DaVinci plugins are external apps that you can install in the DaVinci Resolve video editing software to boost the native tools. There are plugins for effects and transitions, color, and audio, and they range from free plugins to paid, from a variety of developers, including native Resolve plugins. They’re easy to install and will improve your video editing results more than if you just stick to DaVinci’s native tools. DaVinci is a great video editor for Windows, and to make your videos even better, here are the best plugins to improve your experience with DaVinci Resolve.

7 Magic Animate V3

Free and pro DaVinci plugins

The Magic Animate V3 plugin, provided by Mr Alex Tech, is a free (with optional payment) plugin that allows you to animate in DaVinci without using keyframes.

You can make elements spiral, pulse, zoom, or rotate, and you can also scale animations for longer or shorter periods throughout your video. This includes the ability to animate masks in your videos, too.

Magic Animate V3 is available for both the free and Studio versions of DaVinci Resolve, from version 17 onwards. It’s available for Windows and Mac, and might work on Linux systems, although it is untested, and it has most functionality on the iPad version, too.

Mr Alex Tech also offers further DaVinci plugins, as well as Pro versions of the free options, for more stability.

6 Neat Video

Noise reduction for your videos

Neat Video is a plugin you can use on many video platforms, namely DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, and Premiere Pro, in addition to many other video software. Neat Video cleans up noise from your footage, resulting in a sharp, clear, and clean video.

It removes flickers, grain, or other visual imperfections from your clips, and it’s a sure-fire favorite of hobbyists and professional video editors alike. It's great for all types of video, including restoring film to digital, time-lapses, low-light quality, and low pixel output.

5 ReelSmart Motion Blur

Add natural blur to your videos

The ReelSmart Motion Blur plugin is supplied by RE: Vision Effects as both a paid standard and ultimate Pro option. With this plugin, you can add different types of natural blur and motion blur to your videos via individually tracked pixels in your footage.

It includes automatic tracking to ensure every aspect of the blur stays fixed on the correct spot. You can apply variable amounts of blur, 360-degree motion blur, RGB+A channel tracking for precision in dark video, and you can also use this plugin to remove blur, which is perfect for omitting unwanted out-of-focus areas.

This plugin can be used for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems running DaVinci Resolve 11 or higher. ReelSmart Motion Blur price starts from $110, or costs $170 for the Pro version.

4 Reactor for Fusion

Integrate Fusion plugins into DaVinci in one step

Steakunderwater’s free open-source Reactor plugin works as a management system for Fusion Free and Studio VFX tools. Fusion provides further plugins and features, but with Reactor, you can easily manage installation, API, scripting, and all related activities from the Git repository, to save you from going back and forth to download and install individual Fusion elements to DaVinci.

Reactor as a plugin doesn’t itself offer visual features to apply to your DaVinci projects, but it works with Fusion, which does. Reactor is a time-saving plugin, so you can focus more of your time and energy on applying the plugin effects rather than installing them.

3 FilmConvert

Color grading and film stocks

FilmConvert is a plugin that helps you control colors, grain, and film stocks within your footage. It’s a premium plugin from $120, but you’ll have access to over 19 film stock types, a choice of camera profiles, 6K high-quality grain scan for the most realistic results, and 3D LUTs exporting options.

With support from over 9 camera types including Canon, Sony, Blackmagicdesign, and Nikon, and platform availability for Mac and Windows, you’ll add tons of quality magic to your videos with this plugin.

FilmConvert offers a free trial, but not for use with DaVinci Resolve; however, you can still try it out before you buy if you have Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, or After Effects.

2 Boris FX Sapphire

Plugin package of great VFX tools

Boris FX offers a huge library of plugin types, and they’re not limited to one tool per plugin. Boris FX Sapphire package includes over five specific tools and effects, such as blur and distort, lights and flares, render and composite, and more. The plugin claims you can do virtually anything else, as well as the listed features.

Sapphire is a premium plugin with a matching price tag of $495 for an annual subscription. It’s also available as a monthly subscription from $62 per month, and you can get a perpetual license or upgrades too.

Other Boris FX plugins worth considering are:

• Mocha Pro for masking and tracking
• Continuum for content creators, includes AI tools among traditional tools
• CrumplePop, an AI audio cleanup plugin
• Boris FX Suite which includes all plugins in one package

1 Blackmagic RAW Installer

Plugins provided by the DaVinci developers

Blackmagic RAW Installer lets you import and edit RAW format video footage and includes SDK features and an Adobe plugin for use in Premiere Pro too. This plugin is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux users and can be downloaded for free for DaVinci Resolve and Studio users.

The publicly available SDK documents allow for this plugin to encode color metadata, information about the camera’s imaging sensor used to film the footage, allowing the plugin to truly decode imaging characteristics to work in DaVinci Resolve video editing software.

There’s a plethora of DaVinci Resolve plugins out there

Among DaVinci’s native editing tools, adding plugins to your video editing workflow can take your video output to new levels. While most DaVinci Resolve plugins cost premium prices, the results show that they’re worth the investment. Free plugins are available, some of which are listed above, but to create the best videos you can, you need access to the best tools available. These plugins have been sought after and recommended by experienced DaVinci users, and some of these are even used for commercially and critically acclaimed post-production titles.