# Comparison of digital audio editors

The following tables compare general and technical information among a number of digital audio editors and multitrack recording software.
(Note: HP-UX, IBM-DB2U, FreeBSD and other Unixes omitted)

## Digital Audio Workstations

Basic general information about the software: creator/company, license/price etc.
| Digital audio editor | Creator / developer | Software license | Microsoft Windows | MacOS | Linux | iOS | Android | Network storage | External hardware |
| ACID Pro | Magix | Proprietary | Yes | No | No | No | | | |
| Ardour | The Ardour Community | GNU GPL (Pay-what-you-want) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | | NFS | |
| AudioDesk | Mark of the Unicorn | Proprietary | No | Yes | No | No | | | |
| Audition | Adobe Systems | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | | |
| BandLab | BandLab Technologies | Proprietary (Freeware) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | |
| Bitwig Studio | Bitwig | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | | | |
| Cakewalk by BandLab | BandLab Technologies | Proprietary (Freeware) | Yes | No | No | No | No | | |
| Cubase | Steinberg | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | Yes, as Cubasis | Yes, as Cubasis | | |
| Digital Performer | Mark of the Unicorn | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | | | |
| Fairlight | Blackmagic Design | Proprietary Freeware | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | | |
| FL Studio | Image-Line | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | | |
| GarageBand | Apple | Proprietary | No | Yes | No | Yes | | | |
| Harrison Mixbus | Harrison Consoles | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | | NFS | |
| Kristal | Kreatives | Proprietary (Freeware) | Yes | No | No | No | | | |
| Live | Ableton | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | | | |
| LMMS | Tobias Doerffel | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | | NFS | |
| Logic Pro | Apple | Proprietary | Discontinued (last version: 5.5.1) | Yes | No | Yes, iPad only | | | |
| Luna | Universal Audio | Proprietary / needs UAD/Universal Audio audio interface to run | No | Yes | No | No | | | |
| Magix Music Maker | Magix | Proprietary / Freemium | Yes | No | No | No | | | |
| Mixcraft | Acoustica | Proprietary | Yes | No | Wine | Remote only | Remote only | | |
| mp3DirectCut | Martin Pesch | Proprietary Freeware | Yes | No | No | No | | | |
| MuLab | MuTools | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | | | |
| MultitrackStudio | Bremmers Audio Design | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | | | |
| MusE | MuseE | GNU GPL | No | No | Yes | No | | NFS | |
| n-Track | Fasoft | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | | |
| Nuendo | Steinberg | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | | | |
| Podium | Zynewave | Proprietary / Freemium | Yes | No | No | No | | | |
| Pro Tools | Avid | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | | MediaNet (proprietary) | Yes |
| Pyramix_DAW | Merging Technologies | Proprietary | Yes | No | No | No | | Yes | Yes |
| Qtractor | Qtractor | GNU GPL | No | No | Yes | No | | NFS | |
| REAPER | Cockos | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes (after version 6.0) | No | | | |
| Reason | Propellerhead Software | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | | | |
| Record | Propellerhead Software | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | | | |
| Renoise | Renoise Team | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | | | |
| Rosegarden | Rosegarden | GNU GPL | No | No | Yes | No | | NFS | |
| Samplitude/Sequoia | Magix | Proprietary | Yes | No | No | No | | | |
| SADiE | Prism Sound | Proprietary | Yes | No | No | No | | | |
| Sonoma | Sony | Proprietary / only works on dedicated Sonoma PC | Windows XP and Windows Vista only | No | No | No | | | 8x8 Meitner audio interface |
| Soundscape 32 | Mackie | Proprietary | Yes | No | No | No | | | External 2U rack unit |
| Studio One | PreSonus | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | | SoundCloud | |
| Waveform | Tracktion Software Inc | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | | | |
| Digital audio editor | Creator / developer | Software license | Microsoft Windows | MacOS | Linux | iOS | Android | Network storage | External hardware |

