DaVinci Resolve is the professional desktop editor from Blackmagic Design, used for films, television, and high-end YouTube. Its free version is remarkably powerful, with a full timeline, color grading, audio mixing, and effects, all on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
That puts it in a different class from Edits, and the comparison is honest only if we say so plainly. Edits is a free phone app for Instagram Reels. Resolve is a professional desktop editor. For Reels, Edits wins on speed. For everything else, Resolve wins on power, and it is not close.
By Alex Carter, Editor · Published October 24, 2026 · Updated October 24, 2026
Quick verdict: For Instagram Reels, Edits wins: free, watermark-free, and faster to a finished post with better captions. For desktop editing, color grading, and longer videos, DaVinci Resolve wins outright: its timeline, grading, and audio tools go far beyond anything a phone editor attempts.
In this guide
- Edits vs DaVinci Resolve, side by side
- Where Edits wins
- Where DaVinci Resolve wins
- Who should pick which
- Getting set up
- Price and watermark in detail
- Timeline, color grading, and audio
- Captions and audio
- Export and the desktop question
- A week with each editor
- Frequently asked questions
Edits vs DaVinci Resolve, side by side
| Category | Edits | DaVinci Resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no paid tier | Free version, paid Studio upgrade |
| Watermark | None | None |
| Platform | Android, iPhone | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Core strength | Instagram Reels | Professional desktop editing and grading |
| Timeline | Simple, Reel-first | Multi-track, unlimited, professional |
| Color grading | Filters, cinematic looks | Full grading suite, industry standard |
| Captions | Automatic, styled for Reels | Subtitle tools, manual and automated |
| Export | 1080 by 1920 | Up to 8K, many codecs |
| Desktop app | None official, emulator route | Real desktop apps included |
| Best for | Instagram Reels | Serious editors, longer videos, grading |
Where Edits wins
Edits wins on speed and simplicity for one job: cutting a vertical Reel and posting it. Open the app, trim the clip, add styled captions in a tap, drop in a filter, and export clean. The whole process takes minutes, and the captions look right for Instagram without extra work.
Edits also wins on the learning curve. There is almost nothing to learn, and nothing to configure. A creator who posts three Reels a week does not need a timeline with hundreds of tracks, a color page, and an audio mixer. They need a fast phone app that gets out of the way, and that is exactly what Edits is.
Where DaVinci Resolve wins
Resolve wins on everything that is not a quick Reel. Its timeline handles many tracks of video and audio with precision. Its color page is the industry standard for grading, with scopes, curves, and power windows. Its Fairlight page mixes audio with tools no phone app can match. For a documentary, a short film, or a polished YouTube video, Resolve is simply in another league.
Resolve also wins on the desktop itself. It runs natively on Windows, Mac, and Linux, with keyboard shortcuts, a big screen, and proper file management. There is no emulator, no compromise, and no phone-sized workspace. If you edit at a desk, Resolve is the honest choice, and its free version costs nothing to try.
Who should pick which
- Pick Edits if you post Instagram Reels every week and want the fastest path from clip to published post.
- Pick Edits if you edit on your phone and want styled captions without extra steps.
- Pick DaVinci Resolve if you edit on a computer and want a professional timeline, grading, and audio tools.
- Pick DaVinci Resolve if you make longer videos, documentaries, or polished YouTube content.
- Use both if you cut Reels in Edits for speed and finish longer projects in Resolve for control.
Getting set up
Getting Edits is simple: install the free app from the official store on your phone. On a computer, there is no official desktop version, so you run the same free app inside an Android emulator. Our PC guide and Mac guide explain the setup step by step.
Getting Resolve is also straightforward: download the free version from Blackmagic Design for Windows, Mac, or Linux, and install it like any desktop app. It is a large download and it benefits from a capable computer, so check the system requirements before you install. The free version covers most creators, and the paid Studio upgrade adds advanced features most beginners never need.
Price and watermark in detail
Both editors are free in a real sense, which makes this comparison fair. Edits has no paid tier at all: everything in the app is free, and exports carry no watermark. Resolve’s free version is also genuinely usable, with no watermark, and it covers the timeline, grading, and audio tools most creators need.
The difference is the upgrade path. Edits has none, so you never hit a paywall. Resolve offers a paid Studio version with advanced features like stereoscopic tools and extra effects. Most creators never need Studio, but if you grow into professional work, the upgrade is there. Either way, you start free and stay free until your work demands more.
