While video editing can often be a tricky process which can usually require at least some sort of prior experience to really know what you’re doing, there are a few programs that sell themselves as being more suited to beginners who are just getting started with editing their recordings.
Camtasia and iMovie are two examples of these kinds of programs that are dedicated to providing an easy-to-understand yet also efficient and precise editing experience that will serve you well in the long term.
If you are looking for one of these more streamlined experiences that will help make video editing far easier you can avoid having to spend hours on end staring at a monitor, here is a full comparison of Camtasia vs iMovie so you can decide which is best suited for you.
What Is Camtasia?
Designed and founded by Techsmith, ever since Camtasia was released all the way back in 2002 in its prototype stages, the application has been dedicated to being one of the most accessible all-in-one video editing software you can use.
While it may have a few drawbacks when compared to its more advanced competitors, seeing as it’s tailored towards those who consider themselves beginners, it does strip back a lot of those additional features that can for a far easier experience to get to grips with.
This is not to say that Camtasia is not still incredibly useful as an editing tool however since it still grants its users more than enough features in a video editing software in half the time while also featuring some unique effects to use so that you can make a video editing as eye-catching as possible.
What Is iMovie?
Many editors have referred to iMovie as a non-linear editing program, meaning rather than being guided by the software to edit in a particular way, you instead are granted all the tools for you to use however you please.
iMovie is an Apple product so you can assure the quality is incredibly high, however, it does feature some incredibly effective features and tools for editing that will be able to customize any visuals or audio in little to no time.
Similar to Camtasia it is still advertised as a beginner-friendly program that won’t require you to spend a few extra hours learning how to navigate your way around and make full use of all its tools.
There are a few differences when we compare Imovie with Camtasia.
Main Differences Between Camtasia And iMovie
While both Camtasia and iMovie pride themselves on being accessible for the average user who just wants to jump in and start editing without all the extra bells and whistles, they actually differ a great deal when it comes to what they actually offer users, and what tools you are granted to use on your videos.
So that you can make an informed decision on which one will be best for your videos, here is a full comparison of the two including any major differences and similarities you may find.
Video Effects
It never hurts to have a few extra tools and effects at your disposal which can help make a video that bit more eye-catching.
Most modern video editing software will come with at least a handful of effects you can apply to your recorded video clips.
However the competition is getting more fierce, and newer software is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to make these effects more viable for today’s standards.
You can be sure this applies to both Camtasia and iMovie which both have a good selection of extra video content effects that you can use during the editing process, such as transitions that can make or break the pacing of a video.
While iMovie has 11 different transitions for you to experiment with, Camtasia in comparison comes with 122 transitions built into the program, granting you a huge amount of customization depending on how you want each scene to play out.
Despite having more transitions, iMovie does contain some incredibly unique video effects of its own, especially the instant replay and jump cuts which can make editing between scenes far easier.
iMovie is also constantly being updated with new filters and lenses being introduced every few months including the now extremely popular Comic Vintage and Comic Sepia which help to give a scene a much grittier look which can really help when you want to adjust the tone in a certain way.
Both programs, therefore, excel in different areas when it comes to how you can actually edit a video of video camera.
While Camtasia is far superior in terms of transitions, the constant updates have allowed iMovie to have a few more options, especially in terms of filters and screen cuts while also supporting 4K and HD which Camtasia does not.
Audio Editing
As any experienced video editor knows, the audio of a video is just as important as the visuals and can help to make or break a viewer’s immersion since muffled or overbearing noises can really disrupt the pacing of a video and make it seem like it’s low-budget.
Luckily, both Camtasia and iMovie offer a plethora of audio tools that you can play around with so that you can be sure the sound in your videos comes out as accurate and clear as possible.
With Camtasia, while it might not have all the bells and whistles that some audiophiles are looking for such as being able to alter the pitch of voices and sounds, you still have access to the more basic options including being able to remove background noise and adding in any commentary to the video which is perfect for vlogging.
You can also move around the audio incredibly easily with Camtasia and will be able to separate any audio tracks from imported videos into a separate track so that you can cut and trim them more precisely.
While iMovie also contains these features, it does also offer a few more ways to customize the audio for a video including the ability to speed up and slow down audio, along with being able to import music onto a track so that you make the video as vibrant and exciting as possible.
Both programs are excellent for splicing up audio and trimming it down to its most essential parts, however, while Camtasia will have all the necessary tools, iMovie does go a little further in offering its customers a few more unique audio features that are usually restricted to more high-end editing apps.
