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DaVinci Resolve vs Premiere Pro: Free Powerhouse or Industry Standard?
The two editors serious creators choose between, compared on our 4K project, cost over three years and what each does that the other cannot.
August 22, 2026 · 5 min read
Resolve is free (Studio $295 once); Premiere is $22.99 a month ($827 over three years). Both handled our six-layer 4K project. The differences are in workflow.
Where Resolve wins
- Colour: the Color page is what feature films are graded on.
- Cost: nothing, or $295 once.
- Fusion and Fairlight give you effects and audio post without leaving the app.
- Linux.
Where Premiere wins
- Text-based editing and captions saved the most time of any feature in our test.
- After Effects, Photoshop, Audition and Frame.io are one click away.
- Project files open on every collaborator's machine.
- Gentler learning curve — our beginner finished in 2 hours vs 4.
Decision
Solo creator, or you care about colour: Resolve. Team work, client deliverables, or already paying for Creative Cloud: Premiere.
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