Adobe Rush vs iMovie, which one is better for Apple users

Video content creators and YouTubers need a simple yet powerful means of editing their footage to create compelling movies. Adobe is making a play for these users, with their new software release Adobe Rush.

Presenting as a package that combines Adobe's powerful video editing technology with a simple user interface, the launch of Adobe Rush has been an eagerly anticipated event. But, does the software live up to all its promises, and is Adobe Rush for Mac the best solution?

We're going to compare Adobe Rush vs iMovie, to see which is the winner for the Mac user. Let's find out.

Feature Comparison Between Adobe Rush and iMovie

	Adobe Rush	iMovie
Description	Premiere your movie on all your devices. All-new app for creating and sharing online videos. It's easy to use, works across all your devices, and it'll transform the way you create content.	Turn your videos into movie magic. Premiere your movie on all your devices.
Price	$9.99/month for subscribers	Free
Targeted users	Home video creators	Online video creators
System requirements	macOS 10.13 or later	macOS X 10.4.3 or later
	8 GB of RAM	2GB of RAM
	iOS 11 or later	iOS 11.2 or later required
	iPhone 7 and newer (devices with A9 ARM chip or higher)	iPhone 5s, iPad Air, iPad mini 2, and later devices
Supported formats	The same as Premiere Pro https://helpx.adobe.com/rush/help/import-footage.html	DV, HDV, AVCHD, Apple Intermediate Codec, Motion JPEG/A, iFrame, h.264, MP4, MOV, etc.
Automated video editing	No	Yes
Voice over recording	Yes	Yes
Screen recording	No	No
Audio music editing	Yes	Yes
HD 4K video support	Yes	Yes
Video color settings	Yes	Yes
Crop rotate video clip	Yes	Yes
Stabilization	No	Yes
Video effects transitions	Yes	Yes
Video speed change (speed up/slow down)	No	Yes
Clip browser	Yes	Yes
Timeline	7	2
Photo music import	Yes	Yes
Pre-built themes backdrops	Yes	Yes
Real-time titling	No	Yes
Cloud service	Yes	No
Syncs projects across devices	Automatically via Creative Cloud	Manually via iCloud Drive
Rendering performance	Medium	Quick
Add-ons	Supported	No

Conclusion

Aimed at home video creators, Adobe Rush has been recently released to acclaim from some of the videography community. Designed as a cross platform, multi device video editing tool, this is a 'quick fix' software targeted at social media users who want a fast solution to editing their videos. Some of the biggest advantages of Adobe Rush vs iMovie include:

• Cloud service: Using the underlying engines of Adobe's biggest video creation tools, including After Effects, Audition and Premier Pro, Adobe Rush takes care of some of the heavy lifting in a cloud-based system.
• Larger number of supported formats: In terms of sheer numbers of supported formats, there are far more available on Adobe Rush vs iMovie. At a glance, there are around 30 supported formats, which is great if you want to switch between camera types of platforms.
• More timeline iterations: With seven timelines in Adobe Rush vs iMovie's two, editing can be easier in complex scenarios where multiple timeline creation is required.
• Free for CC members: The cost of Adobe Rush may be prohibitive for some users, as $9.99 a month is a sizeable investment for the general hobbyist. However, if you're already subscribed to the Creative Cloud (CC) suite of programs, Adobe Rush will be included for free as part of your package.

Of course, some of the differences between the two software choices mean iMovie is actually better in some respects.

Squarely aimed at online video editors, iMovie is one of the most powerful video editors on the market for iOS and Mac. Working in both HD and 4K quality, when used with ultra HD cameras, Go Pros and new iPhones, it's packed with features and tools to help users turn simple videos into beautiful productions. Some of the biggest advantages of iMovie compared with Adobe Rush for Mac include:

• Image stabilization: Being able to fix shaky video is a must for any amateur content creator. Adobe Rush for Mac does not offer this, but iMovie makes it easy to take the shake out of your captures.
• Faster rendering: Comparing Adobe Rush vs iMovie, the rendering on Rush is much slower. Sometimes iMovie can slow down, for example when too many commands are used, but in general it's the faster of the two programs.
• Lower hardware spec: iMovie demands a much lower specification of your hardware compared to Adobe Rush. iMovie can be used on the iPhone 5s and above, whereas Adobe Rush requires at a minimum an iPhone 7. iMovie accepts an older Mac OS too, as well as less spare GB's of RAM.
• Free: Probably the one biggest advantage iMovie has over Adobe Rush for Mac is that it's free to use. Previously it was only available free to those purchasing a new Mac or iPhone / iPad direct from Apple, but now it can be freely downloaded from the App Store by anyone.

Overall, there are some benefits and disadvantages to both pieces of software. Overall when we're considering Adobe Rush vs iMovie, the advantages of Adobe Rush don't really outweigh the downside of the significant cost of this choice.

For basic editing, both are competent and there's no real need for the investment in Adobe Rush. However, if you're after a more powerful suite of editing tools, having the Rush component within the CC suite of apps can be a useful way to make a quick edit before using Premier Pro and the other tools to refine the finished piece.