DaVinci Resolve vs Lightworks Comparison 2026
DaVinci Resolve and Lightworks both give away a real free tier with no time limit, not a crippled trial. DaVinci Resolve's free build has no watermark and no export cap at all; Lightworks caps the free tier at a lower export resolution instead. Paid Lightworks starts at $13.99 a month for Create, with a pay-once option on the same page, against DaVinci Resolve Studio's flat $295 one-time price. Between two free tiers this generous, resolution and the interface are what actually decide it.
Edit, colour and audio post in one app
A film editor with a free tier and no time limit
At a glance
- Lightworks starts cheaper, at $13.99.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
DaVinci Resolve | Lightworks | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $295 | From $13.99 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing (they differ) | One-time purchase | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated |
DaVinci Resolve
Edit, colour and audio post in one app
DaVinci Resolve is the free version of the software a great many films are finished on, carrying editing, colour correction, visual effects and audio post in one application. The free build is not a trial and does not watermark what it exports. Studio costs $295 once and adds the neural engine features, better noise reduction and higher frame rates. The learning curve is the real price of admission.
Our note
The free version is more capable than most paid editors, and the only real cost is the time it takes to learn. Buy Studio when a specific feature blocks you rather than up front.
Only on this side
- Covers motion graphics & animation
Lightworks
A film editor with a free tier and no time limit
Lightworks has been cutting feature films since long before the web, and the free tier is the whole editor at a capped export resolution with no trial clock on it. Paying raises the export ceiling and opens the formats a delivery spec actually asks for. Three ways to pay sit on the same page, including a single payment for anybody who does not want another monthly line. The interface comes from broadcast rather than from the web, so the first afternoon is spent learning it.
Why people weigh these two
- Lightworks instead of DaVinci Resolve
- Lightworks is another film-grade editor with a free tier and no time limit, paid from $13.99.
- DaVinci Resolve instead of Lightworks
- DaVinci Resolve starts at $295 if the paid tier is needed at all, far more than Lightworks' $13.99, but the free version adds colour grading and audio post in the same app.
Which one should you pick
Pick DaVinci Resolve if export resolution needs to be uncapped from day one and colour grading matters, since the free build already includes the tools the software is famous for. Studio adds the neural engine features for $295 once, with no subscription at either level, which tends to give away more for the same money than Lightworks' paid tiers.
Pick Lightworks if the broadcast-style, keyboard-first interface suits you better, or you specifically want a pay-once option without a separate Studio-style upgrade to research. The free tier has no time limit at all, just a capped export resolution, and Create is $13.99 a month if you need to raise it. Give the interface a real week before deciding either way, since it either clicks or it does not.
Common questions
- Is Lightworks' free tier a trial?
- No, the vendor describes it as an unlimited period rather than a trial. It is the whole editor with a capped export resolution and no clock on it, similar in spirit to DaVinci Resolve's approach of giving away a full, unwatermarked build.
- Which free tier is more generous?
- DaVinci Resolve's, generally: no watermark and no export ceiling at all, against Lightworks' capped export resolution. Lightworks' own comparison acknowledges DaVinci Resolve gives away more for the same money.
- Can I pay once for Lightworks instead of a monthly subscription?
- Yes, a pay-once option sits on the same toggle as the monthly and yearly plans, though no specific price is printed for it here. DaVinci Resolve's one-time option is explicit: $295 once for Studio.
- Does Lightworks run on Linux like some free editors do?
- Yes, a full three-platform release on Windows, macOS and Linux rather than a port. DaVinci Resolve's own platform list is not specified here, so check its download page directly if Linux support decides the choice.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.