A look into an Adobe Premiere Pro Alternatives – Resolve

The History of DaVinci Resolve and How It moved from costing $800 000 to $0.

When the topic of video editing software is being discussed, the likelihood of DaVinci Resolve not being mentioned is very slim, with more and more editors switching to the platform, one might assume that DaVinci Resolve is a new platform. I, for one, did not know about it until recent years. Several editors have been making videos on YouTube explaining why they prefer this software over others such as Adobe Premiere Pro.

DaVinci Resolve is a free editing software; however, it also offers a paid version which costs a one-off payment of $295, the paid version comes with a few more benefits, but the free version is just as good. DaVinci Resolve's pricing model differs from Adobe Premiere Pro's subscription-based model, costing $22.99/mo. Although DaVinci Resolve now offers all these editing tools for free, this has not always been the case.

The history of DaVinci Resolve and its pricing model is very interesting, and a lot has happened from the very beginning in 1998 to the present. I say 1998 because Da Vinci Systems, which is the reason we have Da Vinci Resolve today, was founded in 1998. It was well-known for its digital mastering systems, hardware-based colour correction tools, GPU-based colour grading, and film restoration and remastering systems.

Da Vinci Systems developed a range of independent editing systems like Da Vinci Classic (1984-1990), which was a colour-correcting system, the Da Vinci Renaissance (1990-1993), which was similar to the Classic but used a Motorola 68020 microprocessor rather than a 68000, and also the Da Vinci 2k (1998), which presented an enhanced version of the previous systems, supporting HD, standard definition, as well as 2k formats.

When Resolve was introduced in 2004, it was a game changer. Unlike the different systems that came before it, it was a software-based system and not a hardware tool. However, at the time, computers weren’t as powerful, so it required multiple integrated computers that were very expensive. Nonetheless, this was still a huge breakthrough as it shed light on the idea of the system being able to run on any home PC.

Around this time, Resolve was mainly targeted at production companies, and its price ranged from $250,000 up to $800,000, having not more than 100 clients worldwide. However, in 2009, Blackmagic Design acquired Da Vinci Systems with the current CEO at the time, Grant Petty, having high hopes that the company could reduce the price of Resolve to under $100,000. Although many people had doubts about the prices being drastically reduced, in 2011, Blackmagic introduced three new pricing models.

So now around this time, Resolve had a new software that could be run on Apple macOS, and this would only cost $995. The macOS version that came with the Advanced Control Surface cost $29,995, and the licenses for the Linux version, which supported multiple GPUs for increased performance, retailed at $19,995. Version 7 of Resolve was the first version to be released by Blackmagic Design in 2010, and this is when it started being known as DaVinci Resolve.

The first free version of DaVinci was released along with the 8th Version of the software and was called DaVinci Resolve 8 Lite; the free offering had reduced functionality. Another highlight of this version was that it was also the first to be expanded to Windows with Version 8.2.

Back to the present, DaVinci Resolve is now on its 18th Version with the studio version costing a one-off payment of only $295 while offering a free version which is just as good and advancing. It’s no wonder that more and more editors are talking about it.

I believe pricing significantly influences the disparity in user community size between Resolve and Adobe Premiere Pro. Since its establishment in 1991, Premiere Pro has consistently maintained a cost ceiling of $700. In 2011-12, Adobe opted to replace perpetual licenses with a subscription model, requiring customers to pay an even lower monthly fee for access. The initial pricing advantage of Premiere Pro played a crucial role in its community growth. However, Resolve's current trajectory suggests a potential shift in the balance as its user base continues to expand. This growth in users is possibly attributed to its accessible free plan which is comparable to Premiere and other leading non-linear editors such Final Cut Pro and Filmora.

I have found Resolve to be a great Premiere Pro alternative, especially for editors who are beginners. In addition to its being free, with Resolve, you have colour grading, special effects, video, and audio editing built into one software whereas with Premiere Pro, you would need to make use of other software such as Adobe After Effects and Adobe Audition to get the same job done, and this means paying a separate subscription fee.

DaVinci Resolve also provides complimentary training courses on its website. Whether you're considering a switch or are new to editing, accessing tutorials on creating content with Resolve can greatly assist you.

In conclusion, DaVinci Resolve emerges not just as a cost-effective alternative to Premiere Pro but with an intriguing history, evolving pricing models, and a commitment to accessibility through features like the free plan, Resolve stands as a compelling choice for both new and experienced editors.