--- title: DaVinci Resolve canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/davinci-resolve/ category: Video Editing Software points: 87 rank: 1 of 12 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # DaVinci Resolve Video editor with a free version and a $295 Studio upgrade that covers editing, colour, effects and audio. 87 points out of 100. #1 of 12 video editors. Vendor: Blackmagic Design. Website: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve - The free version is a download with no price; it handles Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 at up to 60 fps [1]. - DaVinci Resolve Studio 21 costs $295, and the vendor says there are no monthly subscriptions [1][8]. - Studio supports up to 120 fps at 32K, with 10-bit video and accelerated H.264 and H.265 decoding and encoding [2]. - It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and a separate iPad app is free with a $94.99 Studio in-app purchase [1][8][9]. - Fairlight audio supports up to 2,000 tracks with Fairlight Audio Core, and includes a noise reduction plug-in [6]. Verdict: DaVinci Resolve suits people who want editing, colour grading, effects and audio in one editor and prefer to pay once [1][8]. The free version covers Ultra HD, multicam and proxy editing, and Studio adds noise reduction and AI tracking for $295 [2][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 source [2]. Best for: People who want one editor for cutting, colour grading and sound without a subscription. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Systems | Other systems | macOS, Linux, iOS | 6/10 | Product and download pages list Mac, Windows, Linux and iPad; the App Store lists the iPad editor [1][8][9]. | | Price and licence | Free version | Yes | 8/8 | Free download of DaVinci Resolve 21; the vendor pages mention no watermark or time limit [1][3]. | | Price and licence | One-time licence | Yes | 6/6 | Studio is a single $295 purchase, and the vendor's page says "No Monthly Subscriptions" [1][8]. | | Price and licence | Cheapest paid plan | $8.19/mo | 7/12 | Studio, $295 one-time spread over 36 months: 295 / 36 = 8.19 [1][2]. | | Price and licence | Open-source apps | Not published | 0/4 | Not published on the vendor's product pages [1][2]. | | Output | 4K export | Yes | 4/4 | Free version works "in resolutions as high as Ultra HD 3840 x 2160" [3]. | | Output | 8K export | Yes | 3/3 | Studio page says it "supports up to 120fps at a massive 32K resolution"; it does not use the word export [2]. | | Output | 10-bit and HDR | Yes | 4/4 | Studio supports 10-bit video and Dolby Vision and HDR10+ grading and rendering [2][3]. | | Output | GPU-accelerated export | Yes | 5/5 | Studio lists accelerated H.264 and H.265 hardware decoding and encoding, with CUDA and OpenCL on Windows [2]. | | Editing tools | Multi-camera editing | Yes | 6/6 | The edit page has a multicam viewer showing all cameras playing at once [4]. | | Editing tools | Colour grading with scopes | Yes | 6/6 | Colour page describes waveform, vectorscope and parade scopes [5]. | | Editing tools | Automatic captions | Yes | 5/5 | Edit page says you can transcribe clips for subtitles or text-based editing [4]. | | Editing tools | Motion tracking | Yes | 4/4 | Fusion offers 3D camera, planar and 2D tracking; the colour tracker follows moving objects [5][7]. | | Editing tools | Multitrack audio and noise reduction | Yes | 4/4 | Fairlight lists up to 2,000 tracks with Audio Core and a noise reduction plug-in that detects noise [6]. | | Editing tools | Proxy editing | Yes | 4/4 | The compare page lists "Robust Proxy Editing" as an edit feature [3]. | | Editing tools | Third-party plug-ins | Yes | 4/4 | Supports third-party Open FX and audio plug-ins, and Steinberg VST and Audio Units [3][6]. | | Editing tools | Shared projects | Yes | 3/3 | The free version includes multi-user collaboration [1]. | | Editing tools | Green-screen keying | Yes | 4/4 | Fusion's Delta Keyer removes green and blue screen backgrounds [7]. | | Editing tools | Video stabilisation | Yes | 4/4 | Edit inspector has built-in stabilization; the colour tracker can also stabilize images [4][5]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | DaVinci Resolve (free) | Free [1][3] | $0 | | DaVinci Resolve Studio | $295 one time [1][2][8] | - | Studio is shown as a single $295 price with no monthly subscription [1][8]. The iPad app lists a separate $94.99 Studio in-app purchase [9]. ## Strengths - Free version with no stated time limit, covering Ultra HD at up to 60 fps [1]. - Studio is $295 with no monthly subscription [1][8]. - Waveform, vectorscope and parade scopes are in the colour page [5]. - Third-party Open FX and audio plug-ins are supported [3]. - Available on Mac, Windows and Linux, plus a free iPad app [1][8][9]. ## Limits - The free version works with 8-bit formats and stops at Ultra HD; 10-bit and resolutions beyond 4K need Studio [1][3]. - Temporal and AI spatial noise reduction are Studio features [2][4]. - Studio's $295 price is one price for the desktop app; the vendor's pages do not describe how long updates are included [2]. - The vendor's pages do not describe a web or Android editor [1]. ## Vendor claims (not scored) - Blackmagic Design says DaVinci Resolve is the only software that can edit and grade 8K footage in real time [10]. ## Sources 1. [DaVinci Resolve 21](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve), Blackmagic Design, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [DaVinci Resolve Studio](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/studio), Blackmagic Design, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [DaVinci Resolve comparison](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/compare), Blackmagic Design, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [DaVinci Resolve Edit page](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/edit), Blackmagic Design, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [DaVinci Resolve Color page](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/color), Blackmagic Design, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [DaVinci Resolve Fairlight page](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/fairlight), Blackmagic Design, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [DaVinci Resolve Fusion page](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/fusion), Blackmagic Design, accessed 2026-10-08 8. [DaVinci Resolve download page](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/davinciresolve), Blackmagic Design, accessed 2026-10-08 9. [DaVinci Resolve for iPad](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/davinci-resolve-for-ipad/id1581363826), Apple App Store, accessed 2026-10-08 10. [What's new in DaVinci Resolve](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/whatsnew), Blackmagic Design, accessed 2026-10-08