What is Movavi Video Editor and how do you use it?
Movavi is a video editing software designed for user-friendly post-production. Let’s look at how it works, how much it costs, and its main features.
Want to try Movavi for your next video project? Learn what it is, how much it costs, which features it includes, and more.
Today, we’ll cover:
- What is Movavi?
- Is Movavi good for beginners?
- Is Movavi good for professionals?
- Is Movavi free?
- How much does Movavi cost?
- Can you use Movavi without a watermark?
- Is there a Movavi app?
- Where does Movavi save videos?
- Are there any downsides to Movavi?
- How do you use Movavi?
- Movavi’s key features
What is Movavi?
Movavi Video Editor is a video editing software. It’s been around since 2004, and prides itself on being efficient and user-friendly — aside from the regular video editing features, it leverages AI technology to take some of the hassle out of your edit. We’ll discuss those features later on, but in a nutshell, Movavi’s job is to make your job easier.
Movavi Video Editor is part of a wider family of software, including Movavi Photo Editor, Slideshow Maker, Screen Recorder, and more.
Is Movavi good for beginners?
The folks at Movavi claim that ‘Even if you’ve never tried to edit videos before, you’ll master the Movavi editor in less than 20 minutes.’ That sounds ambitious, but we get where they’re coming from: it’s bite-sized and digestible. The layout is similar to other software like iMovie, Clipchamp, Filmora, and CapCut — if you’ve used any of those before, you’re in familiar territory.
Movavi’s also stacked with the features and editing tools you’d expect from modern video editing software. You can clearly apply edits like filters, transitions, and titles, and if you want to dig a little deeper, you’ll find processes like chroma-keying, slow-motion, color adjustment, and more.
Is Movavi good for professionals?
Despite its low barrier to entry, Movavi is more than capable of delivering pro-level content. Features like motion tracking and AI background removal will keep professional video editors happy, as will the impressive rendering speed and significant lack of lag. Sure, if you join a new team, they’re probably using Adobe Premiere Pro — but there’s nothing stopping you from trying new things.
Is Movavi free?
Good news: Movavi can be downloaded and used for free. Head over to their website on your Mac or Windows device, then click the ‘Download for Free’ button.
However, using the free version of Movavi comes with its limitations. These include watermarks on your exported footage, time limits on your videos, and restricted access to some of the software’s more advanced features. It’s not ideal, but if you want to get a feel for Movavi before parting with any cash, the free version is a good springboard.
How much does Movavi cost?
Movavi is available to purchase on a monthly, yearly, or lifetime basis. For the standard monthly package, you’re looking at $19.95 — this gives you access to the Movavi Video Editor, with all the bells, whistles, and tricks we’ll discuss in a few moments.
The Plus package is available for a yearly fee of $178.95, or a lifetime price of $222.95. This package is great for users who’re set on using Movavi for years to come, and includes some bonus effects packs. If you want extras like a format converter, disk burner, and screen recorder, that all falls under the Movavi Suite Plus — check out the different plans here.
And if you need Movavi for your business, don’t sweat it. They offer yearly and lifetime packages for their whole suite.
Can you use Movavi without a watermark?
If you subscribe to one of the plans we mentioned above, you’ll be able to export content from Movavi without a watermark. Beside the extra features, that’s part of the reason why people pay for software like Movavi — they want pro-level video editing without a watermark in sight.
Is there a Movavi app?
Movavi is available to download for MacOS or Windows, but can you use it when you’re out and about? Yep, you certainly can. If you’re an Apple user, you can download Movavi from the App Store for iPhone or iPad. Unfortunately, it’s not available for Android.
Mobile app download and access is free. However, premium plans and extras are available to purchase — you’ll need to buy these separately from the desktop version, even if you’ve already paid for the latter. Payments for Movavi on mobile hover between $1.99 and $13.99 per month, depending on which tier you choose.
Where does Movavi save videos?
Assuming you’re using the desktop version, Movavi saves project files to your local drive. When you’ve started a project, click ‘File,’ then the ‘Save Project’ option. Your project should be nestled in ‘\My Videos\Movavi Screen Capture Studio\Projects.’ Name it as appropriate, then save it. If you’d like to save your projects elsewhere, click the ‘Save project files to’ option and choose your preferred location.
The above options only save the project, though — they don’t save the individual media files. If you’d like to save all of the files together, select ‘Save Portable Project.’ This means that you can open your project on a different device and it’ll work as usual, with all of your assets loaded and ready to go.
Are there any downsides to Movavi?
Tons of users love Movavi, but some have experienced lag-related issues when exporting their files. It doesn’t seem to happen for everyone, but given it pops up every now and then, it’s worth bearing in mind.
On top of that, some pro video editors may find Movavi’s trimming options a little too basic. You can’t pre-trim clips, nor can you slip, slide, or roll — you can just split or trim. This isn’t likely to bother most content creators, but if you’re used to using something like Premiere Pro, Movavi’s trimming might stick out as a downside.
These points are worth remembering, but they shouldn’t stop you from checking Movavi out — no video editing software is without fault. If Movavi sounds like it could be a good fit for you or your business, consider trying the free version to get a feel for the software.
How do you use Movavi?
We’ll cover Movavi’s main features next, but before we do, let’s go through how to use it:
- Download and/or open Movavi. For this tutorial, we’ll assume you’re working on a desktop — head to Movavi’s homepage and download Movavi Video Editor.
- Open a new project, then select your media. You can browse your local files or drag and drop them — whichever works best for you.
- Add your media to the timeline as appropriate, then start editing. Style-wise, Movavi is similar to software like Premiere Pro, as well as the other software we mentioned earlier. If this isn’t your first video editing rodeo, you’ll recognize most of this.
- Add text, transitions, and effects. Use this time to transform your raw footage into something special.
- Add logos and captions. As you wrap up your edit, think about lower thirds, captions, logos, and other things that'll make your content more accessible.
- Save your project. Play around with the export format and nitty-gritty details, and once you’re happy with it, export your project. Note that at this stage, you can export content directly to YouTube, TikTok, and more. If you’ve not paid for Movavi, your project length and export options may be limited.
Movavi’s key features
Now that we’ve learned what Movavi is, how much it costs, and its pros and cons, let's finish with some of its key features.
Editing tools
As we’ve mentioned throughout this post, Movavi’s editing suite bundles a whole host of tools together. There’s keyframing, motion tracking, noise removal, color adjustment, and more.
You can chroma-key your footage if you’ve used a green screen, but one of Movavi’s coolest editing tools is its AI-powered background remover. Traditionally associated with still image edits in programs like Adobe Photoshop, this tool removes backgrounds on just about any video. The results will naturally vary, but if you’re prepared to wait longer, the ‘Precise’ setting renders better results.
Transitions
Even the free version of Movavi offers a generous amount of transitions, with more available for paying users. As with most features on Movavi, transitions can be woven into footage by dragging them onto your project timeline.
Templates
Movavi’s template selection isn’t as vast as other editing software, but there should be enough to keep you busy. You can also scroll through a handful of LUTs, including Thriller, Vintage, and more.
Quick export
Similar to Filmora, Movavi offers a quick export option. Once your project’s ready to rumble, you can tweak the aspect ratio as needed and export it directly to YouTube, TikTok, Vimeo, or Google Drive.
So, that's Movavi Video Editor. It’s a back-to-basics, user-friendly software, ideal for beginners but still worth checking out if you’re a pro. Even if your team prefers a different video editing software, give Movavi a try — it might just surprise you.
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