DaVinci Resolve vs. iMovie: Which Is the Better Free Video Editing Software?
Reading Time: 5 minutesResolve and iMovie are both free, but they don’t have much in common beyond that. So, which one should you use for your video projects?
There are probably many video editing hobbyists or YouTubers out there using Apple’s iMovie to create their content. It is a suitably strong beginner’s software, with many handy features and easy-to-use tools.
Whilst convenient, should iMovie be a go-to editing software for beginners? How does it compare when lined up against another free editing system, such as BlackMagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve 18? Let’s take a look.
The Interface
Starting with the interface, iMovie is very basic, with most of the tools and features on the same page. They are operable by clicking on small icons in the top right of the window.
iMovie doesn’t have the conventional editing tools that usually appear as icons on the screen. Instead, you can use the clip trimmer or precision editor for making cuts and aligning media.
DaVinci Resolve has a sequence of tabs, each designed to perform a specific editing function in a convenient, easy-to-follow order, from media selection and timeline compilation, through export and delivery.
- iMovie Summary: It’s a minimalist layout, which is suitable for beginners.
- Resolve Summary: Simple, yet complex, with many useful features and easy-to-access tabs.
Importing and Storage Access
iMovie can search through the computer’s file directory and connected drives, though it appears as a pop-out window. iMovie requires a library to be built for each project, meaning that the location for storage can quickly fill. You can reset and delete your iMovie library to overcome this issue.
Resolve has access to the device’s file storage system through the first tab. The window remains on-screen as the media pool is built.
It is able to search through local drives on the device itself, connected hard drives, and even some cloud-based storage systems, such as DropBox. A library is also built for each project, so it’s worth keeping an eye on your device’s storage capacity.
- iMovie Summary: There is a comprehensive file search system, though it pops out as a separate window.
- Resolve Summary: The file system is also comprehensive and integrated as the first tab in the hub.
The Timeline and Editing Tools
iMovie has a single timeline where you can drag and drop videos and titles to compile the edit. The editing functions themselves are a little limited, relying on keyboard shortcuts for the function. The screen is rather bare, which would help beginners from feeling overwhelmed, though is underwhelming for veteran editors.
The Resolve timeline, by contrast, is much more detailed and time-stamped. Resolve allows for multiple audio and video tracks, reducing the risk of missing the alignment of clips and aiding precision editing.
The Edit tab in DaVinci Resolve features an excellent selection of useful editing tools, such as the Trim Edit Mode and Blade Edit Mode, and Insert, Overwrite, and Replace clip options.
- iMovie Summary: There is only one timeline, so layering videos and graphics is a little clunky, as they are attached to the primary timeline.
- Resolve Summary: The timeline is layered more effectively with multiple videos and audio tracks.
Color Grading
iMovie features limited color-correcting tools. The first option is the color balance which allows a color match between selected clips, a white balance, and a skin tone balance. There is a basic slider to adjust the contrast, saturation, and temperature. Adequate for beginners though far inferior to Resolve’s variety.
Color grading is what DaVinci resolve has been known for. Even without the advanced grading tools of the studio version, there is an impressive variety to use here. A particularly impressive feature in the free version is the ability to create masks (called windows) and isolate objects to color grade, with the assistance of keyframes.
- iMovie Summary: Limited options that don’t allow for a detailed color grade.
- Resolve Summary: Though lacking compared with the Studio version, there are more than enough options for beginner colorists.
Motion Graphics and VFX
The visual FX portion of iMovie is sadly lacking. There is the option of creating basic titles, backgrounds, and transitions. They are easy to use and suitable for hobbyists.
Resolve has a more extensive toolkit and options for customizing video portions and creating motion graphics. Utilizing nodes within the Fusion tab, it is very easy to link effects to the media. See our guide on how to use nodes in DaVinci Resolve for more on this.
Though Resolve does offer more features than iMovie, the user interface feels a little less easy to use than some of its competitors, such as Adobe After Effects. There are a number of fantastic guides on YouTube that can really help to fast-track familiarity with the system.
- iMovie Summary: Lacking in visual effects options, though the presets are useful for beginners.
- Resolve Summary: More tools and features, though less user-friendly than some competitors.
Audio
iMovie has three primary audio adjustments; the overall clip volume, the reduction of background noise, and the equalizer. The presets offered by iMovie are, again, effective enough for beginners.
Another interesting feature that iMovie has is if you have more than one track, there is an option to lower the volume of other clips. There is also a slider to increase the effectiveness of the tool.
DaVinci Resolve has a fantastic range of audio tools, effects, and customizations. The ability to have solo, muted, and locked tracks to assist playback and editing is useful. The Range Selection tool and Edit Selection mode are convenient for making accurate audio cuts. The effects list and EQ have a wide variety and customizable options.
- iMovie Summary: The presets are enough for beginners.
- Resolve Summary: A staggering amount of customizations for a free system.
Exporting Options
iMovie again is a little lacking here. There are four main categories of export; email, YouTube and Facebook, image, and file. The email export option has a maximum resolution of 1280×720, though the resulting video file is most likely too big to send anyway.
The most customizable option seems to be the file option, which supports 1080p resolution (providing the source clips are the same), a choice of compression quality, and a choice of priority for either speed or quality of compression.
For a free system, Resolve has a strong variety of export options that can easily be customized. To list all the codecs, file formats, and supported resolutions would be a little exhaustive, so the key feature to take away from the Export tab is the ability to upload videos directly to YouTube from DaVinci Resolve 18.
- iMovie Summary: More format support would be ideal, though at least there are no watermarks.
- Resolve Summary: A varied list of export options and supported codecs/file formats. It’s also nice to have the unique feature of uploading directly to YouTube.
Which Free Video Editor Is Right for You?
iMovie is a great free software. It is basic and easy to use and has enough features for hobbyists and newbies to practice with.
The highlight of using iMovie is the presets, especially the transitions and graphics. While other editing platforms have more customizability, iMovie has a good basic range of presets that are easy for beginners to use.
DaVinci Resolve has a staggering array of features and customizability for a free editing system. It feels professional to use, and the standout feature is the ability to upload directly to YouTube from the Export tab.
There is a premium, paid version of DaVinci Resolve that has even more to offer. The free version, however, is definitely worth checking out if iMovie just isn’t quite cutting it anymore.
Reference: https://www.makeuseof.com/davinci-resolve-vs-imovie/
Ref: makeuseof