# Sashimii vs DaVinci Resolve: Rough Cuts for Talking-Head Videos

> A comparison of Sashimii, a Mac app in which the user's own AI agent drafts a talking-head rough cut that the user then fixes join by join, with DaVinci Resolve 21.1.2, Blackmagic Design's complete editing, colour, effects and audio suite. Resolve is better for finishing; Sashimii does the rough cut before it and exports to Resolve as separate clips on the original recording.

Canonical: https://sashimii.app/compare/davinci-resolve/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

DaVinci Resolve is a complete editor for Mac, Windows and Linux, with colour grading, Fusion effects and Fairlight audio. It is free, or $295 for Studio.

Sashimii is a Mac app for one job that comes before all that: your own AI agent drafts the rough cut of a talking-head recording from its transcript, and you check every join to the frame.

If you need a finishing tool, use Resolve. If the slow part of your week is cutting a 30-minute recording down to the video, Sashimii does that part, then hands Resolve separate clips on your original footage.

Checked 4 Nov 2026 against DaVinci Resolve 21.1.2.

- **Sashimii:** A Mac app for talking-head rough cuts. Your own AI agent drafts the cut from the transcript, and you fix every join to the frame.
- **DaVinci Resolve:** Blackmagic Design's all-in-one tool for editing, visual effects, motion graphics, color correction and audio post production, for Mac, Windows and Linux.

## The Job, Stage by Stage

1. **Record.** Neither tool: Shooting the video. Neither tool on these pages records it; it is the source media every later stage works on.
2. **Rough cut.** Sashimii: Yes. Your agent picks the takes from the transcript; Sashimii places every cut on the waveform. DaVinci Resolve: Yes. The cut and edit pages, plus text-based editing from a transcript in Studio.
3. **Fix joins.** Sashimii: Yes. Join review steps through every join at frame zoom. DaVinci Resolve: Yes. Context-sensitive trim tools and dynamic JKL trimming on the edit page.
4. **Graphics and captions.** Sashimii: Partly. Your agent builds on-screen text, karaoke captions and graphics from your notes, in your Style. No subtitle track. DaVinci Resolve: Yes. Fusion titles and motion graphics, and subtitles from audio in Studio.
5. **Chapters.** Sashimii: Yes. Chapter notes become the m:ss list for your YouTube description. DaVinci Resolve: Yes. Markers of one colour become chapters in MP4 and QuickTime renders, and in uploads to YouTube from Resolve.
6. **Grade and composite.** Sashimii: no. DaVinci Resolve: Yes. The color page for grading and the Fusion page for compositing and effects.
7. **Export.** Sashimii: Yes. Renders an MP4, or exports separate clips on your original recording to Resolve. DaVinci Resolve: Yes. The deliver page renders finished files, and projects move to Final Cut Pro, Media Composer and Premiere Pro.

Handoff, before grade and composite: Sashimii's Resolve export (FCPXML 1.13) brings the cut in as separate clips on your original recording, so grading and compositing happen in Resolve.

## How Sashimii Is Different

1. **The cut is made to be checked.** Your agent decides what goes, naming each cut by its first and last word. Then Sashimii moves every cut edge onto the waveform and flags the pauses it isn't sure about. Join review steps through every join in order at frame zoom, so you can listen across it, nudge it a frame and accept it. A rough cut you can trust is one you have heard join by join.
2. **One pass through the transcript.** While you review, you leave notes on words: a zoom here, text on screen there, a chapter starting at this line. Your agent turns those notes into graphics in your Style, and the chapter notes become the list for your YouTube description. Cuts, graphics and chapters are decided while you watch the recording once.
3. **Your agent works on files it can read.** A Sashimii project is a folder of plain JSON beside your recording, and the agent drives it with a command-line tool, writing a whole draft in a few commands. Resolve 21.1 Studio can now be driven by an agent too, through its built-in MCP server. Shane, who makes Sashimii, has edited that way: it works decently, but for a talking-head rough cut he found it very slow and token-hungry. That is his experience, not a measurement, and there are no side-by-side numbers on this page until a test has measured them.

## Feature by Feature

23 of 35 rows differ; rows marked (same) are the same for both. "No dedicated tool" means Blackmagic Design's docs describe no equivalent; if that's wrong, write to hello@sashimii.app.

