Adobe Premiere Pro vs. DaVinci Resolve

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Adobe Premiere Pro
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Adobe offers their video editing platform Adobe Premiere Pro, supporting video and audio editing as well as VR presentations, available as part of the company's Creative Cloud suite or as a standalone application.
$22.99
per month
DaVinci Resolve
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Australian company Blackmagic Design offers their video editing application DaVinci Resolve for a wide range of high quality ultra HD effects, render queue, and video uploading options among other features.
$0
Free
Pricing
Adobe Premiere ProDaVinci Resolve
Editions & Modules
Premiere Pro Single App
$22.99
per month
Adobe Creative Cloud - All Apps
$59.99
per month
Adobe Creative Cloud - Students and Teachers
$59.99
per month
Adobe Creative Cloud - Business
$89.99
per month per seat
DaVinci Resolve 17
$0.00
Free
DaVinci Resolve Studio 17
$295.00
perpetual license
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Adobe Premiere ProDaVinci Resolve
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsDiscounts available for student and teacher plan.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Adobe Premiere ProDaVinci Resolve
Considered Both Products
Adobe Premiere Pro
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
I have also used Adobe Premiere Rush (a less capable but more streamlined and easier to use version of Adobe Premiere Pro) and Canva to produce video content. Ultimately I will choose to use Adobe Premiere Pro every time. I always end up wanting to do something in Rush that I …
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
Final Cut Pro is equivalent to Premiere in terms of capability, but our organization is completely Windows based, as are most corporate office environments, and PowerDirector offered an adequate solution but lacked the full suite of tools that we were looking for.
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
I like the interface and features way more than iMovie.
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro has all the tools you are looking for. It is easy to find things, you can save unfinished projects in a location. Other applications do not have all the available transitions, tools similar to Adobe Premiere Pro. Blender has for example a complex interface …
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
Davinci Resolve works nicely (though some things have a different flow compared to Adobe Premiere Pro). More importantly though, whenever I ran into a limitation with Davinci Resolve, I can always find a solution with Adobe Premiere Pro.
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro integrates relatively well with the rest of the Creative Cloud suite. The challenges come down to individual workflows. Each product has its own separate hotkeys and workflows that may make sense individually, but collectively they're a hassle to keep …
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
I have used APP for so long, it was hard to try other editing applications. Adobe stands on its own. FCPX normally has to try to live up to APP.
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
Not even close. iMovie is a good starter set, Adobe Premiere Pro is the real deal. iMovie is a great entry point for you to learn the basics, but when you are ready to take your editing to the next level, Adobe Premiere Pro is the way to go.
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
We had looked at Camtasia due to an industry referral and although it offers a much more simplistic interface and took less time to learn, it wasn't able to compete with some of the upscale Adobe options. That being said, we do use it for small projects that focus more on …
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
Compared to other editing software, it's a cleaner layout, faster render, and much more easy to learn some of the more complex features.
Similar platforms take too long to set up and give commands in one step as opposed to 3 or 4 steps in some software, which saves time.
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
Camtasia is a lower end video editing software. There is limited features and not any integrations with other apps. I think Camtasia is good for super simple video edits. But Adobe Premiere Pro is going to give you all the latest video editing tricks and tools to produce …
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
We actually took time in 2020 to test out Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve to see if they would be better suited for our department but ended up sticking with Premiere. Each has [its] strong suits, but the non-linear editing style of Resolve was too complicated to grasp when …
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro is so much better than iMovie, but iMove is great for people who are just starting out and want a slimmed-down version of Adobe Premiere Pro. Adobe Premiere Pro does have a learning curve and is not as easy to pick up and learn in comparison to iMovie.
