Leaving my Adobe subscriptions behind felt like a gamble at first. Some tools were easy to replace, especially since there are so many great open-source graphics apps out there. But some were harder to replace – finding a decent alternative for After Effects felt like it took forever. And then there was also Premiere Pro.

There are a lot of decent, free video editing alternatives out there, such as Kdenlive, Natron, and Shotcut. But nothing has yet held a candle to DaVinci Resolve. This is by far one of the most powerful free video editors I’ve ever used, and it also has a simple side to it that makes it a good fit for many beginners. There’s so much to love about this app, I don’t even think about Premiere Pro anymore…

It’s cross-platform

Use it on any OS

One of the most underrated perks of DaVinci Resolve is that it’s cross-platform. Premiere Pro is only available on Windows and macOS, and as of July 2025, there’s a beta version available for Windows ARM. DaVinci Resolve, on the other hand, is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Windows ARM. It’s worth noting that Resolve only supports Rocky Linux at the time of writing. This is still a big win compared to Premiere’s limited availability.

It’s easy enough for beginners to grasp

You can get decent edits without tinkering too much

One of the hallmark traits of Resolve is its tab selection. Upon opening the app, you’ll see several tabs at the bottom, namely Media, Cut, Edit, Fusion, Color, Fairlight, and Deliver. If you’re a Resolve beginner, the Cut tab is the place to start. It’s built for simple edits like quick trims, basic transitions, and dragging clips around. You don’t even need to touch the other tabs or jump into advanced effects if you don’t want to. But I still recommend checking out Effects, Transitions, and Titles at the top for some simple additions like text and filters. There’s also no need to bother with rendering – the Quick export function (found in the File menu) is all you need for simple edits.

The free version is insanely capable

It’s an all-in-one color, video, and motion graphics editor

DaVinci Resolve has a paid version, called Studio, which gives you access to things like AI and neural search engine tools, higher resolution and frame rates, and enhanced editing capabilities. But that’s only necessary if you’re an actual studio production. For individuals and small productions, the free version is genuinely pro-level.

The Edit tab is where Resolve really shines for its video editing. You get multiple video and audio tracks, precise trimming, ripple and roll edits, and advanced transitions. You can also take advantage of speed ramping, stabilization, and keyframing for more control. The Transform section is where you can animate with keyframes – I practically live in this section of the app most of the time. Furthermore, features like dynamic zoom and timeline markers make it easy to stay organized with larger projects. Overall, the Edit tab feels more like a professional NLE than a free tool.

Then there’s the Color tab; Resolve’s most famous feature. It was initially developed as just a color correction tool, and has since evolved into a production suite, but never lost its roots. The color grading suite goes far beyond sliders. You can manipulate shadows, midtones, and highlights separately, create node-based color corrections, apply LUTs, isolate colors for secondary adjustments, and even track objects for selective coloring. For anyone who wants cinematic looks or professional color consistency, this is a game-changer, and Premiere Pro doesn’t even come close.

Fusion, Resolve’s motion graphics tab, adds another layer of power. It’s node-based rather than layer-based, which takes some getting used to, but it allows for sophisticated and precise compositing, motion tracking, 3D effects, and animated graphics – all inside the same project. This tab alone is so powerful it can replace the entirety of After Effects. And Premiere doesn’t even have anything remotely similar.

The audio editing is superior

The Fairlight tab is almost a DAW

I’ve written before about how DaVinci Resolve's Fairlight tab is more powerful in some areas than Adobe Audition's offerings, and I stand by it. It’s a full professional audio workstation built right into your video editor. You get multi-track editing, parametric EQ, compression, reverb, automation, and ADR tools without ever needing to leave the app. So when you’re editing your footage, you can clean up the audio at the same time – and not just clean up, but fully edit it as you would in an audio editor or DAW.

Nothing can touch DaVinci Resolve

Switching to DaVinci Resolve isn’t just a budget move, it can genuinely transform how you approach video editing. Between the free version’s pro-grade features, cross-platform flexibility, plus an audio suite, I’m not missing out on a single thing Adobe Premiere Pro offers. Resolve is more than a replacement: it’s an upgrade.