Interface
While both programmes are primarily known for their features and the tools they provide that can make editing much quicker and easier, the interface is also a huge reason so many people enjoy using Camtasia and iMovie as both have very clear and easy-to-understand menus which can be navigated quickly and easily.
Camtasia has three areas of its interface, these being the media effects in the top left, a track timeline at the very bottom, and a preview in the top right, along with a bright red screen record option.
As soon as you boot up Camtasia, you can instantly see what needs to be cut down along with being able to easily drag and drop any extra effects.
For iMovie, while it does make more use of drop-down menus to navigate through some of Imovie features, it is still incredibly easy to get the hang of.
One neat addition is that each clip that you’ve uploaded so far on iMovie will be safely stored in the iMovie Media Library which can be found in the top left drop-down menu.
This library will even sync with your Photos library, allowing you to use any media with just a few clicks.
Accessibility
Just like all other Apple products, iMovie prefers to stay loyal to its brand rather than branching out to other software and devices which means it is only available for Macintosh users along with being able to be downloaded on other Apple products including the iPhone and iPad.
This does limit the actual accessibility of iMovie considerably, especially since Camtasia in comparison can be used for both Windows and Mac devices.
While this is definitely a limitation for iMovie, when it comes to actually getting stuck in with editing, luckily both programs are much more similar in this area.
With their clearly set out interface, as soon as you boot up the editing programme you will know exactly what you need to click on to access the tools you need whether its for editing the visuals, the audio, or just to add some additional effects to add some flair to the video.
It should be noted that iMovie does offer its customers a user guide which is available on all Apple devices and essentially works as a manual for any queries you may have.
However, Camtasia offers similar support since it will show its users a tutorial video the first time they boot up the app, highlighting the key features along with guiding users through the general interface.
Both programs therefore provide a lot of customer support when it comes to navigation and being able to know exactly where each editing tool is so that you can use them in a snap when you need them.
Unlike a lot more advanced video editors which can throw multiple tools and features your way as soon as you load up the software, iMovie and Camtasia are far more streamlined, letting you know what features are available and then allowing you to choose what you want to experiment with when you start editing, making both incredibly accessible for the average user who may only be getting started with the editing process.
Sharing A Video
Because users will usually edit videos and files between multiple different devices at once, this has often made it a little tricky to actually share videos since they can get stuck on one device, or come out looking completely different on another.
Luckily, with iMovies October 2020 update, you can now begin editing a video on an iPhone or iPad and send them straight to the iMovie application on a Mac computer to be sent off where it will retain the 4k visuals and 60fps.
This has also made sharing a video far easier whereas before it was a lot more confusing on iMovie.
When you’re done piecing together the visuals and audio, simply click the Share button near the top and you will have the option to upload the video straight to either YouTube, Facebook or Vimeo after choosing a location to save the video file.
Camtasia follows a similarly easy uploading process, however, it does give you a few more smaller choices during this process such as giving you the option to create a local file using any settings you want, or creating a separate file where Camtasia can automatically upload the video to the platform of your choice.
After a quick two-step authentication, Camtasia will begin automatically uploading the video to the chosen platform while giving you a handy preview of the final product while it uploads.
Both are therefore incredibly easy and quick when it comes to sharing a video and while Camtasia has been reported by users to have a faster upload time, this doesn’t stop iMovie from still being more than capable to upload videos that will retain their visual and audio adjustments.
Price
Perhaps the biggest difference between both editing programs is in the price since while you will need to make a one-time payment in order to access all the tools and functionalities of Camtasia, in contrast, iMovie is completely free for Mac users who have a computer that was designed after October 2010, however you will need to make sure you have the latest macOS update for it to work properly.
In addition to this, it’s not just Mac users who get to try out iMovie free of charge, iPad and iPhone users are also able to download the app at no extra cost, despite it having far fewer features and being a little less smooth to use.
This is not the case with Camtasia which will set you back $299 with there also being an option to upgrade for an extra $140 to make sure you get all the latest features from any future updates.
Should I Use Camtasia Or iMovie?
Because iMovie is completely free, this means you can test it out before you even start using it as your primary editing software, which is a huge benefit over Camtasia which will cost a decent amount to even start using.
This is not to say that Camtasia lacks the features that iMovie does, in fact, if you’re looking to use a wide range of transitions in your videos, along with smaller effects such as customizing your cursor along with a faster upload speed, these are the areas where Camtasia outshines its competition.
With this being said however, in most other departments iMovie provides better quality for a much cheaper price.
Whether it’s in the video effects or audio department, iMovie offers just a few more features that you can use to customize a video just the