However, we all have to move on. If you are of the opinion that creating a professional video should not consume much time or money, this is a handy list of alternatives to Windows Movie Maker.
1. Microsoft Photos
This is what Microsoft replaced Windows Movie Maker with so is worth checking out. While this standard app is generally used to create photo galleries, a hidden video-editing feature is its strong suit. You can easily locate the app on a Windows 10 system and create automatic or custom videos.
While Photos resembles Movie Maker in motions and 3D effects, it is mostly a new software. There is no “split” feature but a “trim” function which has to be dragged manually. Unlike Movie Maker, Photos is very merciful on your system. Even if you work with heavy video files, you will not feel any impact on the system. Photos is certainly a good software, but it might be too early to think of it as a replacement for Movie Maker.
2. Videoproc
Videoproc is another simple video-processing software which does the job perfectly. You get a 30-day trial as well as a lifetime license, which is worth it because you can edit your videos without a fuss. There are few menu items to remember, and the absence of full features can be a blessing because of the reduced learning curve.
The software follows a tabbed format that makes it easy to achieve all the routine video-editing tasks you enjoyed with Movie Maker. Although there aren’t that many effects or advanced features, you get exactly what you need.
3. Avidemux
Avidemux is a superb video-editing tool which remains absolutely free. It has been popular for many years, and similar to Movie Maker, it remains very easy to use. The timeline will remind you of Movie Maker’s timeline, which is a huge bonus. You can also manually select the timeline numbers for an editing action.
The best thing about Avidemux is that you can control the video output based on MPEG, DVD, AVI or MP4. All basic editing functions – including cutting, filtering and encoding – are supported. The number of operations you need to remember is three. You can zoom and resize videos at your convenience. Avidemux is one of my personal favorites in lieu of Movie Maker’s simplicity, but many of us desire advanced features as well. The next two recommendations fit the bill in that regard.
4. Kdenlive
Although it’s a Linux software, Kdenlive is also available for Windows. Completely free and open source, it gives you the appearance of an advanced video-editing software, but you don’t have to learn a lot. You can do multi-track video editing and organize your workflow without any trouble. You can further monitor your audio levels with histograms and Waveforms, which is something you generally find in advanced software such as Adobe Premier Pro.
Kdenlive is a good deal for those who would like to upgrade from Movie Maker but do not wish to learn the tutorials of advanced video-editing tools.
5. Lightworks
If more features and a full professional suite is what you’re after, Lightworks does not disappoint. Although it’s not a simple tool, it’s easier to work with compared to Adobe family products that have the unfortunate reputation of doubling as malware agents. With Lightworks, you will be in good company because this software has been used by many well-known Hollywood productions, including “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Notting Hill,” “Braveheart” and “The Departed.”
Although a bit on the pricey side, with a lifetime license costing $437, the product offers tremendous value because of its range of features and capabilities.
In Summary
With the right tool, video editing does not have to be a difficult job. The sunset of Movie Maker has not gone down well with its community. However, by picking one or two of these above tools, you will evolve your skills beyond Movie Maker and never look back. Here’s the thing: do you know of anyone who still misses Internet Explorer? Which tools do you plan to use for simple video editing needs?
