5 Best Alternatives to HitFilm Express in 2024 [Windows, Mac]

When it comes to video editing software, HitFilm Express is one of the most popular options around. It's powerful and robust, making it an excellent choice for experienced editors.

However, as with all things in life, nothing is perfect. And while HitFilm Express has a lot to offer its users, there are some alternatives out there that might better suit your needs. So, in this article, we'll look at the five best alternatives to HitFilm Express in 2024.

So without any further ado, let's dive into our list and find the best alternative for you.

• Top 3 Alternatives to HitFilm Express Snapshot
• What is HitFilm Express?
• 5 Best Alternatives to HitFilm Express
1. PowerDirector - Best Overall
2. DaVinci Resolve - Best for Professionals Using Windows
3. Final Cut Pro - Best for Professionals Using Mac
4. iMovie - Best for Amateurs Using Mac
5. Shotcut Video Editor - Best for Amateurs Using Windows
• Best Alternatives to HitFilm Express Comparison Chart
• How to Edit With an Alternative to HitFilm Express
• Download the Best Alternatives to HitFilm Express for Free
• HitFilm Express FAQ

Top 3 Alternatives to HitFilm Express Snapshot

What is HitFilm Express?

To learn about the top alternatives for Hitfilm Express, it is essential to know what it is. HitFilm Express is a free version of the video editing software HitFilm Pro that allows users to edit and create professional-looking videos and visual effects.

HitFilm Express is a pared-down version of the paid Pro version and therefore lacks a majority of advanced features and only exports in HD.

5 Best Alternatives to HitFilm Express

1. PowerDirector – Best Overall

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

Overall Rating: 10 / 10

Beginner-friendly: 10 / 10

Key Features

• Full featured timeline editor
• Collection of powerful plug-ins for video creation
• Massive libraries of creative assets
• Basic to advanced visual effect capabilities

While HitFilm emphasizes VFX, PowerDirector takes a more well-rounded approach. As a result, it is a robust video editing software with all the features and tools you would need to create professional-looking videos. Not to mention, it is far more straightforward to use compared to HitFilm, making it a much better choice for beginners.

Apart from that, PowerDirector features a built-in intro designer with thousands of templates, a screen recorder with streaming capabilities, and a vast collection of drag-and-drop transitions, effects, and titles. There isn't another video editor that comes close to the speed you can create with PowerDirector.

As if that isn't enough, the video editor utilizes the latest AI technology to ensure your videos look and sound their best. With a single click, you can replace a sky, perfectly fit a music track to the length of a project, or enhance speech to be pristine while removing distracting background noise.

Reasons to Recommend

• Includes 8,000,000+ stock videos, images, and songs
• Compositing tools like chroma key, motion tracking, and video masking with object detection
• Audio editing and color correction

2. DaVinci Resolve - Best for Professionals Using Windows

Image from blackmagicdesign.

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

Overall Rating: 9 / 10

Beginner-friendly: 4 / 10

Key Features

• Editing
• Color correction
• Visual effects
• Motion graphics and audio post production

Next up, we have DaVinci Resolve. It is our top pick for the best alternative for HitFilm Express for professionals using Windows because it has all the tools you need to finish a professional TV show or film in post-production.

With DaVinci Resolve, you can edit, add visual effects, color correct, and edit sound. It stands out for its motion graphics and color correction features. It easily surpasses all other products on this list for color and is the best video editor for color grading when working on industry-level projects.

With all this power does come its most significant drawback, the software is not beginner-friendly or as user-friendly as Hitfilm Express. So, if you're new to video editing, this is not the best tool for you.

3. Final Cut Pro - Best for Professionals Using Mac

Image from BolderVideo.

Compatibility: Mac

Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10

Beginner-friendly: 6 / 10

Key Features

• Smart video analysis
• 360 degree video editing and VR headset playback
• Multicam feature
• Smart Collections

For professional Mac users, the best alternative to HitFilm Express is Final Cut Pro. The software is perfectly optimized for Apple machines, and when working with large, 4K+ footage, no other video editor can handle it better. Especially when working with Apple silicon. It also allows you to adjust the depth of field of footage shoot in Cinematic mode on iPhone 13.

While not for everyone, Final Cut Pro’s Magnetic Timeline can allow for quick assembly once you have become familiar with its mechanics. For example, you can use Compound Clips to bundle separate video and audio clips into a single movable package. Or create Auditions to try out separate takes.

Its rich features include machine learning to detect faces and objects so you can have titles and effects seamlessly follow movements. As well as 3D VR content creation and an impressive collection of motion graphics and VFX tools.

4. iMovie – Best for Amateurs Using Mac

Image from DesignBuckle.

Compatibility: Mac

Overall Rating: 7 / 10

Beginner-friendly: 9 / 10

Key Features

• Crop and rotate video clips
• Stabilize shaky videos
• Add video transitions
• Change the speed of clips

If you are an amateur looking for an easy-to-use video editing software for Mac, then a great option for you is iMovie. It is a very user-friendly video editing software with all the features and tools you would need to create simple videos.

You can easily edit, crop, and rotate your video clips with iMovie. You can also add video transitions, change the speed of clips, and stabilize shaky videos. Besides that, the software also allows you to modify and enhance video color settings.

However, one of the drawbacks of this software is that its processing is a bit slow and time-consuming compared to other video editing tools. But, if you're just starting out and looking for simple video editing software, this is a good tool for you.

5. Shotcut Video Editor – Best for Amateurs Using Windows

Image from Shotcut.

Compatibility: Windows

Overall Rating: 7 / 10

Beginner-friendly: 9 / 10

Key Features

• Eye dropper tool to pick neutral color for white balancing
• Auto-rotate with manual override
• Fade in/out audio and fade video with easy-to-use fader controls on timeline

Last but not least, we have the Shotcut video editor for Windows. It is another very user-friendly video editing software that comes with all the basic features and tools you will need to create basic videos.

With Shotcut, you can easily cut, assemble, and adjust your video clips. It has excellent format support thanks to FFmpeg. Along with a nice set of audio tools, the software comes with a collection of video filters, including a set for 360 videos. 

Shotcut is a good choice for beginners, but it does have some limitations, such as a lack of 4K support and advanced video editing features.

Best Alternatives to HitFilm Express Comparison Chart

How to Edit With an Alternative to HitFilm Express

Let’s take a look at how easy it is to edit videos with the top HitFilm Express alternative, PowerDirector.

1. Download the software for free.
2. Launch PowerDirector.
3. Upload your video files by dragging and dropping them into Media Content in the Media Room.
4. Drag and drop the videos you want to assemble together to the editing timeline.
5. Rearrange your clips in the order you want them. Then trim and adjust them.
6. If you want to add a transition select one from the Transitions Room, which can be accessed via the lightning bolt-shaped icon located on the left side.

7. Continue editing by adding titles, effects, and making adjustments to your color and sound.

8. Once you are satisfied with the results, you can Produce the edited video file.

Download the Best Alternatives to HitFilm Express for Free

If you are not satisfied with HitFilm Express we would recommend trying out PowerDirector as it is one of the best video editing software available on the market. It has all the features that you need to create professional videos without the learning curve of Hitfilm.

Download it for free to see what you can create.