DaVinci Resolve vs. DaVinci Resolve Studio: Which Should I Choose?

In this tutorial, we’ll explore DaVinci Resolve and DaVinci Resolve Studio. We’ll look at the differences between both and explore the benefits of each one. By the end, you’ll have the information you need to decide which one you want to choose.

The world of video editing features an array of apps and tools. Among the leaders are DaVinci Resolve and DaVinci Resolve Studio. These are powerful editing apps made by Blackmagic Design, and both are top choices for you as you choose your next video editor. Let’s start looking at the features and benefits of each in turn.

What Is DaVinci Resolve?

DaVinci Resolve is Blackmagic’s free video editing suite. It’s a true one-stop solution for editing and post-production. It’s often used to produce Hollywood films and other professional videos, but it’s designed for accessibility, so you don’t have to be an expert to use it.

Inside are all the standard editing tools and menus you expect. Plus, you can work with audio, add visual effects, correct colors, and more. With other editors, like Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects, these features are spread across other apps. With Resolve, you can handle all of your production needs in one place.

What Is DaVinci Resolve Studio?

DaVinci Resolve Studio is a paid, premium version of DaVinci Resolve. It includes every single feature that you’ll find in the free Resolve, but it also expands on these and adds a series of more advanced tools. Resolve itself is targeted at users with every skill level. Resolve Studio is focused more on the needs of professionals with advanced editing tasks to complete.

DaVinci Resolve Studio is a one-time download with updates included. As of this writing, it is priced at US$295, and it works on both Mac and Windows.

The Top Benefits of DaVinci Resolve

Now, it’s time to help you decide. You just learned what DaVinci Resolve and Resolve Studio are, but which one is right for you? Should you stick with the powerful free Resolve, or should you spring for a paid upgrade and embrace DaVinci Resolve Studio?

The key idea is to consider your needs. What are you working on? What types of video content do you produce, and what features do you need to make it happen? With these things in mind, let’s walk through the benefits of both apps. We’ll start with DaVinci Resolve. 

1. Resolve Is Powerful, Yet Free

I already mentioned this, but it’s worth repeating: DaVinci Resolve is totally free. Although it’s studio-grade software, you can download it at no cost. And don’t expect to suddenly run into paywalls to force you into upgrading. It’s a full-featured tool, not a free trial. 

Resolve is updated regularly as well. That means that new features and bug fixes will be happening often. It makes Resolve a strong value offering. For many, it has all the necessary tools to produce feature-length videos. The free price point makes it a viable tool if you’re working on a budget, and you can get the experience of using a professional video editor at no cost.

2. Professional Tools Are Included

Sure, it’s free, but DaVinci Resolve doesn’t come with only basic features. Of course, you’ll find the basics that you know and expect. Trimming, cropping, and timeline-based editing come as standard. But Resolve goes beyond these tools.

Edit in DaVinci Resolve, and you’ll experience:

• Non-linear editing. Common in many top editing apps, non-linear editing is a must. It lets you edit clips from a project in whatever order you want, and the edits you make won’t permanently change your source footage. This allows for amazing creativity at no risk to your video content. 
• Team collaboration features. Resolve lets you work together with your global team. Using the Project Server, you can share projects (or parts of projects) with others around the world. 
• Advanced color correction. Resolve is a noted favorite of many for color correction. This is one of the best ways to transform source footage into something completely visually different. 32-bit processing delivers sharp, crisp results. Inside Resolve, you’ll find a full Color menu tab with hundreds of style options to choose from. Again, this is unusual for free software. 
• Media storage and organization tools. Let’s face it: keeping an edit organized can be a real challenge. Resolve builds in some tools to help with this. For example, you can easily organize clips by category. That’s handled using a feature called bins. Within your timeline, you can also identify waveforms, clip scenes, and more. 

3. You Can Work With Audio in Resolve

It’s easy to forget that audio is a critical part of any good video. DaVinci Resolve keeps audio editing and production in-house as well. That’s handled by Fairlight, the audio package in Resolve.

It includes any audio post-production tool that you’re looking for. And with seamless integration, you can move from video to audio without wasting time.

4. You’ll Enjoy Cool Visual Effects

DaVinci Resolve includes an editing panel called Fusion, which is a tool for creating motion graphics and other visual effects. With other video editors, this often must be done using separate software, but it comes as standard in DaVinci Resolve. It’s found on the included Fusion panel.

5. The User Interface Is Simpler to Navigate

Video-editing apps aren’t often known for ease of use, but DaVinci Resolve is designed for those who may have less experience. It includes a fairly intuitive interface to help you navigate. You can also adjust views to control what tools and panels you’re seeing at any given moment. 

Thus, Resolve is simpler to navigate than some other editors on the market. You also have control over portions of the layout. This helps you keep what you need within easy reach, without cluttering your workspace. 

The Top Benefits of DaVinci Resolve Studio

Now, let’s take a look at some of the top benefits of DaVinci Resolve Studio. Keep in mind: any feature that Resolve has, Resolve Studio also has. But Studio, like any premium product, adds more advanced functionality. Let’s explore a few of those features and benefits.