### Transcript and rough cut

| Feature | Sashimii | DaVinci Resolve |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Your own AI agent drafts the cut (same) | Yes: Claude Code or Codex drafts the cut through the Sashimii skill and command-line tool. | Yes: Claude, Claude Code or Codex can analyze projects, remove clips and build highlight edits through Resolve's MCP server. Studio only. |
| A rough-cut workflow for your agent | Yes: The Sashimii skill teaches your agent the drafting steps and take rules; "check Sashimii" finds the work, and the agent leaves a note on every judgement call. | No dedicated tool: Blackmagic's docs don't describe one. The MCP server lets an assistant operate Resolve in general (analyze, organize, remove clips, render). |
| Cut edges placed on the waveform | Yes: The edge pass moves every cut edge onto the audio and flags borderline pauses. | No dedicated tool: Deleting words in the Transcription window cuts at the transcript's word times (Reference Manual p. 999), but nothing moves those edges onto the waveform. |
| Borderline pauses flagged for you | Yes: The edge pass cuts clear pauses and flags borderline ones, such as "Pause 0.4s · cut?", for you to answer Cut or Keep. | No dedicated tool: Remove Silent Portions (p. 997) and Ripple Delete Silence (p. 773) cut silences by a threshold, but nothing flags borderline pauses for review. |
| Join-by-join review at frame zoom | Yes: Steps through every join at frame zoom; play across it, nudge, accept. | No dedicated tool: Previous and Next Edit (p. 640) and the Trim Editor (p. 729) work on one edit at a time; nothing steps through every join and tracks which are done. |
| Transcribes speech in the app (same) | Yes: Parakeet speech recognition on your Mac; the model downloads once, then it runs offline. | Yes: Transcribes clips for subtitles or text-based editing. Studio only. |
| Word-level timing (same) | Yes: Every word has its own times; cuts are named by first and last word. | Yes: The 21.1 scripting API returns clip transcriptions with speaker and timing data, down to each word's start and end. Studio only. |
| Missed speech recovered | Yes: Where the waveform hears speech that no word covers, that stretch is transcribed again on its own. | No dedicated tool: Blackmagic's docs don't describe one. Transcribe Missing Clips adds clips that were never transcribed; it doesn't recheck gaps. |
| Cut by editing the transcript (same) | Yes: Select words in the transcript and press Delete; the edges land on the waveform. | Yes: Cut, copy, paste or delete text in the Transcription window and mirror it to the timeline. Studio only. |
| Frame-accurate trimming (same) | Yes: Arrow keys nudge the active edge one frame, Shift five. | Yes: Context-sensitive trim tools and dynamic JKL trimming. |
| Separate recorder synced by waveform (same) | Yes: A recorder's WAV is lined up with the camera sound by waveform, with the match checked at the start, middle and end. | Yes: Auto Sync Audio by matching waveforms, for camera and recorder audio without matching timecode. |
| Build a timeline from a script | No: Sashimii cuts one recording from its transcript; it doesn't match a script to clips. | Yes: IntelliScript matches a script to your clips and builds the timeline, best take on track 1. Studio only. |

