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Entertainment · head to head

DaVinci Resolve vs Mari

DaVinci Resolve logo

DaVinci Resolve

Entertainment

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mari logo

Mari

CAD

3D painting for film and games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DaVinci Resolve free version limits noise reduction to CPU-only processing, significantly slower than Studio's GPU acceleration; Mari the full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • They diverge on capability: DaVinci Resolve covers Multi-user collaboration, Mari covers High-resolution painting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DaVinci Resolve and Mari actually diverge.

Attributes where DaVinci Resolve and Mari differ
AttributeDaVinci ResolveMari
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
CategoryEntertainmentCAD
Founded20081996

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux), 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 DaVinci Resolve

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

Only in Mari

  • High-resolution painting
  • UDIM support
  • Procedural layers
  • Baking
  • Node graph
  • Color management
  • Maya
  • Nuke

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

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

DaVinci Resolve

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

Mari

  • Painting textures directly onto high complexity 3D assets for film and gamesnot DaVinci Resolve
  • Handling very large multi-UDIM texture sets in a look development pipelinenot DaVinci Resolve

Where each one falls short

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

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

Mari

  • The full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • The cheap $299 per year or $35 per month subscription is restricted to a single licence for people working alone or in small companies
  • Node-locked and floating are separate licence types you must choose between
  • All listed prices are before applicable taxes
  • A separate non-commercial licence exists, so commercial use requires a paid tier

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Mari

Free
  • Individual Subscription$86/month
    • Solo artists or small companies
    • $689 per year alternative billing
  • Team Subscription$null/year
    • Node-locked or floating licenses
    • Annual payment
  • Team Rental$949/quarter
    • Short-term access
    • Node-locked or floating licenses

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Mari if

  • You need high-resolution painting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want udim support.
Mari review

Questions people ask

Is DaVinci Resolve or Mari better?
Neither clearly leads. DaVinci Resolve starts at Free and Mari at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DaVinci Resolve or Mari?
DaVinci Resolve starts at Free and Mari at Free.
Does DaVinci Resolve or Mari run on more platforms?
DaVinci Resolve runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Mari runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use DaVinci Resolve for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is DaVinci Resolve best used for?
DaVinci Resolve is most often used for professional video editing, color grading, visual effects, audio post production. Of those, professional video editing and color grading are not what Mari is typically brought in for.
What can DaVinci Resolve do that Mari cannot?
DaVinci Resolve covers Multi-user collaboration, 8K editing, Color correction, Visual effects. Mari covers High-resolution painting, UDIM support, Procedural layers, Baking. Both handle Windows support, Linux 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
Mari: What is Mari's pricing?

Individual Subscription costs $689 per year or $86 per month. Team Subscription costs $1,289 per year. Team Rental costs $949 per quarter for short-term access. Both subscriptions support node-locked or floating licenses.

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
Mari: Does Mari offer a free trial?

Mari offers a free 30-day trial with unrestricted access to help users evaluate the software before purchasing.

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
Mari: Does Mari offer student pricing?

Yes, Mari offers free or discounted access to all Foundry products for students, as well as free non-commercial licenses for learning and exploration.

Source
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