Software Review: Davinci Resolve 17 vs Premiere Pro

***Disclaimer: No photos in this post! But what it lacks in photos, I promise it will make up for in information 🙂

Following my signature style of decision-making, here is a pro/con list with all the info I’ve gathered about both video editing software programs over the past few weeks.

What's the Deal with Davinci Resolve?

Adobe Premiere Pro has been the go-to video editing software for independent creatives forever. Pretty much anyone who makes videos uses Premier. That is, until recently. Blackmagic released Davinci Resolve Studio 17 on March 10, 2021. This latest installment includes features that places it in competition against Premiere Pro.

One thing to note: the original developer of Davinci Resolve- da Vinci Systems- was known for professional color correction programs. For this reason, Davinci’s color correction features are objectively the best in the industry. This is also why it is used by Hollywood filmmakers and is the best for color correction across the board.

Though it is only in recent years that Blackmagic have worked their way into the video editing space with Davinci Resolve, the quality of their software doesn’t dissappoint. Keep reading to find out what might be holding them back…or putting them ahead!

Adobe Premier Pros (pun intended)

More toys. With the Adobe Creative Cloud, you get acess to all other Adobe Software like:
- Adobe Audition for audio-mixing
- Adobe After Effects for fonts, graphic elements, motion graphics, animation, and visual effects
- Photoshop for raster image editing, graphic design, and digital art
- Access to Adobe Stock, which has tons of motion graphics and stock footage for use
Considered the “gold standard” in terms of user interface and workflow. It has been around longer which means there are a plethora of online tutorials and forums to answer all your questions and teach you from the very beginning.
Because it has been around longer and more people use this software, it is the preferred software to use when collaborating with multiple team members and is compatible with more 3rd party plugins.
Has Dynamic Link, meaning you are able to easily switch between editing in Premiere and other Adobe programs like Aftereffects, all while being able to see the changes being made on both platforms.
Tools:
- Synchronize tool allows you to synch 2 audio clips that were recorded at the same time. This comes in handy when video and audio are recorded separately.
- 360VR video feature allows you to edit 360 degree videos using a VR display mode.
- Adobe Sensei’s AI Technology helps to speed up some manual tasks. Examples include: changing the video’s aspect ratio, color matching, and mixing dialogue and voiceover against background audio.
- Multi-camera editing: edit footage taken from multiple vantage points with synchronized in/out points, clip markers, and audio.

Adobe Premiere Pro Cons

More expensive at $20.99/mo for just this program. It costs $52.99/mo for access to the entire Adobe Creative Cloud, which includes all the goodies most people are looking for.
Notorious for crashing. This is because it relies heavily on the CPU (central processing unit), leading to overload.

Davinci Resolve 17 Pros

Cheaper option at a one-time payment of $299! This includes access to other Blackmagic software such as Fairlight and Fusion.
Offers an outstanding free version that includes all of the basic editing function.
Best color correction platform out there.
Access to Blackmagic software:
- Fairlight is an audio-mixing platform. It is able to mix 2,000 tracks in real time. It also can apply a feature that ensures last-minute edits will not damage the mix by recording parameter changes over the course of your triming and moving clips.
- Fusion: Blackmagic’s graphics interface doesn’t have as many options as Adobe Stock, but does offer a ton of great stuff and has been used in Hollywood productions for the past 30 years.
Studio version includes a Neural Engine, which is used to solve complex and time-consuming problems. It uses AI, machine learning and neural networks to do so.
Support for multiple GPUs (graphics processing units).
Advanced noise reduction
Similar to Premiere, it allows for multiple people to work simultaneously without interrupting one another.
Workflow may be speedier with a new layout feature that is different from Premiere.
- Davinci has a Cut Page with a dual timeline, with one showing the entire edit and one focusing on where you are working.
- In the Cut Page, you can view all your imported clips as one continuous piece of footage. This way, you do not have to open and play each individual clip, as you would in Premiere.
Balances workload between the CPU and GPU. This way, neither processing unit is overworked, making it less prone to crashes.
Tools:
- Access to Dolby Vision audio tools.
- Audio-overlay allows you to view the audio waveform of a clip while it is playing, by having the waveform in top of the video in the source panel.
- Neural Engine provides features like:
  - Facial recognition: organizes clips into bins based on people in the shot
  - Object detection
  - Smart reframing
  - Speed-warp retiming
  - Super scale up-scaling
  - Auto color and color matching

Davinci Resolve 17 Cons

The interface seems to be a concern for many video editors. Many of the features are not applicable to amateur filmmakers who work off of a laptop. It is best used in a professional setting, with multiple large monitors.
Due to the array of features, as well as the learning curve involved with the user interface, this seems to be the better choice for high-end professionals who are interested in complicated features for big-budget projects.
To make edits, Davinci uses nodes, rather than layers. Premiere’s use of layers in editing is what most video editors have grown accustomed to. Though the nodes essentially do the same thing, the learning curve can drive some people away. Personally, I have found it easy to use, and I don’t mind the difference.
This software hasn’t been around as long, or existed on the same level, as Premiere. This means that you have less tutorials, forums, and experienced users to help you learn the program.

Both...

are popular and exist as the top two softwares used for professional video editing
have customizable panels so you are able to readily access a workflow that is best for you and your project goals
work with 3rd party plugins and storage
have a similar layout
walk the user sequentially through each step of the editing process, with different pages easily accessed from right to left along the toolbar
have a feature for team collaboration
have proxy workflows, meaning that footage is edited using proxies which are basically mini versions of the actual raw footage. This means that you are able to edit quicker and have a more responsive performance. Later, the edit is finalized, and the original source footage is used in place of the proxies.

Decision Time

So, what is the better option? Does Davinci measure up to Premiere? Is it worth it to pay for ALL programs in the Adobe Creative Cloud?

Some filmmakers have made the switch from Premiere to Davinci, but have kept Premiere and the Adobe Creative Cloud as well. This way, they have the flexibility to use the features in Davinci, but also have a more efficient way to collaborate with people using Premiere.

Adobe does appear to be the best option in terms of all the tools, resources, and functions you have access to. The Creative Cloud does seem to give you everything you need and more.

Personally, after doing all this research, I realized that my editing goals at the moment include simple cutting and editing for the most part. As I expand with the types of projects I am doing, I think making the investment in the Adobe Creative Cloud will be my move. For now, the free version of Davinci Resolve works with me!

All in all, it doesn’t appear as though there is an objectively “better” editing software between these two. Both are the best that the industry has to offer. The choice should be made based on individual preference, taking into account your level of experience, your budget, the gadgets you plan on using, and your personal editing goals. I hope this helps you in being able to weigh your personal Pros and Cons when making a decision between these two fantastic programs!

Let me know what you end up choosing in the comments 🙂 Already feel passionate about one program over the other? Share your opinions to help others starting out in video editing!