- Your own AI agent drafts the cut: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/drafting-with-your-agent/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/release/20260908-03), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1. Means: An AI agent the person runs themselves (such as Claude Code or Codex) reads the transcript, chooses the takes and writes the cut through a documented interface the tool provides.
- A rough-cut workflow for your agent: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/drafting-with-your-agent/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/release/20260908-03), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1. Means: The tool ships instructions or commands that teach an agent how to draft a rough cut (steps, take rules, where to leave its judgement calls), beyond a general way to operate the app.
- Cut edges placed on the waveform: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/cutting/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinciResolveReferenceManual.pdf#page=999), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1 Reference Manual (Sep 2026). Means: After the words to cut are chosen, the tool itself moves every cut edge onto the audio, between words, without the person trimming each one.
- Borderline pauses flagged for you: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/cutting/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinciResolveReferenceManual.pdf#page=773), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1 Reference Manual (Sep 2026). Means: Pauses the tool isn't sure about cutting are marked for the person to answer, rather than all cut or all kept by one threshold.
- Join-by-join review at frame zoom: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/reviewing-joins/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinciResolveReferenceManual.pdf#page=729), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1 Reference Manual (Sep 2026). Means: A review mode that steps through every join of the cut in order, shows it at frame zoom, plays across it and lets the person accept or fix it, keeping track of which joins are done.
- Transcribes speech in the app: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/getting-started/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/edit), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: Turns the recording's speech into text inside the app, without the person uploading it to a separate service.
- Word-level timing: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/for-agents/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/readme/baf7c071c0524fbf8ccc961925c9f443), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1. Means: Each transcribed word has its own start and end time that the tool, or a script or agent driving it, can use.
- Missed speech recovered: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/projects/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinciResolveReferenceManual.pdf#page=997), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1 Reference Manual (Sep 2026). Means: Where the audio has speech that no transcribed word covers, the tool transcribes that stretch again on its own.
- Cut by editing the transcript: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/cutting/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/SupportNotes/DaVinci_Resolve_19_New_Features_Guide.pdf), checked 4 Nov 2026, 19 and later. Means: Selecting or deleting words in the transcript removes that stretch of the recording from the edit.
- Frame-accurate trimming: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/reviewing-joins/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/edit), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: Any edit point can be moved one frame at a time.
- Separate recorder synced by waveform: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/projects/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinciResolveReferenceManual.pdf#page=443), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1 Reference Manual (Sep 2026). Means: Audio from a separate recorder is lined up with the camera's sound by matching their waveforms.
- Build a timeline from a script: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/projects/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/SupportNotes/DaVinci_Resolve_20_New_Features_Guide.pdf), checked 4 Nov 2026, 20 and later. Means: The tool matches a written script to recorded clips and assembles a timeline from the matching takes.

### Graphics, chapters and sound

| Feature | Sashimii | DaVinci Resolve |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notes on words become graphics and chapters | Yes: Select words, press N and tag the note (Text on screen, Zoom, B-roll, Chapter and more); your agent builds the graphics in your Style, and Chapter notes become chapters. | No dedicated tool: The Transcription window puts a marker at a word (p. 998) and markers can become chapters (p. 1022), but nothing turns a note into a graphic. |
| YouTube chapters (same) | Yes: Copy YouTube Chapters copies one m:ss line per chapter, with 0:00 added when needed. | Yes: Chapters from Markers, in MP4 and QuickTime renders and in uploads to YouTube from Resolve. |
| Voice cleanup (same) | Yes: Reduces noise and room echo on your Mac, with Listen to Cleaned or Original to compare. | Yes: Voice Isolation (Studio) and Dialogue Leveler (free). |
| Subtitles from speech | No: Karaoke captions can be made as graphics from a note; there is no subtitle track or file. | Yes: Subtitles from audio (Studio), exported as SRT, VTT or TTML or burned in. |

- Notes on words become graphics and chapters: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/notes/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinciResolveReferenceManual.pdf#page=998), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1 Reference Manual (Sep 2026). Means: A note attached to words in the transcript, tagged with what it asks for, turns into a graphic or a chapter at those words.
- YouTube chapters: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/chapters/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinciResolveReferenceManual.pdf#page=4105), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1 Reference Manual (Sep 2026). Means: Chapters marked in the edit become the timestamp list or chapter metadata YouTube reads.
- Voice cleanup: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/voice-cleanup/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/SupportNotes/DaVinci_Resolve_Studio_21_Features.pdf), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1 Studio and iPad Features (Sep 2026). Means: Reduces background noise or room sound in recorded speech.
- Subtitles from speech: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/notes/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/edit), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: A subtitle or caption track generated from the transcribed audio, that can be edited and exported.

### Finishing suite

| Feature | Sashimii | DaVinci Resolve |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Colour grading | No: No colour tools. Export to Resolve to grade. | Yes: The color page, which Blackmagic calls Hollywood's most advanced color corrector. |
| Compositing and VFX | No: Only the graphics your agent makes. | Yes: The Fusion page's node-based visual effects. |
| Motion graphics | Partly: Your agent writes the graphics from your notes, in your Style; you move, retime and approve them. No graphics editor of its own. | Yes: The Fusion page for broadcast-quality motion graphics, plus titles on the edit page. |
| Audio post | Partly: Voice cleanup, and loudness matched to YouTube's −14 LUFS on render. No mixer. | Yes: The Fairlight page, with hundreds of professional audio post tools. |
| Multicam | No: One video per project, with at most one separate audio recording. | Yes: A full multicam interface for 4, 9, 16, 25 or more cameras. |
| Teams on one project | No: A project is a folder of files on your Mac. No accounts or shared projects. | Yes: Several people on one timeline, with projects shared through Blackmagic Cloud. Included in the free version. |

