DaVinci Resolve
Professional video editor and colour grading suite with a real Linux version. Free tier, with format limits on Linux.
Our verdict
DaVinci Resolve is the one professional creative application that treats Linux as a first class platform, and the free version is a real editor rather than a trial. Blackmagic build and support it themselves.
The catch is the one that trips up almost every switcher. Licensing for the everyday phone and camera formats, H.264 and H.265 video with AAC audio, is not included in the free Linux build the way it is on Windows. Footage straight off a phone often will not import until you convert it first, usually with HandBrake. Camera raw and professional formats are fine. The paid Studio version removes much of this and adds higher frame rates and resolutions.
Getting it installed is also a job. It is a download from Blackmagic rather than something in your app store, and some distributions need coaxing. If you want to edit a holiday video this afternoon, use Kdenlive or Shotcut. If you are grading serious work, this is worth the trouble.
What's good
- A genuine Blackmagic Linux release, not a community port
- Colour grading and audio tools that films are actually finished with
- The free version handles most 8-bit formats up to Ultra HD at 60 frames per second
- No watermark and no time limit on the free version
What to know first
- The free Linux version does not handle common H.264, H.265 and AAC files from phones the way the Windows version does, so footage often has to be converted first
- Installation is a download from Blackmagic that many distributions dislike, not an app store click
- Demands a decent graphics card and plenty of memory
- Steep learning curve if you have only used simple editors
The details
- Cost
- Free with paid extras
- Open source
- No (Proprietary)
- How you install it
- Built-in app store
Windows apps it can replace
Last checked . Sources: