[This article is part of a series where I invited media industry leaders to share their thoughts on 2025 and what it means for the future. Niclas Bahn is the CEO/Co-founder of FxFactory. Website: FxFactory.com. ]
For much of the past decade, plugins were a reliable way for video creators to extend their tools and tailor their workflows. In 2025, that market still exists — but it has clearly stratified.
Simple templates have become a crowded and highly competitive space. Low barriers to entry and marketplace saturation have made it increasingly difficult for basic effects to stand out or sustain long-term value. By contrast, more advanced plugins, that solve complex problems or meaningfully compress time, continue to perform well and push the boundaries of what’s possible inside modern editing and compositing tools.
At the same time, the business models behind plugins have been changing. Many developers have moved toward subscription-based offerings that provide more predictable revenue. While this shift has clear advantages for suppliers, it has also made creators more selective about what they adopt and commit to long term. In response, there has been renewed appreciation for tools that can be purchased outright.
AI has also played a growing role in this shift. Rather than replacing creative intent, the most successful AI-driven plugins focus on accelerating tasks that were previously tedious, manual, or impractical. Demand is strongest for tools that help creators reach better results faster, with fewer compromises.
Against that backdrop, DaVinci Resolve’s evolution has been one of the most significant developments in recent years. What began as a color-focused tool has matured into a unified platform spanning editing, color, visual effects, audio, and finishing. By 2025, it was evident that many creators were relying on Resolve as a central part of their day-to-day work.
FxFactory has long supported professional video content creators working in Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Motion. Together, these tools have formed the foundation of professional workflows across social, broadcast, corporate, and independent video production. Over time, however, it became equally clear that this picture was no longer complete without DaVinci Resolve.
Bringing FxFactory to Resolve was not about a single product launch. In one step, it brought more than 80 advanced visual effects products from over a dozen independent developers to DaVinci Resolve.
From a development standpoint, Resolve presents both challenges and opportunities. This was not a simple port. Resolve required different assumptions around performance, rendering, and user interface, and meeting that bar meant rethinking major parts of our products.
With Resolve included, FxFactory now supports all major professional editing and compositing platforms, allowing creators to rely on consistent tools regardless of where their work happens.
Adding DaVinci Resolve support was an important milestone for FxFactory. More broadly, it reflects how the plugin market, and professional video creation itself, is continuing to evolve toward deeper tools and purposeful use of AI.
