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Side-by-side comparison · Video & Audio

DaVinci Resolve vs Screen Studio vs Wan

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

DaVinci Resolve

4.3

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

Best overall

Screen Studio

4.4

From $9/mo

Wan

4.0

From $0

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Best value

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

Best overallEasiest to use

Pick it if: Founders, course creators and marketers on a Mac who record product demos, tutorials and walkthroughs.

Wan4.0

Pick it if: Creators and marketers who want long AI clips on a small budget, and developers who want open video models.

Screen Studio scores highest overall, but DaVinci Resolve gives you more for your money. Which one is right comes down to what you value most.

Overview

AttributeDaVinci ResolveScreen StudioWan
In one linePro video editing, colour and audio in one app, with a full-featured free version.Mac screen recorder that adds smooth zooms and cursor moves to make polished demos.Alibaba's AI video maker: 30-second clips with sound from a prompt, photos or files.
Pricing modelFreemiumPaidFreemium
Starting price$295 one-off (shown discounted to $236 when checked)$9/mo$0
Free plan Yes No Yes
Works with Claude Code Yes No Yes

Rating breakdown

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

AttributeDaVinci ResolveScreen StudioWan
Overall rating4.34.4Winner4.0
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
2.5
5.0
4.0
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
5.0
4.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
5.0
3.5
4.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.0
4.5
3.5

Feature comparison

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

AttributeDaVinci ResolveScreen StudioWan
Access & platform
Free plan Yes No Yes
Mobile app Yes No Yes
Desktop app Yes Yes No
Browser extension No No No
API access Yes No Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes No No
Enterprise plan or SSO– No Yes
Connects to other apps– No No
Open source or self-hosted No No Yes
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes No Yes
Understands images Yes– Yes
Makes images No No Yes
Makes video– No Yes
Writes code No No No
Runs agents or automations– No No
Learns your brand or style–––
Works in many languages Yes No Yes
Capabilities score8/ 171/ 1710/ 17

Pricing

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

AttributeDaVinci ResolveScreen StudioWan
Plans

DaVinci ResolveOur pick

Free

Most businesses and anyone learning to edit.

YearlyOur pick

$9/mo, billed $108 a year

Anyone making demos regularly.

Free

$0

Trying it.

DaVinci Resolve Studio

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

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

Monthly

$29/mo

A one-off launch or project.

ProOur pick

$10/mo, or $5/mo billed yearly

Regular social and ad clips.

Premium

$40/mo, or $20/mo billed yearly

Heavy users.

API

Pay per second through Alibaba Cloud

Developers.

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.Pay yearly if you'll record more than a couple of months, since it works out about a third of the monthly price. For a single launch video, one month is enough. Students and teachers get 40% off.Pro on yearly billing is cheap enough to try for a year, but start with the free credits because the first payment isn't refundable. Premium is for people making dozens of clips a week.

Key features

AttributeDaVinci ResolveScreen StudioWan
Standout features
  • Edit, colour, effects and audio in one app
  • Colour grading
  • AI Neural Engine (Studio)
  • Text-based editing and IntelliSearch
  • Voice Isolation
  • Collaboration
  • Automatic zoom
  • Smooth cursor
  • Backgrounds and layouts
  • 4K exports and GIFs
  • Shareable links and transcripts
  • Private by design
  • 30-second clips
  • Many references
  • Edit by describing
  • Canvas and timeline
  • Open source models
  • App, CLI and API

Pros and cons

AttributeDaVinci ResolveScreen StudioWan
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
  • Polished results with almost no editing
  • Very easy to use
  • Recordings stay on your Mac
  • Every feature in every plan
  • Long 30-second clips with sound
  • Very low price on yearly billing
  • Older models are open source
  • App, CLI and API
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
  • Mac only, with no Windows version planned
  • Now a subscription; one-off licences are no longer sold
  • Monthly price is steep for occasional use
  • Not built for team messaging like Loom
  • First month or year is non-refundable once activated
  • Wan 3.0 itself isn't open source
  • Website credits and API are billed separately
  • Chinese owner, which some clients will query
  • The app isn't available in every country

Who each one is for

AttributeDaVinci ResolveScreen StudioWan
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
  • Product demo videos for a website or launch
  • Tutorials and course lessons
  • Social clips showing an app in action
  • Website walkthroughs for clients
  • Longer AI clips up to 30 seconds
  • AI video on a tight budget
  • Building a clip from several reference files
  • Running open video models yourself
You'll find it used by
  • Video producers
  • Agencies
  • YouTubers
  • Colourists
  • In-house marketing teams
  • Founders
  • Course creators
  • Marketers
  • Designers
  • Content creators
  • Marketers
  • Developers
  • Filmmakers

Questions people ask

Which is better, DaVinci Resolve, Screen Studio or Wan?

Screen Studio scores highest overall in our ratings (DaVinci Resolve 4.3/5, Screen Studio 4.4/5 and Wan 4.0/5). DaVinci Resolve is best for brand films and product videos and colour grading and matching footage. Screen Studio is best for product demo videos for a website or launch and tutorials and course lessons. Wan is best for Longer AI clips up to 30 seconds and AI video on a tight budget.

Which is cheaper, DaVinci Resolve, Screen Studio or Wan?

DaVinci Resolve: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $295 one-off (shown discounted to $236 when checked). Screen Studio: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $9/mo. Wan: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $0.

Which is easier to use, DaVinci Resolve, Screen Studio or Wan?

Screen Studio rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Founders, course creators and marketers on a Mac who record product demos, tutorials and walkthroughs.

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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