Best Audio Editing Software in 2026
Whether you’re shaping a multitrack recording, sequencing MIDI or cleaning up noise, the features to compare depend on your project. This ranking covers those tools as well as video synchronization, third-party plugins, cloud collaboration and supported platforms. Audacity, Soundtrap and Pro Tools lead the opening entries, followed by Ardour and n-Track Studio. A free plan and the listed paid-from price offer further points to weigh. Check which editing capabilities fit your work, and whether platform support, plugins or collaboration options suit the way you record and produce audio.
116 audio editing software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | App | Score | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | Multitrack editing | MIDI sequencing | Third-party plugins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audacity | 8.2 | Free | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | No | Yes | View |
| 2 | Soundtrap | 8.2 | Free | Yes | — | Web browser, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Yes | Yes | — | View |
| 3 |  Pro Tools | 8.1 | $0.83/mo | Yes | $9.99/mo | Windows, macOS | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 4 |  Ardour | 8.1 | $1/mo | Yes | $1/mo | Linux, macOS, Windows | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 5 |  n-Track Studio | 8.0 | $5.42/mo | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | View |
| 6 |  SANDYNE | 7.8 | Free | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux, plus a browser interface | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 7 |  LUNA | 7.7 | $12.42/mo | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | View |
| 8 |  Ongenet | 7.7 | Free | Yes | — | Linux, Windows, macOS, web demo | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 9 | BandLab Studio | 7.7 | Free | Yes | $14.99/mo | Web, iOS, Android | Yes | Yes | — | View |
| 10 | Descript | 7.7 | $1,624/mo | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | View |
| 11 | OpenStudio | 7.6 | Free | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 12 | GarageBand | 7.6 | Free | Yes | — | macOS, iPhone, iPad | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 13 |  WavePad | 7.6 | $5/mo | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | — | — | Yes | View |
| 14 |  MixPad | 7.4 | Free | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 15 |  Zenbeats | 7.4 | $149.99/mo | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and compatible Chrome OS systems | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 16 |  Avidemux | 7.4 | Free | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | View |
| 17 | AudioDirector | 7.3 | $5.83/mo | Yes | — | Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 18 |  OMNi DAW | 7.3 | Free | Yes | — | Windows, Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 19 | Raxx Studio | 7.3 | Free | Yes | — | Web browser and macOS desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 20 |  SoundBridge | 7.2 | Free | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | View |
| 21 |  openDAW | 7.2 | Free | Yes | — | Web browser | Yes | Yes | — | View |
| 22 | Ferrite Recording Studio | 7.2 | Free | Yes | — | iOS (iPhone and iPad) | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 23 |  MultitrackStudio | 7.2 | €74/mo | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, iPadOS | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 24 | Reason | 7.2 | $299/mo | Yes | — | Windows, macOS | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 25 |  Serato Studio | 7.2 | $9.99/mo | Yes | $9.99/mo | — | — | — | — | View |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which audio editing software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Audacity is ranked #1 of 116 with a score of 8.2. Soundtrap is second and Pro Tools third.
How many of these have a free plan?
25 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Pro Tools has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.83/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.