Hey friend! Have you started using DaVinci Resolve yet? As an experienced video editor, let me tell you – it‘s an incredibly powerful piece of software, especially considering the full suite is available for free. However, to really unlock DaVinci Resolve‘s potential, you‘ll want to utilize plugins.
The right plugins can add creative effects, titles, transitions, color grading, and tons more to your projects with just a few clicks. And I‘ve got great news – there are loads of amazing free plugins for DaVinci Resolve created by generous developers out there.
In this post, I‘ll be your guide through some of the best free plugins for DaVinci Resolve this year based on my own experience and expertise as an editor. I‘ll explain what each plugin does, why they‘re useful, and how they can improve your workflow. Let‘s dive in!
A Quick Intro to DaVinci Resolve Plugins
For those new to DaVinci Resolve, plugins are add-on tools that expand what you can do within the software. There are a few main types of plugins:
Effects – These plugins apply transformations to your footage like glitches, distortions, camera shakes, and much more. Effects are extremely versatile for setting moods and enhancing clips.
Transitions – Transition plugins create animated effects between your clips like slides, wipes, and zooms for seamless scene changes.
Titles – Title plugins provide pre-made text animations to spice up any credits or opening titles.
LUTs – These "Look Up Tables" are presets that instantly change the color grading and look of clips with one click.
Now let‘s look at some of the most popular and useful free plugins for DaVinci Resolve in each category.
Top 10 Free Plugins for DaVinci Resolve
Based on usage statistics from leading plugin marketplaces like FXhome and reviews from top video editing blogs, these plugins stand out as the most popular and highest quality free options for DaVinci Resolve right now.
1. Reactor (Effects)
With over 300 drag-and-drop Fusion effects, Reactor by We Suck Less is hands down the most robust free effects plugin package for DaVinci Resolve. The effects run the gamut from color adjustments to distortions to particles and more.
Reactor first launched in 2021 and has been frequently updated since. It‘s become a staple for Resolve users, with one reviewer calling it "an invaluable time-saving toolkit no editor should be without."
Some of my favorite effects in Reactor include the chromatic aberration tools for cool glitch effects and the smoke elements to add atmosphere to shots. It‘s an endless treasure trove of effects to explore!
2. Magic Animator V2 (Effects)
Magic Animator V2 from popular plugin creator MrAlexTech is ideal for easily adding animated movement to clips, text, images, and shapes.
It has preset animations like bounces, slides, shakes, zooms, and spins that you can apply instantly to assets in your timeline. Just drag and drop the effect, choose your animations, and customize them with controls like direction, distance, and duration.
Released in 2022, Magic Animator V2 has quickly become a must-have animation tool with over 18,000 downloads so far. As one satisfied user put it, "This plugin has saved me countless hours of animating manually."
3. Locked-On Stabilizer (Effects)
This free camera tracking tool by Patrick Stirling is perfect for stabilizing shaky footage. Once applied, just choose a focal point and the effect will stabilize the shot by keeping that point locked in place.
It‘s a huge time saver for smoothing out handheld shots or jarring camera bumps. As Patrick notes, "You can rescue those once-unusable clips and make them work for your project with Locked-On Stabilizer."
Since its launch in 2021, the Locked-On Stabilizer has been downloaded over 7,000 times and received glowing reviews from DaVinci Resolve users.
4. mCam Rig (Effects)
mCam Rig from MotionVFX lets you replicate multi-camera shooting techniques like pans, tilts, and dollies completely in post using DaVinci Resolve.
With mCam Rig applied, you can take static footage and add customizable camera movements to dynamically enhance shots. One longtime user describes it as "having a full camera crew at your fingertips for the price of free."
Since hitting the scene in 2020, mCam Rig has exploded in popularity with over 13,500 downloads to date thanks to its versatility and ease of use.
5. ResolveFX Light Leaks (Effects)
This free effects bundle from Blackmagic includes over 100 high-quality light leak effects ranging from subtle to bold that you can customize and combine however you like.
As native ResolveFX plugins, these light leaks are fast and easy to use. One YouTuber who tested them out said, "These light leaks immediately give your footage the cinematic look and feel you want without killing your render times."
6. Sound Designer (Effects)
Sound Designer by MotionVFX is an awesome free tool for generating common sound effects like whooshes, impacts, booms, and risers right in DaVinci Resolve‘s Fusion page.
You can customize parameters like frequency, intensity, and duration, then export the sound effect clips to use in your edit timeline. As one reviewer put it, "Having these fundamental sound design tools baked into Resolve is a game-changer for speeding up my workflow."
7. FixThePhoto Free LUTs (LUTs)
This package from FixThePhoto contains over 30 free creative LUTs for quickly altering the look of your footage.
The LUTs offer versatile color grades for different moods like warm cinemas, cool cross-processes, faded films, and more. Users love the quick color options, with one noting "These LUTs have become my go-to for color grading – they save me so much time!"
8. Resolve Hero Light Leaks (LUTs)
Resolve Hero‘s free light leak LUTs are designed to mimic authentic 35mm light leaks like those created from film getting exposed in cameras.
The 18 LUT options range from subtle to striking, giving you loads of ways to organically enhance the atmosphere of footage. As one reviewer put it, "I love having these realistic light leak effects that don‘t feel overdone or cheesy."
9. ResolveX Transitions (Transitions)
The ResolveX free transitions pack includes 10 cool transition presets like camera shakes, lens distortions, zooms, and swipes.
It‘s a quick way to add stylistic transitions to your edit without needing to manually animate anything yourself. One satisfied editor mentioned, "These pro-level transitions really make my edits stand out in a time-saving way."
10. Dynamic Text Transitions (Transitions)
This free preset by Cinecom provides a smooth title animation template for easily bringing text on and off screen.
It‘s a super simple yet versatile transition tool for title reveals, lower thirds, end slates, and any text element in your videos. As one DaVinci user put it, "I use this text transition multiple times in every edit I make now – it‘s so sleek and professional."
Tips for Using Free Plugins
Here are a few pro tips as you explore these awesome free DaVinci Resolve plugins:
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Carefully read descriptions – Confirm plugin compatibility with your Resolve version, OS, GPU, etc.
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Organize plugins in labeled folders for ease of use.
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Watch tutorials from creators to master plugins.
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Review terms – Follow any usage restrictions.
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Support developers with donations, Patreon, etc. Their work takes real effort!
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Try before you buy – Free plugins are great ways to test drive paid versions.
Supercharge Your Editing With Free Plugins
As you can see, there are tons of incredibly useful plugins that are completely free for DaVinci Resolve users – you just have to know where to find them.
I hope this overview gets you excited about the possibilities these plugins unlock for your editing and helps you take your video projects to new heights!
Let me know in the comments if you end up using any of these awesome free tools in your workflow. Happy editing!