DaVinci Resolve vs Lightworks Pricing | Costbench
Compare / DaVinci Resolve vs Lightworks
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25 seats

DaVinci Resolve vs Lightworks

Video Editing pricing comparison · 2026

DaVinci Resolve has a free plan, then $295 one-time, while Lightworks has a free plan, then $20–$35/user/mo. These products use different pricing models ( vs Per-seat subscription), so a direct price comparison isn't meaningful — costs depend on usage volume and mix.

Visit
See pricing on each vendor's site
Above-the-fold path — each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit DaVinci pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
Visit Lightworks pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
Compare
2 products · Video Editing
Side-by-side · live
DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve is free to use with no watermarks or time limits.
verified 3d ago
$300 $11K
View pricing →
L
Lightworks
Lightworks is a Hollywood-pedigree non-linear video editor (used on Pulp Fiction, The Wolf
verified 2d ago
$300 $11K
View pricing →
Annual license estimate
Lightworks costs $78K less than DaVinci · 25 seats where applicable
Cheapest $11K
Spread 88%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
DaVinci Resolve Studio
$89K/yr
year 1 license · $295/seat
Pro
$11K/yr
year 1 license · $35/seat
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
Median annual
$300/yr
Vendr · n=134
No Vendr data
—
Not in Vendr's deal flow
REF · 01

Sources & confidence

Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.

Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources 15 sourced facts
11 hidden-cost · 1 contract · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified 3d ago
Confidence Medium confidence
Sources 7 sourced facts
5 hidden-cost · 1 contract · 1 review platform
Last verified 2d ago
Confidence Limited confidence
REF · 02

Plans at a glance

Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.

Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 03

Hidden costs

Each cost is severity-ranked, with the dollar range quoted from its source (Vendr, Reddit, TrustRadius, BBB, official docs) — never our estimate.

Beyond the sticker
Severity-ranked, sourced
5 documented
  • DaVinci Resolve Studio One-Time License Cost
    $295-$300
    3 sources
  • Speed Editor / Hardware Add-On Costs
    $100-$300
    1 source
  • No Free Support for Free Version Users
    5-15% of license costs
    2 sources
  • Poor Support Experience Even for Paid License Holders
    5-20% of license costs
    3 sources
  • Linux AAC Codec Not Included
    5-10% of license costs
    1 source
5 documented
  • Retraining Costs
    1 source
  • Integration with Existing Systems
    1 source
  • Plugin and Feature Gaps
    1 source
  • Hardware Requirements
    1 source
  • Perpetual License Upgrades
    1 source
REF · 04

Contract terms

The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.

DaVinci
Lightworks
Auto-renewal
✓ No
Yes
Cancellation
—
Users can cancel their subscription via their account portal, which stops the next renewal, and access to paid features continues until the end of the current paid billing period.
Commitment
None - one-time purchase for Studio
✓ One month for monthly subscriptions, one year for annual subscriptions.
Price escalation
No subscription pricing; Studio upgrades between major versions may require repurchase, though users are not obligated to upgrade
—
Can downgrade
✓ Yes
—
Based on 2 verified sources (Vendr · TrustRadius · BBB)
REF · 05

What users say

Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.

User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
TrustRadius
9.4out of 5 (5)
Trustpilot
1.8out of 5 (23)
Best for
Hobbyists, YouTubers, and professionals who don't need advanced AI or 8K features
Watch out
Unresponsive or unhelpful customer support for both free and paid users
G2
3.6out of 5 (30)
Best for
Beginners or those who want to try Lightworks for an unlimited period
Watch out
Steep Learning Curve and Non-Intuitive Interface
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit DaVinci pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
Visit Lightworks pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats). Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges. Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
Video Editing

DaVinci Resolve

Free plan; paid $295 one-time
2 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
Video Editing

Lightworks

Free plan; paid $20–$35
/user/mo
3 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →
⚖

Different Pricing Models

Direct price comparison isn't meaningful here — DaVinci Resolve uses pricing while Lightworks uses Per-seat subscription pricing. Your actual cost will depend on usage volume, team size, or both. Here's each product in its native unit.

DaVinci Resolve

Free plan; paid $295 one-time
See full DaVinci Resolve pricing →
vs
Per-seat subscription

Lightworks

Free plan; paid $20–$35/user/mo
See full Lightworks pricing →

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan DaVinci Resolve Lightworks
DaVinci Resolve (free) Free /month Free /month
DaVinci Resolve Studio $295 /one-time $20 /user/month
Pro — $35 /user/month

What Users Say

DaVinci Resolve

Trustpilot
1.8out of 5 (23)
TrustRadius
9.4out of 10 (5)
Top complaints
  • Unresponsive or unhelpful customer support for both free and paid users
  • Frequent bugs and crashes, especially in recent versions
  • Steep learning curve and unintuitive UX for new users

Lightworks

G2
3.6out of 5 (30)
Top complaints
  • Steep Learning Curve and Non-Intuitive Interface
  • Limited Features in the Free Version and Lack of Advanced Tools
  • Occasional Crashes and Freezing

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

DaVinci Resolve 6 hidden costs

medium
DaVinci Resolve Studio One-Time License Cost $295-$300
low
Speed Editor / Hardware Add-On Costs $100-$300 (source dated Oct 2024)
medium
No Free Support for Free Version Users 5-15% of license costs
high
Poor Support Experience Even for Paid License Holders 5-20% of license costs
medium
Linux AAC Codec Not Included 5-10% of license costs
See all DaVinci Resolve hidden costs →

Lightworks 5 hidden costs

high
Retraining Costs
medium
Integration with Existing Systems
medium
Plugin and Feature Gaps
medium
Hardware Requirements
medium
Perpetual License Upgrades
See all Lightworks hidden costs →

Contract Terms

Term DaVinci Resolve Lightworks
Auto-renewal No Yes
Cancellation — Users can cancel their subscription via their account portal, which stops the next renewal, and access to paid features continues until the end of the current paid billing period.
Minimum commitment None - one-time purchase for Studio One month for monthly subscriptions, one year for annual subscriptions.
Price escalation No subscription pricing; Studio upgrades between major versions may require repurchase, though users are not obligated to upgrade —
Can downgrade Yes —

Continue researching

DaVinci Resolve

Lightworks

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