- Colour grading: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/exporting/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/color), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: Tools for correcting and grading the picture's colour.
- Compositing and VFX: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/edit-view-and-graphics/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/fusion), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: Layering, keying, tracking and effects on the picture beyond titles.
- Motion graphics: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/edit-view-and-graphics/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/fusion), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: Text and animated graphics designed inside the tool.
- Audio post: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/exporting/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/fairlight), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: A mixing environment with tracks, buses, effects and metering for finishing a soundtrack.
- Multicam: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/projects/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/edit), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: Syncing several camera angles and cutting between them.
- Teams on one project: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/projects/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/collaboration), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: More than one person can work on the same project, at the same time or through shared projects.

### AI and agents

| Feature | Sashimii | DaVinci Resolve |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AI features built into the app | Partly: Speech recognition and voice cleanup, both on your Mac. The editorial calls come from your own agent, not a built-in model. | Yes: The DaVinci Neural Engine (Studio) for Magic Mask, Smart Reframe, IntelliSearch, Voice Isolation and more. |
| Agent connection over MCP (same) | Yes: A command-line step: `sashimii register` adds Sashimii's MCP server to Claude Code or Codex. There's no in-app connect flow, and the skill works without it. | Yes: A native MCP server for AI assistants, new in 21.1. Studio only, not on iPad. |
| Scripting interface (same) | Yes: The sashimii command-line tool and a project of plain JSON files agents can edit. | Yes: A scripting API for driving Resolve from outside; from 21.1, advanced scripting needs Studio. |

- AI features built into the app: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/drafting-with-your-agent/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/SupportNotes/DaVinci_Resolve_Studio_21_Features.pdf), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1 Studio and iPad Features (Sep 2026). Means: AI models that ship inside the tool and do editing work (masking, reframing, transcription, voice work and the like).
- Agent connection over MCP: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/drafting-with-your-agent/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/readme/baf7c071c0524fbf8ccc961925c9f443), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1. Means: The tool provides a Model Context Protocol server, or an official way to connect one, so an AI agent can operate it.
- Scripting interface: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/for-agents/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/readme/baf7c071c0524fbf8ccc961925c9f443), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1. Means: A documented programming interface for driving the tool from outside its window.

### Export and handoff

| Feature | Sashimii | DaVinci Resolve |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Renders the finished video (same) | Yes: MP4 in HEVC 10-bit or H.264, with its graphics. | Yes: The deliver page renders finished files. |
| Exports an editable timeline | Partly: DaVinci Resolve only (FCPXML 1.13, tested with Resolve 21.1.1). No Final Cut or Premiere export. | Yes: Moves projects between Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Media Composer and Premiere Pro. |

- Renders the finished video: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/exporting/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: Writes a finished, playable video file of the edit.
- Exports an editable timeline: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/exporting/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: Writes a timeline another editing app can open with its clips still separate and editable.

### Platforms

| Feature | Sashimii | DaVinci Resolve |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mac (same) | Yes: A native Mac app. | Yes: Native on Mac. |
| Windows | No: Mac only. | Yes: Windows 10 Creators Update or later, and Windows 11 for ARM. |
| Linux | No: Mac only. | Yes: Rocky Linux 8.6 or later. |
| iPad | No: Mac only. | Partly: The photo, cut, color and deliver pages on iPad, with Studio as an in-app purchase. |

- Mac: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/getting-started/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: A native app for macOS that a person can install and use today.
- Windows: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/getting-started/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/readme/baf7c071c0524fbf8ccc961925c9f443), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1. Means: A native app for Windows.
- Linux: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/getting-started/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/readme/baf7c071c0524fbf8ccc961925c9f443), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1. Means: A native app for Linux.
- iPad: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/getting-started/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/SupportNotes/DaVinci_Resolve_Studio_21_Features.pdf), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1 Studio and iPad Features (Sep 2026). Means: An app for iPad that edits video.

### Requirements and price

| Feature | Sashimii | DaVinci Resolve |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mac requirement | macOS 26 or later, Apple silicon: About 1 GB of disk for the speech model, downloaded once. | macOS 15 Sequoia or later, Apple silicon: From the 21.1 release notes' minimum system requirements. |
| Release | Beta: A free beta; testers are invited in small groups. | Public release, 21.1.2: 21.1 came out on 8 September 2026, 21.1.1 on 2 October and 21.1.2 on 27 October. |
| Pricing | Free during the beta: The price after the beta isn't set yet. | Free, or Studio for $295: The free version is capped at 8-bit, 60 fps and Ultra HD. On 4 Nov 2026 Blackmagic's page showed Studio on sale at $236. |
| What the AI costs | Your own agent's plan: Drafting runs on the Claude Code or Codex plan you already have, which may cost money. Transcription runs on your Mac. | Included in Studio: The Neural Engine comes with Studio. AI assistants are Studio-only and need your own MCP-compatible assistant. |

- Mac requirement: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/getting-started/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/readme/baf7c071c0524fbf8ccc961925c9f443), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1. Means: The oldest macOS release and the Mac hardware the current version supports, as the maker states it.
- Release: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/beta/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/family/davinci-resolve-and-fusion), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: Whether the current version is a public release or a beta, and which version it is.
- Pricing: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/beta/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2. Means: How the tool is paid for (free, one-time purchase, subscription) and its entry price, from the maker's own pricing.
- What the AI costs: Sashimii [source](https://sashimii.app/docs/drafting-with-your-agent/), checked 4 Nov 2026, v1 beta; DaVinci Resolve [source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/SupportNotes/DaVinci_Resolve_Studio_21_Features.pdf), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1 Studio and iPad Features (Sep 2026). Means: What a person pays for the tool's AI features beyond the tool's own price.

## Where DaVinci Resolve Is Better

Resolve does far more than Sashimii, and for most of it Sashimii has no answer at all. If your video needs any of this, you need Resolve (or another full editor), whether or not you also use Sashimii:

- **Colour grading.** The color page is one of the most capable colour tools there is. Sashimii has no colour tools.
- **Compositing and motion graphics.** Fusion is a full node-based effects and motion graphics tool. Sashimii's graphics are ones your agent writes from your notes, which you move, retime and approve.
- **Audio post.** Fairlight is a complete audio post environment. Sashimii cleans up your voice and matches YouTube's loudness on render, and that's all.
- **Multicam.** Resolve syncs and cuts between many camera angles. A Sashimii project is one video, with at most one separate audio recording.
- **Working as a team.** Several people can work on one Resolve timeline, even in the free version. Sashimii projects live on one Mac.
- **Windows and Linux.** Resolve runs on both, and partly on iPad. Sashimii is Mac only, macOS 26 or later.
- **The free version.** Resolve's free version is a real editor, capped at 8-bit, 60 fps and Ultra HD. Sashimii is free during its beta, but it is a beta and its price isn't set yet.
- **Built-in AI.** Studio's Neural Engine does subtitles from speech, IntelliScript timelines from a script, Magic Mask, Smart Reframe, Voice Isolation and more. Sashimii's built-in processing stops at speech recognition and voice cleanup, both on your Mac; the editorial calls come from your own agent.

## Who Sashimii Is For, and Who It Isn’t

Sashimii is for you if:

- You make talking-head videos on a Mac, and you record far more than you keep.
- You already use Claude Code or Codex, or are happy to, and want it to make the first editorial pass.
- You want to hear every join before you publish, and fix it to the frame.
- You finish in Resolve, or your video is simple enough to render straight from Sashimii.

It isn't for you if:

- You edit on Windows or Linux.
- You want one app for grading, effects, multicam and the mix. That's Resolve on its own.
- You work with a team on shared projects.
- You shoot from a script across many clips. IntelliScript, in Resolve Studio, is built for that.
- You don't want an AI agent involved. Sashimii can cut from the transcript by hand, but its point is the agent's draft.

## Using Them Together

This is the workflow Sashimii is built around, and the one handoff it has tested: cut in Sashimii, finish in Resolve.