1. You Aren’t Forced to Pay Subscription Fees

DaVinci Resolve Studio is a one-time, US$295 download. You won’t have to pay any annual or monthly subscription fees. While it is a paid offering, you don’t have to budget it as a recurring expense. Instead, it’s a simple one-time charge. At this price, Resolve Studio remains a strong value offering.

2. Resolve Studio Enables GPU Acceleration

GPU acceleration is a must for extremely detailed and complex projects. It’s an included feature in Resolve Studio, with multi-GPU support. This makes it possible to edit 4K and even 8K videos without slowness or lag.

GPU acceleration is also useful for rendering. Exporting finished productions goes faster. And you can preview edits and changes without waiting forever for them to process. The ability to use multiple GPUs spreads the workload out, boosting efficiency. This makes any task you perform in DaVinci Resolve Studio run faster and reduces the time you need to complete your projects. 

3. Neural Engine Features Power Advanced Edits

We’re hearing a lot about machine learning and artificial intelligence these days. Now, they’re built into DaVinci Resolve Studio. These tools are packaged into what Blackmagic calls the Neural Engine. The Neural Engine allows you to use advanced automation and workflow tools.

For example, DaVinci Resolve Studio can recognize faces in videos. This allows for seamless media grouping—clips starring the same people can be grouped together. This helps you stay organized, without spending hours manually sorting source footage.

The Neural Engine opens the door to powerful automation and performance improvements. Color correction can now be done automatically, with a single click. And resource-heavy edits like speed warping are processed faster than ever. You’ll spend less time doing manual edits, and less time waiting for them to process and render. 

4. Advanced Noise Reduction Tools Are Built In

Unwanted noise is the bane of any video editor’s existence. Noise refers to visual defects that find their way into images, in the form of grainy distortions. Fortunately, DaVinci Resolve Studio comes with advanced tools for noise reduction.

Using AI spatial noise reduction, Resolve Studio is able to identify and quickly remove noise in a clip. It can handle both temporal and spatial noise reduction.

What’s the difference? Temporal reduction compares multiple frames and smooths out noise across them. Spatial noise reduction goes frame by frame instead. It actively resolves defective pixels by comparing them with their neighbors.

5. Stereoscopic 3D Editing Is Possible

DaVinci Resolve Studio delivers the ability to edit unique 3D formats. One of these is stereoscopic 3D editing. Stereoscopic videos work by showing two (slightly) different images to each human eye. This creates a depth illusion for the viewer. Needless to say, not every video editor can handle this type of work.

However, stereoscopic 3D editing comes standard in Resolve Studio. Mastering, convergence, and other core edits are made possible. You can also perform all the grading work needed for top-quality stereoscopic edits.

DaVinci Resolve vs. DaVinci Resolve Studio: Which App Should I Use?

Above, we explored the features and benefits of DaVinci Resolve and DaVinci Resolve Studio. It’s easy to see that both offer powerful use cases. Either way, you’re selecting a video editor loaded with tools and options.

Trying to produce everyday videos? Want to avoid spending money, while enjoying premium-quality features? DaVinci Resolve is a good choice for you. It’s free, but includes more editing menus than most people will ever use. You’ll enjoy non-linear editing, audio tools, and so much more.

If you’re a professional editor, you might need extra-powerful tools. If you’re editing long or complex projects, boosted resources are key. When you edit videos for a living, Resolve Studio is your better bet. It gives you everything that Resolve does, with more premium tools. It remains cost-conscious, with a simple one-time download all that you have to do. 

Learn More About Video Editing With DaVinci Resolve

When you edit in DaVinci Resolve or Resolve Studio, you have countless tools at your fingertips! It can be a little daunting to learn how to get started, but don’t fret. Here on Envato Tuts+, we have many DaVinci Resolve tutorials. They’re a great starting point as you learn more about video editing.

Here are four trending tutorials in 2024:

• 

  How to Quickly Add Auto-Subtitles in DaVinci Resolve

  

  Eddie Boscana

  21 Nov 2023

• 

  How to Merge (Join) Clips Together in DaVinci Resolve

  

  Eddie Boscana

  27 Nov 2023

• 

  How to Automatically Remove Silence in DaVinci Resolve With AI

  

  Eddie Boscana

  02 Nov 2023

• 

  How to Mask in DaVinci Resolve (The Best Ways for 2024)

  

  Eddie Boscana

  30 Nov 2023

Choose a DaVinci Video Editor Today and Start Creating

In this tutorial, we looked at DaVinci Resolve vs. DaVinci Resolve Studio. Resolve is free, but feature-heavy. Resolve Studio builds on Resolve, with more advanced capabilities. 

Choose by considering your own needs. If you really need highly advanced tools, Resolve Studio is ready for purchase. But for most everyday edits and production, Resolve has you covered. And remember: you can always upgrade later. It’s a good idea to try Resolve, and upgrade to Studio if you don’t find all the features that you need.