Movie Maker was a great video editing program for its time. Simple, straightforward, and most importantly – free. No wonder the community got terribly disappointed when Microsoft stopped supporting it in 2017.  And after it became clear that Remix – Movie Maker’s long-awaited successor – is unable to perform nearly half of what the original program could do, many Windows users had to start searching for Movie Maker alternatives.

Because, seriously, it’s 2021, and everyone has a lot of footage to edit!

So, if you’re here searching for a decent program, you got it. We’re about to review 5 Movie Maker alternatives that are intuitive, feature-rich, run on Windows, and will not take you too long to master.

Ready to see the contenders for the title of your next favorite video editing program? Let’s dive right in.

VSDC Free Video Editor

VSDC is a great alternative to Windows Movie Maker for those who are ready to step up and learn new tricks. Unlike Movie Maker, VSDC brings a non-linear approach to video editing, which means you can display multiple videos and images in one scene by overlaying or placing them side by side.

Download VSDC from the official website

For instance, if you want to create the famous split-screen effect, simply import two videos to the program, then grab the handler to resize each video and drag them to the sides.

The split-screen effect made easy in VSDC Free Video Editor

Notice how the VSDC timeline includes multiple layers, and each file is placed on a new track. If you locate files under each other, they will appear in the scene simultaneously because they belong to the same time frame. If you want videos to play one after another in a linear sequence though, you can do that, too. Just place files on the same track as you would do it in Movie Maker.

The most essential video editing tools are available in the quick access menu at the top. They will allow you to easily cut, split, rotate, and crop your video or even make it opaque. Once you get a solid grasp of the non-linear principle though, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much more VSDC is capable of. Apart from the standard set of color filters, transitions, and video effects, you’ll be able to enhance the soundtrack, apply professional-level color correction, play with the video background remover, and try impressive effects such as glitch, video-inside-text, and zoom. By the end of editing, you’ll be able to create a really nice-looking video and cover the imperfections of the original footage.

VSDC brings a full-fledged text editor as a part of its video editing suite

VSDC offers much more flexibility when working with text, too. You can create a title from scratch, fully customize its appearance, upload custom fonts, add an outline and opacity, or even apply various effects to it.

The best part about VSDC is that it is absolutely free and only requires the minimum of your PC resources. And unlike Movie Maker, VSDC recognizes virtually all formats and allows you to export video in high quality. So, if you’re looking for a powerful tool to turn your vacation footage into a stylish clip – look no further.

Openshot

Openshot is an open source video editor available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Like most open source projects, Openshot is widely supported by the community and gets regular updates. Its interface is way simpler than the interface of VSDC, for instance, but it also brings less to the table in comparison to the rest of video editors in this roundup.

Openshot has a clean, intuitive interface even your grandparents will cope with

However, if you’re looking for the closest alternative to Movie Maker that doesn’t come with a steep learning curve, Openshot is your guy. As you may have noticed, the default layout and the workflow of Openshot are quite similar to what Movie Maker used to have, with the exception of multiple tracks on the timeline. The most basic features – like speed adjustment, rotation, resizing, and fading – are available upon right mouse click on the file.

Just like in Movie Maker, the window to the left from the video preview displays imported project files you can drag and dock on the timeline. Next come two tabs: an extensive transition gallery and a set of filters – both applied via drag’n’drop, too. And finally, there is a wide selection of stylized titles in a separate tab of the top menu. Some of the templates may seem a bit outdated but if you care to install a couple of 3^rd-party open-source solutions, Openshot instantly expands its functionality. For example, Blender will allow you to create animated titles, and Inkspace will provide an advanced text editor.

A large gallery of text title templates comes handy if you’re in a rush

You also get more flexibility with the Advanced view mode. Although looking a bit clunky, it enables you to adjust any selected object in the scene, including filters and transitions. For instance, if you want to apply the letterbox effect, called “Bars”, in the Advanced view, you’ll be able to adjust the size of the bars for each side and change their color.

Download Openshot for Windows

All in all, Openshot is a good Movie Maker alternative for those planning to mainly resort to basic editing and only occasionally play with advanced filters.

Olive video editor

Olive is a new kid on the block, and its creators surely have ambitions. The video editor that was officially released not so long ago has the intention to become a free alternative to professional-level software. Although the tool is still in the Alpha version – meaning that some features may be missing, and the performance may be unstable – Olive video editor looks promising enough to make it to the list of Movie Maker alternatives.

As you launch the editor, you’re pleasantly surprised by the minimalistic interface and dark-gray color theme. There are two main windows: Media Viewer and Sequence viewer. The former allows for viewing and trimming imported files before adding them to the timeline. The latter displays the sequence you’re working on with all the edits already applied. You can resize videos and drag them around right there, too. Just like in VSDC, you can place multiple files in the same time frame in the scene and create the picture-in-picture or split screen effects.