1. **Draft and review in Sashimii.** Your agent drafts the cut, and you review the joins and leave notes for graphics and chapters.
2. **Export to DaVinci Resolve.** Export As: DaVinci Resolve writes an FCPXML 1.13 bundle built from your original media. Each kept section is its own clip on your original recording, your source timecode is kept, and the sound is your original recording, not the cleaned voice, so you can do your own sound work in Fairlight.
3. **Finish in Resolve.** Import the bundle, then ripple, add B-roll, grade and mix as if you had cut it there. Joins arrive as hard cuts. In the current build, notes, chapters and graphics come across in the export report as reminders, not finished graphics, because Resolve doesn't read the bundle's markers yet.

The export is tested with DaVinci Resolve 21.1.1, and Resolve is the only editor Sashimii exports to. See [Exporting](https://sashimii.app/docs/exporting/) for the details.

## Pricing

- **Price.** Sashimii: Free during the beta: The price after the beta isn't set yet. DaVinci Resolve: Free, or Studio for $295: The free version is capped at 8-bit, 60 fps and Ultra HD. On 4 Nov 2026 Blackmagic's page showed Studio on sale at $236. ([source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2)
- **AI.** Sashimii: Your own agent's plan: Drafting runs on the Claude Code or Codex plan you already have, which may cost money. Transcription runs on your Mac. DaVinci Resolve: Included in Studio: The Neural Engine comes with Studio. AI assistants are Studio-only and need your own MCP-compatible assistant. ([source](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/SupportNotes/DaVinci_Resolve_Studio_21_Features.pdf), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1 Studio and iPad Features (Sep 2026))
- **Status.** Sashimii: Beta: A free beta; testers are invited in small groups. DaVinci Resolve: Public release, 21.1.2: 21.1 came out on 8 September 2026, 21.1.1 on 2 October and 21.1.2 on 27 October. ([source](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/family/davinci-resolve-and-fusion), checked 4 Nov 2026, 21.1.2)

## FAQ

### Is Sashimii an alternative to DaVinci Resolve?

For most people, no. Sashimii does the rough cut of a talking-head recording, then either renders it or hands it to Resolve to finish. It has no colour, effects, multicam or mixing tools, so if you need those, you still need Resolve.

### Does DaVinci Resolve have text-based editing?

Yes, in DaVinci Resolve Studio. It transcribes clips, and you can cut, copy, paste or delete text in the Transcription window and mirror the changes to the timeline. Studio's IntelliScript also builds a timeline by matching a written script to your clips.

### Can an AI agent edit in DaVinci Resolve?

Yes. DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Studio has a native MCP server, and Blackmagic names Claude, Claude Code and ChatGPT Codex as assistants that can analyze projects, organize media, remove clips and render. Shane's experience is that it works decently but is slow and token-hungry for talking-head rough cuts; Sashimii's agent works on the project's files and a command-line tool instead.

### Does Resolve's transcription have word-level timing?

Yes. The 21.1 scripting API returns a clip's transcription with speaker and timing data, including each word's start and end. How accurate those word times are for cutting hasn't been tested for this page.

### Can DaVinci Resolve make YouTube chapters?

Yes. Resolve turns timeline markers of one colour into chapters, in MP4 and QuickTime renders and in uploads to YouTube made from Resolve. Sashimii makes chapters from notes on the transcript and copies them as the list for your video's description.

### Do I need DaVinci Resolve to use Sashimii?

No. Sashimii renders a finished MP4 itself, with its graphics, in HEVC or H.264. Resolve is for when you want to grade, add effects or do more editing after the rough cut.

### Does Sashimii run on Windows?

No. Sashimii is a Mac app for Apple silicon Macs on macOS 26 or later. Resolve runs on Mac, Windows and Linux.

### What do they cost?

DaVinci Resolve is free, and DaVinci Resolve Studio is $295 (Blackmagic's page showed it on sale at $236 on 4 November 2026). Sashimii is free during its beta and its price isn't set yet. Drafting uses your own Claude Code or Codex plan, which may cost money.

Spot something wrong or out of date? Write to hello@sashimii.app.

## Related

- [Exporting to DaVinci Resolve](https://sashimii.app/docs/exporting/)
- [Drafting with your agent](https://sashimii.app/docs/drafting-with-your-agent/)
- [All comparisons](https://sashimii.app/compare/)