and transitions, which are comparable to those found in professional software.
  • Customizable Interface
    Kdenlive allows users to customize the interface layouts to suit their workflow, enhancing usability and productivity.
  • Comprehensive Documentation and Community Support
    It has extensive documentation and an active community, providing valuable resources and support for troubleshooting and learning.

Possible disadvantages of Kdenlive

  • Performance Issues
    Some users report that Kdenlive may experience lag or crashes, especially when handling large projects or high-resolution media.
  • Learning Curve
    While powerful, Kdenlive can be complex for beginners due to its multitude of features and somewhat intricate interface.
  • Occasional Bugs
    As with many open-source projects, Kdenlive sometimes has bugs that can affect the stability and functionality of the software.
  • Limited Professional Features
    Although rich in features, Kdenlive might lack some advanced tools that are available in high-end commercial software, making it less suitable for some professional needs.
  • Resource Intensive
    Kdenlive can be quite resource-intensive, demanding a good amount of CPU and RAM, which might pose challenges for users with older or lower-spec hardware.

Analysis of iMovie

Overall verdict

  • Overall, iMovie is considered a good option for casual video editing and is particularly well-suited for Apple users. While it may lack some of the advanced features found in professional editing software, its simplicity, efficiency, and integration with other Apple devices make it a strong choice for hobbyists and entry-level editors.

Why this product is good

  • iMovie is a popular video editing software developed by Apple. It is praised for its user-friendly interface, making it accessible to beginners who want to create high-quality video content without a steep learning curve. iMovie offers a range of features, including video trimming, transition effects, audio editing, and support for 4K resolution. It also seamlessly integrates with other Apple products and services, which enhances its appeal for users within the Apple ecosystem.

Recommended for

  • Beginners who want to learn video editing
  • Apple users looking for seamless integration with other Apple devices
  • Individuals creating home movies, school projects, or simple promotional videos
  • Users who need a free or cost-effective editing solution with basic features

Analysis of Kdenlive

Overall verdict

  • Kdenlive is considered a good option for both beginners and intermediate users looking for a powerful, free video editing tool. It might not have all the advanced features of high-end paid software, but it offers a comprehensive suite for most video editing needs.

Why this product is good

  • Kdenlive is a popular open-source video editor known for its robust feature set and flexibility. It supports a wide range of formats, provides multi-track editing on a timeline, and has capabilities for effects and transitions. Being open-source, it has a strong community that contributes to its development, ensuring regular updates and a rich library of resources and plugins. It's also free, making it accessible to anyone interested in video editing without a large budget.

Recommended for

    Kdenlive is recommended for independent filmmakers, hobbyists, YouTubers, and any user who requires a free and capable video editing tool without investing in commercial software. It's also suited for users who value open-source projects and enjoy customizing their tools with community-driven plugins and updates.

iMovie videos

iMovie Review: Is It Good Enough For Editing YouTube Videos?

More videos:

  • Review - iMovie review - The best free editing software for YouTube videos?
  • Tutorial - How to edit video on your iPhone or iPad with iMovie - Full Tutorial

Kdenlive videos

Openshot Vs Kdenlive (Which Is The BEST Free Video Editor?) Geekoutdoors.com EP1050

More videos:

  • Review - Kdenlive 19.04
  • Review - Lightworks vs Kdenlive | Comparing FREE Video Editors

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to iMovie and Kdenlive)
Video
38 38%
62% 62
Video Editors
38 38%
62% 62
Video Tools
37 37%
63% 63
Video Maker
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare iMovie and Kdenlive

iMovie Reviews

  1. The best tool for video.

    iMovie is a fantastic video editing software that's both powerful and user-friendly. Its intuitive interface makes importing and arranging clips a breeze. The diverse editing tools, such as trim, split, and merge, make editing straightforward, while the precision editor ensures a polished, professional finish. Adding effects, music, and text overlays is simple, and the built-in library is a great resource. The stabilization feature is a lifesaver for shaky footage. Exporting in various formats is easy, and the software's integration with other Apple services simplifies sharing. In short, iMovie turns video editing into an enjoyable process. Highly recommended!

