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Side-by-side comparison · Video & Audio

Adobe Premiere vs DaVinci Resolve

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Adobe Premiere

3.8

From $22.99/mo

Best overall

DaVinci Resolve

4.3

From $295 one-off (shown discounted to $236 when checked)

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Easiest to use

Pick it if: Professional editors, agencies and in-house teams already working in Adobe Creative Cloud.

Best overallBest value

Pick it if: In-house video producers, agencies and business owners who edit regularly and want pro results without a monthly fee.

Overview

AttributeAdobe PremiereDaVinci Resolve
In one lineAdobe's professional video editor, with Generative Extend, AI search and auto captions.Pro video editing, colour and audio in one app, with a full-featured free version.
Pricing modelPaidFreemium
Starting price$22.99/mo$295 one-off (shown discounted to $236 when checked)
Free plan No Yes
Works with Claude Code No Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeAdobe PremiereDaVinci Resolve
Overall rating3.84.3Winner
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
3.0
2.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
5.0
5.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.5
5.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
3.0
5.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
3.5
4.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeAdobe PremiereDaVinci Resolve
Access & platform
Free plan No Yes
Mobile app Yes Yes
Desktop app Yes Yes
Browser extension No No
API access– Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes–
Connects to other apps Yes–
Open source or self-hosted No No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes
Understands images Yes Yes
Makes images– No
Makes video Yes–
Writes code No No
Runs agents or automations––
Learns your brand or style––
Works in many languages Yes Yes
Capabilities score9/ 178/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeAdobe PremiereDaVinci Resolve
Plans

PremiereOur pick

$22.99/mo, annual plan billed monthly

Editors who only need Premiere.

DaVinci ResolveOur pick

Free

Most businesses and anyone learning to edit.

Premiere for teams

$37.99/licence/mo, annual plan

Businesses buying seats for staff.

DaVinci Resolve Studio

$295 one-off (shown discounted to $236 when checked)

Regular editors who want the AI tools and higher-end output.

Creative Cloud Pro

$69.99/mo, annual plan billed monthly

People who also use Photoshop, After Effects or Illustrator.

Which plan to pickIf you only edit video, the Premiere single-app plan is enough. If you also need Photoshop or After Effects, Creative Cloud Pro is better value than paying for apps one by one. The annual plan has an early-cancellation fee, so check it before signing up.Start on the free version; it is not time-limited. Buy Studio once you find yourself wanting Magic Mask, text-based editing or vertical reframing, since it is a single payment with free upgrades.

Key features

AttributeAdobe PremiereDaVinci Resolve
Standout features
  • Generative Extend
  • Media Intelligence search
  • Text-based editing
  • Captions and translation
  • Enhance Speech and AI audio
  • Object Mask
  • Edit, colour, effects and audio in one app
  • Colour grading
  • AI Neural Engine (Studio)
  • Text-based editing and IntelliSearch
  • Voice Isolation
  • Collaboration

Pros and cons

AttributeAdobe PremiereDaVinci Resolve
Pros
  • Industry standard: easy to hire for and share projects
  • Works hand in hand with Photoshop, After Effects and Frame.io
  • AI tools are built into a pro timeline rather than bolted on
  • Caption translation into 18 languages
  • Mobile app for quick edits
  • The free version is a full professional editor
  • Studio is a one-off price with free upgrades, no subscription
  • Best-in-class colour grading
  • Editing, effects and audio in a single app
  • Scripting API for automating tasks
Cons
  • Subscription only, and the annual plan charges a fee to cancel early
  • Many reports of crashes and freezes in recent versions
  • Generative features use a small monthly credit allowance on the single-app plan
  • Harder to learn than CapCut or Descript
  • Steep learning curve for non-editors
  • Needs a powerful computer and graphics card
  • Many AI tools are Studio-only
  • Can crash or slow down on older hardware or with long timelines

Who each one is for

AttributeAdobe PremiereDaVinci Resolve
Best for
  • Agency and in-house video production
  • Teams already on Creative Cloud
  • Long-form edits with lots of footage
  • Captions and subtitles in many languages
  • Brand films and product videos
  • Colour grading and matching footage
  • Cleaning up dialogue and mixing audio
  • Long-form YouTube and training videos
  • Editing without a subscription
You'll find it used by
  • Video editors
  • Agencies
  • In-house creative teams
  • YouTubers
  • Broadcasters
  • Video producers
  • Agencies
  • YouTubers
  • Colourists
  • In-house marketing teams

Questions people ask

Which is better, Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve?

DaVinci Resolve scores highest overall in our ratings (Adobe Premiere 3.8/5 and DaVinci Resolve 4.3/5). Adobe Premiere is best for agency and in-house video production and teams already on Creative Cloud. DaVinci Resolve is best for brand films and product videos and colour grading and matching footage.

Which is cheaper, Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve?

Adobe Premiere: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $22.99/mo. DaVinci Resolve: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $295 one-off (shown discounted to $236 when checked).

Which is easier to use, Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve?

Adobe Premiere rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Professional editors, agencies and in-house teams already working in Adobe Creative Cloud.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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