Skip to content

Side-by-side comparison · Video & Audio

Captions vs DaVinci Resolve vs Loom

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

Captions

3.9

From $24.99/mo

Best overall

DaVinci Resolve

4.3

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

Loom

4.2

From $18/user/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Pick it if: Founders, coaches and marketers who post talking-to-camera videos on social media every week.

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.

Loom4.2
Easiest to use

Pick it if: Teams, consultants and salespeople who explain things on screen and want to send a video instead of booking a call.

Overview

AttributeCaptionsDaVinci ResolveLoom
In one linePhone and web app that edits talking-head videos and adds animated captions for you.Pro video editing, colour and audio in one app, with a full-featured free version.Records your screen and camera in one click, with AI titles, summaries and chapters.
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$24.99/mo$295 one-off (shown discounted to $236 when checked)$18/user/mo
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code Yes Yes No

Rating breakdown

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

AttributeCaptionsDaVinci ResolveLoom
Overall rating3.94.3Winner4.2
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
4.5
2.5
5.0
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.0
5.0
4.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.0
5.0
4.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
3.0
5.0
3.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.0
4.0
4.5

Feature comparison

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

AttributeCaptionsDaVinci ResolveLoom
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Mobile app Yes Yes Yes
Desktop app No Yes Yes
Browser extension No No Yes
API access Yes Yes–
Teams & business
Team workspace– Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes– Yes
Connects to other apps–– Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes Yes
Understands images– Yes–
Makes images Yes No No
Makes video Yes– No
Writes code No No No
Runs agents or automations–––
Learns your brand or style–––
Works in many languages Yes Yes Yes
Capabilities score8/ 178/ 179/ 17

Pricing

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

AttributeCaptionsDaVinci ResolveLoom
Plans

Free

Free

Trying it out with simple trims and captions.

DaVinci ResolveOur pick

Free

Most businesses and anyone learning to edit.

Starter

Free

Occasional recordings and trying it out.

MaxOur pick

$24.99/mo

Anyone posting talking-head videos every week.

DaVinci Resolve Studio

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

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

Business

$18/user/mo, or about $15 billed yearly

Teams who record often but don't need AI extras.

Frontier

$69.99/mo

Heavy users and small teams making lots of AI video.

Business + AIOur pick

$24/user/mo, or about $20 billed yearly

Teams who send lots of videos and want them skimmable.

Enterprise

Custom

Brands producing video at volume.

Enterprise

Custom

Large companies with IT and security needs.

Which plan to pickStart on Free to see if the caption styles suit your brand. If you post most weeks, Max is the plan to pay for; only move to Frontier if you keep running out of credits. Prices shown are the iPhone prices and yearly plans are cheaper, so compare before you buy.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.Try Starter first. If people on your team record most days, Business + AI on yearly billing is worth it for the summaries and clean-up; plain Business is fine if you just need unlimited length.

Key features

AttributeCaptionsDaVinci ResolveLoom
Standout features
  • Automatic captions
  • AI Edit
  • Eye contact and dubbing
  • AI twin and AI actors
  • Long video to clips
  • Chat-based editing
  • Edit, colour, effects and audio in one app
  • Colour grading
  • AI Neural Engine (Studio)
  • Text-based editing and IntelliSearch
  • Voice Isolation
  • Collaboration
  • One-click recording
  • AI titles, summaries and chapters
  • Clean-up
  • Turn video into docs
  • Viewer insights
  • Meeting notes

Pros and cons

AttributeCaptionsDaVinci ResolveLoom
Pros
  • Very quick to learn: filming to finished clip in minutes
  • Caption styles look current and are easy to match to your brand
  • Eye contact, dubbing and AI twin are useful for people who dislike filming
  • Works on phone and web
  • Has an API for captioning and video generation
  • 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
  • The quickest way to record and share a screen video
  • Viewers need no account or download
  • AI summaries and chapters make videos easy to skim
  • Works everywhere: Mac, Windows, Chrome, iPhone and Android
  • Embeds cleanly in Slack, Notion and Jira
Cons
  • AI credits run out fast, and some users say failed AI edits still use them
  • Recurring complaints about trial charges, renewals and refunds
  • Free plan is very limited
  • Not built for long or complex edits
  • 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
  • Free plan limits run out quickly for regular users
  • Price increases and the loss of free viewer seats since Atlassian bought it
  • AI features are a separate, pricier tier
  • Some users report failed uploads, lag and audio sync problems

Who each one is for

AttributeCaptionsDaVinci ResolveLoom
Best for
  • Captioned reels, TikToks and Shorts
  • Cleaning up talking-head clips
  • Dubbing a video into other languages
  • Quick ad variations with AI actors
  • 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
  • Async updates instead of meetings
  • Walking clients through work
  • Staff training and how-tos
  • Personal sales videos
  • Bug reports and design feedback
You'll find it used by
  • Founders
  • Coaches and consultants
  • Social media managers
  • Content creators
  • Small marketing teams
  • Video producers
  • Agencies
  • YouTubers
  • Colourists
  • In-house marketing teams
  • Sales teams
  • Consultants
  • Customer success
  • Product teams
  • Managers

Questions people ask

Which is better, Captions, DaVinci Resolve or Loom?

DaVinci Resolve scores highest overall in our ratings (Captions 3.9/5, DaVinci Resolve 4.3/5 and Loom 4.2/5). Captions is best for captioned reels, TikToks and Shorts and cleaning up talking-head clips. DaVinci Resolve is best for brand films and product videos and colour grading and matching footage. Loom is best for async updates instead of meetings and walking clients through work.

Which is cheaper, Captions, DaVinci Resolve or Loom?

Captions: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $24.99/mo. DaVinci Resolve: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $295 one-off (shown discounted to $236 when checked). Loom: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $18/user/mo.

Which is easier to use, Captions, DaVinci Resolve or Loom?

Loom rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Teams, consultants and salespeople who explain things on screen and want to send a video instead of booking a call.

How we compare

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

Swap in another tool

More tools from Video & Audio in the library.