DaVinci Resolve Studio
four apps in one, $295 once, with a free version that isn't crippled
Perpetual
Studio does not unlock collaboration: Blackmagic's own page says the free version already lets several people work on one project at the same time. What $295 actually buys is output above the free ceiling of UHD at 60fps (Studio goes to 120fps at up to 32K), temporal and spatial noise reduction, HDR grading for Dolby Vision and HDR10+, the Neural Engine tools such as Magic Mask, Super Scale and Speed Warp, stereoscopic 3D, immersive audio, remote monitoring and 45+ extra Resolve FX. Blackmagic's record of free major upgrades for Studio owners is a long habit, not a written guarantee. The licence lives on an activation code or a USB dongle, and dongles get lost. It is a heavy application that expects a real GPU.
Cost over five years
$295 once = 13 months of Adobe Premiere Pro. Over five years that is $1,380 rented against $295 owned — $1,085 kept, and you still have the app.
Adobe Premiere Pro priced at $276 a year — single-app plan at US$22.99/mo, annual billed monthly. Checked 2026-09-22.
Resolve is four applications stitched together: an editor, a colour page that working colourists actually use, Fusion for compositing and Fairlight for audio post. Most people meet it because the free version exists and is not a demo — you can cut, grade and deliver a documentary without paying Blackmagic anything.
The $295 Studio licence buys the ceiling, not the basics. You are paying for output above UHD at 60fps, temporal and spatial noise reduction, HDR grading for Dolby Vision and HDR10+, the Neural Engine tools like Magic Mask and Super Scale, and about 45 extra Resolve FX. Collaboration is not on that list; multi-user project sharing is in the free version too, whatever a forum post told you.
There is no renewal and no subscription tier on the product page. Blackmagic has also never charged Studio owners for a major version, which is a long habit rather than a promise in writing — treat it as likely, not guaranteed.
Don't buy it because it looks like the professional option. If you shoot 8-bit footage, deliver at 1080p or UHD, and never reach for noise reduction, the free build is the whole app you need. Buy the licence the day a specific missing feature blocks a delivery, and not before.
What it looks like
What it does
- Edit, colour grade, composite and mix audio in one application
- Studio raises delivery to 120fps at up to 32K, past the free version's UHD 60fps
- Temporal and spatial noise reduction, plus HDR grading for Dolby Vision and HDR10+
- Neural Engine tools: Magic Mask, Super Scale, Speed Warp, face recognition
- Hardware-accelerated H.264 and H.265 encoding
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The facts
- Price
- $295
- Licence
- Buy once, own forever
- What you get
- One payment. Updates included, indefinitely.
- Details
- $295 one-time for DaVinci Resolve Studio, with no subscription option anywhere on the product page. The standard DaVinci Resolve is free. A Studio licence also ships with many Blackmagic cameras and hardware panels, so check the box before you buy.
- Free trial
- No
- On Setapp
- No
- Minimum macOS
- not stated
- Developer
- Blackmagic Design
- Price checked
- 2026-09-22
Check it yourself - Price band
- $120 and up