## Wave editors

Basic general information about the software: creator/company, license/price etc.
| Digital audio editor | Creator / developer | Software license | Microsoft Windows | MacOS | iOS | Linux | BSD | Online | Network storage | External hardware |
| Acoustica | Acon Digital | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Un­known | Un­known |
| Audacity | Audacity Team | GNU GPLv2 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | NFS | |
| Audiotool | Hobnox | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Not officially supported | Yes | No | Yes | NFS | Optional MIDI support |
| BIAS Peak | BIAS | Proprietary | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | | |
| Diamond Cut ART | Diamond Cut Productions | Proprietary | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Un­known | Un­known |
| Ecasound | Kai Vehmanen | GNU GPL | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Un­known | Un­known |
| Goldwave | Goldwave Inc. | Proprietary Shareware | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | | |
| Jokosher | Jokosher | GNU GPL | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | NFS | |
| NU-Tech | Leaff Engineering | Proprietary | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | | |
| RiffWorks | Sonoma Wire Works | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | | |
| Sound Forge | Magix | Proprietary | Yes | Discontinued (last version: 3) | No | No | No | No | | |
| Soundbooth | Adobe Systems | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | | |
| Sound Studio | Felt Tip Inc. | Proprietary | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | | |
| SoX | Chris Bagwell, et al. | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | | |
| SpectraLayers | Steinberg | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | | |
| Sweep | Conrad Parker | GNU GPL | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | | |
| Total Recorder | HighCriteria | Proprietary Shareware | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | | |
| Traverso DAW | Traverso | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | NFS | |
| WaveLab | Steinberg | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | | External gear, MIDI |
| WavePad | NCH Software | Proprietary / Freemium | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | | |
| WaveSurfer | Centre for Speech Technology at KTH | BSD-like | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | | |
| Digital audio editor | Creator / developer | Software license | Microsoft Windows | MacOS | iOS | Linux | BSD | Online | Network storage | External hardware |

## Support
### Plugin support

The plugin types the software can run natively (without emulation).
| | ReWire | JACK | VST | VST3 | LADSPA | LV2 | DSSI | RTAS | AU | DXi | MAS |
| ACID Pro | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Acoustica | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Ardour | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Audacity | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (3.2.0 and newer) | Yes | Yes | No | No | Only on OS X | No | No |
| AudioDesk | Returns only | No | Via converter | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Audiotool | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Audition | Partial (Pre CS5.5 - Yes, CS5.5 - No) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Partial (Pre CS5.5 - Yes, CS5.5 - No) | No |
| BIAS Peak | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| Bitwig Studio | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Cakewalk by BandLab | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Cubase | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Terminated (SX3.1) | No |
| Diamond Cut ART | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| Digital Performer | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes (with Digi TDM or HD hardware via DAE) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Ecasound | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| FL Studio | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| GarageBand | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Goldwave | No | No | Beta | Un­known | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| | ReWire | JACK | VST | VST3 | LADSPA | LV2 | DSSI | RTAS | AU | DXi | MAS |
| Harrison Mixbus | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Jokosher | No | No | No | Un­known | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Kristal | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| Live | Yes | No | Yes | Yes (Live 10.1 and newer) | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| LMMS | No | Yes | Yes | Un­known | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Logic Express/Studio | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Mixcraft | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | DirectX effects only | No |
| mp3DirectCut | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| MuLab | Yes | Un­known | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| MusE | No | Yes | Yes | Un­known | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| n-Track | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Nuendo | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| NU-Tech | No | No | Yes | Un­known | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Podium | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Pro Tools | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Before version 11 | No | No | No |
| Qtractor | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| | ReWire | JACK | VST | VST3 | LADSPA | LV2 | DSSI | RTAS | AU | DXi | MAS |
| REAPER | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Reason | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Record | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Renoise | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| RiffWorks | Yes | No | Yes | Un­known | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Rosegarden | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Samplitude | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Sound Forge | No | No | Yes | Un­known | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Soundbooth | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| Soundscape 32 | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| SoX | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| SpectraLayers | No | No | Yes | Un­known | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Studio One | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Sweep | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Total Recorder | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Waveform | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Traverso | No | Yes | No | Un­known | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| WaveLab | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| WavePad | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| WaveSurfer | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| | ReWire | JACK | VST | VST3 | LADSPA | LV2 | DSSI | RTAS | AU | DXi | MAS |

