Systems6 of 10
Price and licence21 of 30
Output16 of 16
Editing tools44 of 44
video editor · Blackmagic Design
DaVinci Resolve
Video editor with a free version and a $295 Studio upgrade that covers editing, colour, effects and audio.
In short
- The free version is a download with no price; it handles Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 at up to 60 fps1.
- DaVinci Resolve Studio 21 costs $295, and the vendor says there are no monthly subscriptions1,8.
- Studio supports up to 120 fps at 32K, with 10-bit video and accelerated H.264 and H.265 decoding and encoding2.
- It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and a separate iPad app is free with a $94.99 Studio in-app purchase1,8,9.
- Fairlight audio supports up to 2,000 tracks with Fairlight Audio Core, and includes a noise reduction plug-in6.
DaVinci Resolve suits people who want editing, colour grading, effects and audio in one editor and prefer to pay once1,8. The free version covers Ultra HD, multicam and proxy editing, and Studio adds noise reduction and AI tracking for $2952,3,4. The catch: the vendor's pages do not say how long a $295 licence receives updates, and the apps are not listed as open source2.
Best for: People who want one editor for cutting, colour grading and sound without a subscription.
Where the points come from
Systems 6 of 10 points
Price and licence 21 of 30 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Free version | YesFree download of DaVinci Resolve 21; the vendor pages mention no watermark or time limit1,3. | 8 / 8 |
| One-time licence | YesStudio is a single $295 purchase, and the vendor's page says "No Monthly Subscriptions"1,8. | 6 / 6 |
| Cheapest paid plan | $8.19/moStudio, $295 one-time spread over 36 months: 295 / 36 = 8.191,2. | 7 / 12 |
| Open-source apps | Not publishedNot published on the vendor's product pages1,2. | 0 / 4 |
Output 16 of 16 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 4K export | YesFree version works "in resolutions as high as Ultra HD 3840 x 2160"3. | 4 / 4 |
| 8K export | YesStudio page says it "supports up to 120fps at a massive 32K resolution"; it does not use the word export2. | 3 / 3 |
| 10-bit and HDR | YesStudio supports 10-bit video and Dolby Vision and HDR10+ grading and rendering2,3. | 4 / 4 |
| GPU-accelerated export | YesStudio lists accelerated H.264 and H.265 hardware decoding and encoding, with CUDA and OpenCL on Windows2. | 5 / 5 |
Editing tools 44 of 44 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-camera editing | YesThe edit page has a multicam viewer showing all cameras playing at once4. | 6 / 6 |
| Colour grading with scopes | YesColour page describes waveform, vectorscope and parade scopes5. | 6 / 6 |
| Automatic captions | YesEdit page says you can transcribe clips for subtitles or text-based editing4. | 5 / 5 |
| Motion tracking | YesFusion offers 3D camera, planar and 2D tracking; the colour tracker follows moving objects5,7. | 4 / 4 |
| Multitrack audio and noise reduction | YesFairlight lists up to 2,000 tracks with Audio Core and a noise reduction plug-in that detects noise6. | 4 / 4 |
| Proxy editing | YesThe compare page lists "Robust Proxy Editing" as an edit feature3. | 4 / 4 |
| Third-party plug-ins | YesSupports third-party Open FX and audio plug-ins, and Steinberg VST and Audio Units3,6. | 4 / 4 |
| Shared projects | YesThe free version includes multi-user collaboration1. | 3 / 3 |
| Green-screen keying | YesFusion's Delta Keyer removes green and blue screen backgrounds7. | 4 / 4 |
| Video stabilisation | YesEdit inspector has built-in stabilization; the colour tracker can also stabilize images4,5. | 4 / 4 |
The rule behind each line: how we score video editors.
Plans and prices
As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.
| Plan | Price as listed | Per month | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DaVinci Resolve (free)1 person | Free1,3 | $0 | Ultra HD at up to 60 fps, 8-bit formats |
| DaVinci Resolve Studio1 person | $295 one time1,2,8 | – | 10-bit, resolutions beyond 4K, noise reduction, AI region tracking |
Studio is shown as a single $295 price with no monthly subscription1,8. The iPad app lists a separate $94.99 Studio in-app purchase9.
Strengths
- Free version with no stated time limit, covering Ultra HD at up to 60 fps1.
- Studio is $295 with no monthly subscription1,8.
- Waveform, vectorscope and parade scopes are in the colour page5.
- Third-party Open FX and audio plug-ins are supported3.
- Available on Mac, Windows and Linux, plus a free iPad app1,8,9.
Limits
- The free version works with 8-bit formats and stops at Ultra HD; 10-bit and resolutions beyond 4K need Studio1,3.
- Temporal and AI spatial noise reduction are Studio features2,4.
- Studio's $295 price is one price for the desktop app; the vendor's pages do not describe how long updates are included2.
- The vendor's pages do not describe a web or Android editor1.
What Blackmagic Design says
Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.
- Blackmagic Design says DaVinci Resolve is the only software that can edit and grade 8K footage in real time10.
Other video editors
- 2
ShotcutPeople who want a free editor with no paid tier79/100$0cheapest paid plan - 3
Wondershare FilmoraHome creators who want a one-time purchase with colour scopes, proxies and plug-in support75/100$2.22/mocheapest paid plan - 4
KdenlivePeople who want free multicam and proxy editing on Windows, macOS or Linux73/100$0cheapest paid plan - 5
CyberLink PowerDirectorHome editors who want multicam, tracking and HDR export without a subscription66/100$3.89/mocheapest paid plan
DaVinci Resolve vs Shotcut · DaVinci Resolve vs Wondershare Filmora · All 12 video editors
Sources
- DaVinci Resolve 21, Blackmagic Design. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blackmagic Design. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- DaVinci Resolve comparison, Blackmagic Design. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- DaVinci Resolve Edit page, Blackmagic Design. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- DaVinci Resolve Color page, Blackmagic Design. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- DaVinci Resolve Fairlight page, Blackmagic Design. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- DaVinci Resolve Fusion page, Blackmagic Design. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- DaVinci Resolve download page, Blackmagic Design. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- DaVinci Resolve for iPad, Apple App Store. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- What's new in DaVinci Resolve, Blackmagic Design. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Website: www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Blackmagic Design.