Side by side

ACID Pro vs Soundation

Both stand on digital audio workstations. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

ACID Pro

Free trial Windows

ACID Pro combines loop-based composition, multitrack audio, MIDI, and video-scoring tools in a Windows workstation. Its available plans include subscriptions and a perpetual license, while the listed minimum operating system is Windows 11.

Visit ACID Pro

Soundation

Free plan Web

Choose Soundation for browser-based music production, shared project work, and a large sound library, with a free plan available. Look elsewhere if you need high-quality MP3 or WAV export without a paid account, or commercial rights for Gennie samples.

Visit Soundation

The facts

	ACID Pro	Soundation
Free plan	A free trial	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Windows	Web
Lowest paid plan	ACID Pro Annual Subscription: $69.95 a year	Soundation Education: $360 a year
Plans published	4	1
Maker	Not published	Soundation
Website	vegascreativesoftware.com	soundation.com
On digital audio workstations	#25 of 39	#21 of 39

ACID Pro: what it does well

ACIDized loops match project key and tempo.
Includes nearly 3 GB of royalty-free loops.
Supports VST instruments and audio effects.
Timeline can preview video for scoring work.

What to know first

Windows 11 is the listed minimum operating system.
The trial is listed for Windows only.
A free Boris FX account is required to manage licenses, updates, and support.

Soundation: what it does well

Runs in a browser without a software download.
Supports real-time collaboration in shared projects.
Includes more than 20,000 sounds and presets.
Provides 12 software instruments.
Free users can export MP3 files.

What to know first

High-quality MP3 and WAV export requires a paid account.
Gennie samples cannot be used commercially or monetized.
Education subscriptions are required per teacher.

Alternatives to ACID Pro Alternatives to Soundation The whole list