For creating simple videos, the built-in iMovie is perfect—it is completely free and optimized for macOS. If you need professional editing with complex color correction and visual effects, download the free version of DaVinci Resolve directly from the official website.
Mac users do not necessarily need to buy the expensive Final Cut Pro or pay for an Adobe Premiere subscription. There is excellent free software available for macOS that does not impose watermarks on your final video or limit your export time. The key is to choose an editor tailored to your specific needs so you don't spend weeks learning a complex interface just to stitch together two home videos.
What You Will Need
- A MacBook, iMac, or Mac mini
- An Apple ID account (for downloading from the App Store)
- 3 to 5 GB of free SSD space
Step-by-Step Selection Guide
- Assess Your Needs: If you simply need to trim a video, overlay some music, add text, and apply a few transitions, choose iMovie. If you plan to color grade, work with chroma key (green screen), or create complex animations, go with DaVinci Resolve.
- Installing iMovie: Open the App Store on your Mac. Type "iMovie" in the search bar. Click the "Get" button. Since it is developed by Apple, it runs incredibly smoothly, even on older Intel MacBooks.
- Installing DaVinci Resolve: This software is not available in the App Store. Go to the official Blackmagic Design website. Select "DaVinci Resolve" (without the "Studio" prefix, which is the paid version). You will need to fill out a brief form to start the download.
- First Launch: When opening DaVinci Resolve for the first time, macOS will ask for permission to access your folders and microphone. Be sure to click "Allow," or the program won't be able to import your media files.
If you have a modern MacBook with Apple Silicon chips (M1, M2, M3), both iMovie and DaVinci Resolve have native support for this architecture. This means rendering your final video will be significantly faster, and your laptop's fans will likely remain completely silent.
Alternative Options
- CapCut for Mac: An incredibly popular app that transitioned from smartphones to desktop. It is excellent for editing short-form content (Reels, TikToks, Shorts) and features built-in AI for background removal and auto-captions.
- Shotcut: An open-source program. The interface looks slightly dated, but it supports almost all video formats and requires very little computing power.
Check out our guide on Free AI Video Editing Software
Frequently Asked Questions
No, iMovie is a completely free product provided by Apple for its users. There are no watermarks, logos, or export resolution limits (it supports up to 4K exports).
DaVinci Resolve is highly demanding, especially on the GPU and RAM. On older MacBook Airs (pre-2020), it may lag significantly during playback. For older Macs, it is highly recommended to stick with iMovie or CapCut.