Olive is the newest open source video editing software that also works on Windows

Every tool available in Olive has a shortcut, and that optimizes the process of video editing a lot. For instance, by clicking the C key on your keyboard, you activate the Razor. Then, just move the cursor and make as many precise cuts as needed. You can also zoom in and zoom out the timeline if you need to.

Now, the effects, transitions, and titles – all are quite limited, but for the Alpha version, Olive provides enough to create a neat clip. For example, as a transition, you can use the cross-dissolve effect, linear, exponential, or logarithmic fade. Right mouse click on the file allows for applying manual speed adjustment and reverse video effect. Files are easily moved, docked, and stretched on the timeline, and when you’re done, you can export the output video with the Ctrl + M combination.

Download Olive Video Editor

Not the strongest contender for the title of the best Windows Movie Maker alternative, Olive is still worth your attention. It will easily cope with cutting, splitting, and merging several files, applying transitions, adding titles and soundtrack. And given that this open-source project is very young and constantly being updated, consider trying it out.

Kdenlive

Kdenlive is another open source project that works on multiple platforms and unlike Olive, it has been on the market for a long time. Kdenlive brings an impressive set of effects and transitions, although they are hidden behind a less conventional layout and applied a bit differently than in the examples above. Let’s take a closer look.

A bit unconventional, Kdenlive has a clean customizable interface

When you start a new project, you select the desired resolution and fps parameters first. Next, you can drag your file to the Project bin, and from there – to the timeline. Just like every other NLE, Kdenlive has multiple tracks. But if you want to display more than one screen in the scene, you should first “tell” the program, you’re creating a composition by making a right-click on the file and selecting “Insert effect - Transform”. Now, you can resize videos and drag them around the scene.

The View tab allows you to conveniently choose which settings you want to be able to access quickly, and by unselecting the unnecessary ones you make more room for the preview window. One of the most helpful features available in Kdenlive is the ability to have the Undo History list showing you every transformation applied to the video and allowing for quickly going back as many steps as needed.

When it comes to the basic operations, there is a razor tool for quick splits, and the speed adjustment is available upon right mouse click. The effects need to be dragged from the menu to the footage and resized to the desired duration. There are many color correction effects and image adjustments including blurring filters, old film styles, and RGB settings. You can also benefit from multiple transitions, text title editor, Chroma Key, audio waveform, and more.

Download Kdenlive from the official website

Perhaps, for a Movie Maker alternative, Kdenlive is a bit unintuitive, but it’s stable, lightweight, and packed with professional-level features. If you’re planning to test it, make sure to find a few video tutorials to eliminate the guesswork and get the hang of the program faster.

HitFilm Express

The last Movie Maker alternative is called HitFilm Express. We’ve already mentioned it among the best video editors for Windows 10 for its impressive selection of effects.

The HitFilm Express team aims to help amateurs achieve Hollywood-level effects

Although it may look like a tool for real filmmakers, HitFilm Express is beginner-friendly and can be used for simpler tasks like compiling a vacation video if you’re willing to invest a bit of time to get familiar with the main tabs and controls.

With the exception of a few details, the workflow here is similar to what you’ve seen in Olive, Kdenlive, and VSDC. First, HitFilm automatically breaks down imported video files into video and audio tracks and displays them on the timeline as a storyboard and a waveform. You can unlink them and remove the soundtrack in one click if necessary. Next, most basic actions can be performed right here on the timeline, too. The cutting tools are available on the left and upon right mouse click. Make sure to check out the Rate Stretch Tool – it helps you adjust the playback speed by stretching or shortening the file on the timeline manually. Rotation, resizing, and image aligning are available in the Controls tab and easily regulated by the arrows on the preview window.

Notice the white horizontal line striking through both video and audio tracks? By moving it up or down you can change image opacity and volume level.

Right next to the Controls tab, there is a library of effects – the feature-set HitFilm is known for. Go ahead and drag any of them right to the timeline and adjust the properties. The software brings dozens of eye-catching effects including color wheels, cinematic looks, special styles inspired by Van Gogh, and much more. Keep in mind that some of the effects require add-ons.

Download HitFilm Express

Overall, HitFilm is a good choice if you’re looking for a more powerful Movie Maker alternative – just make sure to have at least 4-8Gb RAM to run this beast on your PC.

What makes a good Windows Movie Maker alternative?

And these were 5 free Windows-based video editors perfect for personal use and capable enough to replace Movie Maker on your PC. There is no way to pick the best Movie Maker alternative simply because every user’s expectations will vary.

For example, slow and outdated computer owners will be pleased with VSDC and Kdenlive because these are the most lightweight programs on the list. For those looking for a Movie Maker-like interface, certainly, Openshot will be the easiest to adapt to. And if you’re really into video editing and want to grow as a creator, both VSDC and Hitfilm are amazing options that open endless possibilities for as long as you have ideas to visualize.

