Alternatives to DaVinci Resolve
Professional editing, colour grading, visual effects and audio post in one program, with a free version that is genuinely capable. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
DaVinci Resolve
Professional editing, colour grading, visual effects and audio post in one program, with a free version that is genuinely capable.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as DaVinci Resolve.
Adobe Premiere
Adobe's professional video editing and post-production application for Windows and macOS, formerly Premiere Pro.
Adobe Premiere requires a paid plan and has no Linux version, but it works alongside other Adobe creative apps and is widely used across film, broadcast and web production.
Final Cut Pro
Apple's professional video editor for Mac and iPad, with editing, audio, motion graphics and color grading.
Final Cut Pro offers editing, audio, motion graphics and colour grading with a one-time purchase on Mac and an iPad version, but runs only on Apple devices.
Kdenlive
KDE’s free video editor, with a multi-track timeline, proxy editing and a large effect set.
Kdenlive is fully open source under GPL-3.0 and free with no resolution cap, with proxy clips for low-end systems, but its effects rendering leans on the CPU.
Shotcut
A free cross-platform video editor with a multi-track timeline that edits most formats without importing them first.
Shotcut is a free open source editor that edits hundreds of formats natively on Windows, macOS and Linux, but it lacks Resolve's dedicated colour grading and audio post pages.
Lightworks
Professional video editor with a free tier limited to 720p exports.
Lightworks is a professional editor for Windows, Mac and Linux with a free tier, but that free tier caps exports at 720p and it lacks Resolve's colour grading depth.
VEGAS Pro
Long-running professional video editor with strong audio-editing tools.
VEGAS Pro is a paid professional editor with strong built-in audio editing, but it runs only on Windows and has no free version.
OpenShot
A free video editor with unlimited tracks, keyframe animation, transitions and titles, aimed at people who are not professional editors.
OpenShot is a free open source editor aimed at non-professionals with keyframe animation and titles, but it is less capable on demanding projects and renders more slowly.
Flowblade
Edit multitrack video projects on Linux.
Flowblade is a free GPL-3.0 multitrack editor for Linux only, combining clips, audio, filters and layered compositions without Resolve's colour and visual effects tools.
Also worth comparing
These listings name DaVinci Resolve as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Adobe After Effects
Adobe's desktop application for motion graphics, visual effects compositing and animation for film, TV and web.
DaVinci Resolve combines visual effects with editing, colour and audio in one program, has a free version without watermark, and adds Linux support, though it demands capable hardware.
Avid Media Composer
A professional non-linear video editor used for film, television and news production.
DaVinci Resolve combines editing, colour grading, VFX and audio, runs on Linux as well, and offers a free version with no watermark or time limit.
CapCut
Free video editor with templates, effects, and text overlays for social media.
DaVinci Resolve is a desktop editor for Windows, macOS and Linux with professional colour, effects and audio tools and a capable free version, but it has a steep learning curve.
Cinelerra-GG Infinity
A non-linear video editor for Linux with 8K timelines, multicam editing and color grading tools.
DaVinci Resolve adds reference colour grading, VFX and audio post, with an official Linux build, but it is closed source and demanding on hardware.
iMovie
Apple's free video editor for making and sharing movies on Mac, iPhone and iPad.
DaVinci Resolve is a free professional editor for Windows, macOS and Linux with colour grading and effects, but it has a steep learning curve and demanding hardware needs.
Pinnacle Studio
A consumer and prosumer video editing suite for Windows, currently at version 26.
DaVinci Resolve has a free version with no watermark, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and adds industry-reference colour grading, but it demands capable hardware.
PowerDirector
CyberLink's consumer video editor with AI tools for editing, effects and generated footage.
DaVinci Resolve has a capable free version with professional colour, effects and audio, runs on Linux too, but has a steep learning curve.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
LosslessCut
Trims and joins video and audio without re-encoding, so a cut takes seconds instead of an hour.
HandBrake
A video converter that turns files and unprotected discs into MP4, MKV or WebM with presets for common devices.
Topaz Video
Video enhancement software that uses AI models to upscale, stabilize, sharpen and interpolate frames in footage.
Subtitle Edit
Creates, retimes, translates and fixes subtitles, with a waveform so you can see where the speech is.
OBS Studio
The standard free tool for recording a screen and for live streaming, built around scenes and sources.