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
I had no problems with Final Cut. It was also easy to use and very powerful. However, Adobe Premiere Pro is part of the Adobe ecosystem, so it just makes sense to use it instead of Final Cut Pro. Of course, some people may prefer to pay a one-time fee of $300 with Final Cut vs …
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
We used Final Cut for a while before switching to Premiere. Overall we found Premiere to be a better and more professional video editor with a number of great and easy to use features. Couple that with the fact that it's a part of the Creative Suite and compatible with all the …
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
Each editor has its pros and cons. I tend to not like node-based editing, so the sliders, faders, and effects that I feel comfortable with in Photoshop and other similar programs are reflected in PPs UI. The more recently added hardware acceleration makes editing RAW 4K footage …
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
Final Cut Pro X was better at handling footage playback. Red footage playback was instantaneous. But I couldn't make heads or tails of the layout. It was so radically different and I didn't have time to relearn how to use editing software. Premiere provides fairly smooth …
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
DaVinci Resolve is a powerful editing and color-grading application, and the base version is free. However, I've found that with the Lumetri Color panel in Premiere, I really have no need for Resolve as it meets all of my needs. Additionally, I've found Resolve to be lacking in …
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Spark is better for the average user who does not have video editing experience or even for student use. Premiere Pro is definitely more of a professional software.
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro is the less advanced version of Adobe After Effects. It gets the job done to create quality videos and some of the features are included in Adobe After Effects. Adobe After Effects is more about putting finishing touches or extra effects on your video. iMovie …
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
We selected Adobe Premiere Pro not only because it was included with our Suite but because it covered all bases from beginners to advanced users. As times have gone on our users were looking for a feature rich software to be able to edit videos and Premiere fit the bill.
Chose Adobe Premiere Pro
Premiere has the capability to edit audio, video, and graphics. While we still use Adobe After Effects for more complicated motion graphics and animation, Premiere is where we do most of our work and final exports.
DaVinci Resolve
Chose DaVinci Resolve
I learned so much from this instructional exercise, and I appreciated how the educator is an expert all-day colorist. The section on sound reduction was particularly instructive. I noticed a few inconsistencies between certain methodologies in this instructional exercise and …
Chose DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci has been our preferred tool versus Adobe Premiere. One reason is that its cleaner interface helps make learning easier. Secondly, it handles work on audio components absolutely way better than Adobe does. Thirdly, the features that come with the free version of DaVinci …
Chose DaVinci Resolve
We attempted to give Resolve a chance. Never again
Chose DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve has a comparable learning curve to the other video editing platforms that I have used. I like the DaVinci Resolve allows me to export videos for free and without a watermark, and still has just as many features as Adobe Premiere. It definitely renders faster …
Chose DaVinci Resolve
I am selecting this for cool transitions, effects, and titles. I can export my files to any of the formats such as mp4, mov, mpeg, etc. DaVinci Resolve workspace is very easy to use. I can edit the video in very easy steps with sound, effect, color touch-up, and HDR Grading.
Chose DaVinci Resolve
It is very easy to use rather than the other professional tools. Can handle with an easy layout of each tool.
Chose DaVinci Resolve
It has a free version that is very complete. It lets everyone on the team use a lot of very good tools for video editing that would be very expensive while using other solutions that are equally excellent but not as generous. The cost is a very good reason but not the only one, …
Chose DaVinci Resolve
I believe DaVinci Resolve is doing a great job facing Premiere Pro.
First it's free but still really complete and lets you do a LOT of [different] things.
It's also have many good options or effects.
