Final Cut Pro vs iMovie
Final Cut Pro scores 7.2 to iMovie's 4.4 among the professional video editors we rate, and is the better pick for 2 of the 4 kinds of buyer below.
Final Cut Pro wins, 7.2 to 4.4
iMovie is entirely free, but it skips colour scopes, multicam, HDR, camera raw and proxy editing. Final Cut Pro is a one time purchase for Mac with a 30 day trial, and covers all of those, plus motion tracking and FxPlug plugins. Its cheapest listed price, $12.99 a month, is Apple Creator Studio, a bundle that also includes Logic Pro and Motion, not a Final Cut Pro plan by itself. Both apps clean up dialogue automatically, but only Final Cut Pro masks a subject by itself and reframes to vertical.
Pick Final Cut Pro if you edit on Mac and need pro tools like scopes and proxies.
Pick iMovie if you want a free editor with none of the complexity.
Best for
Who each one suits, decided on the criteria that matter to that buyer and the checked facts where the two differ.
- Colour grading with scopes: Final Cut Pro yes, iMovie no
- Multicam editing: Final Cut Pro yes, iMovie no
- HDR editing and export: Final Cut Pro yes, iMovie no
- Masks a person or object by itself: Final Cut Pro yes, iMovie no
- Reframes to vertical or square by itself: Final Cut Pro yes, iMovie no
- Free edition you can keep using: iMovie yes, Final Cut Pro no
- Cheapest way to pay, monthly: $0 against $12.99
How they score
Both are scored the same way, against the other professional video editors we rate, from facts on each vendor's own pages. Final Cut Pro leads on 2 of 5 criteria.
Where they differ
Every point where the two vendors' published facts disagree, with a link to where each fact was read. "Not published" means the vendor does not say either way.
Published by only one of them
Where they match (9)
Pricing, plan by plan
Every plan each vendor publishes, monthly and yearly where both are offered.
Final Cut Pro
iMovie
For everything else about each tool, read the full Final Cut Pro review and iMovie review.
Final Cut Pro vs iMovie: common questions
Which is better, Final Cut Pro or iMovie?
Final Cut Pro scores 7.2 and iMovie 4.4 out of 10 among the professional video editors we rate. Final Cut Pro is ahead on pro editing and aI in the editor. iMovie is ahead on pricing.
Is Final Cut Pro or iMovie cheaper?
Final Cut Pro's cheapest paid plan is $12.99/mo (Apple Creator Studio bundle); $299.99 once for the Mac app and iMovie's is Free. Compare what each plan includes below before going on price alone.
What can Final Cut Pro do that iMovie cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: colour grading with scopes, multicam editing, hDR editing and export, camera raw video, compositing and effects in the same app, proxy editing, motion tracking, third-party plugins, masks a person or object by itself and reframes to vertical or square by itself.
What can iMovie do that Final Cut Pro cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: free edition you can keep using.
