Side by side
Movie Maker Hollywood Pro vs DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve is a superb free editor and the color-grading standard, and Resolve Studio adds more for $295 once. Movie Maker Hollywood Pro is lighter on color and audio post, but it builds what Resolve doesn’t: 3D scenes with acting characters, 2D puppet animation and a script-to-screen pipeline.
U.S. prices in October 2026, before tax. Both Resolve versions and Movie Maker Hollywood Pro are one-time purchases or free.
Feature by feature
| Movie Maker Hollywood Pro | DaVinci Resolve | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $20 once | Free, or $295 once for Studio |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac and Linux | Mac coming soon | ✓ |
| Multi-track timeline editing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Color grading | 8-bit curves, qualifier and scopes | Industry standard, 32-bit float |
| Visual effects and motion graphics | Masks, tracking, keys, 2D effect layers | Fusion node compositing |
| Audio post-production | Mixer, buses, loudness, synthesized effects | Fairlight |
| 3D scenes with characters, cameras and lights | ✓ | Partly (Fusion 3D compositing) |
| 2D character animation and lip-sync | ✓ | — |
| Screenwriting and script breakdown | ✓ | — |
| Built-in AI tools | — | Mostly in Studio |
| Works fully offline | ✓ | ✓ |
Where DaVinci Resolve is stronger
- The free version is remarkably complete, and Studio adds more for a one-time price.
- The industry’s reference color grading, with a high-precision pipeline for log and RAW footage.
- Fusion for node-based visual effects and Fairlight for professional audio post.
- Mac, Windows and Linux, with collaboration features for teams.
- AI tools in Studio such as object masking and voice isolation.
Where Movie Maker Hollywood Pro is stronger
- A 3D studio where characters act on a timeline, with real lenses, physics and film-quality rendering.
- 2D animation with rigged puppets, automatic lip-sync, hand drawing and a multiplane camera.
- Screenwriting, script breakdown and production playbooks, from notes to finished film.
- Synthesized sound effects and a score composer built in.
- A gentler start for simple edits, with the deeper tools there when you want them.
Which should you pick?
Pick DaVinci Resolve if color grading, high-end finishing or audio post is the heart of your work, or if you need Mac or Linux today.
Pick Movie Maker Hollywood Pro if you want to make animated or 3D films and finished videos in one app on a Windows PC.
Plenty of people use both: Movie Maker sends cuts out as EDL, FCPXML or OpenTimelineIO.
Sources: DaVinci Resolve.