Comparison of digital audio editors


The following tables compare general and technical information among a number of digital audio editors and multitrack recording software. Please see the individual products articles for further information.

Digital Audio Workstations

Basic general information about the software: creator/company, license/price etc.
Digital audio editorCreator / developerSoftware licenseMicrosoft WindowsMacOSLinuxiOSAndroidNetwork storageExternal hardware
ACID ProMagix
ArdourThe Ardour CommunityNFS
AudioDeskMark of the Unicorn
AuditionAdobe Systems
Bitwig StudioBitwig
Cakewalk by BandLabBandLab Technologies
CubaseSteinbergRequires hardware dongle
Digital PerformerMark of the Unicorn
FL StudioImage-Line
GarageBandApple
Harrison MixbusHarrison ConsolesNFS
KristalKreatives
LiveAbleton
LMMSTobias DoerffelNFS
Logic ProApple
MixcraftAcoustica
mp3DirectCutMartin Pesch Freeware
MuLabMuTools
MultitrackStudioBremmers Audio Design
MusEMuseENFS
n-TrackFasoft
NuendoSteinberg
PodiumZynewave / Freemium
Pro ToolsAvidMediaNet
QtractorQtractorNFS
REAPERCockos
ReasonPropellerhead Software
RecordPropellerhead Software
RenoiseRenoise Team
RosegardenRosegardenNFS
Samplitude/SequoiaMagix
Soundscape 32MackieExternal 2U rack unit
Studio OnePreSonusSoundCloud
TracktionTracktion Software Inc
Digital audio editorCreator / developerSoftware licenseMicrosoft WindowsMacOSLinuxiOSAndroidNetwork storageExternal hardware

Wave editors

Basic general information about the software: creator/company, license/price etc.
Digital audio editorCreator / developerSoftware licenseMicrosoft WindowsMacOSiOSLinuxBSDOnlineNetwork storageExternal hardware
AcousticaAcon Digital
AudacityAudacity TeamNFS
AudiotoolHobnoxNFSOptional MIDI support
BIAS PeakBIAS
Diamond Cut ARTDiamond Cut Productions
EcasoundKai Vehmanen
GoldwaveGoldwave Inc. Shareware
JokosherJokosherNFS
NU-TechLeaff Engineering
RiffWorksSonoma Wire Works
Sound ForgeMagix
SoundboothAdobe Systems
SoXChris Bagwell, et al.
SpectraLayersSony
SweepConrad Parker
Total RecorderHighCriteria Shareware
Traverso DAWTraversoNFS
WaveLabSteinbergExternal gear, MIDI
WavePadNCH Software / Freemium
WaveSurferCentre for Speech Technology at KTH
Digital audio editorCreator / developerSoftware licenseMicrosoft WindowsMacOSiOSLinuxBSDOnlineNetwork storageExternal hardware

Plugin support

The plugin types the software can run natively.
ReWireJACKVSTVST3LADSPALV2DSSIRTASAUDXiMAS
ACID Pro
Acoustica
Ardour
Audacity
AudioDesk
Audiotool
Audition
BIAS Peak
Bitwig Studio
Cakewalk by BandLab
Cubase
Diamond Cut ART
Digital Performer
Ecasound
FL Studio
GarageBand
Goldwave
ReWireJACKVSTVST3LADSPALV2DSSIRTASAUDXiMAS
Harrison Mixbus
Jokosher
Kristal
Live
LMMS
Logic Express/Studio
Mixcraft
mp3DirectCut
MuLab
MusE
n-Track
Nuendo
NU-Tech
Podium
Pro Tools
Qtractor
ReWireJACKVSTVST3LADSPALV2DSSIRTASAUDXiMAS
REAPER
Reason
Record
Renoise
RiffWorks
Rosegarden
Samplitude
Sound Forge
Soundbooth
Soundscape 32
SoX
SpectraLayers
Studio One
Sweep
Total Recorder
Tracktion
Traverso
WaveLab
WavePad
WaveSurfer
ReWireJACKVSTVST3LADSPALV2DSSIRTASAUDXiMAS

File format support

The various file types the software can read/write.
OMFAAFMIDIWAVMP3AACOggREX2AIFFFLACOthers
AcousticaW64
ArdourW64, libsndfile library formats
AudacityAMR
AudioDeskSDII
Audiotool
Audition AU, IFF, RAW/PCM, SMP, VOC, VOX, WMA
BIAS Peak
Bitwig Studio
Cakewalk by BandLabW64, CAF, SDII, AU, SND, DSF, DFF, RCY, ASF, WMA, WMV
CubaseWMA, W64
Diamond Cut ART
Digital PerformerSDII
Ecasound
FL StudioXI, REX, REX2
GarageBand
GoldwaveWindows Media Audio, AU, Monkey's Audio, VOX, mat, snd, voc
Harrison MixbusAIFC, NeXT AU/SND, Headerless RAW, PAF, IFF/SVX, Sphere Nist WAV, IRCAM SF, VOC, W64, MAT4, MAT5, PVF, Fasttracker 2 XI, HMM Tool Kit HTK, CAF, SD2
OMFAAFMIDIWAVMP3AACOggREX2AIFFFLACOthers
Jokosher
Kristal
LiveSDII
LMMSAU, DS, RAW, SPX, VOC. Can also open.flp files
Logic Express/Studio
Mixcraft
mp3DirectCut
MuLab
MusE
N-TrackWMA, EDL, WAV64
Nuendo
NU-Tech
Podium
Pro Tools SDII
QtractorCAF, HTK, IFF/8SVX, MAT4/5, PAF, PVF, RAW, SDII, SDS, SF, VOC, W64, XI
REAPERAPE, BWF, MOOG, W64, WavPack
ReasonSF2, ReFill
RecordSF2, ReFill
OMFAAFMIDIWAVMP3AACOggREX2AIFFFLACOthers
RenoiseMP4, MP4A, CAF, SFZ
RiffWorks
RosegardenCsound, Mup, MuxicXML, h2song
SamplitudeWMA, RealAudio
Sound ForgeSWF, RealAudio & RealVideo, WMA and WMV, AVI, AIF, SND, MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, AU, DIG, IVC, PCA, W64, FRG, VOX, AA3, OMA, CDA, AC-3 studio, RAW
Soundbooth
Soundscape 32
SoXExternal LAMEAU and other audio file formats
SpectraLayers.caf,.alac, RAW/PCM,.rm,.au,.snd, AVI, MXF, MP1, MP2, MP4, MKV, Quicktime,.vob,.wmv, WMA
Studio OneOpenTL, BWF, RF64, PreSonus Capture Session, Steinberg Cubase Track Archive, Steinberg Sequel Project, Kristal Audio Engine Project
SweepVarious versions of WAV ; Microsoft PCM, A-law and u-law formats; AIFC and RIFX; various AU/SND formats ; RAW header-less PCM files; Amiga IFF/8SVX/16SV PCM files; Ensoniq PARIS ; Apple's Core Audio Format and others.
Total RecorderPCM, WMA, Monkey's Audio.
Tracktion
TraversoWavPack
WaveLabAU, MP2, RAW
WavePadimport midi, Sun AU, MPEG4 audio, GSM, RAW, Dialogic VOX, AMR Narrowband, Musepack, Monkey's Audio Codec, others
WaveSurferImport: AU, CSL, SD
Export: AU
OMFAAFMIDIWAVMP3AACOggREX2AIFFFLACOthers