(full name)
Ms. W.
9th grade English
4/18/23
Hitfilm VS Davinci
There are many video editing softwares out there, but when it comes to free video editors, the most popular by far is Davinci resolve. It does have a wide variety of effects and a lot of cool features, however, its free version is missing some things. Enter Hitfilm: a much better free editing software thanks to its simpler UI, a wider variety of effects, a more diverse keyframe system, and being less intense on your computer.
The first reason why Hitfilm is better than Davinci Resolve is its simpler UI. Davinci has 7 separate tabs that you have to learn how to navigate, has a much different workflow than most editors, and can feel alien to people coming from other softwares. However, Hitfilm is a lot more simple, easy, and intuitive to use, with its UI being more similar to the more familiar paid editors like Adobe Premiere Pro. Not only that, but it has tutorials built straight into the software itself, with video lessons and templates for you to edit, making for a much more immersive learning experience.
The second reason why Hitfilm is better than Davinci Resolve is that it has some effects that Davinci doesn’t. For example, Davinci’s free version is actually missing motion blur, which is very important for making a video feel more smooth. Not only that, but it’s also lacking in presets. For example, in Hitfilm, getting rid of a green screen takes one click. Not only is it easy, but it also works quite well. Meanwhile, in Davinci Resolve, the simple act of getting rid of a green screen takes much longer and is much more complicated.
The third reason why Hitfilm is better than Davinci Resolve is its more diverse keyframe system. In Davinci, all keyframes can be linear, but if it’s at the beginning, it can be smooth-out, if it’s in the middle, it can be smooth, and if it’s at the end, it can be smooth-in. However, for example, you can’t have a smooth-in keyframe at the beginning, meaning it’s not possible to start out fast and end slow. However, with Hitfilm, there’s linear, constant, smooth-in, smooth-out, smooth-in-and-out, and manual bezier, all available at any time! Plus, the manual bezier keyframe is fully customizable, meaning you can experiment and make your own keyframes, instead of just using a few preset values.
The final reason why Hitfilm beats Davinci as the best free editor is how much better it runs on older computers. First of all, Davinci requires an actually good computer. “For those running Windows devices you should have: Windows 10 or later, 16 GB of system memory (32 GB for intense graphics work)… Integrated or discrete GPU with at least 2GB of VRAM…” Not everyone has access to a graphics card and 16 GB of RAM, much less 32. Not only that, but Davinci is also a bit of a resource hog, taking advantage of all of your hardware, making it harder to multitask. Hitfilm, however, does not need a graphics card, only needs 8 GB of RAM, and is much less of a resource hog, making it a must-have for anyone with a less beefy computer.
In conclusion, Hitfilm’s simpler UI and better presets makes it easier to use, its keyframe system makes it better to use, and its hardware requirements makes it more accessible to use.
Works cited:
MrAlexTech, director. What Can It ACTUALLY Do? Davinci Resolve Free Vs Paid! YouTube, YouTube, 2 Nov. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtbbKlimFY8. Accessed 23 Apr. 2023.
MrAlexTech, director. Understand KEYFRAMES in Just 5 Minutes! Davinci Resolve 5 Minute Friday #2. YouTube, YouTube, 10 Feb. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3wgEe0OJ18. Accessed 24 Apr. 2023.
Hitfilm, director. How to Use KEYFRAMES in HitFilm Express #Shorts. YouTube, YouTube, 10 May 2022, https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rFr4xV6B3EE. Accessed 24 Apr. 2023.
EJ Tech, director. How Good Is DaVinci Resolve? - DaVinci Resolve Review. YouTube, YouTube, 17 June 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBCUFV96Y6s. Accessed 24 Apr. 2023.
EJ Tech, director. Hitfilm Review! | Hitfilm's biggest update! Youtube, YouTube, 11 Jul. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adJg3A0Pkns. Accessed 26 Apr. 2023.
The Edit Place, director. 3 Reasons Why You SHOULDN'T Use DaVinci Resolve. YouTube, YouTube, 15 Jan. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFSHg7_Jnog. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
??? (n.d.). DaVinci Resolve System Requirements + Recommendations for Mac, windows, and linux. Simon Says AI. Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://www.simonsaysai.com/blog/davinci-resolve-system-requirements