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Side-by-side comparison · Video & Audio

DaVinci Resolve vs Loom vs SOUNDRAW

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

Best overall

DaVinci Resolve

4.3

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

Loom

4.2

From $18/user/mo

SOUNDRAW

4.1

From A$15.99/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

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.

Pick it if: Marketers, video editors and podcasters who need background music for business content without licence worries.

Overview

AttributeDaVinci ResolveLoomSOUNDRAW
In one linePro 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.Generates royalty-free background music you can shape to fit your videos and ads.
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemiumPaid
Starting price$295 one-off (shown discounted to $236 when checked)$18/user/moA$15.99/mo
Free plan Yes Yes No
Works with Claude Code Yes No No

Rating breakdown

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

AttributeDaVinci ResolveLoomSOUNDRAW
Overall rating4.3Winner4.24.1
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
2.5
5.0
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
5.0
4.0
4.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
5.0
4.0
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
5.0
3.5
4.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.0
4.5
4.5

Feature comparison

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

AttributeDaVinci ResolveLoomSOUNDRAW
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes No
Mobile app Yes Yes No
Desktop app Yes Yes No
Browser extension No Yes No
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–
Understands images Yes––
Makes images No No No
Makes video– No No
Writes code No No No
Runs agents or automations–––
Learns your brand or style–––
Works in many languages Yes Yes–
Capabilities score8/ 179/ 172/ 17

Pricing

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

AttributeDaVinci ResolveLoomSOUNDRAW
Plans

DaVinci ResolveOur pick

Free

Most businesses and anyone learning to edit.

Starter

Free

Occasional recordings and trying it out.

CreatorOur pick

A$15.99/mo, or A$9.16/mo billed yearly

Businesses that need background music for their own videos.

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.

Artist Starter

A$30.99/mo, or A$16.58/mo billed yearly

Musicians releasing tracks on streaming services.

Business + AIOur pick

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

Teams who send lots of videos and want them skimmable.

Artist Pro

A$46.99/mo, or A$19.92/mo billed yearly

Editors who want WAV files and stems.

Enterprise

Custom

Large companies with IT and security needs.

Artist Unlimited

A$78.99/mo, or A$27.42/mo billed yearly

Heavy users who want stems for everything.

Enterprise

Custom

Companies with 10 or more staff, or apps that need music at scale.

Which plan to pickStart 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.For business videos, Creator is the plan: unlimited downloads and a commercial licence. The Artist plans are aimed at musicians releasing songs. Prices were shown in Australian dollars when checked.

Key features

AttributeDaVinci ResolveLoomSOUNDRAW
Standout features
  • 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
  • Generate by mood and length
  • Bar-by-bar editing
  • Commercial licence
  • Stems and WAV

Pros and cons

AttributeDaVinci ResolveLoomSOUNDRAW
Pros
  • 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
  • Clear commercial licence, including ads and monetised video
  • Edit sections bar by bar to fit your edit exactly
  • Unlimited downloads on the cheapest plan
  • Free to try before paying
  • Trained on in-house music rather than scraped songs
Cons
  • 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
  • Instrumental only, no vocals
  • Tracks can sound generic or repetitive over time
  • Cannot register tracks with YouTube Content ID
  • Some users report cancelling the subscription is awkward

Who each one is for

AttributeDaVinci ResolveLoomSOUNDRAW
Best for
  • 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
  • Background music for ads and promos
  • Product demo and explainer videos
  • Podcast intros and outros
  • Social media videos
You'll find it used by
  • Video producers
  • Agencies
  • YouTubers
  • Colourists
  • In-house marketing teams
  • Sales teams
  • Consultants
  • Customer success
  • Product teams
  • Managers
  • Video editors
  • Marketers
  • Podcasters
  • YouTubers
  • Agencies

Questions people ask

Which is better, DaVinci Resolve, Loom or SOUNDRAW?

DaVinci Resolve scores highest overall in our ratings (DaVinci Resolve 4.3/5, Loom 4.2/5 and SOUNDRAW 4.1/5). 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. SOUNDRAW is best for background music for ads and promos and product demo and explainer videos.

Which is cheaper, DaVinci Resolve, Loom or SOUNDRAW?

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. SOUNDRAW: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at A$15.99/mo.

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

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.

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