The new version of VSDC Free Video Editor addresses the most popular user requests, helps you optimize the process of video editing, and brings a new stylish effect involving cropping and resizing.

Make videos export-ready for your device

This time, enhancements welcome you from the very start. The project settings window popping up while you’re creating a new project now includes a device choice. This new option is designed to save newbies from trouble making up their minds which settings are better for their needs. The dropdown menu envisages the most popular devices and social networks: Android and iOS smartphones, YouTube, Instagram, and Vimeo.

Benefit from the advanced Crop effect

Cropping settings have been significantly expanded and included to the “Transformations” category as a standalone effect. The new set of parameters allow you to fine-tune video width and height according to the aspect ratio of the original file or the necessary points. In addition to that, the ‘Crop and resize’ mode provides you with the capability to create custom transitions and a smooth zooming effect.

Optimize the Preview window performance

VSDC is known to be able to process large high-quality videos and perform well even on low-end computers. Both factors, however, often result in a lagging video preview. Although it doesn’t affect the outcome quality and only indicates the lack of computer resources, lagging may become quite annoying for a video creator, and in this release, we’re addressing this issue. From now on, you’ll be able to speed up the preview or avoid its freezing by skipping frames in the player – every second frame, for example.

Speed up the post-production process

Few features to save your time while processing a video have also been added to the new version of the editor:

• Properties can now be saved as a file and imported/exported for future use when needed.
• The new drag&drop options allow for adding elements much faster to any part of the interface: scene, timeline, or resource window.

For any questions or recommendations, do not hesitate to drop a line to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To download the new version of VSDC Free Video Editor, please proceed to www.videosoftdev.com/free-video-editor.

The new VSDC release brings interface enhancements along with expanded feature-set. By popular demand, the editor now includes a storyboard mode and the Glitch effect at users’ disposal.

Storyboard mode brings ultra-precise cutting and splitting

As the next step in the series of timeline updates, a storyboard mode has been implemented to provide more precision during cutting and splitting.

From now on, any video file will be processed in the storyboard mode by default. As the name suggests, the new feature creates a convenient way of viewing files as a story with every frame being easily seen and reachable for selection. The new mode allows for zooming the story in and out based on user needs. If you prefer the conventional timeline, you can always switch back to it in the Options section.

Glitch effect helps create trendy videos in a click

The Video Effects menu has received the highly-demanded customizable Glitch effect.

For the past few months, the VSDC team has been working hard to show that cinematic video effects can be recreated for free with a bit of time and effort. And as most users already know, the most popular effects and transitions traditionally end up being added to the menu as ready-to-use presets. This time, the trendy Glitch effect has received the biggest number of requests and it’s now available under the Video Effects selection.

The new effect is highly customizable. You can set individual parameters for the transparency, intensity, and power of the effect. Moreover, there’s a handy option to find a suitable preset with the required distortion and noise levels.

And more enhancements

• The long-awaited waveform update makes working with soundtracks easier by showing your work progress on the timeline.
• The choice of supported formats has been expanded with the MXF format - a video container format for professional video and audio content that serves an alternative of actual videotape in a digital format.
• The Blending modes menu now optimizes the usage of PC memory and provides more precise results.
• Video capture and screen recorder have been significantly improved to ensure better software performance.

Got any questions left? Do not hesitate to drop a line to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To download the new version of VSDC Free Video Editor, please proceed to www.videosoftdev.com/free-video-editor.

We stick to our promises to make the editor’s interface a lot user-friendlier and the functionality more apt to all trendy video-making demands. Let’s see what lies beneath this beautiful wording this time: a long-expected timeline enhancement, new effects, and filters from the VirtualDub library, special export profiles for iOS and Android users, and Hue/Saturation curve for advanced color correction.

New color correction tools

In addition to the powerful RGB curve added in the spring release, now photographers and video makers also get access to Hue and Saturation curves. The new tool allows for a more precise and convenient way of making your video image colors more saturate or a bit more faded if needed.

New timeline

Processing a video on the timeline gets more conventional: now objects can be placed in one layer instead of a vertical order, which makes your work more visually comprehensible. Consequently, you can cut and split a series of objects at one go as well as sync your video with an audio track in a more convenient way.

New effects and filters

Starting this version, VSDC Video Editor supports VirtualDub plug-ins. It means that just in a couple of clicks you can download any effect from a large open-source library with more than 200 filters to choose from. To name just a few: multiple deinterlacing options, noise reduction, and cartoonizer instruments.

New export profiles for smartphones

No more pain in the neck if you can’t make up your mind what format will be more suitable for reproducing a video on your mobile. New export profiles for iOS and Android come in handy for users of iPhone, Samsung, Xiaomi, Sony and Huawei.

For any questions or recommendations, do not hesitate to drop a line to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To download the new version of VSDC Free Video Editor, please proceed to www.videosoftdev.com/free-video-editor.