# iMovie vs Splice

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: iMovie at none against Splice's 10. Splice's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months) and review sentiment (71% vs 59%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Splice sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. iMovie asks for nothing beyond the download.

Splice holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 322K and 431K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of iMovie's written reviews are positive against 71% of Splice's.

iMovie ships an update every 7 months, Splice fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | iMovie | Splice |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (322K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imovie/id377298193/reviews) | **[4.6 (431K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/splice-video-editor-and-maker/id409838725/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 322K | **431K** |
| Positive reviews | 59.0% of reviews | **71.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#16** |
| Size | 670 MB | 162 MB |
| Requires iOS | 27.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) | [BENDING SPOONS OPERATIONS SPA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1280299077) |

## What reviewers say

### iMovie

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imovie/id377298193)

Easily create stunning Hollywood-style trailers and beautiful movies with intuitive gestures and streamlined design. Features like Magic Movies and Storyboards simplify video creation, while advanced tools allow for detailed editing and effects.

**Highlights:** Create Magic Movies with a few taps, Use Storyboards for guided video creation, Design Hollywood-style trailers with templates, Edit movies with themes, filters, and titles, Add picture-in-picture, green screen, and split screen effects, Utilize soundtracks that adjust to video length, Transfer projects between Apple devices

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎥 Great for making movies and trailers
- 💻 Works well on both mobile and desktop
- 🎨 Lots of creative features and effects

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🗂️ Takes up a lot of storage space
- 🔇 Limited music/audio options
- 🔍 Difficult to find and delete old projects

**Reported bugs**

- Videos and audio getting out of sync after exporting
- Inability to move or edit green screen clips
- Freezing and crashing when working on longer projects
- Deleted videos/photos still affecting existing projects

**Requested features**

- Add more customization options for text, transitions, and backgrounds
- Improve video/audio syncing and editing tools
- Allow portrait mode and better support for vertical videos
- Integrate with more music/audio sources like Spotify


### Splice

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/splice-video-editor-and-maker/id409838725)

**Currently charting:** #16 Top Grossing · Photo & Video, #92 Top Free · Photo & Video, #189 Top Grossing (US App Store)

Create professional-looking videos on your mobile device with intuitive editing tools. Easily trim clips, add effects like slow motion and Chroma Key, and customize soundtracks with royalty-free music or your own audio. Share your creations directly to social media platforms or save them to your camera roll.

**Highlights:** Trim, cut, and crop video clips, Adjust playback speed and apply speed ramping, Overlay clips with masks and Ken Burns effect, Remove backgrounds with Chroma Key, Access 6,000+ royalty-free music tracks, Add narration and custom sound effects, Direct sharing to social media

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Movie creator and clip editing | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Splice | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Splice Weekly With Free Trial | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Splice Bundle | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Splice Weekly With Free Trial | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Splice Bundle | $9.99 | per 7 days |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 🎨 Variety of editing tools
- 🎶 Good music selection
- 💡 Allows video and photo editing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy performance
- 🔒 Paywall for basic features
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate
- 🔇 Audio issues

**Reported bugs**

- Videos fail to export properly
- App crashes during editing
- Syncing issues with audio and video
- Laggy performance on older devices
- Inconsistent behavior with photo/video imports

**Requested features**

- Add more transition options
- Allow importing custom music
- Improve text editing capabilities
- Implement layers and compositing
- Provide better export options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iMovie free?

iMovie is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Splice free?

Splice is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, iMovie or Splice?

Splice is rated higher. iMovie averages 4.4 out of 5 from 322K ratings, while Splice averages 4.6 from 431K ratings.

### Do iMovie or Splice have ads?

Neither iMovie nor Splice shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iMovie or Splice?

iMovie ships an update every 7 months, and Splice fortnightly. Most recently, iMovie was updated on November 10, 2026 and Splice on November 10, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*