iMovie VS Final Cut Pro - Head-to-Head Comparison Between iMovie and Final Cut Pro

If you are a Mac user with an iMac or MacBook, you may sometimes use it to edit your video clips. When you come to choose video editing software on Mac OS X, you may first choose the Apple native software rather than the third-party software. In such situation, you may select iMovie or Final Cut Pro. However, you may wonder, iMovie vs Final Cut Pro, which one would be better? Just keep reading and you may find your own answer.

• What is iMovie
• What is Final Cut Pro
• iMovie vs Final Cut Pro Comparison Chart

What is iMovie

iMovie is a basic video editing solution developed by Apple Inc. running on both Mac OS X and iOS in the latest version and is well known by most Mac and iOS users. With its user friendly interface, iMovie allows users to create movies from many different sources such as digital camera, encoded files and images. For the latest version, you can edit and export 4K-resolution movies and also start your video editing on your iPhone or iPad and finish it later on your Mac. Moreover, the various themes, filters, effects, titles and editing functions make it to be a more professional video editor for Mac.

Pros of iMovie

• 1. User friendly interface and the best option for video editing beginner;
• 2. Well-organized function layout for intelligent controls;
• 3. Conveniently and directly share edited videos.

Cons of iMovie

• 1. Compatibility issue of some MP4 files and lack of various video formats supporting;
• 2. Projects number handling would be limited by strong space availability;
• 3. Easy to crash sometimes while editing videos on Mac or iOS.

What is Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro is a professional and presumer-level video editing software developed by Apple Inc. It is a more professional video editing tool than iMovie and always used to create content for movies and TV by professionals. In the latest version of Final Cut Pro X, it is put as a showcase for MacBook Pro's new Touch Bar and brings more-customizable interface, more format support and a few new effects to its users.

Pros of Final Cut Pro

• 1. A powerful and professional editor for editing both homemade and professional movies;
• 2. Offer powerful tools including magnetic and trackless timeline, libraries, ratings, tagging, auto analysis for faces and scenes, etc.;
• 3. Support multicam, 64-bit and multi-core, very stable and fast in operation.

Cons of Final Cut Pro

• 1. It is not a traditional timeline-editing process and custom export settings require separate Compressor app;
• 2. Not support to import projects from previous Final Cut versions without a third-party plug-in;
• 3. Not support H. 265 or 360 degrees VR cameras.

iMovie vs Final Cut Pro Comparison Chart

	iMovie	Final Cut Pro X
Price	Free	$299.99
Key features	Hollywood-style themes, 4K/HD video creation, fine-tune every clips, iMovie Theater playback, easy sharing, etc.	Powerful video editing tools and media organization, great performance, compelling and customizable effects, audio editing, intuitive color grading, etc.
iOS app availability	Yes	No
HD video support	4K	4K
Sync with multi-camera scene	No	Yes
Team collaboration	No	Yes
Sync with iCloud	Yes	No
Auto enhancement and presets	Yes	Yes
Themes availability	Yes	Yes
Background processing	No	Yes
Input formats	MPEG-4, QuickTime Movie, MPEG-2, AVCHD, DV & HDV, etc.	AVC, DV, HDV, DVCPRO HD, QuickTime formats, AAC, AIFF, etc.
Output formats	QuickTime formats, DV & AIC, AAC, JPEG, etc.	DV, DVCPRO HD, MPEG IMX, HDV, H.264, etc.
Supported OS	Mac OS X 10.11.2 or later	Mac OS X 10.11.4 or later, 64-bit processor
Usability	Easy	Difficult
Professional level	Consumer, Prosumer	Professional, High-end Movie Production

Extended Reading: Best alternative to iMovie and Final Cut Pro