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Video Production · head to head

Adobe Audition vs DaVinci Resolve

Adobe Audition logo

Adobe Audition

Video Production

Industry-standard professional audio editing

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DaVinci Resolve logo

DaVinci Resolve

Entertainment

Professional video editing, color correction, visual effects and audio post production

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only DaVinci Resolve has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Adobe Audition listed on UK G-Cloud as part of Adobe Creative Cloud for business (which bundles Audition) at £58 to £80 per licence per month, via reseller ServiceKey; DaVinci Resolve free version limits noise reduction to CPU-only processing, significantly slower than Studio's GPU acceleration
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Audition covers Multitrack editing, DaVinci Resolve covers Multi-user collaboration.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve differ
AttributeAdobe AuditionDaVinci Resolve
Starting price$22.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsMacos, WindowsWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryVideo ProductionEntertainment
Founded19822008

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adobe Audition

  • Multitrack editing
  • Audio restoration
  • Noise reduction
  • Effects and mixing
  • Spectral editing
  • Batch processing
  • Premiere Pro
  • After Effects

Only in DaVinci Resolve

  • Multi-user collaboration
  • 8K editing
  • Color correction
  • Visual effects
  • Motion graphics
  • Audio post production
  • Fairlight audio
  • Fusion VFX

Both cover

  • Macos support
  • Windows support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adobe Audition

  • Podcast editingnot DaVinci Resolve
  • Audio restorationnot DaVinci Resolve
  • Video post-productionnot DaVinci Resolve
  • Music productionnot DaVinci Resolve
  • Sound designnot DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve

  • Professional video editingnot Adobe Audition
  • Color gradingnot Adobe Audition
  • Visual effectsnot Adobe Audition
  • Audio post productionnot Adobe Audition
  • Film productionnot Adobe Audition

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adobe Audition

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud as part of Adobe Creative Cloud for business (which bundles Audition) at £58 to £80 per licence per month, via reseller ServiceKey

DaVinci Resolve

  • Free version limits noise reduction to CPU-only processing, significantly slower than Studio's GPU acceleration
  • Free version caps export resolution at 4K without 8K support
  • No multi-GPU support in free version, limiting rendering speed on powerful workstations
  • AI tools and features like Super Scale AI only available in $295 Studio version
  • Users report random issues requiring restart suggesting architectural stability concerns

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe Audition

$22.99/month
  • Audition Single App$22.99/month
    • Full Audition features
    • 100GB cloud storage
    • Adobe Portfolio
  • All Apps$59.99/month
    • All Creative Cloud apps
    • 100GB cloud storage
    • Adobe Portfolio

DaVinci Resolve

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Professional editing tools
    • Color correction
    • Visual effects
  • Studio$295/one-time
    • All free features
    • AI tools and Super Scale AI
    • 8K editing support

Which should you pick?

Choose Adobe Audition if

  • You need multitrack editing.
  • You work on Macos, Windows.
  • You also want audio restoration.
Adobe Audition review

Choose DaVinci Resolve if

  • You need multi-user collaboration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want 8k editing.
DaVinci Resolve review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Audition or DaVinci Resolve better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Audition starts at $22.99/month and DaVinci Resolve at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Audition or DaVinci Resolve?
DaVinci Resolve has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $22.99/month for Adobe Audition and Free for DaVinci Resolve.
Does Adobe Audition or DaVinci Resolve run on more platforms?
Adobe Audition runs on Macos, Windows. DaVinci Resolve runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use DaVinci Resolve for free?
Yes. DaVinci Resolve has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adobe Audition starts at $22.99/month.
What is Adobe Audition best used for?
Adobe Audition is most often used for podcast editing, audio restoration, video post-production, music production. Of those, podcast editing and audio restoration are not what DaVinci Resolve is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Audition do that DaVinci Resolve cannot?
Adobe Audition covers Multitrack editing, Audio restoration, Noise reduction, Effects and mixing. DaVinci Resolve covers Multi-user collaboration, 8K editing, Color correction, Visual effects. Both handle Macos support, Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DaVinci Resolve: What is the pricing for DaVinci Resolve?

DaVinci Resolve has a completely free version with professional editing tools and no watermark. DaVinci Resolve Studio adds AI-powered features, 8K support, and multi-user collaboration as a one-time $295 purchase.

Source
DaVinci Resolve: What features are only in DaVinci Resolve Studio?

Studio version adds AI tools like Super Scale AI, noise reduction with GPU acceleration, 8K editing support, HDR color grading, multi-user collaboration, and advanced codec support.

Source
DaVinci Resolve: What are the hardware requirements for DaVinci Resolve?

For optimal performance with modern RAW footage, an NVMe SSD is required for cache and scratch files. Multi-GPU configurations benefit only specific effects workloads, while most users achieve better performance with a single high-VRAM GPU.

Source
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