It is becoming more and more common to find users who want to carry out their own video treatments at home, ceasing to be an exclusive task for professionals. One of the most popular options that we can find for Windows is DaVinci Resolve. Although we are talking about a great option, it is far from the only one and we can also make use of similar or superior alternatives to obtain great results without having to spend a single euro.
The fact that DaVinci Resolve is a good option when it comes to processing our videos does not mean that it is suitable for all types of users. Not in vain is it a complex application that requires a powerful computer to be able to squeeze all its features. That is why it can be interesting to know other series of applications that we can choose as an alternative, and check which one best suits what we are looking for.
DaVinci Resolve, power not suitable for everyone
It is one of the most popular video editing suites, standing out for having advanced functions such as audio post-production and color correction. DaVinci is extremely powerful and hard to beat in terms of video editing features.
However, despite being a great editing tool, it does have some issues and we may have noticed this if you have already used it. For example, it is not the most stable app , especially if you don’t have a powerful PC, and sometimes it may crash and freeze. If we have an older computer, we may not be able to run DaVinci Resolve as it will require a minimum of Windows 10 (64-bit).
In addition, it is specially designed for professionals, so it is not easy to use. That is why if we do not have enough knowledge it can be difficult to use, it can become quite frustrating and confusing, and we will not even need the wide variety of advanced functions that it offers.
Alternatives to DaVinci to edit video
If we are looking for a video editing tool, we can go for one of these alternatives that are completely free, easier to use, open source, or superior to DaVinci Resolve in some way.
Shotcut, your main alternative
A great alternative to DaVinci Resolve can be Shotcut. We are talking about a free, cross-platform, open source application that offers compatibility with native timeline editing. This tool is compatible with webcam capture and editing , it has excellent video editing functions, such as three-way color runs and we can use it to correct some details such as white balance, as well as add effects and filters to provide it of a professional result.
It also has great options for audio editing, with filters, tone generator, and audio pitch compensation when speeding up or slowing down a video. It has a good library of 360º videos and effects and it doesn’t require as powerful a computer to use as DaVinci does. In addition, it is also compatible with the most well-known and popular image formats such as JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, among others, as well as support for resolutions up to 4K .
Shotcut is a free application that we can download from its developer’s website .
OpenShot, light and powerful
Another very interesting alternative to DaVinci Resolve is OpenShot. Unlike DaVinci, we are talking about a completely free and open source video editor. Despite being a somewhat “lighter” tool than DaVinci, it is still quite powerful and can do some serious video editing. As it is based on the FFmpeg library, it supports most video and image formats, and includes support for powerful frames and animations.
This application integrates perfectly with our desktop, being compatible with dragging and dropping files. It is possible to work with an unlimited number of tracks, being able to create separate layers and choose from more than 400 transitions between clips . We will be able to adjust the sharpness and speed of the transactions, select from more than 40 title templates to add to the videos, as well as more than 20 3D animations that will make it easier for us to personalize our videos from scratch.
We can download the latest version of OpenShot for free from its website.
KDEnlive, power and simplicity in the same program
Another great open source alternative to DaVinci Resolve is KDEnlive as it is totally free and does not come with any payment options. It is a project with great support from the community, which causes new versions to be released every so often, correcting errors and adding new features. This complete editing program has support for all FFmeg formats , such as AVI, MOV, MPEG, FLV and XviD, which allows us to handle them without having to convert or re-encode our videos or fragments.
The application offers 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio support for PAL, NTSC, and HD standards, including HDV. The editing results can be exported to devices such as DVD including a simple menu and chapters. We cannot ignore that it has a wide variety of effects available and that we can use from color corrections, transformation options and visual filters to audio adjustments.
KDEnlive is an open source video editing tool, so we can download it from its official website and use it for free , and given its excellent features, it becomes a clear alternative to DaVinci Resolve.
HitFilm Express, for all types of users
If we talk about free alternatives to DaVinci, one that could not be missing is HitFilm Express, recognized for being a more intuitive program, which boasts and claims to have the largest library of effects on the market, even with 3D effects, which can add to videos. It also has advanced features like motion tracking, allows you to add transitions and animations, upload videos with multiple audio transitions and upload unlimited tracks.
Other points for which it stands out are its color correction and grading functions, with curve effects, color wheels, among others. In addition, it allows you to import images from the GoPro , which makes it perfect for any task. Although it does not require a long learning curve, it has more than 100 hours of free tutorials to learn, as well as a store from which to buy accessories.
We can download HitFilm Express for free from its website.
VSDC Video Editor, free editor for professionals
We are talking about another good free video editor for Windows that has a wide variety of functions and features that other professional paid options have little to envy. It has a simple multi-track timeline where you can drag and drop any type of multimedia content, be it video, images or audio. We can also add effects and transitions, texts, shapes, etc.
Its main drawback is that its interface is not as simple and intuitive as we would like, which can take a bit of time to learn to use it correctly. We must also take into account that its free version does not have hardware acceleration enabled , which is reserved for the Pro version. The result of our edition can be recorded and exported in AVI, MPG, WMV, MKV, RM, SWF and FLV, controlling the quality of the resulting file to adjust it to our needs.
We can download the latest version of VSDC Video Editor for free from its website. Although it does have a paid version, the free one should be more than enough for most users.
What is the best alternative?
As we have seen, we have a good number of applications to edit video for free that we can use as perfect alternatives to DaVinci Resolve. That is why the most recommended thing is always to download and try the different options to check first-hand which one best suits our use and needs.
Of all the options presented here, when it comes to staying with one option, it would possibly be Shotcut, the one that you should not miss out on trying. It is possibly the most popular and used free editor of all those mentioned, and it is not for less, since it is possible to obtain results with it that would have little to envy DaVinci or any other professional application, thanks to its compatibility with Resolutions up to 4K and 360 degree videos. Without a doubt, an option that we should not overlook and try.