Chose DaVinci Resolve
Davinci Resolve is MUCH cheaper than Adobe's video tools, but is harder to learn and lacks the rest of Adobe's image editing and design tools. Pricing is comparable to Final Cut Pro X, but Final Cut is Mac-only, and you have to purchase motion graphics and compression tools …
Chose DaVinci Resolve
Adobe Premiere Pro is now a subscription-based software. The yearly cost is fairly high and keeps increasing. There is no option to pay once, you keep paying as long as you want to use it. I have been able to do everything I want/need to do in DaVinci Resolve, with no cost for …
Chose DaVinci Resolve
Whereas Cubase and Ableton are great for writing music (my primary job), Resolve is perfect for recording dialogue and editing together an entire timeline for a show. The post tools that are included are top-notch, and if you've ever used a DAW before, DaVinci Resolve will feel …
Chose DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere Pro are similar, but in leagues of their own. We often use both products interchangeably as they can certainly complement one another. Overall, because of the more intuitive workflow for finalizing and coloring a video in DaVinci Resolve, we …
Chose DaVinci Resolve
Adobe Premier Pro is a great software suit that provides a comprehensive suit of complementing video production features. Whilst it is one of the stand-out products world wide, it comes with a steep price tag, whereas Da Vinci Resolve is priced more favorably.

Final Cut Pro X is …
Chose DaVinci Resolve
For a small business, DaVinci's price point (free / $300) makes it a strong competitor to Adobe Premiere. FCP costs roughly the same, but then DaVinci's color correction is better. If you do not need all the color correction options, then even the free version could be an option.
Chose DaVinci Resolve
I've also used Adobe Speedgrade and the built-in color correction capabilities within Adobe Premiere. Neither one of those are as robust or perform to the caliber that DaVinci Resolve does. It is on the next level in terms of color correction and creating a high-quality look …
Chose DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve is a fantastic free option. For a while, we utilized DaVinci Resolve as our primary video editing software as it allowed us to produce high-quality videos for our marketing and services with low start-up cost. However, as our needs progressed, we eventually made …
Best Alternatives
Adobe Premiere ProDaVinci Resolve
Small Businesses
iMovie
iMovie
Score 10.0 out of 10
iMovie
iMovie
Score 10.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
iMovie
iMovie
Score 10.0 out of 10
iMovie
iMovie
Score 10.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Adobe Express
Adobe Express
Score 8.8 out of 10
Adobe Express
Adobe Express
Score 8.8 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Adobe Premiere ProDaVinci Resolve
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.0
(0 ratings)
9.9
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
3.2
(0 ratings)
1.4
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Adobe Premiere ProDaVinci Resolve
Likelihood to Recommend
Adobe Premiere Pro seems to be industry standard for video editing. For any type of video promotion or production Premiere is a great software for tidying up and correcting video color and audio as well as an easy editor to bring multiple clips together into a seamless production. Because it is the professional version, for casual video editing it may be too much program.
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DaVinci Resolve is perfect for any video editing needs. It provides a lot of tools to control images, logos, text, transitions, as well as any other imported media that has been dragged to the timeline. It lets you create deliverables of very good quality and control every single detail from setup to final video export. It might not be the best option for a quick, simple video edit if the user does not how to use it because it will take a while to get on board on how to use it, even for simple edits.
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Pros
  • The audio output of this program is better than those of other video editing software.
  • You can make cuts from other videos and make a unique video.
  • When you edit a video you can put audio, images, letters and other things.
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  • Resolve isn't extremely difficult to learn, at least from a UI perspective. I've found learning the node system isn't a steep learning curve. Users who can visualize how they want a grade or match to look can find their way around the software and use simple tools to get close to their result. People can do this without a lot of experience with the software.
  • Resolve provides extremely complex color grading opportunities, depending on how deeply you wish to use the software. One can fine tune an image, or use a plethora of masks, camera tracking, effects, and small tweaks to get images precisely where they want. It's a versatile software with so many options for every color grading scenario.
  • Resolve is free to use. I'm not too familiar with the NLE function of the program, but as a free software, one can accomplish a lot of work without needing to pay. Noise reduction can be a critical element of Resolve, so in that case, you'll need to purchase the full version to utilize the software to its fullest.
  • Resolve is popular enough that the internet provides many resources, forums, and tutorial videos to better learn the software. This is a big deal for helping to navigate Resolve's capabilities.
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Cons
  • GPU utilization- While Premiere utilizes the GPU occasionally and during exports, it's mostly a CPU intensive program. Unless you have a powerful CPU, your computer may struggle to playback high-resolution footage.
