DaVinci Resolve is desktop editing, color grading, visual effects and audio software that Blackmagic Design gives away for free, with a one-time $295 upgrade to Studio for its AI tools and top-end grading. What decides whether it suits you is less the price and more whether you need those Studio-only extras, since the free edition already covers full editing, color and audio work.
What is DaVinci Resolve?
DaVinci Resolve is made by Blackmagic Design. It installs on Windows, Mac and Rocky Linux, and a version called DaVinci Resolve for iPad runs the same editing tools on Apple's tablet. There is no browser version: everything happens in the desktop or iPad app, on your own machine.
Editing in DaVinci Resolve
Editing covers multicam programs, with a sync bin and source overwrite tools for cutting between camera angles. Color grading runs on professional scopes, including a waveform monitor and vectorscope, alongside HDR color wheels, power windows and a node editor for building a grade step by step. HDR grading itself is included in the free edition, and Studio adds a more advanced version of it.
DaVinci Resolve reads Blackmagic RAW natively and works with what Blackmagic Design calls virtually all native camera raw formats, and it includes a proxy workflow for editing on lower-resolution stand-ins before switching back to full-resolution media. Motion tracking covers both power window tracking for a grade and point, planar and 3D camera tracking in Fusion, the compositing tool built into the same app for rotoscoping, keying and node-based visual effects. Third-party Open FX and audio plugins extend it further, along with third-party title and motion graphics templates.
Color correction in the free edition goes up to Ultra HD, 3840 by 2160. Studio is needed for resolutions beyond that, and DaVinci Resolve can edit and grade footage up to 8K in real time.
What the AI does
Magic Mask, an AI masking tool, is one of the features that only unlocks in Studio. The DaVinci Neural Engine also powers smart reframing, which fits a shot to another aspect ratio by itself, and facial recognition that sorts clips into bins by who appears in them. Text-based editing lets you cut by working from a transcript, and the same transcription engine generates timed subtitles for auto captions. On the audio side, Fairlight includes Voice Isolation and a Music Remixer, with the AI versions of these effects again reserved for Studio.
Working with other people
DaVinci Resolve supports multi-user collaboration so more than one editor can work on the same project, using Blackmagic Cloud when you want it hosted remotely rather than on a local server. Workflow integration and encoding APIs let developers connect DaVinci Resolve to asset management and other production systems. It runs on Windows, Mac, Rocky Linux and iPad, so a project can move between a desktop suite and a tablet.
DaVinci Resolve pricing: what you actually pay
The free edition of DaVinci Resolve never expires and is not a trial: it includes editing, color correction up to Ultra HD, visual effects, motion graphics, audio post and multi-user collaboration. Studio costs $295 once, with no subscription and no trial period, and unlocks Magic Mask, the AI versions of the Fairlight effects, extra Resolve FX, advanced HDR grading and resolutions beyond 4K. Whichever edition you use, DaVinci Resolve is yours to keep after installing it, since neither one is billed monthly.
Privacy and support
DaVinci Resolve edits on your own machine, so there is no service holding your project: your footage stays local unless you choose to use Blackmagic Cloud for multi-user collaboration. Blackmagic Design is regulated under GDPR. Support runs through email, phone and a community forum.
Who DaVinci Resolve suits
DaVinci Resolve suits editors and colorists who want a full professional toolset, including scopes-based grading, Fusion compositing and Fairlight audio, without paying anything for it, and who are willing to spend $295 once for Magic Mask, advanced HDR grading and the rest of Studio's extras.
It suits less well anyone who wants those AI extras without the up-front Studio purchase, or anyone who needs a browser-based tool rather than a desktop or iPad install.
How DaVinci Resolve compares
DaVinci Resolve scores 9.3 out of 10 among the professional video editors we rate. These two do the same job and are the closest to it, compared on what each vendor publishes.
Adobe Premiere
DaVinci Resolve lets several editors share a project through Blackmagic Cloud and includes a scripting API; Premiere also allows several editors, through Frame.io. Premiere is subscription only at $22.99 a month, while DaVinci Resolve's free edition never expires and Studio costs a one-time $295 instead of a subscription. Premiere generates new footage with Generative Extend and translates captions; DaVinci Resolve does neither.
Pick Adobe Premiere if you need generative footage extension or caption translation.
Pick DaVinci Resolve if you want a free permanent editor or to buy Studio once.
Final Cut Pro
DaVinci Resolve runs on Windows, Mac and iPad; Final Cut Pro runs only on Mac and iPad. Final Cut Pro has no free tier at all, and its cheapest figure is the $12.99 a month Apple Creator Studio bundle, which also carries Logic Pro, Motion and other Apple apps. DaVinci Resolve's own free edition never expires, and Studio is a one-time $295 purchase instead of a subscription. Masking needs Resolve Studio, while Final Cut Pro has it in the app itself.
Pick Final Cut Pro if you're on Mac or iPad and want masking without an upgrade.
Pick DaVinci Resolve if you want several editors on one project or a free permanent editor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does DaVinci Resolve cost?
The base edition of DaVinci Resolve is free and never expires. Studio, which adds Magic Mask, advanced HDR grading and the AI Fairlight effects, is a one-time purchase of $295 rather than a subscription.
What machines does DaVinci Resolve run on?
DaVinci Resolve installs on Windows, Mac and Rocky Linux, and DaVinci Resolve for iPad brings the same core tools to Apple's tablet.
Do I need to buy Studio to use DaVinci Resolve's color grading?
No. Color grading with scopes and HDR grading are both in the free edition. Studio's grading additions are the more advanced HDR tools and resolutions beyond 4K, alongside Magic Mask and the AI audio effects.
Does DaVinci Resolve keep my footage private?
Yes, since it edits on your own machine rather than in the cloud. Multi-user collaboration through Blackmagic Cloud is optional, and Blackmagic Design is regulated under GDPR.