### File format support

The various file types the software can read/write.
| | OMF | AAF | MIDI | WAV | MP3 | AAC | Ogg | REX2 | AIFF | FLAC | Others |
| Acoustica | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | W64 |
| Ardour | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Un­known | Yes | Yes | W64, libsndfile library formats |
| Audacity | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | AMR |
| AudioDesk | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | SDII (native) |
| Audiotool | No | No | No | Import | Export | No | Export | No | No | No | |
| Audition | Yes | Un­known | No (unsupported since CS5) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | AU, IFF, RAW/PCM, SMP, VOC, VOX, WMA |
| BIAS Peak | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| Bitwig Studio | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | WMA |
| Cakewalk by BandLab | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Import | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | W64, CAF, SDII, AU, SND, DSF, DFF, RCY, ASF, WMA, WMV |
| Cubase | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | WMA, W64 |
| Diamond Cut ART | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| Digital Performer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | SDII (native) |
| Ecasound | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| FL Studio | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Import | Yes | XI, REX |
| GarageBand | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Un­known | Un­known | No | No | |
| Goldwave | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Yes | Yes | Un­known | Yes | Un­known | Yes | Yes | Windows Media Audio, AU, Monkey's Audio, VOX, mat, snd, voc |
| Harrison Mixbus | No | No | Yes | Yes | Un­known | Un­known | Yes | Un­known | No | Yes | AIFC, 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 |
| | OMF | AAF | MIDI | WAV | MP3 | AAC | Ogg | REX2 | AIFF | FLAC | Others |
| Jokosher | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Un­known | Yes | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | |
| Kristal | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| Live | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | SDII (Mac OS X Only) |
| LMMS | Un­known | Un­known | Yes | Yes | Yes | Un­known | Yes | Un­known | Yes | Yes | AU, DS, RAW, SPX, VOC. Can also open .flp files |
| Logic Pro | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Un­known | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Mixcraft | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
| mp3DirectCut | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | |
| MuLab | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| MusE | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| N-Track | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | WMA, EDL, WAV64 |
| Nuendo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| NU-Tech | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| Podium | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| Pro Tools | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Import | Import | Yes (7.4) | Yes | No | SDII (Mac OS X Only) |
| Qtractor | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CAF, HTK, IFF/8SVX, MAT4/5, PAF, PVF, RAW, SDII, SDS, SF, VOC, W64, XI |
| REAPER | Partial | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | APE, BWF, MOOG, W64, WavPack |
| Reason | No | No | Yes | Yes | Import | Import | No | Yes | Yes | No | SF2, ReFill |
| Record | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | SF2, ReFill |
| | OMF | AAF | MIDI | WAV | MP3 | AAC | Ogg | REX2 | AIFF | FLAC | Others |
| Renoise | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | MP4, MP4A, CAF, SFZ |
| RiffWorks | No | No | No | Export | No | No | Export | Yes | No | No | |
| Rosegarden | No | No | Yes | Yes | Import | Un­known | Import | Un­known | Un­known | Import | Csound, Mup, MuxicXML, h2song |
| Samplitude | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | WMA, RealAudio |
| Sound Forge | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Un­known | Yes | Yes | SWF (open only), RealAudio & RealVideo (export only), WMA and WMV, AVI, AIF, SND, MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, AU, DIG, IVC, PCA, W64, FRG, VOX, AA3, OMA, CDA, AC-3 studio (save only), RAW |
| Soundbooth | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| Soundscape 32 | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| SoX | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Yes | External LAME | Un­known | Yes | Un­known | Yes | Yes | AU and other audio file formats |
| SpectraLayers | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Un­known | Yes | Yes | .caf, .alac, RAW/PCM, .rm, .au, .snd, AVI, MXF, MP1, MP2, MP4, MKV, Quicktime, .vob, .wmv, WMA |
| Studio One | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | OpenTL, BWF, RF64, PreSonus Capture Session, Steinberg Cubase Track Archive, Steinberg Sequel Project, Kristal Audio Engine Project |
| Sweep | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Various versions of WAV (integer, floating point, GSM, and compressed formats); Microsoft PCM, A-law and u-law formats; AIFC and RIFX; various AU/SND formats (Sun/NeXT, Dec AU, G721 and G723 ADPCM); RAW header-less PCM files; Amiga IFF/8SVX/16SV PCM files; Ensoniq PARIS (.PAF); Apple's Core Audio Format (CAF) and others. |
| Total Recorder | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | PCM (uncompressed), WMA, Monkey's Audio (APE). |
| Waveform | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Traverso | No | No | Un­known | Yes | Yes | Un­known | Yes | Un­known | No | Yes | WavPack |
| WaveLab | No | No | Controllers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | AU, MP2, RAW |
| WavePad | No | No | Import | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | import midi, Sun AU, MPEG4 audio, GSM, RAW, Dialogic VOX, AMR Narrowband, Musepack, Monkey's Audio Codec, others |
| WaveSurfer | No | No | No | Yes | Import | No | With plugin | No | Yes | No | Import: AU, CSL, SD Export: AU |
| | OMF | AAF | MIDI | WAV | MP3 | AAC | Ogg | REX2 | AIFF | FLAC | Others |