  • The Graphics panel is very useful and has come a long way but still needs some work. I need more templates available to me since I'm paying monthly for this service.
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  • Working with multiple audio plugins can get a bit clustered with new windows for each. A simpler and more integrated functionality might be better.
  • Some of the keyboard shortcuts for executing commonly used functions can be confusing and takes time to get used to.
  • Maybe they could look into creating a more basic version that does not require so much CPU capacity to operate.
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Likelihood to Renew
Adobe Premiere Pro saves time and cost and it does a great job. When you see the output you know that you have made the right investment in the right application. Adobe does not require a lot of support to work good. There are thousands of videos in case you are looking for a particular thing to do during your work on your videos therefore it is well supported.
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No answers on this topic
Usability
Premiere Pro is a very powerful tool, but it's not intuitive - it's virtually impossible to use without some kind of training or instruction. That being said, once you've learned how to use the product so that you can take advantage of its various video editing and creation options, it's an incredible program in terms of features and tools.
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Da Vinci Resolve is up there amongst the big, professional video editing packages like Apple's FinalCutPro and Adobe Premier Pro. To just be included in this league, the package needs to have a plethora of features that the common man does not need. In essence, this overwhelming amount of features makes the product tricky to learn, but once you have the hang of it, it is a dream.
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Support Rating
The customer support was extremely slow, being passed to multiple departments, having calls dropped and need to start all over. I basically had to hold THEIR hand through the process so they could fully understand the situation. The most effective part was when I finally spoke with someone who was able to access my computer and walk through the issues themself. However, they came to the same conclusion after an entire hour, and had no idea why or that it was an issue that could be escalated to the technical team. Ultimately this communicates that Adobe Premiere has no interest in refining their platform, which solidified my ZERO user confidence in this video editing platform.
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Not only do they have classes available in Los Angeles, but they'll also allow you to work from home with the manual and demo materials, and then let you test out to get a certification. They get back to you quickly when you email, and they've got a "family" approach to customer service, they make you feel like you're important to them.
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In-Person Training
Utilizing one of the many books available on Adobe Premiere Pro, each video editor can learn at their own pace.
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
We actually took time in 2020 to test out Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve to see if they would be better suited for our department but ended up sticking with Premiere. Each has [its] strong suits, but the non-linear editing style of Resolve was too complicated to grasp when already working in linear programs for so long. Their features aren't as robust and Premiere (outside of color). Final Cut is always a great tool, but if we were to switch to using PC it would become a problem down the road. And not being able to seamlessly use After Effects within Final Cut was the final nail in the coffin.
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I learned so much from this instructional exercise, and I appreciated how the educator is an expert all-day colorist. The section on sound reduction was particularly instructive. I noticed a few inconsistencies between certain methodologies in this instructional exercise and approaches suggested in the Advanced Color Grading in Resolve 15 instructional exercise (e.g., where to place sound reduction in the hub tree), but this is to be expected given that there is no one right way to do any of this. I also learned a lot about Resolve's "Restoration" modules for working with authentic film. This instructional exercise will come up again and again in my work.
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Return on Investment
  • It allows my company to produce products. Full stop. There is no more valuable tool than Premiere for our entire company.
  • Premiere's slow export time consumes the entirety of my computer. This means I often need to go to another machine to continue working. It's frustrating.
  • Premiere also slows down when handling videos larger than 1080p. This slows down my workflow. Every second of my workday needs to make things go faster. Anything that slows it down is a serious problem.
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  • Davinci Resolve allows us to make quick edits and improve the sound on our company webinars and demo videos. This adds a lot of polish, and since we can do it in-house, it's cheaper and allows us to post and share those videos quickly.
  • We've used the software for some flashier marketing videos, and that does drive some positive attention and business our way. Most of that higher-level work is handled by outside agencies, but the fact that we can do some of it in-house saved us money.
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