If you want two or more systems running on the same Dongle, you’ll need to purchase another. This means you’ll have to sacrifice a USB port to Resolve and it’s only one system at a time. The Dongle is a bit different in that it needs to always be plugged in for Resolve Studio to recognize that it is activated. This is great for DaVinci Resolve’s method of collaboration, so you and a partner can work on the same project at the same time. With the Activation Key, you can move between operating systems and have up to two systems running off the same key at once. There’s also a version on the Mac App Store, but this is highly unrecommended to not download, as it is often receiving less support, is a little more expensive and limits you to only ever working on a Mac. The Activation Key is a card with a code on it, while the Dongle is literally a USB dongle that Resolve can communicate with to give the thumbs up for letting you through to the Studio version. The reseller and Blackmagic won’t email you the code like with a modern piece of software, meaning you have to plan around the actual delivery of the said product. When you order the DaVinci Resolve Activation Key, you’ll receive a physical product. However, there are a couple of methods of getting a DaVinci Resolve Activation Key, one including no key at all. It doesn’t matter what version you get, because you still need to go and download the Studio version from the website, which will most likely be 17 at this point. It’s why when you buy a Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, you might get a box promoting DaVinci Resolve 16 when we’re on 17 and some resellers will even still have stock from when it was version 12 or 14.

See, DaVinci Resolve doesn’t have a subscription, you pay the $300 once and you own it forever, including future versions. A big part of this is the specifications, which still recommend older hardware as a base, but also the way you buy the software can be a little confusing. Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve is sort of a legacy product in some ways, still clinging onto the past as the company pushes it forward to the consumer.

Resolve studio price