Timeline, color grading, and audio
This is where the gap is widest, and it is worth being plain about it. Edits gives you a simple timeline for one vertical video, with filters and a few AI effects. It is fast and it is enough for Reels. Resolve gives you a professional timeline with unlimited tracks, keyframes, and effects, plus a dedicated color page that professionals use on real productions.
Audio tells the same story. Edits handles music and voiceover for a short clip. Resolve’s Fairlight page mixes many audio tracks, cleans up noise, and balances levels with professional tools. If your video lives or dies on its sound, Resolve is the clear winner, and no phone app is close.
Captions and audio
Captions are Edits’ clearest win. They are automatic, styled for vertical video, and ready in seconds, which is exactly what a Reel needs. Resolve can create subtitles, and its tools are flexible, but the workflow is slower and more manual. For a talking-head Reel with burned-in captions, Edits finishes first every time.
Audio is the opposite. Edits handles a music track and a voiceover for a short clip, and that is enough for most Reels. Resolve mixes many tracks, removes noise, and balances dialogue with professional tools. If your video needs clean dialogue, layered sound, or music that ducks under speech, Resolve is the tool that can do it properly.
Export and the desktop question
Edits exports at 1080 by 1920, which is the right size for Reels, and it does so without a watermark. That is all most Instagram creators need. Resolve exports at far higher resolutions and in many professional codecs, which matters for YouTube, clients, and broadcast, but it is overkill for a 30-second Reel.
The desktop question settles this comparison for many people. Resolve is a real desktop app, built for a big screen and a keyboard. Edits has no official desktop version, so on a computer you run it inside an emulator. If you edit at a desk every day, that difference alone points to Resolve, even though Edits remains the faster choice for Reels.
A week with each editor
Picture a week of posting. With Edits, you film a Reel on your phone, trim it, add captions, and post it the same day, three times in a week, without opening a computer. With Resolve, you spend the week on one longer video: importing footage, cutting a timeline, grading the color, mixing the audio, and exporting a polished result.
- Day one: cut a Reel in Edits in under an hour, captions included.
- Midweek: start a longer project in Resolve, with a proper timeline and color grade.
- Weekend: post the Reel from Edits, and finish the Resolve export when it is ready.
That is the honest Edits vs DaVinci Resolve verdict for 2026: Edits for Reels, Resolve for everything bigger, and both free to try before you commit to either.
Get the official app
Edits is free on Android and iPhone, with no watermark and no paid tier. Get it from the official stores, and start with one real Reel.
Frequently asked questions
Is Edits better than DaVinci Resolve?
For Instagram Reels, yes: Edits is free, watermark-free, and faster to a finished post. For desktop editing, color grading, and longer videos, DaVinci Resolve is the stronger tool by a wide margin.
Is DaVinci Resolve free?
Yes. DaVinci Resolve has a free version with a full timeline, color grading, and audio tools, with no watermark. A paid Studio version adds advanced features most creators never need.
Does Edits have a watermark?
No. Exports from Edits carry no watermark.
Can I edit on desktop with DaVinci Resolve?
Yes. Resolve offers real desktop apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux, which is its biggest advantage over Edits, which has no official desktop version.
Can I switch from DaVinci Resolve to Edits?
Yes. Export your finished videos from Resolve, then start new projects in Edits. Projects do not transfer between editors, so finish open work first.
Can I use Edits on a PC or Mac?
Yes, inside an Android emulator running the same free app. Our PC guide and Mac guide explain the setup.
Edits for PC is an independent, unofficial guide. It is not affiliated with Meta Platforms, Inc. or Instagram.
The learning curve, honestly
Both editors are easy to start, but they stay easy in different ways. Edits stays easy because it does one job and does it well: you open it, cut a Reel, and post it. There is no settings maze, no project structure to learn, and no manual to read. That simplicity is a feature, not a limitation, for a creator whose job is posting every week.
Resolve stays approachable for longer than its reputation suggests, because the free version lets you learn one page at a time. Start on the Cut page for simple trimming, move to the Edit page when you want more control, and visit the Color page only when grading matters to you. The learning curve is real, but it is gradual, and every hour you invest pays off on longer projects.