Side-by-side comparison · Video & Audio
DaVinci Resolve vs Google Flow Music vs Riverside
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: In-house video producers, agencies and business owners who edit regularly and want pro results without a monthly fee.
Pick it if: Creators and small businesses who want custom songs, jingles or background music, and hobbyists who just want to make music.
Pick it if: Businesses running a podcast, interview series or webinar who want guests to sound and look professional without a studio.
Overview
| Attribute | DaVinci Resolve | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Pro video editing, colour and audio in one app, with a full-featured free version. | Google's AI music studio: chat to make full songs, edit them, and make a music video. | Records podcasts and video interviews remotely in studio quality, with AI editing. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $295 one-off (shown discounted to $236 when checked) | $0 | $29/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | No | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | DaVinci Resolve | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 2.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | DaVinci Resolve | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | No | No |
| Browser extension | No | No | No |
| API access | Yes | No | – |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | No | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | – | No | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | – | No | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | – | – |
| Makes images | No | Yes | No |
| Makes video | – | Yes | No |
| Writes code | No | Yes | No |
| Runs agents or automations | – | No | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | – | – | – |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 8/ 17 | 7/ 17 | 8/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | DaVinci Resolve | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | DaVinci ResolveOur pick Free Most businesses and anyone learning to edit. | Free $0 Trying it and making the odd song. | Free Free Trying it with a test episode. |
DaVinci Resolve Studio $295 one-off (shown discounted to $236 when checked) Regular editors who want the AI tools and higher-end output. | StarterOur pick $6/mo Creators who need music every week. | ProOur pick $29/mo, or $24/mo billed yearly A business running a regular podcast or interview series. | |
Plus $18/mo Heavy users and music videos. | Grow $39/mo, or $34/mo billed yearly Teams recording several shows or long interviews. | ||
Member $48/mo Musicians who live in it. | Webinar $99/mo, or $79/mo billed yearly Businesses that run webinars and live events. | ||
Business Custom Larger teams with several producers. | |||
| Which plan to pick | 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. | Start on Free, since the daily credits go a long way for background music. Starter is cheap enough to take once you're making music every week. Yearly billing saves about 25%. | Pro on yearly billing covers most company podcasts. Move to Grow only if you record more than about five hours a month, and to Webinar only if you host live events. |
Key features
| Attribute | DaVinci Resolve | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | DaVinci Resolve | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | DaVinci Resolve | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, DaVinci Resolve, Google Flow Music or Riverside?
They tie on our overall rating (DaVinci Resolve 4.3/5, Google Flow Music 4.3/5 and Riverside 4.3/5). DaVinci Resolve is best for brand films and product videos and colour grading and matching footage. Google Flow Music is best for custom background music for videos and jingles and short brand songs. Riverside is best for company podcasts with remote guests and recording client or customer interviews.
Which is cheaper, DaVinci Resolve, Google Flow Music or Riverside?
DaVinci Resolve: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $295 one-off (shown discounted to $236 when checked). Google Flow Music: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $0. Riverside: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $29/mo.
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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