There used to be a time when DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro were considered two fundamentally different programs. DaVinci Resolve was created as a platform that was exclusively for advanced color correction. It worked in tandem with programs like Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro to offer fine-tuned color grades for which these programs were not fully equipped. 

However, Black Magic Productions decided to take Resolve one step further and began converting the platform into a full-service non-linear editing platform (NLE). Now DaVinci Resolve is competing against long-standing NLEs like Premiere Pro as a one-stop shop video editing software.

But does DaVinci Resolve have what it takes to compete against a long-standing platform like Premiere Pro? There are many overlapping features between the two, which can make deciding which program to use a challenge, especially for editors and filmmakers who are just starting out.

But never fear. We’re here to put these programs to the test against each other and reveal the good, the bad, and the ugly of each platform.  

What Do DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro Do?

DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro are both non-linear video editing programs designed for professional video editing. This means they allow you to arrange and rearrange video clips in any order to create your final product. They also include visual effects, color correction, and audio editing tools so you can polish your project to perfection.  

The Main Differences Between DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro

While originally, DaVinci Resolve was strictly a color correction program for professional colorists, the platform has since been expanded to incorporate all non-linear editing features and tools. It is now a direct competitor to Premiere Pro. 

So now, DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro share more similarities than differences. They both work on Windows and Mac OS, allowing you to assemble a video project from start to finish. The main differences lie in how their workspaces are laid out, their pricing structure, and a few finer features, which we’ll dive into later in our comparison. The differences we found were very much in the details. 

Head-to-Head Comparison

Ok, here’s what you’ve been waiting for. It’s time to put these programs up against each other and see which ones excel in each of our key categories: 

Ease of Use

• Winner: Premiere Pro
• Why: Both of these programs have something of a learning curve, but Premiere Pro is designed to be slightly more beginner-friendly than DaVinci Resolve. With included tutorials and a clean drag-and-drop interface without too many distractions, if you’ve never worked with an NLE before, you’ll likely find Premiere Pro a little easier to get your hands on.  

Quality of Support

• Winner: Premiere Pro
• Why: Adobe’s customer support is top-notch. Adobe.com has hundreds of tutorials for all its software to help guide you through the different available features before you ever have to pick up a phone and talk to support or go digging around online.
  
  If you get stuck on how to solve a particular editing problem, you can use the Adobe community to ask questions or browse previous questions and answers to help you get un-stuck. If all else fails, Adobe’s support team is available by chat, email, or phone 24/7 to help you through whatever issue you may be facing.
  
  This isn’t to say that DaVinci Resolve doesn’t have high-quality support, but Adobe’s wide array of resources and robust community edge it out in this category.
  

Basic Effects

• Winner: Premiere Pro
• Why: One of the biggest selling points of Premiere Pro is its wealth of built-in effects. It includes surprisingly powerful tools like Warp Stabilizer that you’d never guess were included effects in a non-linear editing program. You can also create titles, quickly correct color, and remove video and color noise. For basic effects, Premiere Pro more than has you covered and is one of the reasons that many people choose Premiere Pro as their one-stop editing platform. 
  

Advanced Visual Effects

• Winner: Premiere Pro
• Why: While neither platform is specifically geared towards handling more advanced visual effects, Premiere Pro still has the edge over DaVinci Resolve in the advanced visual effects category. As we mentioned before, tools like Warp Stabilizer are fairly advanced for a non-linear editing platform. With a little finessing, you can create quite advanced effects using the included tools.    
  

Color Correction

• Winner: DaVinci Resolve
• Why: This is what DaVinci Resolve was made for, and it shows. Few other programs on the market offer such a wide range of professional color correction tools. DaVinci Resolve is still the preferred platform for many professional color correctors thanks to its ability to seamlessly integrate with color correction control hardware and the ability to refine color down to the pixel. 

G2 Rating

• Winner: DaVinci Resolve
• Why: G2, one of the most trusted sources for software reviews, rated Adobe Premiere Pro as a solid 4.5/5 stars, while DaVinci Resolve edges it out with 4.7/5. This narrow margin shows how evenly matched these programs are, with loyal users rating both programs highly.