DaVinci Resolve Freemium

What it is

DaVinci Resolve is Blackmagic Design's all-in-one post-production application for Windows, macOS and Linux: editing, colour grading, Fusion visual effects and Fairlight audio in one program. The current release is DaVinci Resolve 21 (21.1). It comes as a free version and a one-time-purchase Studio version that unlocks the DaVinci AI Neural Engine.

Key features

• Professional edit, cut, colour, Fusion VFX and Fairlight audio pages
• AI IntelliSearch to find people, objects and spoken words in footage
• AI speech generator that can create a voice from Blackmagic's models or a sample of about 10 seconds
• Voice Isolation, Music Remixer and dialogue tools in Fairlight
• Magic Mask, Smart Reframe, SpeedWarp, SuperScale, UltraSharpen, CineFocus and Motion Deblur
• Text-based editing and AI Slate ID for clapperboard metadata
• Multi-user collaboration, included even in the free version

Models inside

Resolve's AI features run on Blackmagic's own DaVinci Neural Engine. Blackmagic does not document any third-party generative models (such as Veo or FLUX) inside Resolve.

Pricing and rights

The free DaVinci Resolve supports 8-bit formats up to Ultra HD 3840x2160 at 60 fps, HDR grading and collaboration. Blackmagic's page lists no export watermark on the free version. DaVinci Resolve Studio costs $295 once, with no subscription, and adds the Neural Engine AI tools, extra Resolve FX, 10-bit video up to 120 fps and resolutions beyond 4K. Many Blackmagic cameras include a Studio licence. Your footage and exports are your own; you do not pay per generation.

Who it is for

Editors, colourists and filmmakers who want a professional tool without a subscription, and budget creators who can make do with the free version.

Verdict

Resolve gives more for $0 or $295 than almost any rival, and its AI tools are practical rather than generative. It is heavy on hardware, harder to learn than CapCut or Descript, and the most useful AI features require Studio.