    🏁 Competitors: InShot

11 Best Video-Making Tools for Kids (2025)
For school assignments, consider video editors like Animotica, which is user-friendly and free for schools, offering great multimedia features. iMovie is perfect for Apple users, providing easy themes and templates. For advanced projects, Adobe Premiere Rush offers sophisticated tools and cloud-sync features. Choose based on available resources and student skill level to...
How to Reverse a Video on PC
iMovie comes preinstalled on every new Mac PC and allows its users to perform basic video editing tasks like trimming, adding background music, splitting, and reversing, among others.
What’s the Best iMovie Alternative for Windows in 2023?
Animotica has a free version with standard features. However, its premium version costs $6.99 for Animotica Light and $15.99 for Animotica Full PRO. If you’d like to see how it performs as an iMovie alternative for Windows 10, hit the button below to install it for free.
10 Best Video Editing Software for Beginners
For beginners who love the Hollywood blockbuster trailers, now there is a way out even if one knows nothing about storyboard and camera angle. iMovie has trailer templates built-in, which will guide you to pick several video clips properly for difference scenes: close up, group of people, landscape, etc. After you throw the clips, iMovie will combine them into cinematic...
9 Best Adobe Premiere Pro Alternatives in 2022 (FREE & Online)
iMovie also does a great job of suggesting ways to improve your work, with the software’s autocorrect feature assisting with lighting and colour, and a selection of themes such as Bulletin Board, Comic Book, and Modern, that can be applied to your footage in a couple of steps.
Source: shotkit.com

Kdenlive Reviews

10 Best Video Editors for YouTube in 2024
Kdenlive stands out as a free, open-source video editor that’s loaded with advanced capabilities, such as multi-track editing, transitions, and effects. It’s an ideal choice for semi-professional editors seeking greater project control without the financial burden of costly software. While its customizable interface is advantageous, it might occasionally feel buggy and could...
9 Best Adobe Premiere Pro Alternatives in 2022 (FREE & Online)
What makes Kdenlive appealing for beginners is the intuitive interface that introduces the various editing features in a clear and concise manner, with the more advanced tools also inserted into the workflow in an easy-to-follow manner.
Source: shotkit.com
Best Free and Open Source Alternatives to Corel VideoStudio Pro
Shotcut is another powerful cross-platform video editor. Like Kdenlive it’s based on the awesome FFmpeg libraries and therefore supports hundreds of audio and video formats.
CapCut for PC - 8 Alternatives to CapCut for PC and Online
On the timeline, Kdenlive enables you to cut, resize, split video, group clips, add subtitles, and it also has multiple tools like razor tool, spacer too for better editing. Also, it offers various effects that allow you to blur, crop, rotate video, fade in/out audio, do color correction, and much more. What’s more, Kdenlive features a 2D title editor.
8 Adobe Premiere/Kdenlive/OpenShot Alternatives in 2019 - Pros, Cons and Price
As an excellent Adobe Premiere alternative, Kdenlive is a powerful and intuitive video editing tool for Windows, Mac and Linux. It offers tons of plugins, almost all formats, effects and editing tools for users. But it seems that Kdenlive does not suitable for those who have no video editing experience. But if you invest hours in it, you'll find out how wonderful it is.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Kdenlive seems to be a lot more popular than iMovie. While we know about 120 links to Kdenlive, we've tracked only 1 mention of iMovie. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

iMovie mentions (1)

  • Top 10 video editing apps for beginners
    iMovie iMovie is a free video editing app that is available for iOS. It is another great option for beginners because it is easy to use and has a user-friendly interface. Imovie allows you to trim and cut your videos, add transitions, and add effects. You can also use iMovie to create trailers and share your videos on social media. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago

Kdenlive mentions (120)

  • Show HN: Open-Source Video Editor Web App
    Hadn't heard of this (https://kdenlive.org/en/). Thank you! - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • FFmpeg 7.0 Released
    "Regular" people don't really need FFMPEG. Regular people need tools with GUIs that have a non-generic purpose. So stuff like https://kdenlive.org/en/ that are backed by ffmpeg are (imo) superior "regular" person tools. FFMPEG isn't complicated (its as complicated as any other CLI tool), it's that video encoding/decoding specifically is a hard problem space that you have to explicitly learn to better understand... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Flowblade: Open-Source Video Editor
    Great that you got it to work. Just to make the list with potential tools a bit more complete: - Kdenlive is also a fairly capable video editor. https://kdenlive.org/en/ - From what I have heard the Blender video editor for many people is a go to tool as well. In this case it likely would have been overkill, but figured it is worth mentioning. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • What Online video editors do you use?
    You might be interested in Kdenlive. It's not online, but can be installed on any OS and I've had it running on some pretty dated machines. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Remember when Windows had a native video editor?
    Kdenlive or shotcut for small/basic stuff. If you're outgrow those, then DaVinci Resolve Free. Source: about 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing iMovie and Kdenlive, you can also consider the following products

Adobe Premiere Pro - Edit video faster than ever before with the powerful, more connected Adobe Premiere® Pro CC.

DaVinci Resolve - Revolutionary new tools for editing, color correction and professional audio post production, all in a single application!

Shotcut - Shotcut is a free, open source, cross-platform, non-linear video editor.

Final Cut Pro - Professional, non-linear video editing software created by Apple Inc.

OpenShot - OpenShot is a open source video editing program.

Filmora - Filmora is a trusted, legacy video editing platform that's strong in the fundamentals but lacks some of the bells and whistles that come with some other video editing software.